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Dogue de Bordeaux 4 Year Old Questions

What do I need to know to aquire this dog breed. I guess these are as well a fighting dog breed and DA is common.

Are these dogs considered Bully breed? I got this from WIKI

"The history of the breed is believed to predate the Bullmastiff and the Bulldog. It is said that the Dogue can be found in the background of the Bullmastiff, and others claim that the Dogue and Mastiff breeds were both being accomplished at the same time."

Dogue de Bordeaux - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Any information links to look up too so I can be well equipped with the breed?
 
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Renee

Well-Known Member
The first thing you need to be prepared for with ANY of the molossers is to know you must rely on your mental strength and ability to be consistent, but flexible. You will never physically be a match for your dog once it is even halfway grown. Don't fool yourself. Also, don't fool yourself into believing all that crap about having to be dominant. That's not how it works with these dogs.

It's a mutual partnership, even more so than with other dogs. There has to be mutual love and respect, but you don't get the respect automatically because you're a biped with opposable thumbs. You have to EARN it.

As they pass through adolescence be prepared to be tested, just like a human teenager would test the boundaries. There will be weeks on end when calling your dog gets you nothing more than a "talk to the butt" look over the shoulder as your dog goes to find something -- anything -- to use as an excuse to NOT do what you ask.

This looks like a good site to start with for information :) http://www.ddbs.org/page4.html
 

Mdawn

Well-Known Member
Excellent post Renee...I agree 100%. :)

You will never physically be a match for your dog once it is even halfway grown. Don't fool yourself. Also, don't fool yourself into believing all that crap about having to be dominant. That's not how it works with these dogs.

It's a mutual partnership, even more so than with other dogs. There has to be mutual love and respect, but you don't get the respect automatically because you're a biped with opposable thumbs. You have to EARN it.
http://www.ddbs.org/page4.html

This reminded me of when I took Uallis into Lowe's the last time. Someone mentioned that if he wanted to pull on the leash no one would be able to stop him because he's so big and strong. My boyfriend's mother said, "Luckily, he doesn't want to pull on the leash because he doesn't want to leave his Mama" ('Mama' meaning me...lol)

These are dogs that get extremely attached to "their people".
 

spiderbitten

Well-Known Member
Excellent post Renee...I agree 100%. :)

These are dogs that get extremely attached to "their people".



Yes, I think one of my favorite thing about my CCs is that they have absolutely no desire to leave the yard - even when the gate was accidentally left open...(once! And never again!).


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Thank you guys for the replies. I will take it all in. With my old dog, I would give her love, even lick her like a mom, pick fleas off of her like a monkey, belly scratches, give her baths, walk her, socialize her. How would i go about it with mastiffs? It's a totally new breed to me.
 

Mdawn

Well-Known Member
When you say you have to earn it, how?

Part of that is being fair and consistent in training...these are extremely stubborn dogs (or can be...). From my experience with Uallis, he has the attitude (I've said a million times...lol) of "I'll do what you want...when I'm ready to do it." He's more challenging in training than my Lab, whose will work for literally anything...with Uallis I have to actually make it worth his while. What will motivate him one day, doesn't necessarily mean it will motivate him the next. I have to work and adapt to that part of his personality. I don't try to change it, I have to work with it. That is a part of partnership. Another part of earning it is to show respect (which should be shown to all dogs...honestly...). I don't do things that I know he doesn't like. I don't hug him (well...I do only sometimes...:scared2:), I don't pat him on the head and don't allow others too. In essence, I don't do things to him and make him tolerate because he's "just a dog". He's a living breathing being who deserves respect. For example, last night I wanted to cut his nails. He kept hiding his paws from me, not wanting it done. Normally, he doesn't care in the least if he has his nails cut, but last night he just wasn't in the mood for it...so I let it be. I wasn't going to push it on him on the principle of "I'm his leader, I'm dominant, he has to listen to me or I'll make him listen to me..." :rolleyes:...For whatever reason, he just wasn't in the mood, he just wanted to be left alone. I respected that and just let him be. That is showing him respect.

Earning trust is an abstract idea...but in reality you just do it the same way basically when your earning the trust of a person. You create a partnership with them and you show them the respect they are due. You have to make these dogs apart of your family and let them know that they are a valuable part. That means showing them attention, giving them "loves" for no reason but just to do it, showing respect when possible of their wishes. Mainly, just letting them BE a part of your family. Its why these dogs do not do well living outside...they NEED things desperately that they can only get in the house...bonds, trust and family. :)