alyssadeanel
New Member
Hi everyone! I am new to this forum and have came here in some need of a little help and advice! We have a 4 year old English mastiff... Who has developed some anger issues. A little back ground on her... We have had her since she was 8 weeks old and has been a great dog! When she was in her first couple years we had no problems with her.. We don't have any kids so she has not really been associated with kids at all but I would always trust her if our friends' kids were around or what not. We did a lot of research before we picked the English Mastiff breed, and part of the reason we picked the breed was because how easy going and lovable these dogs are.
Well about a year ago, new neighbors moved in next door to us and they had an older male mix (not fixed). We also have a little Jack Russell that Delta (our mastiff) gets along great with, she practically thinks she is his mother! Our Jack Russell is not fixed either so any time the neighbors dog and our dogs were out in the yards the two male dogs would get very territorial and start growling and fighting. Delta would see this and go after the neighbors dog. She did this to protect our little Jack Russell. Several fights broke out between the three dogs... And they were pretty bad fights, so bad that we didn't think our little Jack Russell was going to make it. After actively trying to prevent these fights and keeping the dogs apart, we kind of got a hold on it. Things became a lot less tense and thankfully the renters next door moved out and now we don't have to worry about it all. Or at least that's that I thought.
So now that some time has passed and the dogs are completely at ease in their own territory (without the old mean neighbor dog next door), Delta has had some time to develop a couple aggression issues.. I cannot take her anywhere and trust her around other dogs. Just yesterday she got in a fight with my cousins pit bull. It seems to me that she automatically thinks any other dog is going to attack our Jack Russell because that was what she is use to happening. All she wants to do is protect. Which is very understandable to me, I know these dogs are protectors and that was another reason we picked the breed. The little Jack Russell is actually my mom's dog but has lived with us for a couple years now. Now that my mom does not travel as much she is taking the Jack Russell back and I am hoping this will get Delta out of her overprotectiveness! We are trying everything to break these habits!
Another thing that has gotten my attention is how she is around kids. Like I said earlier, she was not raised around kids. We don't have kids yet, but will in our near future. Along with her anger issues against other dogs, I have picked up on some aggression that she may have toward small kids.... A lot of our friends have kids and just today I had her in the back of the truck and took a a couple kids up to her so they could pet her. I have little to no trust in her right now, so when the kids asked to pet her, I said only if I go over there with you. So I walked them up to her, constantly talking to her and letting her know it was okay, and as we go closer she barked real loud and growled at the kids.
I know I have made her sound like a terrible dog which is hardly the case! She is the best dog and listens so well, these issues aside! Even with these issues she still listens and respects authority for the most part. If she is in the front yard and a dog walker passes she will stay put if you tell her no and make her stay.We love her so much and treat her with as much love as we can. She is spoiled rotten, but also minds very very well! We take pride in her and would love to say she is the perfect dog, but with these aggression issues it makes me question whether she is trust worthy!
Please any advice you may have with these issues would be a great help. She is a dog that we want to be able to take places and not worry about her snapping at some kids or being aggressive toward other dogs! I know she has it in her because that is hour she used to be! I just hope she isn't ruined!
Thank you in advance for reading!
Well about a year ago, new neighbors moved in next door to us and they had an older male mix (not fixed). We also have a little Jack Russell that Delta (our mastiff) gets along great with, she practically thinks she is his mother! Our Jack Russell is not fixed either so any time the neighbors dog and our dogs were out in the yards the two male dogs would get very territorial and start growling and fighting. Delta would see this and go after the neighbors dog. She did this to protect our little Jack Russell. Several fights broke out between the three dogs... And they were pretty bad fights, so bad that we didn't think our little Jack Russell was going to make it. After actively trying to prevent these fights and keeping the dogs apart, we kind of got a hold on it. Things became a lot less tense and thankfully the renters next door moved out and now we don't have to worry about it all. Or at least that's that I thought.
So now that some time has passed and the dogs are completely at ease in their own territory (without the old mean neighbor dog next door), Delta has had some time to develop a couple aggression issues.. I cannot take her anywhere and trust her around other dogs. Just yesterday she got in a fight with my cousins pit bull. It seems to me that she automatically thinks any other dog is going to attack our Jack Russell because that was what she is use to happening. All she wants to do is protect. Which is very understandable to me, I know these dogs are protectors and that was another reason we picked the breed. The little Jack Russell is actually my mom's dog but has lived with us for a couple years now. Now that my mom does not travel as much she is taking the Jack Russell back and I am hoping this will get Delta out of her overprotectiveness! We are trying everything to break these habits!
Another thing that has gotten my attention is how she is around kids. Like I said earlier, she was not raised around kids. We don't have kids yet, but will in our near future. Along with her anger issues against other dogs, I have picked up on some aggression that she may have toward small kids.... A lot of our friends have kids and just today I had her in the back of the truck and took a a couple kids up to her so they could pet her. I have little to no trust in her right now, so when the kids asked to pet her, I said only if I go over there with you. So I walked them up to her, constantly talking to her and letting her know it was okay, and as we go closer she barked real loud and growled at the kids.
I know I have made her sound like a terrible dog which is hardly the case! She is the best dog and listens so well, these issues aside! Even with these issues she still listens and respects authority for the most part. If she is in the front yard and a dog walker passes she will stay put if you tell her no and make her stay.We love her so much and treat her with as much love as we can. She is spoiled rotten, but also minds very very well! We take pride in her and would love to say she is the perfect dog, but with these aggression issues it makes me question whether she is trust worthy!
Please any advice you may have with these issues would be a great help. She is a dog that we want to be able to take places and not worry about her snapping at some kids or being aggressive toward other dogs! I know she has it in her because that is hour she used to be! I just hope she isn't ruined!
Thank you in advance for reading!
