stefangordon
New Member
Hey All!
Our first Bullmastiff has just turned 1 year old. He is a BIG boy, 140lb without an ounce of fat on him. Overall he is the best dog we have ever owned - never a single accident in the house, never chewed or damaged anything, and we can leave treats laying on the floor which he would never even consider picking up unless we explicitly handed them to him.
But... He sometimes gets very aggressive when we are outside. Especially if he thinks we are walking back to the house. This happens just walking through the yard back to the house, or returning from a walk on leash. He seems to think it is a game, wagging his tail and such.
He'll run in front of me to block me, bite and pull my pant legs, and leap up at me. He'll also nip at my hands, ankles, etc.
If I turn in any direction other than home, this ceases. So it seems he just doesn't want to go home and is willing to fight for it.
I have been pretty forceful with him, correcting with collar, holding him in a sitting or laying position until he calms down, and using "No" firmly, which in any other situation yields an immediate stop. All of this just seems to make him more excited/aggressive.
Overall all he seems to obey very well indoors, and forget all training outdoors. We have a large 50 acre property so he has plenty of space to run outdoors.
I'm looking for any advice on the best techniques to make it clear to him this behavior is not OK. I am a large guy and still very much able to control and correct the dog but am a little concerned about how to be forceful with him without causing other behavior issues.
(I should add that while this behavior doesn't seem to pose any physical harm to me, my wife is much smaller, and pregnant, and he can easily knock her over while acting this way, so I'm eager to make it stop).
Our first Bullmastiff has just turned 1 year old. He is a BIG boy, 140lb without an ounce of fat on him. Overall he is the best dog we have ever owned - never a single accident in the house, never chewed or damaged anything, and we can leave treats laying on the floor which he would never even consider picking up unless we explicitly handed them to him.
But... He sometimes gets very aggressive when we are outside. Especially if he thinks we are walking back to the house. This happens just walking through the yard back to the house, or returning from a walk on leash. He seems to think it is a game, wagging his tail and such.
He'll run in front of me to block me, bite and pull my pant legs, and leap up at me. He'll also nip at my hands, ankles, etc.
If I turn in any direction other than home, this ceases. So it seems he just doesn't want to go home and is willing to fight for it.
I have been pretty forceful with him, correcting with collar, holding him in a sitting or laying position until he calms down, and using "No" firmly, which in any other situation yields an immediate stop. All of this just seems to make him more excited/aggressive.
Overall all he seems to obey very well indoors, and forget all training outdoors. We have a large 50 acre property so he has plenty of space to run outdoors.
I'm looking for any advice on the best techniques to make it clear to him this behavior is not OK. I am a large guy and still very much able to control and correct the dog but am a little concerned about how to be forceful with him without causing other behavior issues.
(I should add that while this behavior doesn't seem to pose any physical harm to me, my wife is much smaller, and pregnant, and he can easily knock her over while acting this way, so I'm eager to make it stop).
