Agression in French Mastiff

[MooseBear]

Hey guys,

My family owns a year old french mastiff puppy. We've had him since he was three months old, and he's used to all of us. But lately we've been having issues with agression. It's been anything from giving him the wrong look, clapping, or chasing him, and he will raise his hackles and he'll start growling. I understand that he might be grumpy when he's tired or something, or around food (but I do not mess with his food). I tell him to sit and stay, and he won't get to eat untill he gets the okay.

My father has a tendancy to play rough with him, like wrestling, hitting, slapping, pulling his lips and such. I only play fetch with him, but he leaped up today and I felt his teeth on my arm.

He is unaltered too, if that makes a difference.

In a dog this big, it's scary. I don't know if it's because he doesn't respect us, or he needs more structured exercise. But if you guys have any suggestions or tips for what we can do, any help is appreciated.

 

[chuckorlando]

Well first is this aggression or rough play? I play very rough, but when it's enough the dog stops. That play also dont extend to anyoe but me. Not my wife, son, friends, just me. Aggression or play, I figure you need some training. You need to teach the pup what's cool and what aint. If you dont want jumping then you need to teach the pup that it aint ok. If your controlling his food, and he waits, he has to repect you. You need to build off that and train alot more for obediance.

Now how to train, well I'm just learning that myself so I'll let the pro's help you there

 

[MooseBear]

Thanks. We're going to look for a trainer, and see if that helps.

 

[chuckorlando]

You can start training your self as well. Start making the pup sit. Even get them to look at you. Praise them when they do. Then when they do something bad, You need to redirect their attention to the comands they know. You also need a word they know that means stop, down, back. All or some of them. Like we try to use OUT only for getting her out of someplace. A room or what have you. We try to use DOWN to get her off things. COME ON we try to use for to walk at my side. ENOUGH or NO means it's over. What ever it is, it' over.

You need to be carefull to use the words only for what you want them to mean. My wife is bad about using words for the wrong thing. She's learning but it takes practice. Once the dog has basic comands. Even if they dont listen half the time, they knw them. So lets say Kona jumps and I dont like it. I'm gonna say enough. Then sit with a good girl. So she knows the jump was wrong but the sit was not.

Normally I would'nt try to help to much in this area cause I'm just learning myself. But why not right.

Good luck

 

[Applehead]

Wouldn't you get aggressive if someone was hitting or slapping you on the face? That should stop right away. I have 4 French mastiffs. Granted, I'm not innocent by any means of not playing rough with their faces, but these are big dogs. And if they think you're playing with them, they are going to play. Big!

I have had it where I was playing rough with one, and another dog would think I was in danger and a fight would ensue between the dogs and that's no fun to be caught in their crossfire. I know you only have one dog, but even when your running around the yard and they get hyper, they want to play and they don't know their size. And his putting his mouth on you and you feeling teeth was more than likely the dog playing around. If it were aggression, you would know.

I get my dogs riled up all the time, and they growl, but one I tell them stop. Or enough, or what ever command, they knock it off. It's fun to play with their faces, how can you not, they're so cute! But if that's all it is, playing, fine. But word to the wise.. Stop any aggressive actions on their face, that will cause a dog to defend itself and you will be in for a world of hurt, and mastiffs are not one to contend with.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Wouldn't you get aggressive if someone was hitting or slapping you on the face? That should stop right away. I have 4 French mastiffs. Granted, I'm not innocent by any means of not playing rough with their faces, but these are big dogs. And if they think you're playing with them, they are going to play. Big!

I have had it where I was playing rough with one, and another dog would think I was in danger and a fight would ensue between the dogs and that's no fun to be caught in their crossfire. I know you only have one dog, but even when your running around the yard and they get hyper, they want to play and they don't know their size. And his putting his mouth on you and you feeling teeth was more than likely the dog playing around. If it were aggression, you would know.

I get my dogs riled up all the time, and they growl, but one I tell them stop. Or enough, or what ever command, they knock it off. It's fun to play with their faces, how can you not, they're so cute! But if that's all it is, playing, fine. But word to the wise.. Stop any aggressive actions on their face, that will cause a dog to defend itself and you will be in for a world of hurt, and mastiffs are not one to contend with.

Thread's a year old....