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Newly Adopted Bullmastiff Barking to go out several times a night....

NatalieRose

Well-Known Member
Yesterday I adopted a fantastic 7 year old bull mastiff named Major. He is quite polite overall and got a 1/5 (best option) for all behavior testing at the humane society. The owners who surrendered him noted on the forms that when he has to go out he barks at the door.

Sounds like a good system. Except he woke me up 4 times last night to go out. It seems to me like he's used to having people on his schedule- not the other way around.

My plan is to work on crating him so that he has a more consistent schedule and realizes that walks are for going potty and not to wake mom up 4 times a night.

Any and all advice for helping me with this process would be great. I'm worried about him barking at night being crated.

Bullmastiffs are known for being quiet- I feel like they overrode his nature and trained a bad behavior into him
 

tmricciuto

Well-Known Member
Hi there - I'm not the best on advice as I am a new puppy EM owner, but I am curious if he actually went potty all those times or just wanted to go out and sniff? If he went potty then maybe limiting his water before bed willhelp him. Maybe he has a condition where he can't hold his pee.
Just a few thoughts.
 

MWNORWOOD

Active Member
That is crazy. My Bullmastiff female almost never barks. My EMxBM barks when he wants something but I ignore him until he's quiet then I give him attention. Bark if there is something going on like people at the door, someone breaking into the house etc... I never acknowledge barking unless it is warranted. I don't know how or if rules change when a dog is 7. I've only had puppies and raised them.
 

NatalieRose

Well-Known Member
Sounds like he is testing you and/or he is confused.

This was my thought exactly. I think he just wants to be let us to be outside.

I'm just not sure any other way to work on correcting this without a crate. I don't think my roommates will appreciate a mastiff barking 4 times a night while I ignore him to curb the behavior.

But again- I got him yesterday and he is on epilepsy medicine which I was thinking may cause him to urinate more? I'll talk to the vet about this on Friday.

My plan is to remove his water with his dinner at 7pm so that when he goes for a long walk at 9pm he can hopefully empty whatever is there.
 

Smokeycat

Well-Known Member
It might also be that he isn't used to what counts as normal noise in your neighborhood. Someone coming home or leaving could be getting his attention and if his prior home was in a very quiet neighborhood he could overact.
 

NatalieRose

Well-Known Member
It might also be that he isn't used to what counts as normal noise in your neighborhood. Someone coming home or leaving could be getting his attention and if his prior home was in a very quiet neighborhood he could overact.

He's specifically going to the door and barking once and looking at me. I think it's his "wanna go out" bark. I just want to separate his want from his need.

He hasn't barked at any noises in our house. He doesnt seem to care haha
 

babyjoemurphy

Well-Known Member
Lol
I'm so going back to when we adopted our previous mastiff. He did that and of course I would jump up and let him out. After standing at the door and watching him lay on the deck night after night I put a stop to it. I had the prevlege of corresponding with his previous owners and inquired. They responded with "oh ya he likes to lay outside in the middle of the night"
Yup he lost that in a hurry. But he did pee when I let him out guess he had my number if only for a week or two

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 

NatalieRose

Well-Known Member
I have a previous employer who trains dogs and his focus is on guard dogs, and aggressive breeds.

I just sent him this video and he said to him it looks like a dog that's been an outside dog. The adoption paperwork said "mainly indoors". But if he's not actively asleep when he's in the house he's trying to go outside. So- who knows what his actual previous situation was.


Here is the video of the behavior I'm trying to stop if any one has suggestions :

https://youtu.be/Klim_NGfpFs
 

season

Well-Known Member
Your house, your rules. He'll figure it out as long as your consistent. Get him on a sched. I'd crate him.

Your rules need to be nonnegotiable. If you give in to his barking then that's what he'll do. It could be a pain for you but if he's a pup or a 7 year old he needs to learn the routine. Structure is key. If you allow your dog to negotiate then that's exactly what he'll do.
 

season

Well-Known Member
Work on a place command while you are inside. It's a great way to help instill rules and boundaries and gives a dog some great duration work.

Also, in your vid, in my opinion, you are doing way too much talking...commands and corrections should be followed and not repeated. Get off the couch and follow through with the correction. Put him on a leash while he is learning his new surrounding and what and what isn't accepted. In that vid continually saying "No, bad dog" obviously isn't working. Your verbal "No" is not believable to him.

I would definitely be working on a place command with him. You shouldn't have to continually say No...once is enough if it's believable. Right now he is training you.

[video=youtube;OIGq_5r0DeE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIGq_5r0DeE[/video]
 

season

Well-Known Member
It seems to me he's looking for you to lead him. To give him guidance....you aren't. You say, "no barking", he's not listening but when he moves away from the door you give him no alternatives....that's when I would put him in a place.
 

NatalieRose

Well-Known Member
It seems to me he's looking for you to lead him. To give him guidance....you aren't. You say, "no barking", he's not listening but when he moves away from the door you give him no alternatives....that's when I would put him in a place.

If I tell him "NO" and he doesn't stop barking what should I follow up with?

The newspaper was because it was his first day alone and he's on the epilepsy medicine. He woke me up several times the night before so I wasn't sure if the medicine was causing him to urinate frequently so I put papers down.

We're only on day 2 now so I'm trying to figure him out and what/how to correct him. I adopted him Sunday afternoon.

Last night i got him a crate and fed him in it. Gave him treats in there. He'll go in and doesn't mind it. Going to get him used to associating it with being a good place for a few more days then start crating him while I'm at work.

I kept the crate door open for him last night he didn't sleep in there but he did sleep all night and didn't wake me up once.
 

season

Well-Known Member
Good to hear. If it was me, I would say no and mean it. Doesn't mean yell and scream. But I have a deep voice so I get my point across pretty easily. If I were you I may say No but also stand up and redirect him to his "place"....I seriously advocate the place command...it's such a great tool...

It comes down to timing. From the way it looks you say no, he looks at you and is like, "Yeah? what?" Well, at that point it's up to you to follow through...it's not a punishment....just stand up and put him in place. Work on it. As far as the crate, that's also a good choice for night time....he may bark in there, too, but don't give in.
 

season

Well-Known Member
I'm not saying you are, but the problem with so many people that rescue is that they spoil, baby and coddle the dog because they feel sorry for it. That's the worst thing you can do for a dog. Dog's live in the moment. They don't live or dwell on the past. Love your dog by leading your dog. Showing it how to live in your world. Dog's will do what works for them and the whole barking at the door worked for him.

I think you are on the right track...be consistent and honestly you don't need to talk so much to your dog...they rely more on our energy than anything else. Countless words count less.
 

NatalieRose

Well-Known Member
Good to hear. If it was me, I would say no and mean it. Doesn't mean yell and scream. But I have a deep voice so I get my point across pretty easily. If I were you I may say No but also stand up and redirect him to his "place"....I seriously advocate the place command...it's such a great tool...

It comes down to timing. From the way it looks you say no, he looks at you and is like, "Yeah? what?" Well, at that point it's up to you to follow through...it's not a punishment....just stand up and put him in place. Work on it. As far as the crate, that's also a good choice for night time....he may bark in there, too, but don't give in.

Ha ya that's my most assertive "NO" voice I have as a small girl. I'll try to follow through better with body language.

Does the place matter ? Like should his crate be his "place" or does that negative the safety of the crate to them? Should he just have a mat or a bed for his place?

Thank you for the advice. I'll work on training him on a place so I can use that as a tool as well to work on his barking.
 

season

Well-Known Member
Place isn't punishment....I use it all the time with Solo....watch the vid I posted and it will help with how to go about it. I separate place from crate....As far as size goes...you can be 3 feet tall....size doesn't matter to a dog...energy does.