By:
Filters
What's new
Mastiff Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • Welcome back!

    We decided to spruce things up and fix some things under the hood. If you notice any issues, feel free to contact us as we're sure there are a few things here or there that we might have missed in our upgrade.

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

NatalieRose

NatalieRose

Well-Known Member
He does have a bed in his crate- but he sleeps in a big papasan chair I have. It's in the living room and that's why I've been sleeping down there on the couch til he adjusts.

I can bring the chair to my room but I'm also worried about getting him used to sleeping in my room because he's 7 and I'm worried the stairs will only get harder for him....

Last night we went to bed at 11. He went out a few times before bed, we played and ran around for a while, he doesn't get water after dinner at 830. So he should of been good to sleep all night. He grumbled/ barked to go out at 1am and then again at 3 am. Both times I told him NO and "Kennel" and he went in there and after what seemed like a 15 minute debate with my dog he went back to sleep. I'm hoping after a few more nights of that he'll figure out that barking at night gets him no where.
 
babyjoemurphy

babyjoemurphy

Well-Known Member
Mastiffs love to be with their people even at bedtime. What worries me is you sleeping in the same room and then all of a sudden your not there anymore. I'm thinking you might be setting yourself up by trading barking to go out to barking because he is alone. I am no expert but I know when I had to break Linc of owning my bed with me in it he was put outside my room with clear view of me but he just cried and cried all night. He was use to being in the same room as me. Even though he could see and hear me it didn't make a difference.

I hope someone with more knowledge will chime in and have some input on this.


Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
NatalieRose

NatalieRose

Well-Known Member
babyjoemurphy said:
Mastiffs love to be with their people even at bedtime. What worries me is you sleeping in the same room and then all of a sudden your not there anymore. I'm thinking you might be setting yourself up by trading barking to go out to barking because he is alone. I am no expert but I know when I had to break Linc of owning my bed with me in it he was put outside my room with clear view of me but he just cried and cried all night. He was use to being in the same room as me. Even though he could see and hear me it didn't make a difference.

I hope someone with more knowledge will chime in and have some input on this.


Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Ya I'm worried about this too. The stairs to my room are just REAL steep - the house is from 1902 so its a finished attic. He can get up and down them now but it's a little bit of a struggle.

Once we've got the sleeping through the night thing down maybe I'll move him up there- if he only goes up/down them twice a day it won't be so bad.
 
babyjoemurphy

babyjoemurphy

Well-Known Member
If I was in your shoes, I'd first see how it goes after the potty issue.
Maybe put a bed at the bottom of the stairs so he is closer to you but not upstairs.

I would be concerned with the stairs as well.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
NatalieRose

NatalieRose

Well-Known Member
Ya- I already brought up moving to a single level house to my roommate.

She got the downstairs bedroom because she has a 13 year old dog who can't go up/down the stairs.

I was like well...if we're gonna keep old dogs we need less stairs! haha
 
NatalieRose

NatalieRose

Well-Known Member
Update:

Over the weekend we tried me sleeping in my room upstairs and him in the front room where his chair and kennel are.

Still lots of barking. I'm not sure how to handle this. If I go down to correct him as soon as he sees me he stops because he's barking because he doesn't want to be alone- so even if I then correct him - he doesn't care because he got the result he want which was me in the room. We tried ignoring it last night. I don't know if after several nights of just letting him bark and seeing it doesn't get results he'll figure it out or his anxiety will get worse?

When I woke up at 5 (to him barking) and went down he was in his chair totally chill and laying - but just non-stop barking. (normally when he's anxious/alone barking he's up looking through the doors and its a big bark every 30 seconds or so).

What would you guys try in this situation?

I have a SMALL room off the main living room that we use as a gym it doesn't have a closet it's maybe...8x10....I'm thinking of buying a twin bed and sleeping there and just keeping all my stuff in my actual room- I'm really hoping it doens't come to that though.
 
season

season

Well-Known Member
Yes. Every time you go down there and he stops then yes, he's training you. You have a little over a second to correct or praise before it doesn't work.

Why can't he sleep in the room with you again? Was it the stairs?
If that's the case get him up and down the stairs. It's not gonna kill him. Compromise isn't a bad thing.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
NatalieRose

NatalieRose

Well-Known Member
Ya that's what I was thinking - I had a trainer come out Friday and she told me to go down and correct him. But he doesn't care because I'm back in the room so the correction is voided by his getting what he wants.

Yes he can't sleep with me because of the stairs - They're superrrr steep and narrow and he slips going down them.

He's 7 now and kind of stiff and I know the stairs are just going to get worse for him. I'm worried about him getting hurt falling down the stairs.
 
season

season

Well-Known Member
Walk with him down the stairs if you're that worried.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
season

season

Well-Known Member
Walk with him down the stairs if you're that worried.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
babyjoemurphy

babyjoemurphy

Well-Known Member
Mastiffs are known suckie babies. They love to be with their people and I find will do anything to get you there. They are much like the child who watched a scary movie before they were ready and end up sleeping with you for the next forever lol. They don't like to be alone

Its a tough call you have to make. My heart wouldn't be able to ignore it.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
tlov

tlov

Well-Known Member
I think if he can do the stairs I would walk him up and down them. I think you would both be happier if he is in your room. If they are slippery maybe you could put treads on them.
 
babyjoemurphy

babyjoemurphy

Well-Known Member
Ya I would be doing the same. Maybe have him on leash when going down to help him not take them to fast. After a few times he will learn slow is good

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
NatalieRose

NatalieRose

Well-Known Member
Sigh....ya....I tried helping him down slowly last time and he missed a step and I played buffer between him and the wall lol

I'm going to try to convince my roommate to swap me bedrooms (she has the one downstairs bedroom) wish me luck!

If not....slowly attempting the stairs may be the only option. He is happy as a clam if he can lay down near me.

He's really lucky he's so cute and makes me laugh- he balances out every bad thing with a good one.

Yesterday: Killed a bug with his foot (smashed it) then ate it. Good dog.

Then for desert he ate all the strawberries off my plants in my garden Bad dog. *face palm*
 
babyjoemurphy

babyjoemurphy

Well-Known Member
Oh he sounds amazing. And so lucky to have you. Linc started doing stairs just a few months ago and he is now 20 months old. It took him a few times to learn how to take then. Now it's easy peesy. He learned his past

And I can garuntee you playing buffer will come again and again and again lol

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
NatalieRose

NatalieRose

Well-Known Member
Lol oh major gets how to do stairs...he's just too big for them.

They're really similar to the ones below except there are more steps- so the steps are really shallow and he can't get enough of him on each step real well. and they're such a steep angle that it's a struggle for him.

And oh gosh- ya this dog....I'm always covered in bruises because I catch a lose paw. Yesterday he laid across my legs and I was stuck- whenever I'd try to move him I got the bear growl sound liek "Mommmmm don't I'm sleeping here!"

stair-old.jpg
 
season

season

Well-Known Member
Just keep working on the steps. Don't be afraid or your dog will be afraid. He'll figure it out. Take it slow. I honestly don't see the big deal. Solo had an issue with my stairs. I live in an old house and have similar stairs only mine have carpet. Put treads on them and go for it. I think you are more worried about it than you should be.
0a2733a1c520772345f64a1b1de95922.jpg



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
babyjoemurphy

babyjoemurphy

Well-Known Member
I think you can actually but stuff you paint onto the stairs to give grip. It's clear. Check it out

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.