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Stomping, stalking, hackles... and other observations

JamieHalverson

Well-Known Member
Lillie is my first Bullmastiff, she's 16 1/2 weeks old. Some interesting things I've noticed about her, that I've not seen in other dogs are stomping and stalking.

When she's REALLY excited, she will kind of "stomp" both her front feet, like a little minnie jump but not really a jump, like she's literally just getting enough height with her front feet to bring them down hard.

The other is she stalks like a cat. If my adult dog is laying in the yard, she will come up behind him lifting one paw in the air at a time, head forward and stalk slowly, then pounce on him.

She also raises her hackles ALOT. She's not fearful or afraid, her hackles are up sometimes just when I'm about to feed her. It can really be caused by anything. Mostly it's just a ridge all the way down her back, but sometimes she gets the area between her shoulders and at the base of her tail going, too. I know it indicates a state of "arousal" and accompanying body language will tell you if there's fear or aggression or anything else to watch for, but I've just never seen it as often in any other dog.

So the last thing is, she is a thinker and then a doer... I have really found out that her stubborness is not indicitive of lack of intelligence or unwillingness. This morning she and my Yogi wanted to go out of my office. Yogi was sitting there looking at the closed door while I'm sitting at my desk, with my back to them. I hear nails on the door and turn around and here's Lillie standing with her front paws on the door and the doorknob in her MOUTH trying to turn it!!! I kid you not! She might not be doing a bunch of stuff all the time, but she is always watching and learning, just waiting for the right moment to put her knowledge into action, lol!

So, my question is, how much of this is kind of typical Bullmastiff or mastiff-y stuff and how much is more just her personal characteristics?
 

Hector

Well-Known Member
I really think it's personal characteristics, but I really do think my mastiff has a brain and uses it. My old dog on the other hand is a simple minded dog. She's very honest with her character and very predictable. Hector has a more complicated personality and he always thinks he's smarter than us lol.

My old female uses her hackles a lot, usually during aggressive tendencies. I have seen her hackles go up one time, only that one time because she was very happy to go on a walk. Hector's hackles go up too, but it's most prominent on the rear end (like a patch on his rear that rises) when he gets angry/aggressive/guardy. He also stomps, but he'll stomp on his toys just out of nowhere when he's in the mood to play. Sometimes he'll get up from a nap and he'll walk around and then starts stomping on his toys lol.

Mastiffs are really funny creatures.
 

AR-HICK

Well-Known Member
My Bully is 13 months and still bounces(heavily now) on his front feet and I think it is a Bullmastiff trait. The raised hackles is something else that Major did and still does, it is excitement as a pup and it will change as she grows, but when they come up get ready as she gets older! Bully's don't take crap from anyone and will take the dominate stance with any dog and don't always raise the hackles before jumping into action. It would be a good time to start training with your pup and I suggest that obedience school and lots of socialization with other dogs and people. Training is a lifelong process and you will find that the dog will get it quicker than you do! Be consistant
Another trait is watching and doing things their own way, stubborness. You can just see the wheels turning in his head when he was a pup and as he got older that is harder to see, but he still is thinking. They are smart dogs and if you got to obedience school Lillie will a star pupil and everyone will love her. That is what happened when I took Major.

Enjoy your pup! You will be amazed at how fast she grows and takes lots of pictures.
 

JamieHalverson

Well-Known Member
My Bully is 13 months and still bounces(heavily now) on his front feet and I think it is a Bullmastiff trait. The raised hackles is something else that Major did and still does, it is excitement as a pup and it will change as she grows, but when they come up get ready as she gets older! Bully's don't take crap from anyone and will take the dominate stance with any dog and don't always raise the hackles before jumping into action. It would be a good time to start training with your pup and I suggest that obedience school and lots of socialization with other dogs and people. Training is a lifelong process and you will find that the dog will get it quicker than you do! Be consistant
Another trait is watching and doing things their own way, stubborness. You can just see the wheels turning in his head when he was a pup and as he got older that is harder to see, but he still is thinking. They are smart dogs and if you got to obedience school Lillie will a star pupil and everyone will love her. That is what happened when I took Major.

Enjoy your pup! You will be amazed at how fast she grows and takes lots of pictures.

Oh, we are almost done with our puppy class, 2 more weeks! And you are right, she is a star pupil and the trainer does just love her, she likes to pair her with the shyer puppies because Lillie is so steady and dog savvy, she is not all "I'm a puppy in your face!!!!".

I will continue at least through obedience 3 and probably Rally, and start either K9 Nosework, urban tracking or barn hunt with her at about 6 months or whenever they'll let me start class, lol. I really like the scent work, I do K9 Nosework and shed hunting with my Staffy/Mastiff X and he just loves it, so I'm thinking I'd like to try a different scent work sport with Lillie.

We have been on a hardcore socialization mission from the day I brought her home! This is my first non-rescue, my first puppy, my first Bullmastiff and I think I may overthink just about everything where she's concerned, but I'm hoping to do some really great stuff with her!

I like how you described the "stomp" as more of a "bounce" that is exactly what it is!
 

DDSK

Well-Known Member
My CC Abby does the stomping thing usually during play time with her sister CC Zoey.
 

Hector

Well-Known Member
There's also like a war stomp too lol. Dog goes on alert and stays back, but barks and stomps.
 

Max's mom

Well-Known Member
Max is EM and he stalks my lab. Never with his hackles up though. He crouches down when the lab is routing around in the brush at the edge of our fence down a little birm. When the lab is on his way back up, Max springs into the air and pounces on him, chases him and the lab runs back down to the brush. I think this is a game for them.

Hackles go up when he hears something, usually at night or if there's a stranger out front too close to the house. Much worse when my husband is not home. He is not afraid but is warning what ever is out there with a deep bark and puffed out chest. He makes himself about six inches wider in the chest and stretches his neck out to look bigger when he does this...that's why I know he isn't afraid but protecting.
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
Ella, my EM, stomps when she's happy and excited. I have a purple little toe that got in her way to prove it. She's my first mastiff and my only stomper. The boxers just kidney bean. She tried that once. She wasn't bendy enough. Lol
 

TricAP

Well-Known Member
Angus is an EM and is a BIG stalker - our other dogs, toys, rabbits that come into the fenced part of our property even his food. We laugh he's more lion than mastiff! He also does the pounce with both front feet when playing with certain toys.

As you get to know your dog you'll be able to tell the difference in the excitement hackles and the guarding ones. Angus does both - the excited ones are more towards his rump but the "I don't like what I see" are a line all the way down his spine.
 

JamieHalverson

Well-Known Member
Angus is an EM and is a BIG stalker - our other dogs, toys, rabbits that come into the fenced part of our property even his food. We laugh he's more lion than mastiff! He also does the pounce with both front feet when playing with certain toys.

As you get to know your dog you'll be able to tell the difference in the excitement hackles and the guarding ones. Angus does both - the excited ones are more towards his rump but the "I don't like what I see" are a line all the way down his spine.

I'm guessing as she matures (she's not even 4 months old) the hackles will be more indicitive of a threat, right now she's just excited about everything. I'll have to see if I can get a video of the "bounce/stomp". It's not a pounce, and not while playing. It's literally like a bounce off her front feet, straight up and down, and she intentionally brings her front feet down hard. More like Hector's "war stomp", that I think in puppyhood she does out of excitement, but might be a more serious "hey, look at how big and strong I am" type of move as she gets older.
 

Lisa P

Well-Known Member
One of our old Rotts did a bark and stomp when he didn't like what was going on.He even stomped at his food dish once when I put green beans in his food as an effort to trim some weight off him.