Hey everyone! I haven't posted here before, but I have read this forum off and on since last spring, when I decided to get my first English Mastiff.
Bernie is the first dog I've ever owned, and definitely my first mastiff. I grew up with large dogs (my parents always had Old English Sheepdogs growing up), but the English Mastiff is new for me. I did a lot of research prior to bringing him home, and he's really a very good dog, but I'm a little concerned about just how protective he seems to be, and am hoping for your thoughts and suggestions.
I apologize if this has already been covered; if it has, please feel free to post a link and I'll just read the existing thread. I didn't find it in my searches though!
So, here's the deal:
My boyfriend and I got Bernie at 8 weeks old on August 21st. He's been pretty easy, though he is more timid than I had expected. This doesn't bother me, really, but since I don't have any first-hand experience with a dog as timid as he is, I'm not sure how to address his sudden protectiveness.
We moved a few weeks ago to a smaller building (a 4-plex), because it has a yard and is near a nice, dog-friendly park. I don't know if it's just that he isn't as used to our new place, and he's still a bit uneasy about it (though, it seems to me that he now feels pretty at home), but he has started to bark at the front windows, and will bark VERY assertively if anyone knocks on our door. This happened so rarely at our old place, that I don't know if he's developed this habit recently, or if he would have done it all along, but my question is:
How do I train him when to be protective, and when it isn't necessary? Is this possible? My boyfriend likes the idea of Bernie being protective, and it's not that I mind if he is, but I certainly don't *need* that from him.
Is this something he will figure out on his own? Or is there a way I can guide him? I don't want to train him never to bark or growl or anything, because I don't think that's healthy for dogs, but I would be much more comfortable if there were a way to teach him when it's appropriate.
Am I being ridiculous? I just want him to be happy and healthy, and I feel like if he feels the need to protect us and our home from any/every person who visits, that's not a very healthy mindset for him. I just want him to relax.
(He's perfectly fine with everyone who's visited after a minute or so. I'd just like it to be more immediate.)
Sorry for the long post! I haven't found any posts as of yet that are very similar to this!
Thanks for reading, and thanks for any input you have to offer!
Bernie is the first dog I've ever owned, and definitely my first mastiff. I grew up with large dogs (my parents always had Old English Sheepdogs growing up), but the English Mastiff is new for me. I did a lot of research prior to bringing him home, and he's really a very good dog, but I'm a little concerned about just how protective he seems to be, and am hoping for your thoughts and suggestions.
I apologize if this has already been covered; if it has, please feel free to post a link and I'll just read the existing thread. I didn't find it in my searches though!
So, here's the deal:
My boyfriend and I got Bernie at 8 weeks old on August 21st. He's been pretty easy, though he is more timid than I had expected. This doesn't bother me, really, but since I don't have any first-hand experience with a dog as timid as he is, I'm not sure how to address his sudden protectiveness.
We moved a few weeks ago to a smaller building (a 4-plex), because it has a yard and is near a nice, dog-friendly park. I don't know if it's just that he isn't as used to our new place, and he's still a bit uneasy about it (though, it seems to me that he now feels pretty at home), but he has started to bark at the front windows, and will bark VERY assertively if anyone knocks on our door. This happened so rarely at our old place, that I don't know if he's developed this habit recently, or if he would have done it all along, but my question is:
How do I train him when to be protective, and when it isn't necessary? Is this possible? My boyfriend likes the idea of Bernie being protective, and it's not that I mind if he is, but I certainly don't *need* that from him.
Is this something he will figure out on his own? Or is there a way I can guide him? I don't want to train him never to bark or growl or anything, because I don't think that's healthy for dogs, but I would be much more comfortable if there were a way to teach him when it's appropriate.
Am I being ridiculous? I just want him to be happy and healthy, and I feel like if he feels the need to protect us and our home from any/every person who visits, that's not a very healthy mindset for him. I just want him to relax.
(He's perfectly fine with everyone who's visited after a minute or so. I'd just like it to be more immediate.)
Sorry for the long post! I haven't found any posts as of yet that are very similar to this!
Thanks for reading, and thanks for any input you have to offer!