When do dogues mature personality wise?

[Boston]

Hi there, first ever post

First time dogue owner and couldn't be happier with our choice!! Don't think my partner and I could ever get anything else haha! They are amazing companions, very smart and extremely obedient! Our boy is around 8 and a half months and is extremely placid which we couldn't be more happy about. However I do wish for him to also take on a protector roll when it comes do the house and the family. I've read that it comes with age and we have already seen it in him at times and although he may bark at another dog on our driveway he will still get very scared of a poodle that barks back haha. I'd just like to hear some stories of other dogue or mastiff owners in general with regards to their maturity etc.

Thanks.

 

[musicdeb]

Welcome aboard~ Believe me, if the pup feels threaten or he feels you are threaten he will kick in and do his job.

Generally, the come into their true temperament around 12 months. He will continue to grow until 2-3 yrs of age. Slow and steady growth is key for a healthy mastiff. Avoid de-sexing the pup until at least 24 months or never. Earlier than 24 months can cause joint and health issues.

Socialize, socialize and socialize some more is key, as well as OB training. Mastiffs are extremely stubborn and very independent. OB training is key so the pup learns that when you've got control of a situation, you've got control and he will stand down.

Do you have pics?

At 8 months old, he is possibly in the fear stage and then he will enter the teenage stage until about 12 months of age.

The fear stage requires that you continue to bring him closer to what he is afraid of but not bring him so close that he freaks out. As he gets closer without freaking out, bring him to sit and reward with positive reinforcement and whatever motivates him (usually food or fav toy). When he starts to freak out, turn around and repeat.

The teenage stage requires returning to basic training. Consistency in training with positive reinforcement, LOTS of patience and do not allow the pup to feel your frustration. Your frustration will cause the pup to shut down and stop listening. The teenage stage is where the pup will test their limits and not listen a whole lot to you. Requires lots of alcohol too. For you not the pup.

Refrain from yelling or hitting a mastiff. Yelling causes them to shut down and hitting can possibly cause fear aggression which is a difficult behavior to correct.

 

[Kujo]

Welcome! Would love to see some pics of your boy

Kujo's guardian instincts kicked in pretty young, about 7-8 months old is when he began "sounding the alarm" when potential threats walked by or came to the door. Now at almost 18 months old he has very good judgement on when to sound the alarm, he will still bark and growl when the door knocks, but is quick to accept and recognize people he's met before. If he hasn't met them we tell him it's ok and greet the newcomer first to show him they're a friend, then he's all tail wags and wanting love.

I've seen him stop a person in their tracks from coming any closer to our house because they had not been approved of by me yet and he had never met them before, he didn't attack or anything, just held his ground and wouldn't let them come closer or touch him until I came out and greeted them...then he was all tail wags and wanting love lol.

Kujo is also our first DDB and I have to agree with you, completely in love with this breed and can't imagine life without one.

As for matureness...at just over 17 months old he still acts like a total goofball.

 

[Dogue]

12 months is way too young to determine your dogue's true temperament; that's still a puppy emotionally. I have two DDB. I waited until my male was 18 months before I worked him with a decoy. If you're truly interested in knowing what your DDB's true temperament is I suggest you contact your local Schutzhund; NARA; PSA club and ask if they'll assess your dog's temperament/ability to protect. Don't rely on a breeder that doesn't work their dogs in PP and have never tested their dogs with any agitation.

 

[Boston]

firstly, thanks so much for all you information. Really appreciate it! Here's a few photos of our boy Boston! From now at 8 months back to when we first got home at 12wks

As for his temperament I'd love it if he matured into the type of dog Kujo sounds like but I'm sure atm he is just in his scared phase. Prime example was this morning when I went to give him his chicken frame which he has every morning. As soon as I put it to his mouth so he could take it, he bolted haha! Which brings me to another question sorry! Am I feeding him enough?? He gets a whole chicken frame in the morning, and at night he has a cup and a half of dry biscuit with an egg and around 250g of chicken, turkey or beef mince? I've been told that's fine but after reading some people on here say they sometimes feed their dog up to 3kg of mince a day if they're hungry. I've also heard they eat less when they're older??? I'm not really concerned with his build..he's really muscle bound and very strong, I simple wanna make sure he's getting enough so as not to deprive him of anything. Any information or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again

 

[musicdeb]

I do not know what a chicken frame is, can you please explain? Ok, I had to do conversions from g to pounds (lbs). You're feeding your pup 1/2 lb of meat in the evening with egg. How many lbs or g is the chicken frame? I'm assuming the chicken frame has bone and meat and it's raw? Is dry biscuit, dry dog food?

 

[Boston]

A chicken frame is basically the raw carcass of a chicken. After the butchers have taken what they want from it. So it's basically cartilage, and bones with a bit of skin and meat left on it. Not sure the weight of it sorry. And yes dry dog food at night.

 

[musicdeb]

Sounds like the chicken frame is too much bone. It is advisable to not feed raw and dog food to a dog because it confuses their digestive system. It is best to choice one or the other. There are a few members who feed both.

Check out these videos about feeding raw vs dog food. There are 3 parts and once you get past the fluff of the video, there are some helpful tips and information re: raw vs dog food. [video=youtube;Qx2YIIpF4cc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx2YIIpF4cc[/video]

When feeding bone, the dog she receive 10% bone and 80% meat. It sounds like the chicken frame is more bone than meat.

When feeding raw, the dog is fed 2-3% of their expected body weight. Once that amount is determined, then you feed them 80% meat, 10% bone and 10% organ meat. Titan eats 2 lbs a day. I feed him pork chops, chicken breasts, chicken wings, ground beef, ground turkey, chicken feet, beef roast, etc. The bulk of his meals are meat.

If you notice your dog's poop is white, then he's eating too much bone.

Hope that helps!

 

[TN Dogues]

Our male DDB came into his adult 'awareness' at just over 12 months of age. Your boy is cute, but he will get there in time.

 

[DennasMom]

Pretty puppy! He doesn't look underfed in the pictures, so I wouldn't worry about what other people feed their dogs.
Each dog is unique - genetics, size, energy, season, etc. all will effect how much he needs to eat on any given day.

I would agree with Deb on the chicken frame, though... need more meat in proportion to the bone. The dry biscuit (i.e. kibble) should be "balanced" between proteins and minerals (i.e. bone), so you'll want the non-biscuit portions to also be balanced.

And, as Deb mentioned - the poops will tell you! Too much bone can lead to white, fossil poops and constipation issues. So, keep an eye on 'that' end of things to help guide you.

 

[2nd Chance]

chicken frames are a great chilled snack, but not enough meat for 9 month DDB i wouldnt think.

Mine is 19 months. And he doesnt react aggressively, even when a aggressive dog is reacting to him. He does stand very still and stare and line his body up facing threat. But he's really only in curious zone, he'll go investigate the threat. Doh! Just being nosy, not reacting.

 

[RissyRenee]

Welcome and Boston is a cutie!