By Adam Katz
A Bull Mastiff owner wrote me, with the following question:
"My problem comes in a 147-pound package. Mack is a 15 month-oldBull Mastiff. He has been in and out of training since he was 10weeks old.
He was starting to show dominance aggression at around ninemonths, so I found a training facility that would in-kenneltrain him. He was there for seven weeks. When I got him back heseemed to have a bigger problem than when he left. I was told bythe trainer that he showed no signs of aggression there. He alsosaid that he would have to schedule an in-home session whichwould run me another $250+. As it is, I expected a whole lotmore for my $1200.
He also told me I have to take him through the whole trainingcourse again myself starting at day one in order to establish myleadership role in the pack. I have done this and he does greatwhen there are no strangers around but if a neighbor goes outinto his yard or one of my brothers stops by, forget it. He goesinto attack mode. No fear in it by the way. I'm at my wits end.My brother is telling me I'll have to have him put to sleepbefore he hurts someone. I definitely do not agree with this; Ijust need to know EXACTLY what to do.
Its hard to desensitize him to strangers when the ones that knowhim won't come around and if I take him out around people I havea hard time controlling him because he out weighs me by about 30pounds. If you have any suggestions I would appreciate any.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely, MaryAnne
Dear MaryAnne:
What your trainer said is right, and should have probably beendone the first time. Your dog is seeing the kennel trainer asthe Alpha and obeying him, but has no working relationship withyou as the Alpha. This is the problem with in-kennel training,in that the dog gets no one-on-one work with the owner, who issupposed to be the Alpha and have that position firmlyestablished through obedience and the Nothing In Life Is Freeprogram.
For now, you will want to start from square one as though he hasnever been trained and teach him what the commands are. Thismight go a bit quicker than normal because of the previousobedience experience. Use a prong collar on him: it has beenreferred to many times as a hearing aid collar and used on dogsthat outweigh their owners, much like your situation.
When you reach the correction phase, where you teach the dogthat each and every command MUST be obeyed, be very firm. If heis out in the yard, don't give him freedom off-leash until hecan be under control. Work obedience with him in the yard so helearns that even in that area, he should listen to you. Thisapplies too when the neighbor appears on the scene. With theprong collar, you will be able to give motivational corrections,even though you are outweighed by the dog
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