Scott85 Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 (edited) Hi, I have a Bullmastiff that is 10 months old, he has been the perfect puppy, listens to what we say, is a big scaredy cat and keeps hes distance from other dogs but will warm up after a while, always wants to be around us and he NEVER barked, the first 6 months we never heard him bark at all then we would be lucky to hear him bark once a week and it was only a small bark. Until 3 days ago, the neighbour has 2 staffies (male and female - male one can be agressive to other male dogs) that jumped the fence into our yard, i immediately heard him barking crazy which is unusual so i went outside and i saw the other dogs out their and he was at the other side of the yard hiding behind the BBQ barking, then the female one wanted to come up and play and he constantly kept barking. I took him inside (maybe a bad idea) and removed the 2 staffies. The next day the same thing happened (however he was in the house but knew they were in the backyard and started barking). The neighbour has since contained their dog, however the problem is its like our Bullmastiff has been terrorized and is frightened by it, as soon as he hears another dog bark slightly somewhere he starts and will go crazy running around the backyard barking deeply, almost like a howl. Even if hes inside the house at night and its quiet he could be laying down and then all of sudden starts barking for no reason. Ive tried everything to try and get him to stop barking because since this has happened he has been acting very differently, ive tried playing with him to get hes mind of it, or bringing him inside etc.. but when hes going crazy barking he wont shut up most the time, the only thing that has worked to quiet him down is put him in the laundry for 15min where he sleeps and he will stop barking after a few seconds and i wont hear from him, then i can put him outside once hes settled down. He is used to other dogs because hes been to a boarding kennel 3 times in the last 3 months. Does anyone have any tips, to stop him from being so edgy when he hears other dogs, hes also very jumpy, even just shutting a door will make him jump if he doest expect it? Edited May 5, 2011 by Scott85 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Hi - Good for you in seeking help I would strongly advise you to seek the help of a well respected professional on this one. It is something which needs to be handled in the right way, so as to not make things worse for your poor boy is a big scaredy cat and keeps hes distance from other dogs but will warm up after a while, always wants to be around us Sounds as if he has always had a bit of a problem.. but this fright has made him very anxious If you tell us where you are /city/town then someone on here who knows a good professional can recommend them to you . It is preferable to get someone 'known' rather than muck aorund with unknown franchises etc. I hope all ends well, and that your boy can be happy again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keira&Phoenix Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Hi,I have a Bullmastiff that is 10 months old, he has been the perfect puppy, listens to what we say, is a big scaredy cat and keeps hes distance from other dogs but will warm up after a while, always wants to be around us and he NEVER barked, the first 6 months we never heard him bark at all then we would be lucky to hear him bark once a week and it was only a small bark. Until 3 days ago, the neighbour has 2 staffies (male and female - male one can be agressive to other male dogs) that jumped the fence into our yard, i immediately heard him barking crazy which is unusual so i went outside and i saw the other dogs out their and he was at the other side of the yard hiding behind the BBQ barking, then the female one wanted to come up and play and he constantly kept barking. I took him inside (maybe a bad idea) and removed the 2 staffies. The next day the same thing happened (however he was in the house but knew they were in the backyard and started barking). The neighbour has since contained their dog, however the problem is its like our Bullmastiff has been terrorized and is frightened by it, as soon as he hears another dog bark slightly somewhere he starts and will go crazy running around the backyard barking deeply, almost like a howl. Even if hes inside the house at night and its quiet he could be laying down and then all of sudden starts barking for no reason. Ive tried everything to try and get him to stop barking because since this has happened he has been acting very differently, ive tried playing with him to get hes mind of it, or bringing him inside etc.. but when hes going crazy barking he wont shut up most the time, the only thing that has worked to quiet him down is put him in the laundry for 15min where he sleeps and he will stop barking after a few seconds and i wont hear from him, then i can put him outside once hes settled down. He is used to other dogs because hes been to a boarding kennel 3 times in the last 3 months. Does anyone have any tips, to stop him from being so edgy when he hears other dogs, hes also very jumpy, even just shutting a door will make him jump if he doest expect it? He is possible going through a 2nd/3rd fear period also and that might be aggravating the situation but as Persephone said look into getting reputable, professional help. Many members here can suggest people you should look into. I really hope your boy is ok. Keep us up to date . Also pics are mandatory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsrawesome Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 as others have said professional help would be best so you don't mistakenly make the situation worse. I also would like to see some photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott85 Posted May 6, 2011 Author Share Posted May 6, 2011 Thanks for the advice, He goes to "Pet Resorts" at Dural usually every month when i go away for a few days and i was looking at getting him trained for leash pulling soon so i'll see what they say about the anxiety and barking, as leash pulling was really the only thing he needs training with as hes only 10 months old and pulls like a bull already which is my fault as i stopped training him on the leash when he was younger plus its not fun walking an already 40kg dog that decides to sit in the middle of the road and take break and wont budge no matter what you try. Anyway heres some pics of my once little Russ. 12 Weeks 8 Months 10 Months Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 If he's going to Dural ask Glenn Cooke to take a look at him for you sooner rather then later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keira&Phoenix Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Thanks for the advice,He goes to "Pet Resorts" at Dural usually every month when i go away for a few days and i was looking at getting him trained for leash pulling soon so i'll see what they say about the anxiety and barking, as leash pulling was really the only thing he needs training with as hes only 10 months old and pulls like a bull already which is my fault as i stopped training him on the leash when he was younger plus its not fun walking an already 40kg dog that decides to sit in the middle of the road and take break and wont budge no matter what you try. Anyway heres some pics of my once little Russ. 12 Weeks 8 Months 10 Months OMG HE IS HUGEEEEE!!!!!!!! That is crazy haha. He weighs more already than my 3.5 yo BullMastiff X (She is only a small one around 30 kilos although i keep her lean due to severe HD) He is absolutely gorgeous though. Best of luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott85 Posted May 6, 2011 Author Share Posted May 6, 2011 OMG HE IS HUGEEEEE!!!!!!!!That is crazy haha. He weighs more already than my 3.5 yo BullMastiff X (She is only a small one around 30 kilos although i keep her lean due to severe HD) He is absolutely gorgeous though. Best of luck Thanks! Yeah hes a big boy, far from fat though hes pretty lean as well, you dont want him running at you though he sounds like a horse galloping your way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott85 Posted May 6, 2011 Author Share Posted May 6, 2011 If he's going to Dural ask Glenn Cooke to take a look at him for you sooner rather then later. Thank you so much ill get a hold of him and ask him if hes there next time i go in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsrawesome Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 He is adorable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muttaburra Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Maybe he is becoming a hormonal teenager, hence other males will single him out, including your neighbours staffy especially with a female to guard, and other dogs will sense him too. If your dog is a Registered Pedigreed Purebred and you are keeping him entire in order to breed, you may need to make some compromises, build him a safe run and do a lot of extra training and socialisation with him. Having your dog desexed will help with hostilities from some other male dogs, but not all. This is a new phase so more training will be necessary, whether it is a behaviourist or general obedience in a group, depending on the severity, either can help. I have found "time out" to be very effective as you have discovered too, by putting him in laundry when he won't settle. That of course is a limited recourse, and the dog needs to be let out in 5 or ten minutes, and can't be locked away indefinitely as a solution. But if it works, keep it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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