English Mastiff Pup 18 months old House Training HELP?!?

Question

We rescued an English Mastiff from a place that was foul. At first he behaved but after a couple of weeks he started to poop and wee in the house mainly in the kitchen as this is where he is left whilst we go out with a baby gate so he doesn't roam the house. He is still doing this regardless of the amount of affection he gets whilst we are at home. i come home for lunch and let both our dogs out so they can toilet. He is only by himself for 4 hrs in morning & 4 in afternoon. HE is also wrecking the house he has managed to break the washing machiene by pulling it out and eating the pipes and the wall socet off the wall for the storage heater! I don't know what to do we can not afford expensesive training. Can anyone help?!

We love the dog alot and on't want to get rid of him thanks.

Answer 1

For the destruction part, he's bored, you need to give him chew toys to work on while you are gone. If you get the large Kong and fill it w/treats and then seal with the kong filling and freeze, that will be a nice treat for him to work on. If you can afford it, invest in a crate, it will save you from the destructiveness and protect him from hurting himself (chewing on a wall socket, you're lucky)

For the housebreaking, a question first; are you leaving his food down? If you are, that could easily be the problem. Give him 15 to eat and then lift his food. When our mastiff was a puppy he wouldn't eat, so we lifted his food and then at "mealtime" left it down for 15 mins, he would then be hungry, eat and we could throw him outside to do his business. If the food is down all the time, the dog doesn't have a clear single as to when to "go". This also applies to his water, if he is peeing a lot while you are out, only leave enough water for the 4 hours. If he's bored, he drinks, he pees. Then you need to bring him out as soon as you get home (which you are probably doing anyway) and then bring him in. To train him, after a few hours (2-3) take him out again before he goes in the house. After a while, the problem should be resolved.
Good luck, I'm glad you're not giving up on him, because mastiffs are AWESOME and the love that you will receive from him is irreplacable.

In response to your email:
Honestly, I would try contacting a trainer.
He's only 18 months old, so there is hope now that he is in a loving home.
I'm not trained or anything, I just know what I know from attending training and I absolutely adore the breed.
The crate is the best way to go. If you get a metal crate with a liner and then lay down bedding for him, he should not be able to break out and it really is the safest place to be, because even though he's in the kitchen, as you have found, he can get in to things and it would be horrible to come home to find him hurt or worse.. However, this will also take time as well.

First, you want to introduce him to the crate, by having it sit open in the area it will be used. Let him get used to the smell of it. After he's used to, leave a treat in it, see if he is confident enough to go in and get the treat, close the door, don't latch it though, then immediately open it and let him out. Once that's done, feed him in it, so he understands this can be a good place to be. Once he's done eating, take him out (again, you can feed him with the crate door open).
When you put him in it for the first night, he WILL cry & it WILL BE heartwrenching, but as long as you don't have neighbors knocking down your door, let him cry, it may last 10 mins, or 3 hours, but he will eventually calm down. If you give him a Kong in the crate at bed time or when you're leaving for the 4 hours that will help him as well. Let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck!

Answer 2

Your problem can be easily fixed. First a crate for this dog is a MUST!!! He may hate it at first since he isn't used to it but he will actually learn to look at the crate as his den and it will become his most comfortable place. Being confined to a room with a gate is too much space even if it is a small room. A dog needs only enough room in a crate to turn around and lay down. If you confine a dog to a crate when he is alone he will NOT potty where he has to sleep. Therefore he won't go while he is alone. Make sure he goes potty right before you put him in the crate and as soon as he is let out of the crate the FIRST thing he does is go straight outside to potty. Another thing you need to be doing is only feed him a controlled amount 3 or 4 times a day. After he has eaten what he wants pick up the food and take him out to potty about 1/2 an hour after he has eaten. Also a Mastiff lives to eat so a small treat after he has done good and pottied outside will go a long way. Also Mastiff's are very loyal so lots and LOTS of praise when he does good and potties outside is essential. They are smart dogs do these things CONSISTANTLY and he will get in just a few weeks, I promise!

Answer 3

I would assume that before you got him he had never been housetrained or had lived as a kennel dog.I would start to housetrain him from scratch as if he was a puppy still,which means beeing taken out every hour no matter what the weather or how long your standing there,if your out at work etc then you need to get someone who can come in and check on him,take him out for walks etc,break his day up.When he has toileted outside reward him with a tasty tit bit and lots of praise.Keep this up and in a few short weeks he should get the hang of it.How many times a day is he walked?he should be having at least 2/3 walks a day between 20-30mins this will releive his boredom and give him chance to toilet aswell.Dogs who chew are normally bored dogs,how long have you had him?if youve had him only a few weeks then he hasn't had chance to settle in yet and many rescue dogs have insecurities that need to be worked on.Buy some real good hard chew toys and a kong toy that you stuff with tasty food so that when hes left hes got something to keep his mind occupied.Good luck.

Answer 4

Its not enough to take him out! Make him a spot to use as a loo, mark it with bricks or planks. Take him there on the lead every hour and wait with him until he needs to go, then reward him.
That way he'll learn where you DO want him to go! Its like potty training a toddler, you don't just take their nappy off! You show them where to do it.

As for the destruction, he could be bored or distressed at being left. Try searching the internet for the treatment for seperation anxiety, its about teaching your dog to feel ok about being left alone.
Provide him with a bed, chews and play a radio quietly in the background. Leave a scent article in his bed, such as a mens hanky (you can get them in packs from many pound shops) or a worn t-shirt. You carry the hanky around in your pocket for a day to scent it up.
Be offhand when you leave, not especially loving. And don't make a fuss when you get back. Punishment after an absence causes seperation anxiety!

Answer 5

A well-trained dog makes everyone happy, including his owner. Take a little time training him, and you'll never regret it; you'll always have an obedient dog by your side. Find more https://tr.im/JKTdN

By their nature, dogs are pack animals with a well-defined social order. Through basic training, you need to consistently make sure your puppy understands that you are the leader, not him. So in teaching him the basic rules, you take on the role of pack leader.

To fit into the family circle, your dog must be taught to recognize his name and such commands as come, heel, lie down and sit.

Answer 6

okay,I have six mastiffs,and would dearly love to come and watch one of you try and get one of my guys in a crate,it would be the best entertainment ever,they all live in the house,have never had one chew,all are very clean,
you need to take some time off work,and start training process from the start,he needs to be on two meals a day,no high protein muck,raised bowls,he needs to go out for only ten to twenty minutes twice a day,after he wakes he needs to go out,after play he needs to go out,you really need to start basics again,whereabouts are you,I am in Surrey,for a couple of weeks you need to put some serious time in ot him,he's a young dog and bored,buy a massive Kong,stuff it with stinky tripe leave him for an hour come home if no probs tons of play and well dones,he needs to know you are coming home,he's a stressed dog,especially if he had been badly treated before you had him
good luck
Wendy

Answer 7

Crate train him or risk replacing everything he destroys, you're obviously a kind person for taking him in so do what is best for him and invest in a crate. He will hate it at first but in time he will see it as his space and where he goes for time out away from everyone. To help settle him in it I suggest putting a blanket over it it calms them down and they settle easier always make sure there is water in there for him. My Bullys kept spilling theirs and I managed to get some bouls that fix on there crate so they couldn't spill it, I got them from ebay £10 bargain. Also I got both my crates on there too for bargain price. Follow the instructions from the 1st person about the size etc.

Answer 8

I STRONLY ure you to get him to use a crate. It is not a terrible thing to do. It is the RIGHT thing to do. A crate should only be big enough for the do to turn around in and lay down. Any bigger and he will soil his crate and that will only create more problems. You have to train like a little puppy start right from the beggining. Only give him more space when he can be trusted. Please use the crate,for his safety and your sanity. There is lots of info about crate training.

Answer 9

perfect example of why people who work full time should not have dogs. I suggest you find him another home as he is obviously terrible stressed by being made to live in solitary confinement for 18 out of 24 hours.
Nobody can wave a magic wand and tell you that it will all come right with no training (not expensive) and no changes in his life. You seem to want it all and that just won't happen. He will continue to destroy the house and cause hundreds if not thousands of £££ in damage, getting more and more unhappy until you see sense, stop being so selfish and find him a home where he won't be placed under such cruel conditions.
If you REALLY loved the dog, you would do what is right for him and not what YOU want.

Answer 10

There's already a couple good answers here but sbj95 really knows what they're talking about! I'm 58 yrs old & I've had REALLY BIG dogs all my life & ALL of them were crate trained, even dogs as old as 2 yrs old, no problem! It's the absolute easiest way I've ever tried & training your dog shouldn't have to be a big complicated ordeal.