What to do about my mastiff?

Question

We have a 10 week old mastiff and she does not listen very well. We would love to get rid of this while she is little. She will not come when called, she acts as though we are not even there. Also she is terrified of me for some reason, and I have never hit her or even really been mean to her, except when she does something wrong (just a stern voice, nothing serious) . She also will not walk on a leash at all, she just sits there and is a big pain. Anybody have any idea what to do with her?

Answer 1

LOVE LOVE LOVE & then some more LOVE....... they need it and will result in better behavior... be VERY careful with the stern voice and etc. as mastiffs can be extremely sensitive and it can cause long term behavior problems... they are aloof at times and typical (especially as babies) to almost ignore you and not seem to care to be around you or listen or obey... trust me, with love and attention that WILL change.. if you flood her with affection then in only a few weeks you will start to see results and by the time she is 6 months she will hang on every word you say... also they are typical to be big babies and scared of the strangest things and sometimes for no apparent reason... she may be scared because compared to her you are a giant in the sky - try approaching her on your hands and knees... as far as the leash, she is way too young... my newest baby had to be carried almost all the time ( stubborn like a mule) when he was her age and then when he was about 3 months old i put a collar on him often and i sometimes put him on a leash and he did so-so... by 6 months the leash was natural for him and this was by not forcing it.. note, i did not even collar him until 3 months old and never forced him to obey the leash, but did not let him pull me anywhere either... i just played like an anchor and eventually he just took to it.... mastiffs do not do well with dicipline or pressure or being forced at any age, but an ounce of love and attention now will be pounds of love, respect, protection, and obedience later... with that said, don't ever let her push you around either.. you do need to maintain your role and not let her be dominant over you or you will have tons of problems later.... good luck and enjoy the slobbery puppy kisses

Answer 2

She's just a baby. Mastiffs don't like you to be cross with them. They are very sensitive and don't need much discipline for they want to please you all of the time. I would advise getting a gentle lead collar and a training book. Obedience classes work the best. You have to establish yourself as the pack leader early. She will soon be very big and strong and she needs to learn to listen to you. My mastiff and I had the gentle lead training classes. He will stop on command without a leash. I'm happy, I did this he turned out to be 250lbs to my 100lbs.He's 10 now and has been the most obedient dog, I ever had. He's also been the greatest dog. Having him has been the greatest experience for the whole family.One important training aid is when you give her a command or want her attention always speak her name first ...then the command. That's how you get her attention for you only. Keep little treats in your pocket for rewards and always praise her keep lessons short at this age.To teach her to come to you. You need to get her where there is no distractions just the two of you. Walk about 5 feet away from her and show her the treat call her and say come. When she comes give her the treat When she's starting to get it -move another 5 feet away and repeat the lesson. Remember Mastiffs love to please,Enjoy her!

Answer 3

Mastiffs can be quite stubborn. She probably needs to get used to the leash, she has no ideal what the heck is going on. Let her drag it around a while until she understands that it wont kill her. Just make sure you keep an eye on her. When you call her use a happy or pleasant tone of voice and reward her with a treat and a "good girl". Have patience the mastiff will wait you out so try not to get frustrated.
Next find a trainer that is used to working with large breeds and go to a training class it helps with the "handler" pup bond and it gives them something to learn and do.
Good luck!

Answer 4

I have an English mastiff who is over a year now but I remember the wee puppy days very well. I used a stern voice with him one day when he was chewing my sofa leg and he wailed at me and went straight into a submissive pee. These are not labs, they are way more sensitive than that. They get their feelings hurt very easily, are very lazy walkers at first, and more than a bit stubborn. Some of the stubbornness however I believe is a delay in processing info though. I have learned through a trainer to let Monty have three seconds more to complete tasks than other dogs I have owned. It works wonders and I dont scold him nearly as often. I think he just needs a second to process what I want and how to give it to me and they truly are just slow - smart, sure but slow at getting there.
The sitting there and not going on a leash is temporary. You do need to insist on a walk though even if it is a pain. Just urge her along. It will pass - they are just very stubborn and lazy as puppies. You need to teach them you make the decision about whether they walk or stay though so dont let her get away with it.
The command come isnt tricky but you have to do it right. Whenever she is coming your direction for any reason, say "good COME!" so that she starts the word assocation. Also, never ask her to come to you because you want to scold her for something. Make sure when she comes to you only good things happen. She will get it eventually. No stern voices, no heavy scolding or else they will be scared of you and scamper away from you. At ten weeks, this might be cute but a full grown mastiff who spooks at your presence is not good! It knocks things over which only spooks them more...
She will be great once you get a handle on all of this. I run a group of about a hundred mastiffs and I havent met one yet that didnt want to be with their owners and please them deep down. They are great dogs with giant hearts...

Answer 5

Your 10 week old mastiff has the attention span of a toddler. Short, fun training sessions should be the answer. Find her favorite, yummy treat, and use positive reinforcement when she does something good. Give her the treat instantly when she does good. Constantly calling a dog can almost make them tone deaf, so make sure you are not constantly ordering her to do something. She is still just a baby. Patience, patience, patience, and perseverance will win. As for her fear of you, I would really recommend gaining her trust first with you before you even start training her. Mastiffs love to please the ones they love, so work on your relationship with her. When she trusts you, and loves you, that is when she will want to please you. Maybe she senses that you feel she is a "big pain". Dogs can sense a lot. Make sure to praise her when she is doing something good - not just when she is naughty.

Answer 6

Whenever you call your dog by name and she comes to you, even accidentally, be sure and praise and pet her and occasionally (maybe 1/3 to 1/2 of the time) give her a treat.

Work with her on a leash or a rope in the beginning - a little tug and then wait for her to respond. The key is to make coming to you a positive experience when she gets there.

Also, you can't expect perfection from a 10 week old puppy, it can take months to train some dogs to do simple things.

Answer 7

Personally, doggie training treats work for me every dog.
Carry them in your pocket and they are the size of a raisin or whatever you choose, everything good she does reward her. At ten weeks she shouldn't have the power over you to make such decisions. Make sure she has limited space, and then when YOU allow her to be free, you guide her how to behave. My mastiff had other dogs before him to follow. If you have a dog park or other means to socialize her perhaps she learn the ropes. If she ignoring you, you either bother her too much when she trying to rest. Dont give up. Puppies are babies, they know nothing. Everything they are is what they learn from you. They hate to be scolded. Positive reinforcement works best for this very gentle breed. I hope this helps you.

Answer 8

Mastiffs are BIG BABIES! We had a mastiff/pit mix forever Lexi (she died 3 years ago, 17 years old!!) She was hard headed and we had to hire a trainer to get her going, we had to reward her for alot of stuff and slowly back off when she started to do it on her own. Good luck with the leash she is going to end up walking you at first!!!!

Answer 9

You need to get her out to a puppy class and learn how to train her properly. Most of training is you learning how to best communicate with the dog so once you learn about this it shouldn't be that difficult at all. She needs socialization anyway at this age and it is important that she get it or she will be fearful of everyone and everything... She has not LEARNED to come when called so don't expect her to do so .. she has to be trained properly. She doesn't have a clue one what you are saying to her - just as you obviously don't understand what she is saying to you. Please find a good trainer and learn so you can teach her...

add: Do not have someone else train her -- that is useless as YOU are the one needing to be trained so that you can better let her know what you want her to do... dogs learn fast and easy once their owner knows what to do and you need to have that time for YOU to bond with her as well...

Answer 10

Uuuummm, this is a PUPPY. Would you expect an infant to be able to do all the things your asking of this puppy? She may also be naturally submissive, or she may sense annoyance from you & frustration which makes her fearful.