kingston Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 I need your help... I have 2 serious problems. I moved so that my dog (Great Dane/Catahoula mix - intact male) would have a bigger yard to run around and more freedom. I was renting and had no control of the gate being openned... my dog runs out through the gate. I moved to my own house... but it came with 2 dogs (a rotwieller and mix breed - both intact adult males). I wanted to keep the dogs for security. I live in Kingston which can be dangerous. Anyway, the person that owned the house before me had many dogs... so there are 3 kennels, 1 fenced in area and the main yard that is walled by a cement wall with a chain link fence above that and razor wire around most of the yard.... Problem #1: I say all this b/c my great Dane mix is getting out of the yard but whereever I put him he gets out. I say him go over the over 5 foot wall along the front of the yard. He puts in front legs up on the top of the wall and pulls his body over the wall! I couldn't believe it until I saw it myself. I have thought of diff ways to deal with the situation which have been suggested to me. BTW i still have the problem when I open the gate that he runs out. I have to chain him before driving in the yard. I need to get in a quick as possible b/c it can be dangerous to be too long at the gate. a. Make the wall higher b. use an electric fence c. use one of those corrective collars to try to train him not to go over the fence. Problem #2: he is trying to kill the other 2 dogs. He bites there necks and won't let go. Pouring water to get them to separate for a second is the only way I have been able to stop them. I had to learn the hard way that even when I thought they were separated he got out. Now I know where I can keep the dogs separate. But Kingston (my dog's name) has even grabbed one of the dog's noses through the metal bars on the windows. I had Kingston in the house and the other dogs in the yard. I was horrible. I have a training that has come a few times and it seems to be improving. The trainer has even been able to get the rot and my dog to sit next to each other while on a leash. I still haven't been able to keep them in the same area together. The fighting at the fence has decreased since the training. The current trainer uses a choke chain for correction. In the paste I have used a trainer that uses the clicker, but with this type of issue I wasn't sure if that would work. My dogs gets so agressive I don't think any kind of reward would work... am I wrong. I prefer the reward based training. What type of training would you suggest? Can I stop the fighting? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_Kat Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 solution: Get him neutered! You will get no where at all with an aggressive intact male. Get him neutered and then work on some obedience training with him. Hopefully he isn't too old so that neutering has little effect. If he is still a young male the castration will decrease the level of testosterone and other hormones by 80% in a graduation over a short period of time. These hormones are directly linked to aggression and the instinct to wander and escape. The fencing obviously isn't secure enough. A dog of his magnitude needs to have a very secure fence and 5 ft wouldn't stop a medium sized dog from escaping. Ditch the trainer with the choke chain. Its not the way to train any dog at all. Get him neutered then work with positive assertiveness and motivation on basic commands. He also sounds as if he is bored, so teaching him obedience or maybe getting iinto agility would occupy and content his mental and physical boredness. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingston Posted December 2, 2004 Author Share Posted December 2, 2004 well i thought about neutering but I heard that it will take 6 to 8 months and it might not even help. He is about 2 and 1/2 years. I've seen very agressive neutered dogs. People are always asking me to breed him which I haven't already. I haven't done it yet b/c I have mixed feelings about it. The dog breeds are very limited in Jamaica. There is only 1 breeder on the island. I had started him doing agility when he was a puppy but someone thought it would actually increast his abilities to get over and under fences. I will discuss with the other trainer who does positive training. Thanks for your advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lkeffect Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 Kat gave you great advice. Neuter them all. A neutered dog is a happier healthier dog that is much easier to train. Get a better fence or an Invisible Fence. I'm not personally a fan of choke chains and never use them. Positive training is almost always the route to go. You trainer may however have reasons for going this route but if they didn't suggest neutering first, they definitely aren't the most knowledgable trainer and I'd ditch them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_Kat Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 The fact that you are even considering breeding a crossbred is worrying.. He is a crossbred, mutt, mongrel whatever you want to call him. A lovely pet I am sure but with there being so many unwanted puppies in the world you don't need to add to the problem by intentionally breeding yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingston Posted December 3, 2004 Author Share Posted December 3, 2004 Even though he is mixed breed his mother was a great dane and my dog is a very large dog which is valued in Jamaica. I've never seen another dog his size in Jamaica. People have even tried to steal him. The puppies could be worth close to $300 US each. If you realize the island is small and there are very limited breeds (mainly shitzus, poodles, Rotweillers, dobermans, German Shepards). So some mixed breeds are in demand. I would like a full Great Dane but they are close to $1000 US from the one breeder on the island. I would want to breed him with a full Great Dane. I love the Great Dane's personality in general. Even though he is "mixed" he is a big teddy bear. Many people even prefer the mixed breeds b/c they are known to not have as many health problems as the pure breed dogs on the island.... which could be a myth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_Kat Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 I'm talking to a brick wall so at this point I will now stop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingston Posted December 3, 2004 Author Share Posted December 3, 2004 I'm open to hear people thoughts which is why I posted to the board. I'm just trying to explain why I even thought of breeding. When I was in the US I would have never thought of breeding any dog. All my dog's were neutered or spayed and came from the pound. Here there are not so many options. In Europe you can get any breed you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty&Chip Posted December 4, 2004 Share Posted December 4, 2004 Breeding a dog becuase of the amount of money you can make is NEVER a good idea. Alot of thought has to go into breeding. You need to get tests done to make sure your dog is breeding quality (such as OFA and CERF tests) and even after that you need to consider if you need to breed the dog. Only breed a dog if it would help the breed. In this case it is a mix dog, so even if it passed those tests with flying colors it should still not be bred. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllAmericanPUP Posted December 5, 2004 Share Posted December 5, 2004 Please get the dog neutered! It will help!!! I had my males neutered and their agression has ceased now! Even if people wnat a puppy from him, that is no reason to breed!! and breeding for money is just plain WRONG! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kendalyn Posted December 5, 2004 Share Posted December 5, 2004 Get all your dog's neutered or spayed. I don't want to hear any ifs, ands, or buts about it. You know it's not right and so do all of us. Keep your great dane mix seperated from all the other dogs and only let him in the yard on a leash, when you are with him. I would also increase the amount of exercise he is getting. After all the dogs are neutered and have calmed down, I would start slow introductions one at a time. Also, find a positive trainer, or learn about it and train all your dogs yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingston Posted December 7, 2004 Author Share Posted December 7, 2004 I also used a trainer who uses the clicker. She is certified with Triple Crown Academy. Is this a well known & good certification? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.