I had Payton, my 145-pound Bullmastiff (that is normally quite well-tempered), tied to a banister on my porch. She had on a thick leather collar about 2" in width and reinforced with two layers of 1/8" leather. Attached to that was about 30 feet of steel cord wrapped in nylon. Needless to say, it wasn't strong enough.
Halfway through my book an ornery German Shepherd walked past with owner in tow. A slight growling is all I heard. The nylon covered steel wire tying Payton to the banister made a quick zipping sound. Strangely enough I didn't grab it having experienced a quickly formed hand blister in the past.
The next thing I heard was a "Cling" sound as the wire became taught. I watched in horror from the porch. My normally obedient had dog lost it's mind. I yelled to her "COME!". Almost like magic she slowed before reaching the now rearing rival. She slammed on her doggie brakes and turned to look in my direction.
Only half-relieved I started towards her. Now angry passing the remnants of her collar on the pavement. "Payton! Come!", I growled. Payton, now scared, took off across the street. Seemingly oblivious of the traffic both she and I began a game of cat and mouse.
"PAYTON!", I yelled. I can imagine that this was fun for her as she almost galloped towards the next person she encountered.
The guy had to be 6'7". In hindsight his reaction was comical. Upon seeing the bounding horse-dog, jowls flapping, white fangs now exposed; he did what any guy who do. He double handed his groin area.
"Payton", I summonsed her again. This time quieter as I approached. She turned and knew the jig was up. "Good girl", I lied.
Having remembered that it was important not to scold a dog for doing what she was asked to do; I did my best to apologize to the seven-footer and coaxed my dog across the street back into the house.
Not a complete loss I guess. But definitely a few things learned:
- Get a good quality strong dog collar
- More work on emergency recall by using repetition and intonation.
- Repetition with voice commands. Focusing on intonation
UPDATE: The money was well spent but we did end up with a $500 dollar bill from Barkbusters. This was WELL worth it and if you have a local one in your area I highly recommend them. I would definitely suggest getting to a puppy training facility but really focus on yourself as opposed to the dog. By that I mean ensure that you are learning what it takes to TEACH your dog what you NEED it to do. If you are inconsistent or not speaking it's language you will have a hard time. A great guide that is a fraction of the cost is available if you don't want to pay the expensive costs of having a dog behaviouralist attend your home. Good luck. You'll need it ;)
2 comments:
10.03.2007
Dear Mastiffman,
I am actually trying to answer a post you made this morning to my dogmania comment about the recall. You were looking for a good food for Payton. It sounded as if you went from Iams, to Royal Canin, to a third brand. Is this correct?
Anyway, I have over 22 years of experience in the pet industry, and until the pet food recall, I wasn't too leery about feeding a premium food.
To answer your question, I'd like a bit more info. Do you know what Payton is eating now? Does she have any food allergies that you know of? As I am sure you're aware, Bullmastiffs are one of the breeds that can be susceptible to bloat. Therefore, you would be better off feeding a smaller kibble, as most dogs, don't tend to chew their food, not slowly anyway.
There is a great food that may or may not be available in Canada, called Bench and Field. It is an American company and I personally know the owner. One of the things I like about this food, is that ALL their ingredients come for American sources and are grown and produced here in the States.
If you would rather not feed B&F or can't find it, Royal Canin makes a good food, Sensible Choice. I prefer the Chicken and Rice variety and depending on her activity and work level, Payton could be on something with about 30% protein. Bully's aren't usually adults until they are at least 2 years of age, and therefore can use the protein for their growth, and activity levels.
If you have any questions or further comments, I will leave my Google address so you can find me.
The best to you and your wonderful girl.
Sincerely,
Ruthie Bently
Owner / Consultant
Bently's Beasties
thedogs8myemail@gmail.com
Yes Hi Ruthie...
Thanks for the info...
To answer your question the food is called "Performa trin ultra (one word)
It seems to be doing well for her and it is a smaller kibble. Strangely though, I was told to feed her a bigger kibble.. At any rate, the website is performatrinultra.com Rather than me spell out what it consists of, i'll tell you that its high in natural ingredients and she seems to eat it with more zestfully.. I'm not sure about Bench and Field up here - I have yet to see it in any of our major pet stores. However, I will definately have a look for it.
My wife and I have been largely creatures of habit our whole lives and generally do research find a product, and stick with it until something happens... A dinosaur in this day and age I suppose.
Thanks again for replying and appreciate the advice.
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