Big Paws Only Dog Forums

What a cutie!  I love that wire haired look!!! They are just so beautiful and so full of character.
-Anna

I'm not for breeding "designer dogs" on purpose but Brutus' mix is just amazing and I would be thrilled to see that mix turn into a new breed.  He is beautiful, graceful, affectionate, and just has all of the wonderful qualities of the different breeds.  Not to mention he's huge.
-Anna   

Buy a baby monitor and set it up in the kitchen.  turn the speaker up to full blast so you can hear her whining to go out at night. 

Brutus was used to being an outdoor dog too...so much so that he even marked our walls a few times when he first arrived.   Day by day though, he is really coming to love being an inside dog.  Like your dane, he prefers the kitchen for now and we are not pushing him to explore other areas.  He'll do it when he's ready.
-Anna

When I let Brutus outside and he doesn't have to go potty, he has been making a bee line for the side of our house.  I went outside to play with the dogs earlier this afternoon and discovered why!  Brutus has made himself cozy in his very own doggy den.



Here is a photo of both Penny and Brutus so you can see their size difference.  Penny is a little bit bigger than a pure bred corgi.



These two are getting to be best buddies and follow each other around.



While I was out there with them, Penny asked Brutus to play!


This is something I don't think Brutus has been comfortable with to date, as he is still adjusting to his environment but he surprised me and let his inner puppy lose!



Brutus and Penny aren't the only ones who are best buddies.  Someone else is completely in love. 



-Anna

I would usually TOTALLY agree with you Re: parrots harder to care for than dogs because they are much more complex and needy, but I have to admit - Brutus is a pretty big handful.  If I don't brush him twice a day his fur starts to turn to dredlocks and loose hair flies everywhere! His behind turns into curly clumps of fur that would make any real Jamaican proud, but it is not terribly becoming on him!  We also feed him 3-4 times a day instead of once or twice a day to avoid any gut twist issues.  He's such a long dog, I really worry, even when he isn't active after eating.   

Here is a picture of Brew when we first got him.  I doubt he had ever been brushed:
 
-Anna

Oh, and thank you everyone for offering encouragement that it is possible for Brew to like others, especially men.  Hubby will be very happy to hear this.  I will do my best to work with friends who come over to visit and see if they will be willing to cooperate in helping him to gain trust the right way.  I think I will just tell my folks to leave him alone as my dad doesn't really seem to understand the concept of loving an animal that's "broken" and my mom just can't stop pushing the issue.  Both of them were seriously alarmed that Brutus peed because they tried to say hello and although my dad really liked him before, he no longer seems interested in having anything to do with Brew.  Very sad - but I do have some wonderful friends who understand and can cooperate when they are over.
-Anna   

A little over a month ago we adopted the most amazing dog in the world!  His name is Brutus and he is a great pyr, wolfhound, st bernard mix.  In his previous home, Brutus was left outside in the yard with 5 other dogs and he seems to not have very strong people skills.  He is very comfortable around other dogs but is very skittish with people, even some people he has gotten to know.  I am forming a really special bond with him and he really adores me and wants to be near me - so I think this is certainly a start.

A few days into having him home, Brutus started doing submissive peeing whenever we insisted that he do something or go somewhere that made him nervious.  We learned quickly that if Brutus is going to do something, it has to be at least part his idea.  He responds some of the time when I am kind but firm with him - assertive I guess is the right word.  I can sometimes get him to follow me into another room or outside if I just get up casually and annouce "come on, Brutus, we're going now" without making a big deal about it. As soon as Brutus feels he is getting too much unwanted attention for anything, he panics and tries to run away.

Let me give you an example of the submissive peeing.  The other night my parents were over for Halloween.  we went out with our kids and left them home with the dog.  Brutus was "hiding" in the kitchen but eventually got brave enough to go investigate the company.  As soon as he got up and my parents saw him, they made a big deal over him approaching, calling his name and telling him what a good boy he was.  Brutus stopped in his tracks, peed, and then ran away.  At first Brutus became very easily overwhelmed by us when we would come home because I would always greet him with enthusiasm.  After cleaning up several large doggy puddles we decided it might work better just to let Brutus adjust to us being home again for a while before showing him attention.  This worked beautifully and now Brutus approaches us when he is realy for attention of any kind.  I know he does want attention, because he wanders over frequently for a little scratch and to put his big paw up into my lap.  (What a lover.) 

Does anyone have any advice to help correct this behavior and build confidence in Brutus that people are safe?  We have another dog and Brutus has done beautifully when asked to go to the car or go for a walk or go into the other room (he hangs out mostly in the kitchen) when our other dog is so willing to cooperate.  We are looking for any tools we may be able to use to better this guy's life.  He is a sweet heart and a big gentle giant and I am really confident that we will be able to better his world.
-Anna