Boudreaux turned 5 months (born on Valentine's Day) this week. He is doing pretty well. I hadn’t had a puppy since I first got Tsu (over 12 years ago) so it was really like starting new to me. She was WAY easier to train (maybe 6 accidents in the house total), but I don’t really think he is doing too badly. He was doing the “traveling pee” thing for awhile so we had stripes on our carpet. UGH, that about did me in. No warning, no whining, no circles, no going to the door. He would just walk and pee. We have cleaned the carpet and he hasn’t done it in awhile. He still gets excited and jumpy. While DH was on vacation last week, Boudreaux was getting walked 2x a day and he did better. Now DH is on nights and B is only getting walked in the evening by me. I notice he is more hyper. I still think he is too rough with our toddler, but he
is doing better. It isn’t viciousness it is more, “I know I can dominate you and you are the only one here I can”. Zac doesn’t know how to become alpha (if the cat can be alpha, so can Zac-just not sure how to accomplish this—
any ideas BPO?) I have lost one pair of sandals. I don’t leave them by the door very often. My “girls” do, but they like the $2 Wal-Mart flip-flops so no great loss if they get eaten (however he hasn’t touched them). Both dogs have a tie out at a separate door so they go to the door and get put out. B will still try to play with Tsu and after about 5 minutes of barking in her face and jumping at her, she will put him down. Funny to see scrawny, old, 30# Tsu putting 65-70# Boudreaux down but she does. He is STILL terrified of the cat. <shaking my head> If Griffey is in the doorway, Boudreaux will whine and bark until Griffey moves or I go make him move so B can go into whatever room the cat is in.
I had read all these wonderful stories about American Mastiffs and how laid back and lazy they are, how smart they are and I was waiting for him to start speaking French and doing CPR, you know? I was afraid I had gotten the only dud in generations of AM’s. After talking to a few other AM owners, I found out that while they are amazing dogs (hello I have to be partial now), as puppies they are just like any other puppies, hyper, spazzy, excitable, etc. But he is doing so much better. I think I noticed a big difference at about…4 months. Now that I say that, it will bite me in the a55 and he will regress.
I want to get him in obedience training very soon. He will sit and lay but that is it. He needs to learn MUCH more and needs way more socialization. The dogs in our neighborhood are all run out the road and yap their heads off dominant so socializing him with them is pointless, as they won’t come see him. Argh! We did however get a prong collar for him to walk on and it is AMAZING! He was pulling so hard prior to the prong that it sucked to try and walk him. 3 minutes with the prong collar and presto! I let the girls take him out on a short walk last night!
I hope that helps! Keep me filled in!
Jacquie
