i realy need some help,otherwise my 2 yar old mastiff will have to be put down,
1month ago we lost (died) our other dog he was eleven,as we thought Diesel our mastiff missed him,so we brought in a rescue dog ,abitch actually, at two and a half years old,every thing was fine till one week ago when he just went for my husband,biting his hand badly,this my husband put down to a bit of jellousy,but last night while Diesel was being fussed he went again for my husband,this time he tried for his face but got his hand instead, we have our grand children round (girls) no trouble ,he,s had the odd growl at me but thats it is there anyone who can help me please ,we know its something we have done ,we dont  no what !! both me and my husband love him to bits, but its getting a bit unnerving at the moment ,Diesel wieghs 9.5 stone so you see another part of my dilema

First off it doesn't have to be anything you've done. The very first thing you need to do is see the vet for a thorough check up as a sudden change in temperament often means there is something medically wrong with the dog. If nothing wrong can be found, then you need your vet to refer you to a good behaviourist as you do need professional help -it is a too serious issue to try to deal with yourself. So please phone the vet first thing Monday morning and get an appointment. Good luck!

I really feel for you it must be very worrying :-(
I agree ring the vets tomorrow and make sure they give him a proper check over, then if all is well ring a behaviourist (check as this may be covered under your insurance with a vets referral). I would if possible avoid Diesel being in contact with anyone else except yourself and your husband "just in case" he was to try and attack anyone else, if he has been growling at you previously then maybe this is something that has been brewing for a while?
Don't beat yourself up about it but you are right to seek advice. Let us know how you get on. x

As others have said this needs to be nipped in the bud ASAP, Bullmastiffs are a very gentle breed by nature so id want to find out why he's doing it before you go about trying to fix it. I wonder has the bitch been spayed and the dog neutered?

Hiya,

Sorry you are having to deal with this and

Hiya,

Sorry you are having to deal with this and I hope your husbands hand is ok?  Can you say how badly he bit him - did he need stitches, did he bite and hold on, or bite nad then let go and dissapear?  If your husband was stroking him at the time it could have been a pain association, or he may have some fears to do with hands due to past treatment?  I would absolutely get him to the vets to have a thorough vet check up and personally as it is so serious and the dogs future may depend on it then I would be asking for bloods to be done as well as you can't always tell that a dog is healthy just by a physical exam, though it should help to see if he has any pain anywhee.  That said masiff types are very good at not letting on that they have pain until it is serious pain so I would maybe advise taking him muzzled to the vets just incase the vet does come across some painful area.

Aggression where the dog has bitten i impossible to advise for over the internet - in my experience it is 99% of the time down to fear/anxiety of insecurity regardless of how confident it looks (dogs often look confident when aggressing, regardless of the degree if tehy have practised it because it works) but usually the inner fellings are not matching what it looks like on the outside.  With that in mind if the vet shows up nothing then I would be getting a qualified and experienced behaviourist in that is up to date with modern methods.  Maybe someone from the APBC, if you say what are you are i then somone may be able to recommend. 

> Bullmastiffs are a very gentle breed by nature

Thing is as there is no such thing as and 'American  Bullmastiff' (unless poster means they brought the dog back from USA), then we really have no idea whether this dogs is exhibiting unusual traits for it's breeding, or simply showing it's true colours, as he is now headng out of Juvenile stage towards social maturity.

I do Hope it is a medical issue that is unresolved and the behavioural symptoms cease, as this is a potentially very dangerous situation..

Thing is as there is no such thing as and 'American  Bullmastiff'

Was heading for the end of the posts to ask what an American Bullmastiff was and you have inadvertently answered my question I guess a Mastiff cross. As you say it could be that he is now mature and is feeling his feet particularly now there is another dog in the house.

Do hope you can sort this and it is a very dangerous situation, vet on Monday and then if nothing is found a visit from a behaviourist as soon as is possible, make sure they are well trained your vet should be able to advise.

Also just to add, it would be a good idea to ask for things like eyes to be checked as a changed in or problem with eye sight can also cause what seems like unpredictable behaviour.

Hi

What a difficult situation for you.  Can I just clarify,  is Diesel your resident dog?  Have you had him from a pup?  You mentioned that you have now taken on a rescue bitch - how is she coping with the rehome?  How are they together?  Are there any house rules that may be causing confusion or conflict?  Beds, sofas and food can be trigger points.  Where was the bitch when your husband was fussing Diesel?

Getting Diesel checked is a good idea but if you can give a bit more information about the circumstances you might get some other helpful advice

When my oder dog was 4.5 years we got a puppy and during the pups rampaging stage (all teeth, toys, and nonsense) my older dog got a bit grumpy.  To the extent that when he was asleep if we stroked him and took him by surprise he'd wake up with a growl and a snap.  He soon sorted himself out, and the puppy learnt some manners but my daughter got a nip on the nose before he adjusted.  Now I'm not minimising your situation and I'm sure that I would have been more concerned if my lad hadn't always been such a perfect gent or was a more powerful breed BUT do have a think about what else might be happening with the addition of a new dog into the mix.  Some dogs are such creatures of habit that change really flummoxes them and they don't really understand how to cope. 

No I know there is no such thing as an American Bullmastiff, I just gave the poster the benefit of doubt or could be an American Import but I also doubt that as there are not that many brought in from the states. I wonder American Bulldog as I have found many people are starting to call them American Bullmastiffs which is weird as they don't looks the same at all or some sort of cross.

Has the bitch been speyed?

I am guessing an American Bulldog? I agree with the great advice given - vet check, reputable behaviourist, not from the newspaper but from somewhere with a good reputation such as the APBC.

In the meantime, tread with great caution just in case there is anything aggravating the dog or causing some problem that you are currrently unaware of. Use childgates and so on if possible.

Lindsay
x

> No I know there is no such thing as an American Bullmastiff,

It may be a new way of describing AMBs. There is a cross-breed litter advertised in the local pet shop window here, mother stated as "American Bull Mastiff X".

>> No I know there is no such thing as an American Bullmastiff,
> It may be a new way of describing AMBs. There is a cross-breed litter advertised in the local pet shop window here, mother stated as "American Bull Mastiff X".

What I was pointing out that any comparisons with the nature of a breed which has more predictable traits having been purebred for a long time (The Bullmastiff) and one hopes selection practised for reliable temperametn, is not relevant if the dog is nothing of the sort, and we can only guess what the dog is, why and how it was bred, and what if any positive selection criteria were used (in some circles the criteria may be deliberately for very negative traits).

to all that has sent me and my husband help and advice ,we thank you kindly,my husbands hand is getting better,he wont have the dog (Diesel) blamed ,but has gone down the road that this is deep routed and started when he was a pup, What i did in panic try to get help was only give out half a story,
We purchased "D" when he was eighteen months old,he had been well looked after ,but neglected,yes i know thats conterdictory but as his welfare was looked after his other parts off "puppy hood" were neglected,he was previously owned by a prison warden, who due to workleft him for upto eighteen hours a day, this is were my husband thinks the problem went wrong,a sort of neglect,then he came to us and our old dog when he passed away we brought him a mate ,maybe right or wrong, he his never left more that 2to 4 hours at any one time and never more than twice a week but since we introduced the new dog who is very shy, he seems to have taken on the mantle of protector, she hasnt been spayed,
have been incontact with a couple of behaviorists but they took on look at him and said he was to big for them,but try having his nuts cut...... my husbands reply is not printable so to all you that have tried to help us once again a great big thankyou,and my husband,says got another hand,we will sort it

If the bitch is unspayed, and the dog entire how on earth do you cope with seasons.

At this time the dog will be very aroused/excited and as he was so poorly socialised (assume with dogs and people) being possessive over his girl could be part of the problem.

Especially while you are separating them, he will be very stressed/upset.

One of them needs to be neutered.

On balance from a health point of view there are more health benefits to spaying the bitch, as long as she is mature.

How old is she.

If his unacceptable behaviour is sexually motivated, then it would be wisest for him to be neutered too, then behaviour modification has more chance of success. 

Neither is suitable for breeding, so I can't understand your husbands objections, they are not human but animals that need to be safely managed, and if frustration is part of the issue for the male then taking that away (along with his testicles) would be a kindness.  Surely the alternative that is likely if this behaviour continues is far worse.

have been incontact with a couple of behaviorists but they took on look at him and said he was to big for them,but try having his nuts cut...... my husbands reply is not printable so to all you that have tried to help us once again a great big thankyou,and my husband,says got another hand,we will sort it

Hi,

I'm glad your hubbys hand is getting better.  Honestly the above is worrying and just shows they weren't very reputable with regards to both the comments they made, the size of the dog shouild make no differeence to their ability to assess the dgs behaviour take a history and give you a plan to implement!!  It is never a good idea to suggest castration or not with an aggresssive dog without knowing all the rekevant facts, ie doing a full assessment in person so a behaviurist suggesting that over the phone just means you may have had a lucky escape. 

It's so important to get the right person involved as the wrong one could do more harm than good - please don't take pot luck and contact someone through the APBC.

> Neither is suitable for breeding, so I can't understand your husbands objections, they are not human but animals that need to be safely managed, and if frustration is part of the issue for the male then taking that away (along with his testicles) would be a kindness.

Human beings don't have a "rut" period when the females come into season and that incites the males to do their duty. Almost all other mammals do.

A male human being, I am sure, can understand how frustrating it can be to want to 'do the do' with a human female, but this is nothing compared to the urge that other male mammals have to contend with. It would be hell on earth for them. Whatever a human male feels towards doing his thing, is condensed and multiplied a hundredfold for those male animals who by nature, only ever get aroused when they scent a female in season. It must be like a sudden impluse to rob a bank, steal the crown jewels, or murder someone.... and dang the consequences!

One of the reasons the human species has become the top order is because we have been able to come to terms with our own sexual impulses. It is very different for a species that has more limited opportunities to reproduce. Of course if you ever watch Jeremy Kyle then you may be forgiven for thinking otherwise... but by far, castrated animals have a happier life.... They are not human.

Love the Jeremy Kyle comment          

> but by far, castrated animals have a happier life.... They are not human.

My dog is entire and I have no plans of castrating him. He has met an in-season bitch once (stupid owner was walking her off-lead & she ran up to us ), he was momentarily excited but easy enough to calm down and completely forgot about her as we walked off, he is not unhappy atall because he has his 'bits'.

A dog I had while growing up was entire all his lefe, and despite living with his sister (also entire for the first 3 years), never felt the urge to chase females and was not in the least bit interested in his sister when she was in-season.

Being entire does not make a dog unhappy, being around an in-season bitch however may make a dog excited/frustrated, but then again a castrated dog can still be effected by the smell of an in-season bitch.
How any dog wll be effected by an in-season bitch depends on the individual dog and does not depend on wheather he is castrated or not. Castratin on ly ensure the dog can not father a litter, it is no guarantee of taking his urge to mate away.
The OPs dogs behaviour may or may not be afected by the bitch, but I agree with karenclynes, this dog should not be castrated untill he has been asessed by a reputable behaviourist or it could make him worse.

\It's a little different living with an entire bitch and coping with her at her peak of attractiveness, especially if the dog concerned has not had a good upbringing.

I know many stud dogs who live perfectly happy lives, and other entire dogs, but those with entire bitches do find their dogs affected when the bitches are in season, and this can make life stressful for dogs and owners, rand many choose to have them boarded away so they are not negatively affected.

Most male dogs will happily live as entire males.

> have been incontact with a couple of behaviorists but they took on look at him and said he was to big for them,but try having his nuts cut...... my husbands reply is not printable so to all you that have tried to help us once again a great big thankyou,and my husband,says got another hand,we will sort it

Wow, they don't sound like reputable behaviourists to me!
Can I ask whether you plan to breed from your dogs?