[gmoney9038]

Ok ill start off by saying hello and thank you ahead of time...
ok I have a 2yr old amstaff named bentley, and he is for the most part a good boy but has his flaws such as:
--he hasnt gotten much interaction with other animals and the one time he did he tried to play but the other dog was a bully and didnt want to play. then one day bentley went to eat and the other pinned him by his throat and then in defense bentley attacked in return and now any dog to him is a threat it seems...
--next he went through a spell were things that didnt belong to him that he would get into when i tried to take them away he would get very defensive and lunge at me in anger...
--he has a serious jumping problem...
--barking is a problem as well...
--and dry dry skin...
Now all of these are not serious but just curious to how i could cure these? thanks

 

[gmoney9038]

also a pain in the butt to walk... we have a retracable leash, and a basic choke collar non spiked!

 

[PaulaEdwina]

also a pain in the butt to walk... we have a retracable leash, and a basic choke collar non spiked!

Do not combine a retractable leash with a choke collar - it defeats the purpose. The idea is to achieve a loose-lead heel. With the constant tension of a retractable on a training collar you're never going to get there. I personally don't like retractables anyway - how reliable would it be in restriaing a bolting 70lb dog?

Paula

 

[gmoney9038]

very good point... I guess i will have to get a normal leash, also should i get the choke with the teeth or is the normal good? also whats the good word on bitter apples?

 

[Tinkerbell]

also a pain in the butt to walk... we have a retracable leash, and a basic choke collar non spiked!

I would consider getting a Prong ("spiked") collar. These will not harm your dog - if used correctly. They are simple to use and pretty effective. The distribute the pressure evenly across the neck. The Prong collar needs to be worn at the top of the neck - right below the head to be worn properly. I would get a regular nylon or leather leash. You have more control over your dog with these.

Don't force interaction with other dogs. Some dogs enjoy company - others don't. IF this other dog lives in your house with your dog - I would reccomend that you crate and rotate and NEVER feed then together.

The resource guarding is a tough one but at the same time - simple. Keep him crated when you cannot supervise him 100% of the time. Never leave things out that he could get that you don't want him to have. Teathering him to you with a leash while in the house is very effective if you don't want to crate him while you are home.

NILIF training would be a great thing to start to use. You can find a whole sticky on NILIF at the top of this section.

You will need to teach him not to jump. This can be done a number of ways. When he goes to jump on you, turn your body away or walk in the other direction when he starts to jump. You can also lift your knee so he hits your knee with his chest.

Not sure what to can do about the barking... Im sure someone else will be able to help with that one.

Dry skin can be from anything. Most likely it is from the food he is eating. What are you feeding him?

Finding a great trainer in your area to work with would be an awsome idea. They have delt with all these issues and then some. If you let us know your location - Im sure we can help you find someone reputable that will help you out.

Oh, and welcome to the forum!

 

[Tinkerbell]

very good point... I guess i will have to get a normal leash, also should i get the choke with the teeth or is the normal good? also whats the good word on bitter apples?

I would get a prong collar.

The bitter apple stuff is great for chewing on things. That's all it was ment to be used for. But the success of the bitter apple spray depends on the dog. My Annie girl LOVES the stuff (at least the Nature's Miracle stuff) - so with her it's not effective. There is one brand Im going to try with her (I believe it's Garriks?) before I give up the ghost.

 

[gmoney9038]

im feeding him purina one i believe? im pretty sure... the bitter stuff i just started with it he seems to dislike it very much but well see how long that lasts lol. the barking is the biggest pain right now i was thinking about the training electric collars they have i was recomended one by my vet but i was weary about it. And i will head the advice that i was given and i will appreciate all of them thankyou...

 

[Puregrover]

as far as the dry skin use prell shampoo to bath him in u can get it at k mart walmart for 5 bucks

 

[PeterC]

for skin.

for the skin, it is almost always due to grain in the diet. Change the dog food with something withoug grain. I had a pit was allergic to rice. Try to find dog food 20 years ago without rice. It was not easy. Try a little fish oil capsule to reduce inflamation on the skin. Clinical studies with vitamin C has also shown promise. I would start off with only 100-200mg per day, mixed with food. I know normally dogs produce their own vit c. However, this is for theraputic use. I also give some green beef tripe. I don't know if it helps, but they sure love it.

the grain free dog food is very expensive, but you feed less and you will save money on the vet bills.

As for the other problems, it is a training issue. Go to a class. It is fun, especially if your dog is a food monger or a ball monger. A joy.

 

[gmoney9038]

thanks for the tips on the skin... are all my other issues pretty much normal? if thats the case i dont fell so bad lol

 

[peeblerelf]

very good point... I guess i will have to get a normal leash, also should i get the choke with the teeth or is the normal good? also whats the good word on bitter apples?

I would get a prong collar.

The bitter apple stuff is great for chewing on things. That's all it was ment to be used for. But the success of the bitter apple spray depends on the dog. My Annie girl LOVES the stuff (at least the Nature's Miracle stuff) - so with her it's not effective. There is one brand Im going to try with her (I believe it's Garriks?) before I give up the ghost.

There is also this stuff called "phooey" sold at petsmart and superpet here. It's the same idea. Don't know if it has the same "flavour" (as i have never tried it myself). Just giving you another option. Our old dog had a nervous problem with licking. He would lick his front legs, to the point where they were red and raw. Vet couldn't find anything wrong with him, and he was fine temperament wise, it was just a weird quirk! THe vet suggested putting vicks vapour rub on him. Worked for a while....but then he got the trick of rubbing it off on the carpet or furniture and then would continue licking.

 

[gmoney9038]

thanks...
here are a few pics of bentley...

 

[Tia]

Best of luck with your new pup! dogs are great once all the training issues are under control, which in life we all know soemthing can arise as their life goes on.
For the barking you have to invest in soem ear plugs, if your dog has seperation anxiety this may NEVR go away! this is a nerve issue. But if its just typical puppy im sad barking ignore it it will go away

 

[gmoney9038]

hes not new ive had him since he was 5 months old... but thank you, i love him... hes the cutest and the biggest pain in the butt all at the same time? My biggest thing is not that i have more time with him i want to get him calm and normal because in a year and a half i plan on getting married and having a child and dont want him to get as jumpy and flaky as he is now to effect it then. thank you all thus far

 

[Stormy]

I would really recommend you find a good trainer, one that's used to working with bull breeds.

They can show you how to use a prong correctly and teach you all the techniques you'll need with the jumping etc. If your planning on marrying and having children working with a good trainer now especially about the resource guarding gives you plenty of time to fix the issues beforehand.