Big dog question.

[Masked]

So, I see that many of you are pet owners...Figured I'd ask here first.

My mom went and bought 2 Bernese Mountain Dogs when our last one, died...Both from the same litter.

The last Berner she had, was a very mellow, attention whore, just a good dog. So my mother thought she could get a brother and sister, they'd be almost the same.

She went out and got these 2, then had a really bad stroke @ a month later.

The male Berner, attached himself to me, for whatever reason and the female attached herself to my mom. I don't live with my mother but, visited frequently, particularly during/after the stroke...She only lives @ a mile away so, we're not talking about a difficult commute, here.

My mother works from home so, she gives both dogs 100% of her attention, typically...Which, is an issue for me, since I work @ 8hrs/day.

The male is about 130lbs and was babied so, he's a really nervous, non-social, just a giant baby is a good way to describe him.

He was exhibiting some "aggressive" tendencies so my mom was going to give him up for adoption -- I actually like the dog so, I offered to adopt him and here we are.

Come to find out the "aggressiveness" was just him trying to play; he does the same thing to me...Ultimately, she doesn't have the capacity to understand that so, it is what it is.

Anyway, now that the bullshitting is over...I'm having a few issues.

1 - He doesn't eat his food. - I purchased the same food he eats regularly and he just doesn't touch it. I've tried mixing people food but, he picks out the people food. She left their food out and they ate what they felt like but, I'm not having success with this method.

2 - Without his sister, he's obviously very bored. - He's not a ball dog so, I'm lost on how to engage him, particularly when I'm not home.

I do walk him for an hour/day - We go to a local community area and hike a trail -- It mellows him out but, it's not engaging him, really.

I leave the TV on but, he chills out in the foyer which, is clear across the house.

I'm at a loss on how to engage him while I'm not at home because I know he's lonely.

Any advice would be great -- Thanks guys.

 

[Drumie]

The cat idea is a good one. I have a English Mastiff and before my wife moved in with me it was just the dog and me. I got a cat and the 2 of them were best buds. It worked great for her.
Try putting a radio where the dog hangs out. The sound from it when you are gone with help with the dog being lonely.

 

[Sean the Nailer]

You stated that you leave the tv on for him while you're gone. And you also stated that he stays at the other end of the house while you're gone. Coincidence?

I agree with the above sentiments about the food. You do the deciding for him, but be patient about it. He'll come around.

Change is HUGE in animals. The larger (it seems) the more they're affected. He's probably used to his 'routine' whatever that may have been, and now he's in a different place and not getting any of that 'affection' from his owner (your mom) OR his sister. He may be getting affection from you, but it's different.

I had a dog once, who waited until the oven was cool, then grabbed ahold of the tea-towel hanging off the oven door. He opened the door, then used it to step/jump onto the stove. Once there, he turned and 'belly-crawled' across the counter (and under the cupboard) to get to the pie that was cooling on top of the breadbox that was in the corner. He ate all that his tongue could reach, as the top of the pie-plate was about 2" down from the bottom of the cupboard.

I share this here, to show that these 'larger' animals can and are (often) VERY INTELLIGENT animals. They gots brains in there, and gots to use 'em. Otherwise they get bored. If they are too bored, for too long, that is where the destructiveness comes in. And you could come home to find a hole in your wall, where he decided to eat his way out and go for a walk. One of my friends Tibetan Mastiff did that with a fence.

Talk to some trainers in your area. I'm sure there are others here who'll sing out as well. Remember this too.... working dogs are capable of a HECK OF A LOT. Don't underestimate them. Most people do, and think their pet is wall art to be admired when THEY want, not when the ANIMAL needs.

And they wonder why there's so many shelters out there.

I am not saying or insinuating ANYTHING negative towards the OP. I am only pointing out facts and items that are so unknown, and overlooked. For the big picture. Anything else it hopefully helpful.

 

[Masked]

Firstly, I'm dog retarded.

He's my first pet, ever, since moving out of the homestead @ a decade ago.

My lifestyle just didn't suite animals...Now, it does.

He is very smart...but again, I'm "dogtarded" so, I thought asking here would be a good idea

Everyone I've spoken to has suggested a Kong with PB and treats; going to go that route and see what comes of it.

I am doing training to socialize him but, it's not going to be the "next coming", I understand that...However, it will help.

Thanks for the advice so far, folks...anything else you guys can think of would be fantastic!

 

[W54/XM-388]

If you can do it, having 2 dogs is way better than having 1, especially with active dogs, if you have 2 of them, they keep each other busy & have lots of fun.
Dogs are pack animals and love to be around either other dogs or people.
Just like most people don't like to be alone all day, the same with dogs, especially intelligent ones. Also they get very attached to friends / siblings they are with and tend to miss them.
One thing that can help is to put a bit of milk on their food and that often gets them to start eating it.
Lots of larger dogs love plush toys that they can have fun tearing up as they play with them.
Also try some soupbones, dreambones, or pork bones that they can chew up and / or eat.

 

[DirtyDave]

RE: Not Eating
Food is a reward for the dog. I dont agree with Open Feeding and sure as heck NO PEOPLE FOOD. Open feeding works for some people but I dont feel the need to even try it.
The dog must "earn it". Doesn't have to be complicated. They need structure. I feed my 2 dogs twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evening. The dogs have to walk at heel from the bedroom to the patio where I feed them. I have them sit and wait while I put food in their bowls and they eat when I tell them OK.

Before feeding the dog. Do some simple training in the morning, sit, stay, heel, etc. Use bits of kibble to reward each correct action. Then feed the dog at the end of the training session. You only need to do about 5 min of training in the morning. Keep it simple and fun. Soon enough he should come around.

 

[milo 2.0]

You're getting some good advice here. But I must say, don't ever give your dog pork bones, they're too soft and can be sharp and cut your dogs stomach, beef bones are ok.

Whether it's feeding, training or whatever, don't ever let the dog control you, and he will try, especially at 9-11 months of age. Getting him a buddy is a cool idea, for him, but you have to weigh it out, when you need to be gone for a period of time, now you have two pain's in the ass to contend with.

Like I said, don't let him control your life, or it will be miserable, give him some leeway though.

 

[Switchblade]

STOP! ALL of you, STOP!

Nowhere have I yet seen the following advice:

Go to a good pet store like Pet Smart, or PetCO and buy the breed books on your dog. You need to understand the breed before you can work with the dog or come close to understanding why he behaves the way he, and She does. Both dogs NEED to be properly trained and socialized. It's not too late. As these two dogs are also siblings, they, regardless of who they like to be around, need to be around each other at this point in time.(if they have been together day in day out for over the past year or so).

These dogs are highly intelligent, and need to be trained and led. Here is just a small bit on temperament:

These cheerful dogs love children. They are very intelligent, easy to train and are natural watchdogs, but not overly dominant. A Bernese Mountain Dog will be your friend for life. Self-confident, alert and good-natured, be sure to socialize well as a puppy. These dogs are slow to mature, acting like puppies longer than other breeds. They are rather friendly with strangers, and are generally good with other pets and dogs. The Bernese needs to be with people and not confined to the backyard or a kennel. These dogs are sensitive and should be trained firmly, but gently. Owners will only run into issues with this dog if they are not displaying natural leadership towards the dog, treating him more like their baby and lacking in the knowledge as to what dogs instinctively need to be stable minded. Owners who fail to convince the dog humans are alpha may find themselves with a totally different dog than what is described above. For a dog to feel secure it needs to clearly know the rules so they can be followed, thriving in structure, along with a daily pack walk to satisfy its instinct to migrate. The Bernese Mountain Dog was bred for draft work and can be trained to pull a cart or wagon.


Get the books. Read them. Train both dogs. As to food, I use Blue Bufallo Wilderness Healthy Weight. It works for my dog, and he loves when I put kibbles on his head for him to drop...yeah, we train!