Unlimited access >

Finally got that adult dog but is he to much for me to handle?

Well no actually. Does it make it a ton easier? Yup. Plenty of apartment dwellers have large, high energy dogs and they get along just fine. It’s just a much bigger time commitment from the owner.

6 Likes

First off, if you plan on keeping this dog, you’ll need a trainer that can handle a high drive possibly stubborn and independent dog. Look for someone that has done K9 military or police training, protection, or tracking and field work, not your amateur puppy kindergarten type trainer. You’ll also need to consider that $800 would be a bargain over the life of the dog. Then consider how much time you’re willing to devote to the training yourself. A trainer can train the dog, but you need to be trained to handle the dog as well. Everything comes down to the dog paying attention to you over everything else in the environment. That takes time to bond.

8 Likes

Agreed. Although it’s probably much tougher for the dog that has been used being able to roam than for a puppy that was raised in that routine. I had an active sporting dog when I lived in a city brownstone. But from the age of 8 weeks. So our first few months were busy, but the puppy wasn’t particularly difficult to manage in size and activity while he learned the routine.

2 Likes

Solid point.

To be sure, I love having a fenced yard for potty breaks. I’m not the ideal candidate to be trying to potty train a dog in a high rise apartment complex myself. Far too grouchy at 2 am lol.

Been there, done that. Looked for a long time, met a lot of dogs, finally found a young adult that passed vetting. I kept him despite being a bad match. My head knew it but my heart couldn’t do it.

Return the dog :broken_heart:. Tomorrow. It is the kindest thing for you both. :orange_heart: You both deserve to be happy and relaxed in a lifelong relationship with your new family member.

10 Likes

Honestly I’ve never had one and it’s never been a huge issue. I have a little fenced area with concrete (dogs are never there if I’m not) and otherwise I take them out on a leash, walk them, train them, take them to classes, etc.
If I let a dog out at 6 am, I’d have to go check the fence first. Too OCD (and I’m not saying that as an expression - I do have that). That’s just me, though. Obviously things I’m willing to do are different from others.
I’ve had lots of dogs that wanted to chase rabbits. Probably every dog I’ve had wanted to. Those trainers that believe in all positive reinforcement wouldn’t agree with this (and don’t get me wrong - there’s a lot of evidence for that training style), but I put a prong collar on them and give a big correction. As I said, I’m taking them out on a leash every time, so I just can’t have them bolting after every small and furry creature. It’s always worked for me. Maybe one of these days I’ll have to go to smaller dogs.

2 Likes

I have found a Gentle Leader to be far more effective for prey driven dogs than a prong. Our first Mastiff broke a prong (well, she bent the prongs, so the collar detached), in her effort to get at a skunk.
Think of it as the difference between controlling a horse with a neck strap or a halter, which would work better?
Of course, you will need a lot of training to go along with it, to give the dog something else to focus on, when he would rather chase. You need to train him to respond to a simple command, such as “watch me”. Once he knows that 100%, you will have a tool to use to break his focus, before he gets fixated. There are plenty of training games out there to teach impulse control too. Depending on your training skills, paying a trainer to help you may be an excellent investment.
That said, not everyone enjoys training. If training sounds like too much of a chore, expensive, time consuming, or difficult, it would be best to return the dog and find one that is easier.

6 Likes

Been there, done (still doing) that. If you are willing to commit an insane amount of time to patiently training this dog, with the help of an expert(s) (I recommend going to classes), and understand that it can take up to a year to get to a place you want to be with this dog, and that there may be things you never get rid of completely, then keep him and go (all out) for it. If not, return now before he gets more settled/attached and/or you or he gets hurt. He’s a desirable breed, a rescue should be able to find the right match. Make your decision based only on that, not on a fear you won’t find a replacement.

1 Like

Sorry, but I STRONGLY disagree.
I would not ever use a halti type head collar, let alone on a dog prone to bolting. You are just begging for a severe injury.
They are known to cause numerous injuries to the muzzle, head & neck as it is.
You can not compare this to a horse wearing a halter :woman_facepalming:t2:

3 Likes

A flat collar can damage the throat when they bolt. The point is that you need to train the dog, not just slap it on and go.

3 Likes

All collars can do damage. I never had any injuries or issues with a Halti - they work quite well. My dogs hated them though, and some people thought they were muzzles.

But, I would definitely be worried about all of these collars if you have a bolting dog - prong, flat or Halti. Or e-collar.

For this reason - a chance to get some of the sillies out before leash walking is really useful for high energy or high prey drive dogs. For them, a walk on a leash is not exercise to them. Not even a little bit. And many of them really can’t help it - they can be trained, but they don’t ever turn off the prey drive. You need to find a healthy outlet for it, or you’re fighting a losing battle.

7 Likes

I’m also in support of an e-collar. Used humanely, they simply redirect the dog’s attention at a time when other cues are ineffective. I have a very sweet beagle who I got when he was an adult and his behaviour was similar (although about 60lbs smaller). I trained him to run beside a bike and that made a HUGE difference. His desire to chase anything disappears after a 5km run every morning. This tool works really well to safely take a dog out with a bike
https://www.thedogoutdoors.com/walkydog-plus-dog-bike-leash.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwnPOEBhA0EiwA609RebW0mrFcbeBgN8J3K6wqw8cluIoLaipIKnKSlqfy9fZ3QhMdCSNu2xoC6LAQAvD_BwE

4 Likes

I use the walky dog bike attachment too!

I clip the bike attachment to her harness and then hold a leash clipped to her flat collar in my hand and stash the remote to her e collar in my pocket or bike basket. If I’m not using the e collar I’ll substitute a prong collar for the flat collar.

Eek, I have to say the idea of a dog tethered to a bike via a prong collar is scary to me. And I fully support the correct use of prong collars. Just not in a situation where a bike accident could really injure your dog.

In general, the idea of a bike tool is great; I’m not sure I think the OP is ready for that if she has an unpredictably bolting dog. At the very least, I would practice it in the safest possible environment in case the dog does not take well to it.

10 Likes

This!
Totally not the right use for a prong collar.

I literally said out loud at my desk - Eek - when I read that.

5 Likes

One of the top 3 scarey dog bolting incidents I’ve been involved in was a Giant Schnauzer being
exercised by a young boy on a bike. Doggy decided to bolt and attack me/my 2 Bichons and
young boy crashed, doggy knocked me down while I fought him off and I learned then that it’s
NOT SAFE to bike with an unpredictable high prey drive dog. Especially a large one.
People don’t realize the power of a 90 lb. dog. And little dogs, cats, toddlers can be seen as prey.

6 Likes

@S1969

@trubandloki

Please see above

2 Likes

OP has stated that " he has Knocked me down 3 times already while on a leash as his prey drive is off the charts" …

so what could go wrong while bicycling with said dog ? regardless of type of attachments. !!!

^ Seriously people ! how about ice skating or water skiing attached to this dog ?!

This is not “THE DOG” not a match.

I hope she returns him to the breeder and keeps looking for her new dog

*For everyone’s well being.

13 Likes

My point, and also the POV of several BNDTs, is that it is safer to bike a high prey drive dog than walk it as the dog moving at higher speeds has less time to go into drive and also actually might get tired. Unlike walking which is no exercise for a big athletic dog.

Now if a person isn’t comfortable riding a bike on their own that’s a different story.

Certainly if the OP is not able to provide this dog the exercise it needs then it may very well be a poor match.

I agree with this. I have trouble controlling my dog on a leash when he wants to pull but when he wants to pull on the bike, I just speed up and the dog has to redirect his attention to keeping up rather than going off in another direction. The cyclist needs to be confident on a bike and able to cycle fast and they should have someone ride with them the first few times. The dog should also be wearing a harness. I wouldn’t try it without the Walky dog tool because it keeps the cyclists hands free, keeps the dog away from the tires and has a suspension system to reduce the pull from the dog.

It’s similar to the principle to push a horse into a faster gait if they are gearing up to buck - they can’t go up and forward at the same time.

Having said all this, I haven’t tried it with a 90 lbs dog.

But it made a huge difference for my dog. We went from a state of crisis, almost ending my marriage, to a sweet dog with only slight anxiety.

2 Likes