I'm with you on positive motivation, but some people don't believe that there is ever a situation that requires "drawing a line in the sand" with their lil furbabies, and I think that's ridiculous. But now I'm off topic again.

Thanks, Chuck.

jason, I agree. Positive motivation does not work for everything, nor every dog. Nor do aversives. Extremism on either end will not be effective in the long run.

Working Shepherds,

A couple of quick points. To compare breeds bred to work together and breeds bred to fight each other is a little over simplified. A person with exellent training skills can take dominant dogs and fighters and get them to co-exist, but that is not a recomendation for a beginer, and that is what we are dealing with here is a beginer dealing with a breed they know very little about. In order to make this work not only would you need significant experience with dog training but also expereince reading dogs and this person has neither. That is the reason that the recomendation to remove one dog from the situation was made. Under the present circumstance I would fear that the dogs and the owners are in significant danger of severe injury. So now what happens to both dogs if they put the owner in the hospital?

Yes training principles are similar for all breeds, but the training of a 3 pound Pom and 200 Mastif are significantly different. Temperament, origional purpose of the breed, drive level and a host of other issues create some very big differences in the training required. The attempt here was to provide specific advise to a specific owner. Your suggestions are good in general, but in this case the course seems fairly well set and much easier to handle sooner rather than later.

Is it my imagination or did we lose the original poster somewhere in all of this..haven't seen anymore post from them since the first page and certainly not one that is telling us what they are going to do about the situation.

J,
I am lightened up! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I was joking with that statment that you quoted. No don't change for me!!! Pleeeaase!

Richard,
Good points. They coud try to use the muzzle and/or seek help as well. Before getting rid of one dog is my main point.

Yes Ironically this person hasn't chimed back in and left us bickering and debating amongst ourselves!!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> lol
It would be nice to hear an update from that person!

George

George,

So your suggestion is to wait and let it become a total disaster first, and then hope it can be fixed later? Multiple dog households all most always have some problems even with experienced owners, even with easy breeds. These are not an easy breed. I have mixed some very tough households and under the best of situations we still had some fights and accidents of dogs getting together and that was with 3 very experienced trainers in the house. I hate to see people set themselves up for a serious problem when it can be so easily avoided. Again this advice for an experienced trainer is sound, but for a beginer? I have seen experienced trainers having problems with the introduction of new dogs to a household, and that is with well trained dogs. Why take chances with this with fighting breeds and a novice handler?

OK, George, it seems like we have an understanding. I'm willing to leave it at that. BUT, I'd like to add, and just to reiterate Richard's point of view, that yes, while it's very likely that these dogs can be taught to behave themselves, all it takes is just one time for the predatorial aggression to kick in, and then bmatis can kiss her (his?) little Pom goodbye. I'd advise to err on the side of caution. Why tempt fate? It's one thing to go into something like this with your eyes open, but it sounds to me like this person was guilted into it, and didn't really think it through as carefully as they perhaps should have.
Yes, they are in the situation now, but the situation can be changed, and better sooner than before bad habits have a chance to be reinforced. We all know how easy it is for that to happen, no matter how experienced the trainer!

Anyway, I'd be curious to see what bmatis has decided, if anything. Whatever it is, at least she or he will be better informed on the options and the pros and cons of each than she or he was before. Now, it will be a more informed decision.