Am concerned about our eight month old Saint Bernard pup, Guinness. Had him from eight and a half weeks of age. Meet the parents and others in his blood line - all stellar, sound dogs of stable temperment. Socialized our little guy like crazy - subway rides, trips to Home Depot, walks at night, walks through busy streets, etc. He met more than 100 people easily during his first two months in our home simply because Saint pups draw a crowd since they are not common in the city. He is wonderful with the kids, elderly, strangers, family, friends, etc. He is not allowed on the bed, couch, and knows his place in our family (have trained several dogs over the past 20 years, and am happy to say they have all been aware of where they belong in our pack). He is very gentle and easygoing in nature, extremely obedient.

But...soon after he turned six months old, an incident occured. Took him out for a walk in the early evening and stopped to chat with some passerbyers. A man was approaching from down the street and as he got closer, Guinness emitted a low growl. I corrected him immediately, startled since he had never done that before and the man crossed the street.
Since that incident a few others have occured:
- Walking him through the parkette near our home and a man was playing with a soccer ball in the middle of the park. Guinness started to bark and growl at him. I corrected him, and brought him over to meet the man (who was nice enough to cooperate). He was still scared and nervous but calmed down.

- Walking the kids to school one morning and a woman with her little girl were crossing our path up ahead but stopped when they saw us approaching. They stood still as they watched us walk towards him and Guinness started to growl as he saw them standing. I immediately gave him a firm hard correction, and he was fine with them as they came up to us to meet him.

- Walking Guinn in the park, where down the field a man stood still reading a book while his beagle ran around by his feet. Guinn started to bark at the man, who was oblivious to his barking as he was engrossed in his book, not moving. I corrected Guinn and walked him down the field so he could meet the man and allay his fear, which did work. Once he met the man he was fine.

- This morning, took Guinness out to do his business and as we walked down the street their was a GRANDMOTHER with two young boys crossing the street just as we walked by so they were walking behind us. Guinness growled at them, trying to turn back to look, but I gave another firm hard correction and kept walking. We stopped soon after so he could relieve himself and as the people walked by he watched them without incident.

So, what do I have on my hands? This big pup (over 120 pounds) is very intimidating looking. He walks through crowds and meets tonnes of people without a problem, is extremely friendly and social, but he definitely gets spooked on occasion. If you are reading this post and can offer some insight on what I should do to quash his fears so that he grows into a confident dog, please send replys/advice.

is he intact? sounds like he is beginning adolescence, which can last a long time in giant breeds.

if you aren't going to breed or show him, it might be time to get him neutered. he sounds like a very nice pup who may straighten himself out in the end (by the time he is 3 or 4 years old), but you are living in a major city and can't afford to have this kind of behavior. it's just too hard to control his environment.

if he were mine, i'd neuter him.

Alice,

i am all in favor of neutering pet dogs, especially in cities, where dogs live close together. But, how will neutering him make him less fearful?
polly

hi, polly,
his behavior sounds like the typical onset of adolescence, which is caused by hormone surges. he's being flooded with testosterone. remove the hormone flood and he should settle back down to the sweet puppy gilsmith described.

but please do not do this just on my recommendation. talk to your vet about it. he's at a good age to do this, now. much later, and it won't make any difference.

Thanks, Alice for your advice. The breeder had wanted to show him and collect his semen so that we could neuter him at 18 months. Giant breeds do not finish growing until 18 months, so people usually wait until then to neuter, but I am now leaning towards neutering sooner. Mentally, even though he is eight months he acts much younger, as giant breeds tend to do. He does not lift his leg to pee, or sniff other dogs markings, and when playing with other dogs if they try to mount him he remains clueless. But you could very well be right that it is the onset of adolescence that is causing him to react fearfully once in a while.

gilsmith, check your PM's .

Will Rambeau
Moderator

gil, if you were living out in the country, in the suburbs, in a small town, i would advise you to wait to neuter, and manage his environment and his behavior in the meantime. i have mastiffs myself, and i agree it is better for them structurally to remain intact until 18 mos.

the problem is it sounds like you live in new york city, where i have also lived with a mastiff, and in that environment, you just can't manage a dog's behavior and environment nearly as well. there is just too much outside your control, and a 120 lb. dog is very strong....

what happens if he gets spooked in a crowded elevator? what happens if he spooks in the middle of a busy street and bolts and gets away from you? in a quieter locale, you can avoid these situations, but not in a city.

i don't think i could have had my current mastiff in nyc. he had a very trying adolescence. thankfully, it is over, and he has calmed down. i could take him there now. but live through his teenage years in a city? uh-uh.

if he is show material and an asset to the breed, and so needs to be kept intact, or you are concerned about him growing up sound, the best bet may be to work with a trainer or behaviorist who understands the challenges of raising a giant breed in an urban environment. best of luck!

Thanks, again for your sound input, alice. We live in the suburbs, where everyone knows everyone and that is why I do not want our guy to be causing neighbours to avoid us or cross the street. I will be getting him neutered, sooner than later, and am closely monitoring his reactions to things that unsettle him, and consult a professional if necessary.

oh, you are in the suburbs! that is different. when you said you were taking him on the subway, i thought you were in nyc. if you have a yard, and quiet streets and parks to walk him in, then you can manage his behavior until he matures out of this phase.

i would not neuter him before 18 mos. giant breeds need a sound structure if they are not going to be crippled adults, and a male neutered at a very young age may wind up with an inadequate foundation for carrying his eventual adult weight.

control the situations your pup encounters, and you can guide him through his fears and into confidence. whether you realize it or not, he is looking to you for cues as to how to react in situations. if you are not giving him calming signals and managing the situation consciously, he may be deciding to take matters into his own hands, so to speak.

you must be alert for all signs of potential danger (as the dog views them) and show the dog that you are in control of the situation and he can relax and let you take care of it.

a consultation with a good behaviorist would serve you better than reams of reading material, and help lay a good behavioral foundation for the future.

he sounds like a great pup going through a very common developmental phase. handle this phase with care, and you'll have a great dog in the future.

Thanks, again, Alice. I do agree with your advice. When he has growled at a person who is standing still, etc, after I correct him I take him up to the person to have him meet them, and I act extremely friendly to the person to help aleviate his fear. It seems to work, because it is weeks between incidences. I have had pups in the past who exhibited this behaviour, but they were not as big as Guinness so I was much more relaxed about working them through this. I guess the main thing for me when he does growl is to correct him calmly, without stressing that he will scare the person, and hopefully that will help too.