About 3 weeks ago my Belgian Malinois killed and ate my two guinea pigs. The dog ripped out the perforated plastic wall of the cage. Then today she ate all the fish food pellets that i kept on a high ledge. Apparently she found a way to leap high and grab it. Any tips on how control a dog's urge to kill other animals and other destructive tendencies?
you bought a belgian malinois and didn't expect this? i quote from wikipedia "many have excessively high prey drive". it's a commonly known fact. go see a professional dog trainer or occupy your dog with other interests.
Actually it was just given to us as an adolescent dog, about 2 years old. My uncle moved to another country and was forced to leave it with us. I play with her as much as i can, take for walks, give chew toys, to expend her energy. It is kinda strange because there would be days that she is very obedient and complacent of other things and animals. Then at times it will be a surprise because she will suddenly become aggressive towards other animals, especially smaller rodents or dogs.
You gotta have tough love. When she/he destroys something, grab her and rub the dogs nose in it. Spank it and make sure it knows it did wrong. Eventually the dog should start to understand.
Thanks, i barely spank my dog but i guess its about time i tried a different approach. Usually when she destroys something i just reprimand her and take her near the object, but i never tried rubbing it in her nose before.
Is it good with other dogs??? If so, get another one to keep it company and let it play in the backyard... Keep it as far away from other pets as possible... How often you take it for walks?? I usually do it right when I wake up in the morning or before I go to sleep.. Sometimes if I have time I take the dogs to a park maybe about half an hour or so...
I usually do the walks during weekends at early mornings. Sometimes at late afternoon at weekdays when work is finished early. She is usually good with other dogs, save for a little bit of instinctive protective actions of me and herself. But at times her aggression spikes as i mentioned earlier. When it happens i hold her back with the leash or try to hug her instantly with my two hands. Remembering further as i can, i noticed that the spike also tends to happen when she is in heat. I remembered the time she made doggie love with our Choco Labrador, afterwards she bit the nipped at the Choco and made a small gash in the Choco's rump.
An inevitable struggle for your own humanity draws near, Mr. Gabriel. Get a short knife and prepare for battle.
LOL! i have some plate armor intact should this happen :grin: Thou i guess i might save it for the day another dog comes to my life. Especially now that my other relative is also considering leaving another dog to us by next year when she goes to Germany. And i read about the dog just now (not reading much about the Belgian Malinois before was also my bad mistake), Apparently Tibetan Mastiffs are also a high maintenance breed. Damn, why are they getting these kinds of dogs anyway then leave it to me afterwards. I better prepare for this or otherwise i'll just reject her offer to give me the Mastiff if i am ill prepared.
There's your first problem - get your dog fixed ASAP. There are already too many dogs in the world, so you don't need to be contributing to the overpopulation. 2nd, you have a high energy, high intelligence dog. She needs to be walked every day for at least an hour at a time (and I would recommend a shorter 2nd walk in the evening). If that means you have to get up an hour early, then do it. Walking is the single most important thing an owner can do for a dog, as it fulfills two needs: (1) a dog's natural migration instict and (2) a focused activity that expends both mental and physical energy. Regarding need #2, get your dog into training and teach her how to walk properly. This means no pulling and heeling instantly when given the command. She should also respect you when you say "NO" - you shouldn't have to bear hug your dog to keep from going after something (or someone). It's good that you play with the dog, but there's a reason dog owners are told to walk the dog. Fetching a ball or running loose in a backyard (no matter how big) won't have the same effect as a good, hour-long walk. All this being said, prey drive is genetically influenced, so you need to "dog-proof" your home. Keep things like small pets and other temptations in another room and out of harms way. You can't control a dog's behavior while you're out, but you can control what she can access.
Not yet, she is pregnant right now with her 2nd litter of cross bred puppies By the way guys here is what the puppies look like when she crossed with the Chocolate Labrador. Strangely enough, they become like black labrador puppies.
