Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I really need advice from long time large breed dog lovers. I've never been without a dog and never had an issue before, but I have a doosey now. I adopted Moose, a 150 lb St. Bernard from a military base two days ago. He shows no sign of abuse, but I also don't think anyone took time to train him as a big galoot must be.

He turns 1 year in 3 days. What a wonderful dog he is... full of kisses, comical in nature, attentive, and pretty good with instruction. He's house trained, sits, takes a bath with grace, is playful, understands/responds to "no," and he is already beginning to heel with a prong collar.

My problem is his sense of dominance. He growls. I'm afraid to take him to the dog park yet and while he doesn't frighten me personally, I'm seriously concerned where this growling will lead if not controlled. He stops growling if I say no and hold the top of his neck firmly, but this isn't stopping him from growling in new situations.

* He growls at my Basset Hound, also 1 yr old... around his food bowl and toys.
* A puppy growled at him in a pet store this morning. He growled right back, but the situation was controlled well. I made him sit facing away from the pup, but the pup's owner was none too pleased.
* He later growled at our neighbor's dog, Jake, who had bared his teeth at him. I tried ignoring him this time since a fence separated them.
* A couple of hours later, he growled at neighbors who just wanted to pet him and have their picture taken with him.

The only misbehavior I'm cool with was his barking at my ex... good instinct, Moose.

This is just crazy to me. In total, I'm guessing he's done this 10x in 48 hours!

I am very open to any solid advice you might have for what I can do to stop this behavior. He's too big and powerful for such behavior, not that any sized dog should get away with this. Just please don't advise that we need dog training. I'm already sure we need this. Right now, I'm looking for ways to help on my own as I'm sure it'll all come down to what I do with him anyway.

I know there is a long-term school of dog training that teaches humans to dominate their dogs. There is a way to lead the dog without doing this, that works much better and is safer. At the link with my signature, read the articles "Alpha or Leader?" the ones that start with the word "Aggression" (all article titles are in alphabetical order), and "Pain."

It is very likely the dog has some degree of joint pain. It's very typical of the breed and of growing stages. It is very possible the growling is to get other dogs and humans to stop causing him pain. I am not a fan of dog parks, and this dog does not sound like a candidate for one at all.

A dog is about 3 times as strong as his weight in comparison to a human man. 50 pound dog has the strength of a 150 pound human man. Imagine how strong that Saint Bernard is. Aggressive temperaments do happen genetically sometimes, and that is a dog that can't be managed with that problem. It's just too dangerous. So you will have to find an answer quickly.

The articles at the link with my signature are free access, sponsored by the Veterinary Information Network, and you do not have to sign up or anything. I hope they help.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

I'm no expert, but please don't even think about taking him to a dog park. I don't take my own dogs to dog parks because they're just not breeds you can take there. My Staffy Bull might very well get into a dog fight although he's fine with all people. I had a Saint Bernard when I was younger although she was very sweet. I would be VERY careful with him around your Basset Hound. Avoid anything that might cause a fight. Is he neutered? Sounds like he may not have been well socialized as a puppy. I really don't know what to tell you to do but a giant breed dog that could be aggressive is a huge legal liability, so be careful.
staffordmom