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[tk]

Sorry this is really long......I am newer to this site and have learned sooo much from you all in that short time. I should have came on here long before buying my first TRD. I currently have a 70 pound, blue 1 1/2 year old male. I bought him from Jeantte Barnes, sorry I am now finding out she's not too popular in the TRD world, when he was around four months old.

I was lucky enough to take my new TRD puppy to work where he was introduced to other dogs at work and was around many different people every day. I also live in super dog friendly St.Louis where dogs are walked everywhere and taken to the many outdoor seating bars/ restaurants. He was also taken to dog parks and even the awesome Mardi Gras dog parade with hundreds of other dogs here in St.Louis. He got along well with all people and other dogs until he was around nine months.

I had him neutered right around that time so I thought things would only continue as they were or he'd only improve. I feel I am a decent pack leader and I am always firm and consistent with him. He waits for me before going through any door, he doesn't pull when walking, he waits at the door to get his feet wiped, doesn't sleep in bed with me (except for maybe naps) and he listens very well to commands. He is also my workout and hiking partner and we love running the arch stairs together. He is crazy athletic, can run forever and loves jumping up on anything he can find.

At home he doesn't chew anything he shouldn't, he can be left alone free to roam my loft while I am at work and there are never any issues and he never goes to the bathroom inside no matter how long he is left. He is extremely smart, extremely affectionate and is extemely goofy, playful and entertaining. To me, he is the perfect dog I always wanted, EXCEPT around nine months old he became very dog aggressive and very warey of some people and almost always men. He will accept any smaller dog brought into our home or introduced to him elsewhere and plays perfectly gentle with them.

I can take him to the kennel and he plays well with any type of dog of any size, except he starts playing too rough sometimes they tell me. The problem really is that he goes ballistic seeing any size dog on a leash and at the dog park he can play nice one minute and then be ready to maul a dog the next. I have seen him scare dogs away much larger than he is. He scares people in the dog park and they'll take there dogs out and there are people I know with pit bulls who are scared to have him anywhere near their pits. He also became agressive towards some men at work nipping at their butts and calves and chasing others out of the office.

Obviously I had to stop taking him to work as it was too risky. I now cannot allow anyone to pet him with the exception of close friends who have always known him. He has nipped at, but not connected with, too many people on the street or when I take him Petsmart. I also always have to bring extra leashes and collars for him as when he gets into his severe dog aggressive rages he has broken leather and nylon leahes, pinch collars and can easily get out of a harness and lastly a 'shock" collar only pisses him off even more. He is becoming a serious risk when he gets outside my loft and I feel he is a lawsuit waiting to happen whether he kills/ hurts someone's dog or truly bites a person.

I love this dog soooooooooo much and I could not stand to lose him as there are so many positive things about him and I always wanted to get him a red TRD buddy to play with, but now I am afraid I may have to find a differnet type of home for him, if I could even find one. I'm sick to my stomach and don't know what to do..............

thank you for listening and any advice is much appreciated.

Terry

[admin]

Please help!
« on: May 18, 2009, 09:00:34 PM » Quote Modify Remove Split Topic 

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Sorry this is really long......

THATS OKAY.. WE ALL LOVE READING AT THIS SITE...

I am newer to this site and have learned sooo much from you all in that short time. I should have came on here long before buying my first TRD. I currently have a 70 pound, blue 1 1/2 year old male. I bought him from Jeantte Barnes, sorry I am now finding out she's not too popular in the TRD world, when he was around four months old.

SHE WAS A ATRA MEMBER IN THE 2004 BUT SOON I CAME TO REALIZE SHE WAS A BIG MISTAKE AND BETTER I JUST SAY NOTHING AS THERE ARE MANY BIG MISTAKES OUT THERE..

I was lucky enough to take my new TRD puppy to work where he was introduced to other dogs at work and was around many different people every day. I also live in super dog friendly St.Louis where dogs are walked everywhere and taken to the many outdoor seating bars/ restaurants. He was also taken to dog parks and even the awesome Mardi Gras dog parade with hundreds of other dogs here in St.Louis. He got along well with all people and other dogs until he was around nine months.

SOUNDS GREAT SO FAR..

I had him neutered right around that time so I thought things would only continue as they were or he'd only improve. I feel I am a decent pack leader and I am always firm and consistent with him. He waits for me before going through any door, he doesn't pull when walking, he waits at the door to get his feet wiped, doesn't sleep in bed with me (except for maybe naps) and he listens very well to commands. He is also my workout and hiking partner and we love running the arch stairs together. He is crazy athletic, can run forever and loves jumping up on anything he can find.

YOU SOUND GREAT AND SO FAR THE TRD SOUNDS GOOD TOO..

At home he doesn't chew anything he shouldn't, he can be left alone free to roam my loft while I am at work and there are never any issues and he never goes to the bathroom inside no matter how long he is left. He is extremely smart, extremely affectionate and is extemely goofy, playful and entertaining. To me, he is the perfect dog I always wanted, EXCEPT around nine months old he became very dog aggressive and very warey of some people and almost always men. He will accept any smaller dog brought into our home or introduced to him elsewhere and plays perfectly gentle with them.

WELL HERE IS WHERE WE DIFFER.. I NEVER LET MY TRD ROAM MY LIVING QUARTERS.. THEY WILL SPOT AND CRAP AND NOT ON COMMAND..

I can take him to the kennel and he plays well with any type of dog of any size, except he starts playing too rough sometimes they tell me. The problem really is that he goes ballistic seeing any size dog on a leash and at the dog park he can play nice one minute and then be ready to maul a dog the next. I have seen him scare dogs away much larger than he is. He scares people in the dog park and they'll take there dogs out and there are people I know with pit bulls who are scared to have him anywhere near their pits. He also became agressive towards some men at work nipping at their butts and calves and chasing others out of the office.

YES, I HAVE HAD THAT PROBLEM WITH A TRD SEEING OTHER DOGS ON A LEASH.. ALL OS OKAY OFF THE LEASH BUT ON ONE...WOW.. A WAR WILL ENSUE...

Obviously I had to stop taking him to work as it was too risky. I now cannot allow anyone to pet him with the exception of close friends who have always known him. He has nipped at, but not connected with, too many people on the street or when I take him Petsmart. I also always have to bring extra leashes and collars for him as when he gets into his severe dog aggressive rages he has broken leather and nylon leahes, pinch collars and can easily get out of a harness and lastly a 'shock" collar only pisses him off even more. He is becoming a serious risk when he gets outside my loft and I feel he is a lawsuit waiting to happen whether he kills/ hurts someone's dog or truly bites a person.

READ WHAT I SAY AT THE BOTTOM OF MY WEBSITE... THE TRD IS NOT FOR EVERYONE... THE BREEDER BARNES SHOULD HAVE STRESSED THAT TO YOU.. JACK STERLING PISSES A LOT OF PEOPLE OFF.. BUT HE WILL ALWAYS BE HONEST ABOUT HIS TRD.. AND I CANNOT COMMENT OR SAY A WORD ABOUT ANY TRD THAT WERE FROM MY BLOODLINE THAT WERE RAISED BY OTHERS.. MANY ARE CLUELESS...

I love this dog soooooooooo much and I could not stand to lose him as there are so many positive things about him and I always wanted to get him a red TRD buddy to play with, but now I am afraid I may have to find a differnet type of home for him, if I could even find one. I'm sick to my stomach and don't know what to do..............

GETTING ANOTHER TRD IS A GREAT IDEA AND A RED FEMALE IS WHAT YOU SHOULD GET.. ASK ME IN SKYPE ANOUT MY RED TRD...YOU WILL SEE A BIG CHANGE IN HIM AFTER HE HAS A TRD BUDDY

thank you for listening and any advice is much appreciated.

Terry

[tk]

Thank you sir......I went with a TRD as I traveled to Thailand a couple times about five years ago for vacation (I plan on coming back soon and I miss it so) and fell in love with the people, culture and the TRD. I also wanted an athletic medium/ large size dog to spend a lot of time outdoors with and I also wanted something different. Everyone in St.Louis owns pit bulls, Boxers, Bulldogs, Labs and toy dogs. This is also my first dog and I knew somewhat what I was getting into and I still love having this dog even with the aggressive issue - as long as I believe there is still hope. I want to work hard to correct this issue and I am not going to give up on him/ us very easy. Besides most will say the issue is really with me and not the dog, so I guess I really need to work on me..........

Terry

[somlar trd]

It sounds like you are doing all the right things.  Remember each dog is different and not all dogs just like to be around other dogs.  It sounds like you watch Cesar Millan and with the TRD I find his advice to be sound.  You dog needs to be exercised via a walk.  Dog parks are nice, but they are a reward - not a place to let out energy.  With your walks I would recommend you focus on being the pack leader and make sure your dog is focused on you, not people walking past you.  Keep him on a short leash.  It really sounds like you are 90% there with him.  Keep strong and keep him in a routine.  As for another TRD I would not state that is out of the question at all.  I think the key is getting one that is still a puppy and a female.  However, I do recommend you focus on getting him into a routine first.  I wish I knew you were there sooner.  I was just in St Louis in January as I grew up in that area.

Jennifer

[tk]

I actually rarely take him to the dog park anymore and that is the only place outside of our loft he is ever off leash. 5 out of 7 days a week he gets a 45 minute to an hour and 15 minute walk on leash around downtown and on the two off days it is usually walking at the park or hiking. While hiking or running the Arch stairs he is also on a leash. While hiking it is the only time he is allowed to stray from my side or walking staggered behind me, but he is still on a leash. I use a 28' leash to allow him to run through the woods, tall brush, river and the swamp. Thank you so much for the advice!

Terry

[mwernsy]

Jennifer has great advice as well as Jack.  He sounds as if he is a very obedient dog, and I also think you walking and making him focus on you more will help.  I have 3 TRD(male 2yrs 9 mo, female 3 yrs, 4 mos, and one of their pups, 6 mos) and in my short experience (3 years), I have noticed their personalities can change some with changing circumstances.  The dynamic in our home has changed with breeding and adding the female pup to our pack. My female starting nipping a little about a year ago, and only in our home.  It is either a running kid, or a man she tends to be unsure of; or shortly after she had pups.  
Out of the home and on a leash, both my adult male(Samson) and female(Nikita) are much different, very respectful of their leash and love their leash because it means a "walk".  I do not trust them to play with other dogs as I did not work on socializing them with other dogs; but even if I did - they are TRD, and I when I researched them I read they are dog aggressive.  I have heard of others not having problems with other dogs until about 1 1/2 - 2 years.  The pup(Diamond) is definitely somewhat shy and I have had her in puppy class and getting her out a lot.  She is getting better around people, but definitely wants to dominate other dogs(except her mom and dad - she is very submissive)  It is part of their nature, and I think something we all knew going in to getting these dogs.  I noticed yesterday, young lab got away from her owner, dragging her leash, and I kept Diamonds collar tight(correction/pinch collar), while the dog was happily sniffing her.  She was fine, until the owner grabbed the leash and started taking the pup away.  Don't really know why they go after dogs on leash - maybe they see a weakness in the other dog, and they definitely want to dominate.

Don't just physically wear him out, work 10 - 15 minutes each day on commands and just mentally wear him out too.  Definitely work with your male for awhile and get confident with how he is doing before adding a pup in the mix.  I would try to stay away from a dominant female.  We have worked with the issue of Nikita being the alpha(we had her first)for awhile and the changing of the guard to Samson when he was about 1 1/2, then neutering Samson and spaying Diamond; and I think Nikita notices a weakness because they are not intact dogs.  Every so often, she gets a look in her eye like "I can take him"  It seems more now he is dominant over her, but their relationship has definitely changed and they don't really play any more.  

We may have a new dynamic to deal with when Diamond reaches maturity.   BTW, our dogs do sleep with us.  It is a privilege and if they are on the bed before us, they must get down and wait until we call them up.  Nikita usually just jumps off the bed when she sees me come in at night cuz she knows I will make her.  Samson has to be told.

Keep us updated and keep working at it.  









Keep us posted on your progress.  

[admin]

Terry this is just a start as once all the real ATRA members get started in a good "thread" it can go on and on and on..
I have seen it happen in the old ATRA forum.. but now we have a few of the all time "oldtimers" and a lot of newbies getting in a few posts from time to time..

How about posting a foto of that BIG boy and lets see what is a result of what I started in America..

Remember all of "TRD breeder Barnes" dogs came from my puppy stock... good or bad.. they all came from me across America.

I would love to see my grandkids...good or bad..

Jack

[MischiefsMom]

I have one of Diamond's sisters, Mischief.  She was dog aggressive from the beginning (she was three months when I took her home, 9 months old now).  But we worked with it a lot, and she has very few problems now.  Two recent developments, however:  1, she does a lot better with me than she does with my husband, Mark.  He doesn't work with the training as much as I do, and she seems to have problems with other dogs when she's out with him.  2, the leash thing.  I'm kinda glad I'm not the only one that's noticed this because I thought it was a little crazy.  It started as a bratty-playful thing.  When at the dog park, if an owner came up to leash his/her dog, she would 'taunt' the dog because it was on a leash, as in, 'ha, ha, you're on a leash and i'm not!'  Now, though, if we're walking, she'll get nasty with other dogs if she is on a leash.  It doesn't seem to matter if the other dog is on a leash, although she will tease them, but if she is on a leash, she doesn't want any other dog close, or she'll get her snarly gremlin face, you know the one i'm talking about.  

I've tested this.  We met my friend's dog, Ruby, when out on a walk, and well they were both not nice.  A week later, I went to her house, with Mischief on a leash, and Mischief was not nice.  I took her leash off, still outside, and they played and were the best of friends.  They went inside, and still played.  We had to put the food up (Ruby's issue, not Mischief's; she actually has no food aggression with humans and will eat nice with other dogs; i know that's strange for trd), but after the food was put up they were fine and playing again.


Michief is one of those dogs that, while she will play with most dogs, she really prefers a few close friends to a wider social circle.

[CarlM]

From my experience, the problem of dogs being aggressive when on the leash is common. While I do not own a TRD yet, I have a Catahoula, a primitive breed which has similar characteristics to the TRD. Anyway, she is  very assertive when on a leash - towards other dogs and people. Off the leash she is much better - though still assertive and dominant toward other dogs. Once the pecking order (dominance) is established she plays great at any level - form St. Bernard to Chihuaua.