Adoption application for Mastiff - Help

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BBH

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Hi,

the questions are asking things like how I would deal with certain situations and I don't know how to answer in the language they will be looking for, any training people on here.

Toilet training
separation anxiety
destructive behaviour
fearfulness
aggression

I am looking to re-home an adult dog whom I given to understand has no real issues but as you would expect will take time to integrate.

Also they are asking under what circumstances would I return the dog and I want to say none because he'll be my responsibility to help but is that wrong, am I supposed to say things like ' if he attacked a dog or person' or am I reading too much into this.

Any help appreciated.
 
I would deal with all of those issues with time, patience, calmness, without prejudice and in the latter I would seek advice from a professional but proceed in the best interests of the dog, and in the best interests of those around me.

I personally would not return a dog to rescue, yes, obviously in our previous lives as breeders we have sold on youngstock who did not make the showing grade to a pet home, but to take on a rescue is a responsibility and part of that responsibility is to give that rescue a better life, not shuttle him or her back when it didn't work out or wasn't what I was expecting.
 
LHS said:
Hi,

the questions are asking things like how I would deal with certain situations and I don't know how to answer in the language they will be looking for, any training people on here.

Toilet training
separation anxiety
destructive behaviour
fearfulness
aggression

I am looking to re-home an adult dog whom I given to understand has no real issues but as you would expect will take time to integrate.

Also they are asking under what circumstances would I return the dog and I want to say none because he'll be my responsibility to help but is that wrong, am I supposed to say things like ' if he attacked a dog or person' or am I reading too much into this.

Any help appreciated.
Click to expand...
sounds like the form we filled out for Battersea Dogs Home.
We were honest on hour form and said that ideally we would never return the dog, but if we became ill or incapacitated we said we would return the dog to ensure that it was cared for appropriately. We wrote out step by step what we would do to deal with the issues mentioned- i.e for aggression working with the dog on a slow and steady process with the help of a dog behaviourist (we provided a local number for such a trainer). Stuff like toilet training is done step by step in any good book- use this- the rest is common sense which is really what they are looking for. We passed all the checks etc but didnt have the kind of dog we were looking for so ended up rehoming from a breed specific rescue site. Good Luck
 
They arent looking to pick holes through you and tbh wont even read too much into exaclty how you would deal with situations. They will use it to get an idea of how you treat certain behaviour and what type of dog owners you are. If its an RSPCA type adoption place just say what you would do, if its a rescue like LBDR (LArge breed dog rescue) dont be afraid to say you would join their forum and stay in touch incase you ever needed advise - they would rather that than you go on as if you know everything (even if you do)

with it being a mastiff the main point in these:- "destructive behaviour,fearfulness, ggression" is being the leader and not letting the dog think its the dominant one in the household. Plenty of exercise and training/socialisation classes if required, make sure the dog knows its place esp for the first month or so settling in time, dont feel sorry for it because its a rescue dog as then they just get their feet under the table and push their luck

good luck
 
also, a lot of people rehoming have a very idealised view of what they want (I am not suggesting you do) so rescues very often ask these questions to see how you would deal with a dog that turns out not to be Mr Perfect.

as an eg, when I was looking to rehome a staffie again, one of the things I said I specifically wanted to do was to be able to hack out with my dog as my previous staffie had done that very happily. I was asked specifically what I would if the dog turned out to be unsuitable for that. "put up with it" was my response. Just as well. NEITHER of my dogs are well behaved enough that I can manage them from horseback! And my attempts at training them to listen when I was on board resulted in one very spooky horse as the bitch kept reappearing and disappearing! Oh well..!
 
Luci07 said:
also, a lot of people rehoming have a very idealised view of what they want (I am not suggesting you do) so rescues very often ask these questions to see how you would deal with a dog that turns out not to be Mr Perfect.

as an eg, when I was looking to rehome a staffie again, one of the things I said I specifically wanted to do was to be able to hack out with my dog as my previous staffie had done that very happily. I was asked specifically what I would if the dog turned out to be unsuitable for that. "put up with it" was my response. Just as well. NEITHER of my dogs are well behaved enough that I can manage them from horseback! And my attempts at training them to listen when I was on board resulted in one very spooky horse as the bitch kept reappearing and disappearing! Oh well..!
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I have just taken on a 3yr old lurcher bitch from a rescue and funnily enough I was dreaming of hacking out with her politely at the heel of my horse. Think we are a while off that dream but she has been extremely good so far!
 
I have no chance. Maybe its because I have 2, but they are such horrendous people tarts that my only attempts meant I had to keep retrieving them from trying to rehome themselves to complete strangers. Plus which, horse did not appreciate the in and out of bushes. Now previous staffie was totally focused on me, could travel through a pack of dogs and ignore everything, come onto a (quiet) road because she really could sit, move over and STAY on command. Did lose her once though.. little wotsit was making friends with some hikers and we carried on at a crossroads in the woods...Q
 
They should be asking...

If the mastiff is on your bed, how will you get him off.
If the mastiff is asleep at walkies time, will you wake him?
If the mastiff wants your dinner, how will you stop him having it?
If the mastiff decides to sit on your lap, how will you manage to get the tv remote?
How will you cope with slobber all over the walls and ceiling?

Have you a big enough sofa for you and the mastiff, or just the mastiff as you wont actually get a space..
 
LHS said:
Hi,

the questions are asking things like how I would deal with certain situations and I don't know how to answer in the language they will be looking for, any training people on here.

Toilet training
separation anxiety
destructive behaviour
fearfulness
aggression

I am looking to re-home an adult dog whom I given to understand has no real issues but as you would expect will take time to integrate.

Also they are asking under what circumstances would I return the dog and I want to say none because he'll be my responsibility to help but is that wrong, am I supposed to say things like ' if he attacked a dog or person' or am I reading too much into this.

Any help appreciated.
Click to expand...

I would take bits and pieces here and there from the other's advice and then write it with my own words. Because once you talk to them in real life, I feel that it is important that you "sound" as the same person that wrote the answers.

However, as an example, what I would answer :

Toilet training - depends on the situation, e.g. dogs can piddle a little when showing submission, that has nothing to do with toilet training, but if it really was a toilet training issue, I would do as I would with a puppy, out in the garden after sleeping, eating, playing and lots of praises for outdoor "achievements". Accidents would be ignored unless caught in the act, if the later happens, I'm either to busy trying to save something from the flood or I run to the door calling their name, trying to get them out.

Separation anxiety - I hide gnaw bones in other rooms so that the dog can find its own reasons to leave the room I'm in, I try to make sure that the dog is tired in its brain and not only the body before I try to train being alone, then I do the usual leave for short periods-training that gradually becomes longer, I might combine it with some crate training and a D.A.P. diffuser.

Destructive behaviour - again trying to make sure that the brain is tired and not only the body, gnaw bones and frozen filled Kong, crate when unsupervised and either remove or put up sturdy compost net around any furniture that I'm especially worried about.

Fearfulness - I ignore. Acknowledging the fear in any way, only tells the dog that I also have noticed the "scaring" thing, so I show that there is nothing there that I'm scared off, by ignoring the dog's fearful behaviour. I.e. I walk up to things that we happen to pass out on walks, like empty cardboard boxes, car tyre swings hanging in a tree etc., casually patting it with my hand or touching it with a shoe, ignoring what the dog does. If I want to go up and pat my sofa in my living room, I'm not going to bother about how my dog reacts, it is just my sofa. If the dog wants to examine what I've just touched out on a walk, it is great but it is not a big deal. Because again, if I make a big deal about it, I tell the dog that it is a big deal.

Aggression - very difficult to answer, it depends on how old it is, why it does it and in what situation etc. For example if a puppy is aggressive out of fear, I would most likely ignore it, it would take something special for me to reprimand a puppy when it is scared. On the other hand, I would not accept that an adult dog of mine thought that it could decide anything in my home by being aggressive towards me. But again, it is so many possible scenarios that it is difficult to give an exact answer, but to give one example, if I hold a gnaw bone and the dog growls, I don't let go!


Under what circumstances would I return the dog - I think you should use your own answer, "None because he'll be my responsibility to help".
Personally, I'm a pessimist that worry myself too much and my answer would probably have been something like: if I genuinely felt that I could not provide it with a suitable home and after seeking help at my dog club, veterinarian clinic and dog psychologist, I would call them (the rescue) and ask for advice about how to proceed from there on. Nobody is perfect, I can only do my best and I wouldn't want to keep a dog, if I made its life miserable and couldn't figure out how to change myself and the situation.


I have no idea if that is either the "right" words or the answers that they're looking for, I don't know if it is fluffy enough or if it is too fluffy, but it is my honest answers.

Good luck. :)
 
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