Help Needed! Brutus

[JennieS]

Sorry guys this may be a long post but i'm stumped on how to proceed with Brutus.

As most of you know Brutus is a wild guy. He's stubborn, free-sprited and pretty much brutus does what brutus wants with in boundaries we have gave him. We are kinda at a tipping point, well Brian my husband is, i'm not. but things have been on-going and i need to do something about it.

So yesterday, I was gone all day and Brian had Ruthie and brutus over our friend's house all day. So this is what happened as relayed by Brian. brutus is very one-track minded, when he focuses in on something it's all or nothing. he wants it and will do whatever to get to it. He has NO CLUE when to stop. He would rather die, than calm down, catch a breath, get some water...etc. Apparently he was like this all day with our friends dog, he tore apart their kids swing and was running around like a maniac getting into everything. He's inquisitive. Brian said he was panting and breathing so hard he had to put him in the truck and turn on the air for over an hr and a half to get him to calm down. i do know brian was watching him all day. After he brought him back out of the truck, he tied him up and made brutus sit there while Ruthie and Dixie were free to roam around.

I have to stop this from happening. It's like his brain goes nuts and he is so focused he won't stop until he's dead. I keep a very controlled environment for Ruthie and brutus, and just being me, i know brian doesn't watch them like i do. brian said brutus wouldn't listen all day to him and he was just bad.

I need to go back to his basic training, i will be the first to admit i've totally slacked with him. I love his free-spiritedness and i just get him and his personality and I don't want to break that in him, but i've got to get him to a point where he knows when to quit.

I don't know what to do though. I can't afford to take him to training right now because we are doing a $20,000 remodel on our home and i know i can do it if i take the time. I am not sure what i should be training him on to get him to leave things alone and calm down. Once he gets excited, that's it, his path of terror is miles long.

I hope i gave enough detailed into his personality and what i'm trying to explain about him. i want the best life for him but sometimes he's just uncontrollable if he's left to his own devices. I don't want to keep him on a leash and collar every time we go somewhere. He should be able to play but not kill himself in the process.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Should i teach him to "leave it"? so when i say that he will maybe calm down a bit?

 

[2BullyMama]

Ugh... He is in the zone and it is brutal to fix this. Not just you... Brian HAS to be doing all the sane stuff.

Definitely back to basics, find a 'to die for treat'. and use it only during training for leave it. Other than Dixie that day, are his 'focused' items the same or always different?


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[ddnene]

I agree w/Christine, it's time for back to basics training...

I would add that make sure you bring a crate wherever you go (if possible) and force him to take a time-out to relax, catch his breath and re-group… What is his triggers? Maybe you can avoid that before he gets in the zone...

 

[JennieS]

I agree w/Christine, it's time for back to basics training...

I would add that make sure you bring a crate wherever you go (if possible) and force him to take a time-out to relax, catch his breath and re-group… What is his triggers? Maybe you can avoid that before he gets in the zone...

Brutus doesn't do crates. In one of his former homes he ripped off his toenails in one and has issues with them. We've never crated him and he's been known to escape when put in one. I could always leash and collar him to calm him down?

@2bullmama his triggers are anything that moves really. He just goes wild over everything. And if he wants something he's going for it. Just the other day he decided he was going to play with the neighbors dog and busted through their fence to go play. And he is not allowed out of the front yard but he took off running. The only thing he has ever responded to is his jolly ball. If he has that he doesn't bother anything or anyone. He will play with it for hrs. I'll take it from him to give him a breather for water and to catch his breath. This is why he only will ever get his ball on special occasions because I know it's such a high value to him. Brian didn't have his ball with him since I lost it. I take it almost everywhere we go because I know if he has that, he will be calm and just play with his ball.
Even if he's outside going wild and I say "brutus want your ball" he will come running right to me, sit and wait for me to give me his ball. It's the only thing he loves that much.




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[ddnene]

Brutus doesn't do crates. In one of his former homes he ripped off his toenails in one and has issues with them. We've never crated him and he's been known to escape when put in one. I could always leash and collar him to calm him down?

@2bullmama his triggers are anything that moves really. He just goes wild over everything. And if he wants something he's going for it. Just the other day he decided he was going to play with the neighbors dog and busted through their fence to go play. And he is not allowed out of the front yard but he took off running. The only thing he has ever responded to is his jolly ball. If he has that he doesn't bother anything or anyone. He will play with it for hrs. I'll take it from him to give him a breather for water and to catch his breath. This is why he only will ever get his ball on special occasions because I know it's such a high value to him. Brian didn't have his ball with him since I lost it. I take it almost everywhere we go because I know if he has that, he will be calm and just play with his ball.
Even if he's outside going wild and I say "brutus want your ball" he will come running right to me, sit and wait for me to give me his ball. It's the only thing he loves that much.




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Oh man… what do you do when you leave the house? Does he tear up your home?

 

[jenzaar]

Oh man.
That is tough. I've got nothing for you, but I'm here rooting for you guys!

 

[JennieS]

Oh man… what do you do when you leave the house? Does he tear up your home?

He roams free. He never tears up the house. At home he's really good, calm...when it's us 4. He goes nuts in the front yard, cause that's where all the action is but in the back yard he's a good dog. This is really only when we have people over or we take him somewhere. It's like he doesn't know what to do with all his excitement and is over stimulated. The only time he is away from us is at night when they are blocked off in another room.


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[ddnene]

He roams free. He never tears up the house. At home he's really good, calm...when it's us 4. He goes nuts in the front yard, cause that's where all the action is but in the back yard he's a good dog. This is really only when we have people over or we take him somewhere. It's like he doesn't know what to do with all his excitement and is over stimulated. The only time he is away from us is at night when they are blocked off in another room.


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Oh so it's mostly just out of "his" comfort zone… I honestly HATE IT when people come over here, my two act like idiots. I'm ready for this behaviorist to help us out on this as well… Lol

 

[2BullyMama]

He roams free. He never tears up the house. At home he's really good, calm...when it's us 4. He goes nuts in the front yard, cause that's where all the action is but in the back yard he's a good dog. This is really only when we have people over or we take him somewhere. It's like he doesn't know what to do with all his excitement and is over stimulated. The only time he is away from us is at night when they are blocked off in another room.


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Banks was like this at times, not to Brutus' level, but we really had to be smart about where we took her. At home, she was perfection regardless of what people came in, but sometimes taking her someplace, well, we just had to accept she needed to stay home. it was mostly the car ride that did her in.... she just hated being in the car so much it impacted her behavior when we arrived. Is it possible to just let him be at home and take Ruthie with you? To us, it seem unfair, but it may just be better for him

 

[JennieS]

Banks was like this at times, not to Brutus' level, but we really had to be smart about where we took her. At home, she was perfection regardless of what people came in, but sometimes taking her someplace, well, we just had to accept she needed to stay home. it was mostly the car ride that did her in.... she just hated being in the car so much it impacted her behavior when we arrived. Is it possible to just let him be at home and take Ruthie with you? To us, it seem unfair, but it may just be better for him

Oh i would hate to do that to him. He loves car rides and when we do take them we know it will be for very long hrs. And i don't always have someone, if i do leave them to let them out. I would have to give that some major thought. it would feel like part of our family was missing if we couldn't take him. I would much rather prefer to take him and leave him leashed than go without him. I know i have to do what's best for him but i think leaving him, especially without Ruthie staying too would break his heart.

 

[2BullyMama]

Oh i would hate to do that to him. He loves car rides and when we do take them we know it will be for very long hrs. And i don't always have someone, if i do leave them to let them out. I would have to give that some major thought. it would feel like part of our family was missing if we couldn't take him. I would much rather prefer to take him and leave him leashed than go without him. I know i have to do what's best for him but i think leaving him, especially without Ruthie staying too would break his heart.

Do what will work for you all... I was just giving an example of what we had to do with Banks, at times. She LOVED being with children and people, but with hating the car ride, it just really messed with her mojo. If leashing is an option, then why not try doing that... or buy one of those things where you can put him on a lead and attach it to like a clothes line.... this way he is out having fun, but can not get into trouble

 

[Manydogs]

Maybe you could discuss this with your veterinarian. He may have something you can give to Brutus,when you are going somewhere or having company,when you know he will go"off the charts". If he gets so wound-he may give himself a stroke/heart attack. (not ace) Something just to settle him down a little,when you know he'll be in a situation that will stir him up.

 

[JennieS]

Do what will work for you all... I was just giving an example of what we had to do with Banks, at times. She LOVED being with children and people, but with hating the car ride, it just really messed with her mojo. If leashing is an option, then why not try doing that... or buy one of those things where you can put him on a lead and attach it to like a clothes line.... this way he is out having fun, but can not get into trouble

I think that leashing him and being focused on his training will be best. i couldn't stand leaving him at home, I would be so sad.

 

[JennieS]

Maybe you could discuss this with your veterinarian. He may have something you can give to Brutus,when you are going somewhere or having company,when you know he will go"off the charts". If he gets so wound-he may give himself a stroke/heart attack. (not ace) Something just to settle him down a little,when you know he'll be in a situation that will stir him up.

I've actually given him melatonin before when we have gone place and it took a bit of the edge off of him. what do you think the vet would give him?
i'm going to probably have to do a combination of training, leashing and melatonin to keep him from being so wild when we go places.

 

[Manydogs]

I'm sure your vet could prescribe something. I have heard of people giving their dogs dramamine,just to settle their dogs in the car. With Bullies,I would not give anything without speaking to the vet first. You could try benedryl,if it makes him drowsy. It doesn't affect my dogs that way,but it does for some.