₦airaland Forum

blasiangurl85:
LordRegalia please share how you achieved walking off leash with your dogs. It's my dream to be able to do that but realistically I don't know if it's possible. One step at a time. First let me achieve a perfect heel position

Thank you so much blasiangurl85. You are far too kind. Hopefully I would make this worth everyone's while. I realize it is quite long, but I would like everyone to get some perspective on the problem to better appreciate the solution employed. (@uchpanila, the response to your question is even longer but still underway)

Before I begin, please I would like to say again that all dogs should be on the leash at all times when out in public. No doubt some would want to try out what I am about to describe in hopes of achieving the same results, please be very careful or better yet do not attempt it. I was able to achieve it because I totally understand my dogs. They live and sleep indoors with me (though they have their daily hours outside to be dogs) and I get to spend a large amount of time with them interacting with and observing them. And as anyone who knows me would tell you, my love for my dogs is out of this world. Total dedication.

So here goes.....

Of all the boerboels I have owned, I trained only two to walk off the leash in public. The first one, a female, which was the first pup I ever imported was pretty much a breeze to train. By nature, she had that totally calm, submissive and obedient nature most people wish for in their dogs and so it was quite easy. So much so, I probably should not take full credit for teaching her. It was simply her nature and SHE inspired me to attempt walking her off the leash in the first place.

The second boerboel, also an imported female pup was a totally different ball game entirely. Very dominant, very hyper, eager to please, madly confident, utterly fearless, unflinchingly protective, highly territorial and with a tendency to become aggressive if not managed properly as a pup. She arrived at 13 weeks old and as is my custom, I started training her on everything I needed to immediately. She learned to walk with the leash quite fast and easily. But then when she was about 4 or 4 and half months old, she suddenly started attacking and harassing people whenever we were out on walks. Anybody and everybody, she did not care, she would attack. Nobody could come anywhere near me. At first it seemed like a joke and I thought the behaviour would go away soon. But no. It got worse. Plus, she was quite big for a 4 month old pup so the terror she inspired in people was quite palpable. This certainly was not what I wanted out of any of my dogs as I set out to make them very sociable companion dogs that would still guard and protect when the need arose. And I knew that if something was not done about it quickly, I would have a very big problem on my hands sooner or later. The kind of problem that the Nigerian police force would love to entertain.

So I called the breeders in SA I bought her from and told them about it (I always maintain a good relationship with them), asking if it was normal and how to curb the behaviour. You have to hand it to the South Africans, they really understand their dog. He told me it was not normal behaviour at all and that the problem could be as a result of one of two things; either I am usually scared or tensed up during our walks and she can feel the negative energy from me, or there must be something I did or encouraged in her in the recent past that started the behaviour. Well, as I told him, I am the epitome of cool, calm and collected at all times (except when angry) and so it could not be that I was scared or tensed up. Besides, they were fully aware of my bond and relationship with the first dog and so it could not be that. And so we began to look at the second probable cause. Going down memory lane, I remembered two incidents which we eventually pinpointed as the root causes of her new behaviour.

The first was one occasion when we were out walking and we came upon a stray dog. Now I hate stray dogs coming around me or my dogs because you never know what disease they may be carrying and yet are immune to. So as usual I proceeded to shoo the dog away. My girl usually does not pay them any mind and so she was not bothered. But this particular stray was really pesky and would not quit. At a point I got angry, stamped my foot on the ground and shouted at it. At that exact same moment, my girl pounced on the dog viciously (to my amazement and eventual pride) and the thing took off without looking back. All the while my girl was barking after it. When the dog was gone I PRAISED my girl. Big mistake, I learned from the breeder. And so the next time we came upon another dog on another day, this time a 2 year old rottweiler (twice her size) that was being walked by her owner, my girl attacked it with a ferocity that left both the rottweiler and her owner stunned and me shocked. I practically had to run off dragging my dog away with the leash to end the attack.

The second incident and by far the main cause happened over the a few weeks after I started taking her for walks. Usually, I do not begin taking my dogs for walks outside my compound until a week after their third vaccination shot. But from the day they are given the third shot, I take them just outside the gate on the leash in the evenings and sit on my car and let them watch and get used to pedestrians, cars, trucks and other sights and sounds of city life. Now there was this guy I disliked because he was usually very rude and disrespectful to people. His aunt owned a pizza shop right beside my house and the chap had to pass by me and the dog anytime he needed to go to and fro the shop. At some point much later after I started walking my girl with the leash, I discovered that the chap was scared of dogs. And so I made a hobby out of terrorizing him with my pup. (Very irresponsible of me, I know, but then it was a pup that was involved and I would never have guessed what it would lead to). So everyday after our walks I would just sit on my car and let my girl rest while we wait for the guy to come / go to and fro the shop. And then I would let my girl have fun harassing the guy to the extent the leash would allow her (while feigning trying to pull her back). Of course the guy was always terrified and after each encounter I would SMILE AND LAUGH it off. Second big mistake as I learnt later.

Having identified these incidents as the causes of my girls behaviour, the breeder made me understand that in a bid to always make me happy, my girl was now always trying to replicate those incidents with everyone in order to keep on gaining my approval. (People of nairaland, do not underestimate the power of a dog's reasoning. These things are smarter than we usually give them credit for). So guess the solution the breeder proffered? You would not believe it as neither did I. He said I ought walk the dog off the leash in public and verbally make her understand acceptable and unacceptable social behaviour. He also said because I had her on the leash, she only expected to be restrained by my pulling her back on the leash.

Naturally I though the breeder was joking. I mean here was a dog that was attacking anyone and everyone indiscriminately during walks when on the leash and you are telling me I need to walk her off leash publicly to solve the problem. Absurd. Alas, he was not joking and maintained that that was the only way. Well, obviously I had a big problem with my dog that was getting worse everyday, I had to do something about it and so I had to try his advice. So here's how I went about it:

Sometimes you have to think outside the box and creatively find a solution to problems with your dog. What would seem very easy with one dog could be near impossible and even dangerous with another dog, as can be seen between the two dogs of mine described here. Thus, with this second dog, I resolved to start our leashless walks late at night with little or no one on the streets and gradually work our way towards walking earlier with more and more people on the streets. So for every night for the first week, at exactly midnight when there would be no one and no cars on the roads, we would set off on our walk and walk round the entire estate, no leash. (I live in a gated estate so I was not really bothered about personal security being out at that time, and besides I was out with a dog that was looking for who to attack so it was more of a risk to any would-be mugger). Each nightly session was for 2 hours (12 midnight to 2am). My emphasis for the first hour was on ensuring she was right by my left side at all times during the walk. Absolutely no straying, no lagging behind, no going ahead, no sniffing or inspecting stuff. Nothing. Just remain beside me, no matter what I do. The emphasis for the second hour was on working on the recall (getting her to come to me at once when I call no matter what is happening around or what she is doing). It was all challenging at first but gradually we began to get the hang of it. It is instructive to note that at that time of night, we had to be quiet so as not to raise unnecessary attention or alarm, but fortunately, for every verbal command I teach my dogs, I also teach a corresponding sign or sound for the same command so either of the 3 could be used alone and interchangeably any time, and so I used the signs and sounds. We did the first week, midnights, no incident, then we graduated to 11pm everyday for the second week. Same 2 hours, same emphasis for both hours.

There was an incident during the second week. One night we were out, we suddenly came face to face at a junction with one of the estate security guards making his rounds. In the blink of an eye, my girl moved on him at full charge snarling with full intent to maul the guy. It happened so fast that I did not even remember anything about my recall commands, be it verbal, sign or sound. Fortunately I moved equally quickly and put myself between dog and the guard before she got to him and quickly got her under control. The guy was totally freaked out, screaming and yelling so frantically that the entire thing woke quite a few residents up. So because of that incident, I resolved to do the 11pm walks for 2 weeks to try to get better all round control over her with the commands in situations like that. No incident after that for the 11pm week.

Then we moved to 10pm; same distance, same length of time, same emphasis and all. This time we began to come across trickles and small groups of people, but by then I had gotten more confident and had a lot more control over the dog. In fact by this time I had begun to recognize the tell-tale signs of when she was getting ready to make a move and so I was now able to distract and recall her even before she got so focused as to make a move on someone.

Then came the 9pm week, more people same everything else, no incident. Then the 8pm week, even more people but by then I was becoming a pro. 7pm week, so many people, no incident. 6pm week, crowds, but by now we had gotten so good together and confident that we were now walking silently through unsuspecting groups / crowds who would only notice and scream in shock AFTER we had passed between them. I really enjoyed the success of the 6pm week that I decided we do a 5pm week. (Normally, the earliest time I walk my dogs is 6pm). So by the 5pm week, I was show boating. After that we decided to do Saturday and some Sunday mornings.

By the end of the 5pm week, we had completed 8 weeks of daily walks off the leash. Then I decided to up the ante by simulating high energy, eventful and distracting situations. So we started again from 12 midnight but for 2 or 3 days each and this time for an hour each night. This time around I would let her wander, we would play, jog, walk, run, play fetch and do some other exciting things, but by now we were perfecting the recall and so at any point in time I would suddenly recall her to me and she would obey and remain beside me. We did this over a few days from midnight down to 5pm again and perfected every area we worked on and then I knew that the indiscriminate attacks problem was solved. Hurray!!!

Soon we began to go on leashless walks outside the estate, on busy roads with so many cars, people and events without any incident occuring. In fact I began to enjoy walking her off the leash much more than with the leash because truthfully, it was easier and more fun. Whereas with the leash, communication between us is done via the link with little verbal commands, off the leash there is no such liberty and so she is forced to pay attention to me at all times. I enjoyed it so much that I started walking her offleash full time. Even when out with more than one dog, she alone would be offleash. I walked her offleash everyday until shortly after she clocked 2 years old and then stopped because by then she had grown so big that everyone was now so uncomfortable and running away whenever they saw us coming.

Though she is still very hyper and protective and all that, I can fully control her without stressing myself. She always listens and obeys me.

I could easily teach my boy (and the other females) how to walk off leash because he is a fast learner, very good and well behaved with the leash, but I will not do that as I cannot always vouch for his reaction whenever he sees another dog or some other animal. Plus the fact that he is also in the young adolescent phase of development, the risks are higher. I remember the first time we came upon another dog. I was walking 3 dogs at the time and a lady appeared walking her GSD across the road. My boy took off immediately, singlehandedly dragged me and the other two dogs halfway across the road in an attempt to meet the other dog before I could regain control. He was 8 months old at the time, yet imagine his strength then let alone now that he is 20 months old. Even though I am currently working on his reaction to other animals and he is getting much better in that regard, still I will not go offleash with him. Big, black, dominant with new animals and terrifying to pedestrians; I would rather be safe than sorry.

Eveezy:
Sighs!! bro, no be fight. I always like to be d neutral party in every argument, my only argument is DT d dog DT stancrus posted are Tibetan mastifs, nd DAT u dnt necessary need a million dollars to purchase one. U ve very gud pedigree boerboel nd u dnt sell dem cheap do u? but then there are still boerboels DT are gud BT still go at a cheaper price. dogs av quality too nd u shuld know DT. a Tibetan mastif was said to be d most expensive dog after being sold for 1 million Us dollar nd it was a bid nd was also recorded in d world record, so if a Nigerian did beat DT, it oaught to ve been shown even if its wit names withheld.
u say it doesn't matter to u, BT I ve realized DT u actually enjoy proving ur points nd I admire DT infact I love it. no quarrels or anitin, I read ur comment nd saw dis " banker cum internet savvy individual" was DT really necessary? U jst dnt like being challenged, I read thru d thread nd saw Tibetan for 1.5$ didn't know who or d link it was goten frm, BT I avent heard of DT yet so shuldnt I speak of wat I know?
Bro no beefs, I dnt like d way u taking it

Hello Eveezy.

Thank you for taking the time to express how you feel. I respect that.

I am not taking it as a fight either. But recall your comments about people exaggerating and especially "nd plzzz DT person DT told us DT his frnd bought one for 1.5million us dollar....", from where I sit, those pretty much look like subtle indirect jabs at me. You have also stated that you did not know who or the link that stuff was gotten from, but in a situation like that, I would try to find out a little more about who and of the subject matter before commenting. That way I avoid making comments that could be misconstrued as offensive or out of context.

At the the beginning of the thread, quite like you would, I commented on what I knew, and I kept my comments very short, direct and clear and left it at that. But it seemed people were out to prove me wrong at all costs, when I was not even open to arguments in the first place. Some going so far as to misquote me. I do not think anyone would appreciate that. Or would you?

I believe nobody likes to be challenged. But for me, it goes beyond that, it is more of the approach. If a person comes at me or presents his case in a way that appears to be less than friendly, I would respond much the same way, maybe even worse. But if a person approaches me in a civil manner, even if what he says is really foolish by any standard, I would still be favourably disposed to him in my response. Respect is reciprocal. For me, one has to approach in the same manner with which he / she wishes to be responded to.

Lastly, an auction is a public event and so outcomes of such an event would be made public. But that does not mean that people do not make more expensive purchases privately. It depends on the individual. It is very possible for a very private person to quietly buy that same million dollar auctioned tibetan mastiff from the owner the very next day at twice that price and the rest of the world would be none the wiser.

I apologize if my comments came off as too strong or harsh. There is no quarrel or fight. So we are good? Handshake?

It is a pity. So much explanation and vituperation, all for nothing. Some people certainly have a lot to say and for vindictive reasons best known to them.

I never said I had a friend who owns or sells tibetan mastiff pups. I said and I quote,

"FYI, I know someone in Lagos who owns a tibetan mastiff. Bought a pup for $1.5m last year but would not pay N150k for a boerboel pup".

And

"That dog is the most expensive breed in the world to acquire".

And

"You do not have to believe me. Even I did not believe it until I saw it".

Please read and understand what was said and stop trying to put words into other people's mouth.

Even though it is none of your business, let me inform you. The chap is not my friend and never was. Was just some random guy I met sometime last year trying to buy a boerboel pup from a breeder friend of mine. He told us he bought the dog and how much he did. Like any sane person, I doubted him and then he proceeded to show us videos on his phone of him, his wife and kids playing with the dog in their home and some emails correspondence acknowledging some final payments. For all you know I was really uncomfortable with the guy because he seemed too young for all the "bling" he was displaying. He could have been a yahoo boy for all I cared and I wanted nothing to do with him. And that was the first and last time I ever saw him.

To the guy "in China with the bros with the tibetan friend with the uncle with the market"......pretty soon someone would ask you for proof of your location, never mind the entire family tree you have listed.


And to the banker cum internet savvy individual talking about things going viral and huge sum transactions he has seen and not seen; there are ways of making huge payments inconspicuously and there are people who do not make their dealings public irrespective of how awesome, fantastic, absurd or outrageous it is.

I believe I rested my case on the matter a long time ago. I believe I bid you all have fun with your "tibetan mastiffs". I believe I said it makes no matter to me either way. I really do not care about any of it. Nobody does. So please give it a rest. I have moved on. You should too.


Thank you.

younghartz:
lordregalia! Whoa! Hw did you achieve walking your dogs without the leash? Dnt dey get attractive to fowls or sheep or dogs?
Nicky will keep pulling when we're ready to walkout bt after a long walk,while coming back she walks side to side with me
Most times I like using the red leash which is short bt d yellow one is too long

Hello younghartz.

Achieving walking my dogs off the leash was no small feat. And like I said, I was trying to solve a problem with a particular dog, so it was a necessity. I would love describe it here, but perhaps we would need to ask blasiangurl85's permission first. It is, after all her's and Shadow's thread.

blasiangurl85:
Out jogging on Monday. It was fun. But then some crazy kid decided he wanted to taunt Shadow. I don't know why he would even try something like that. Thank goodness I had a good grip on shadow. Obviously Shadows protective instinct kicked in and he almost lunged at the boy.
@Peterbello like you said I had to wrap my hand around the leash for extra grip.
Why do dogs need to be walked on the left hand side? I have no idea. And Shadow also doesn't like it. He instinctively goes to my right and I always have to correct him. Is there any reason why it has to be the left?

Hello blasiangurl85.

I really have no idea why the dog has to be on the left side. I do not know the reasons or origins of keeping them on the left but it just seems to be the generally accepted position on all fora, articles and every other thing dog related.

Perhaps you started walking him on the right and he got used to it and so he is finding it a bit difficult to adjust to being on the left. Just keep correcting him and he'll get used to it. My own dogs are all so used to being on the left, they hate to be on the right even for a second. If you forget or you don't know, they will correct you and move to the left.

Do not worry about Shadow's behaviour at nothing seemingly working like before. Like I said, it's the puberty and young adolescence stage of his growth and development; he is becoming increasingly self aware and is merely testing his mettle and how far he can get away with things. This phase lasts a few months and can be frustrating but you just have to remain firm and maintain your rules and boundaries. With time he'll be fine, sweet and obedient again if you remain steadfast with your rules. Just do not let him get away with having his own way or you could end up with a badly behaved adult dog when the phase is over.

Oops! Almost forgot. I am glad that you see an improvement in general control and with your balance with the 2 hand grip method.


Keep up the good work.

It is really amazing how certain people always seem to be in a hurry to shoot themselves in the foot, all in the name of proving a point.

They really need to study their own evidence before putting them out for everyone to see.

Or better yet they need to give it a rest. Nobody cares.

peterbello:
LordRegalia, I appreciate the time you took to explain. I also learned some things. But my emphasis isn't on a physical short leash. All I am saying is the leash should be folded/rolled short. And that's just for the training session. As soon as the dog learns to walk right, you can release the leash length as long as you want. But from experience, it's better you always make your leash short. No matter the temperament of a dog, it still needs to learn who the Boss is and how to walk with the Boss. Dogs can easily sense tension. Gripping your leash excessively sends a wrong message to the dog and also to passers-by. The dog will wanna protect you cos you are not exuding enough confidence with the 2 handed grip. Likewise, people will panic with the way you hold your leash and they start to act funny; which will in turn get the dog's attention.
I have a lot of explanations to do but I don't have the time. It all boils down to being the alpha dog. Cos with all your muscles, 2 hands and big chains, if big dog wan pull u, e go drag u with ease.
I use the Cesar Milan approach.
Sorry for my join-join post. I hope you understand it.

Hello peterbello.

Again, thank you for your comments. I believe on some level, we are saying the same thing. But then again on some others, you seem to misunderstand my explanation.

Agreed, you need to keep the leash short till the dog learns who the boss is, and then allow the slack as long as you want when he does learn. All that is possible with the 2-handed long leash method. It is just a matter adjusting the length of the leash you allow the dog with your left hand.

But my main emphasis is; with a one-handed grip on the leash, whether long or short, the chances are higher that you could lose control of the dog or the leash entirely in a situation where the dog is excited and or reactive. With a 2-hand grip on the leash under the exact same circumstances, the chances of that happening are slimmer.

Now, where it appears you misunderstand, having a 2-hand grip in no way implies that you must grip the leash with tension and with all your muscles. It is simply a style of holding the leash. How relaxed or tensed up (muscle or no muscle) the handler's grip is is merely dependent on the level of confidence of the handler and / or the dynamics between handler and dog at any given time. Let me illustrate; when driving and holding the steering wheel with both hands, the tightness and tension with which the driver grips the steering wheel is largely dependent on the driver's experience and confidence and also on the particular driving situation at any point in time. The way you sit and grip your steering wheel when cruising mildly is much different from the way you (or someone else) would sit and grip that same steering wheel in rush hour bumper to bumper traffic.

I walk my dogs every single day irrespective of what time I get home and sometimes on Saturday mornings. Here's a description of how we look when I walk them; me walking 2 - 4 large boerboels at the same time, all dogs at my left hand side and right beside me, 2 - 4 leashes looped around my right wrist, my left hand may or may not even be holding the central part of the leash, both hands on my phone because I am chatting, sending emails or even writing a post on nairaland, my head down focusing on the phone and my ears covered with headphones because I'm ALWAYS listening to mp3s. I am not looking where we are going, neither can I hear the outside world and yet we are passing by different people and cars without incident. Does that in any way seem like a tensed up, muscles flexing grip on leash walk?

peterbello:
Sorry to say this. The whole explanation is too long and confusing. You are making it sound like there are special tools (leash) to walk a dog. In the absence of all that, it means someone shouldn't bother walking a dog. IMO, all I see as the problem here is she not being the alpha dog. She's not assertive enough. A very easy way to make him heel is to walk him on a short but loose leash. Your leash-hand by your side. As soon as the dog goes ahead of you, you stop and make him sit. Then you move again. If you start walking again and he pulls, you stop. But when he heels, you reward him (with a treat or praise). That way you are indirectly telling him that he won't get to walk if he doesn't walk by your side. He'll catch the drift after 2 or 3 outings. GSDs are smart and learn fast. Making the leash short doesn't give him room to run around or to lag. With time, he'll heel even on a long leash or a thread.

Hello peterbello.

Thank you for the points you raised and the tips you shared. I understand the description is rather long, but it is only because I was trying to be as detailed as possible for those who may want to try it out but may have some difficulty imagining the technique. And there is really nothing confusing about it either. In another thread on this forum, younghartz posted a photo that perfectly illustrates this technique. Please follow this link to see the photo.
https://www.nairaland.com/2981906/gettn-nicky-pregnant-pics
It is the photo in which someone is standing behind the dog Nicky while holding her on the leash.

It is pertinent for me to state at this point that I did not develop or formulate the style. Rather it has been variously described on many dog training websites and fora and has also been tagged the proper way to walk a dog.

Now, I perfectly understand the short leash, stop and treats style which you described. I have used it as well to train a couple of my boerboels, only I was training them to walk OFF THE LEASH in public and instead of treats, I used praise. (Please for anyone reading this, do not try to walk your dog off the leash in public. It takes your total understanding of your dog and it’s absolute obedience to your verbal commands to achieve this. I had a special and peculiar reason for doing this. I was trying to solve a problem with one of my dogs and while I was extremely careful, the entire process took almost 3 months to perfect and so now I can confidently walk those dogs off the leash even in a crowded marketplace).

Anyway, back to your description, the short leash style, though effective in it’s own way is best suited for 3 kinds of dogs;

Dogs that are naturally calm and submissive, confident in your leadership and have no interest in being alpha.

Dogs that are not easily excitable (mostly senior dogs 4 or 5 years old and above who have seen it all fall into this category).

Service or working dogs that have been thoroughly trained by professionals and instilled with a very high level of discipline from a very young age. With these particular dogs, the leash is merely for show to set other pedestrians at ease, but in reality such dogs can be walked and taken anywhere off the leash.



But assess the following, and see that you cannot effectively use the short leash for the following types of dogs and scenarios;


You cannot use the short leash with an overly protective dog; one that simply would not easily allow anyone anywhere near you without scrutinizing the person first. These dogs react protectively so fast before words can be used to restrain them, let alone physical reflex with the leash. And I do not mean reacting with aggression, but merely attempting to shield you from any newcomer but in such a way that would set the person on edge. (I have one of these types). Bear in mind that some people’s reactions when such a dog does this may also set off some pretty undesirable chain of events with the dog.

You cannot use the short leash with a dominant dog. True you may be the alpha, but a dominant dog will constantly challenge the owner’s authority and look for the slightest loophole through which to assume the alpha position. It will always seek to have it’s way and will obey grudgingly. These dogs will ALWAYS try to have their own way and require constant vigilance on the part of the owner.

A short leash is of no use with an easily excitable or hyper dog. Such a dog may appear calm in a no-distraction situation but is completely different when there are distractions. Imagine trying to control such a dog with a short leash when there is another and / or strange dog nearby.

It is rather difficult to control a young adolescent dog (especially the large breeds) with a short leash, even if they have been very well behaved from puppyhood. These are dogs within the age bracket that Shadow currently is in now and the reason why they are difficult to control is because at this stage of their development, they are becoming self-aware and feel the need to test their strength / confidence and stretch their boundaries and this sometimes is manifested in their challenging their owners one way on another. It is a stage to be dreaded as most dogs are at their absolute worst behaviour then. This is also the stage during which most dogs become aggressive as it is the stage when they realize that they have the ability to intimidate people and tend to want to exercise this ability. Even blasiangurl85 has described a little of this behaviour in Shadow where he tests people’s confidence.

You cannot use the short leash style when you are not the alpha of your dog or pack of dogs. That much is pretty obvious.

You cannot effectively use the short leash to walk multiple dogs.

It goes without saying that when you have badly behaved dogs on a short leash, you find it difficult to maintain your own balance, let alone effectively control them.


In conclusion, the short leash method, though effective in it’s own way, is not a sure-fire solution in all cases and scenarios. With a long leash, come what may, you stand a much better chance of averting disaster than with a short leash.

An equally interesting thing about the long leash method is that with it, you can effectively and perfectly mimic the short leash method. All it involves is the amount of tension / slack you grant the dog with your left hand.

And to be quite frank, when I first started out with buying and training my own dogs, I was using the short leash method and had so many types of the short leash. But at some point i discovered that out in public, the short leash was not always effective, safe or comfortable and I had to switch to and learn the long leash method. It has been years now and I have not looked back ever since.


Thank you.

Stancrus:
believe me when I tell u you don't knw anything about tibetan mastiff people who knows the breed well knows those pictures are tibetan mastiff Google is ur friend stop saying things ur not sure of thankyou

It is funny that you would say that. Do YOU even know that Google is your friend? I think not.

Either way, it makes no matter to me. Have fun with your "tibetan mastiff".

Stancrus:
it's available in Nigerian I have a friend who breeds them in jos he imported from China I can link you with him if u are really serious it's expensive but it's not up to the Prize people are calling here

Hello Mr Stancrus.

You always seem to know the price of everything and yet nothing more.

Those are not Tibetan Mastiffs in the image you posted. I do not know what those things are. Only you and your friend who breeds them know.

And for goodness sake stop saying "prize" everywhere all over nairaland. It is "price"..... P-R-I-C-E.


Thank you.

JOOHEL:
. her third heat and she's was going to clock 2years old on may

That's really sad. She had just scaled through all the toughest phases of dog growth and ownership, only to go out now. Really sad. Take heart. You will get over it in time. Just wait a few months and then get another dog.

Once again, sorry for your loss.

pmadise:
Really sorry for the loss.
Its a clear case of parvovirus. My CO started the same symptoms yesterday and the vet is treating with injections and drip...we're hoping that he scales through.
Kindly find a space to accept our deep condolences.

So that was you that night? I wondered who it was. How is your CO doing now? Good thing he was diagnosed early. Let's hope he pulls through.

All the best

Cheers.

Available......

Interested?

Send whatsapp message to 08055801653 or email to regalboerboels@yahoo.com.

Thank you

Ekiseme:
alright, but i don't believe you sha

You do not have to believe me. Even I did not believe it until I saw it.

Ekiseme:
1.5m dollars? Or you mean 1.5m naira?

That dog is the most expensive breed in the world to acquire.

Ekiseme:
1.5m dollars? Or you mean 1.5m naira?

Hello Ekiseme.

I mean One and a Half Million DOLLARS.

Thank you.

dacovajnr:
That's an Adult ChowChow..Tibetan Mastiff for Where? This Nigeria?

dacovajnr:
it looks like on but I don't really think it is..a Tibetan Mastiff goes for $2M upwards..so you doubt if we have any down here

Hello dacovajnr.

No argument. You can google both the tibetan mastiff and the chow chow at your own time.

FYI, I know someone in Lagos who owns a tibetan mastiff. Bought a pup for $1.5m last year but would not pay N150k for a boerboel pup.

And there is nothing in that photo by the Op that says whether or not the dog is in Nigeria.

Do not be so sure about everything you post.

Thank you.

JOOHEL:
good morning nairalanders and pet section. I just lost my female Gsd yesterday march 18 2016. she died around 1am . OK. to cut the long story short. I and my family moved to ikorodu area of Lagos. January and she came on heat February . during her heat days I looked around ikorodu and surfed the internet for dog breeders. I got one online that stays at itamaga.. on the 22nd and 23rd of February I took her to itamaga to cross with the male Gsd full slant back. after 2 weeks I started seeing symptoms in her . she lost appetite and she vommitted. she headly eats starch ie indomie,rice etc she was only concerned about the meat or fish or biscuit bone or canned food mixed with the indomie. she continued this thing until Tuesday this week. on Tuesday morning I strolled with her in our estate because she was looking weak and dull. before I took her out she excreted blood mixed with her shit after coming back I cooked indomie and sardines she ate them and slept . later that night she was restless when I checked her . she didn't sleep well she was restless . the next day being Wednesday her tongue was red , saw blood on her nose . she didn't eat. I gave her her favorite food. ie egg meat yoghurt etc she didn't eat . any time she wants to sit down she'll groan and make noise. she started stooling blood . she stood almost throughout the 'Day she hardly sits . we called on the vet doc and said she's aborting the puppies. so he said we should buy predilin 2 times daily for 4 days. I bought the drugs and gave her that evening but the pain was still there. I took her to the cage and left water inside the cage. around 12:30 am she was fast asleep 12:45am she started making noise and died. she bled tru her mouth and nose and anus . now I've been asking myself what could have killed her . the vet said it's from her liver but I cannot go with it. photos attached

Hello JOOHEL.

Really sorry about your loss. I know exactly how you must be feeling right now. But please do tell, how old was your GSD and what number heat was she on when you bred her?

sidneyj:
what name will u call this dog

That is a Tibetan Mastiff. Unmistakably.

nike4love:
I have a female that is 9months now
I don't knw if I should breed her at first heat.

Hello nike4love.

The recommended and most advisable time to breed your bitch is from the 3rd heat (or at least 2 years of age). Reasons:

1st heat - Immature eggs

2nd heat - Probably (not always) mature eggs but immature dog. Chances are high that she could have a false pregnancy if bred during the second heat. Plus, she may not be mentally / psychologically able to care for the pups because of inexperience.

3rd heat - Mature eggs and mature dog.

younghartz:
I have never had interest in gett'n a boerboel bt am in love with yours....hope ur price isn't scary?

krak101:
OP I think these pups are orphans... Where are the parents?

younghartz:
Try to read most times okay? Its helps a lot.
Go tru d thread and you will see a link about the Dam and sire.

Hello younghartz.


Boerboels are really great dogs if you get to know them. And owning a good one is a thing of pride. The pups are superb as you can see from the photos. The price is not cheap, neither is it bargain price, but the quality of the pups is guaranteed, and can only get better if fed and raised right. Well worth it in the short and long term.

If you are really interested in picking up one, you can contact us with the details provided.

And thank you ever so much for your swift response to krak101. Very well said. Even I could not have said it better.


Best regards.

Hello everyone.

A couple of video clips of our beautiful boerboel pups last week, on their last day together.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HAaYbn21kY



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPpEqrBERkY


2 beautiful female pups still available. Feel free to contact us if interested. Send whatsapp message to 08055801653 or email to regalboerboels@yahoo.com.



NB: Please follow the link below for photos of the pups @ 7 weeks old and a few more photos of the parents

https://www.nairaland.com/2961407/beauties-beasts#43384404

Baroba:
I concur, the guy is too sound, I thoroughly enjoy his threads.. Quality dogs.

Hello baroba.

Thank you for the compliments. i am also glad that you enjoy reading my posts.

uchpanila:
I like reading your write up cos I always learn a thin or two from it.
The major reason I actually breed my bitches when I do is chiefly for health concerns. Very few people know the risks and dangers posed by keeping an "intact" Dam without breeding.
Please what are the risks and dangers attached to it?
Pmadise, I don't mind if you add me to the group

Hello uchpanila.

I am always gladdened whenever someone is able to learn a thing or two from my posts / write ups. One way or another we learn everyday, there is no knowledge that is wasted and you never know when the little nuggets of information could come in handy in a very practical way.

The major health concern for which I breed my bitches is that not breeding an "intact" bitch may predispose her to a higher risk of developing cancer. With the way I love my dogs coupled with the grim prognosis of cancer cases and the attendant vet bills, I do not wish to go through or risk putting any of my dogs through any of that. And I would go out of my way to ensure that such things are prevented, even if it means inconveniencing myself for the sake of the dogs.

pmadise:
@LordReglaia, yeah I saw the sire and dam pix immediately after my post. As one of my friends will say, "quality is not cheap"..."pedigree money for pedigree pup"...lol
On a serious note, if u are interested, i can link you up free wit our Whatsapp group tagged DBN (Dog Breeders Network) wit tens of members where topical issues are discussed and appraised daily by seasoned Vet Doctors and breeders like the renowned Tox, PSK, BSquared, Zonar and even our own Bobby Saxy, Untouchable (aka Dorcky) etc so you can even be sure of wider reach in ur advert in the group.
For me, I'm a normal dog lover with no plan to breed for now.
Well done again and do keep up the good works @LR.

@pmadise. That is quite my mantra and philosophy, only I extend it to practically everything; "premium price for premium product". If one wishes for the best or quality of anything, he has to be willing to make the necessary sacrifice to acquire that thing or quality.

Like you, I am technically not a breeder but more of a dog lover and boerboel enthusiast. I do not breed my dogs often, and when I do it is usually on request. The major reason I actually breed my bitches when I do is chiefly for health concerns. Very few people know the risks and dangers posed by keeping an "intact" bitch without breeding.

I actually am a member of quite a few of these whatsapp groups. I do know some of the names you mentioned and have been approached by a few of them. Unfortunately, in matters of sales and marketing, breeders and vets are not always better. While some want to "regale" you with their "knowledge" like it is a basis for discount, others just want to make their own cut off your product. This is not to say that there are no good or sincere ones out there, there are, but there's really no real camaraderie in this country.

But for whatever it is worth, you could link me up with the group. There is no harm in gaining a wider network or expanding one's knowledge base.

Again, thank you for the good words.

pmadise:
Op, you just tickled my love for Boerboel from 0 to 75 cos u surely know what u are selling and many ought to copy you in the provision of needed details. Its rare to find this kind of background with quality and bloodline.
The only missing info, to me, is the sire and dam pix. If you can release numerous pix of the pups without watermarks then y not the parents? If the fear is OLX guys then i see no fear if u can inculcate watermarking. However, pedigree and importation papers could be provided to the buyers and not necessarily in a public forum like this.
Then again, allowing the purchased pup-s to go from 8wks plus is a sign of responsible breeding so kudos to you.
Lemme not forget to say well done my BB friend...lol
#TeamCO and #TeamSB

Hello pmadise.


Thank you for the compliments and words of encouragement. It is truly refreshing to come across people who recognize and appreciate quality and the tremendous effort that goes into achieving and maintaining same. If only the actual people looking to buy pups were equally as appreciative. If only people could recognize and appreciate that we place priority on the quality, health and general well-being of the pups above all else.

If you would scroll up, especially to the response just before your post, you would see a link to photos of the dam and sire of the pups I made available. And if you would kindly go through the previous threads, you would also see where it was indicated that the registration / pedigree documents of both dam and sire would be made available to the eventual buyers of the pups.

Again, thank you for the compliments and words of encouragement.

olumig:
Lovely pups, can you please avail us pictures of d dam and sire of these outstanding pups.

Hello olumig.

Thank you for the compliments. For you, and for all the good petlanders of nairaland, please follow the link below for the photos of the dam and sire of the pups, posted sometime last month.

https://www.nairaland.com/1794725/snap-upload-pets-picture-here/29


Thank you.

(N.B. It is a series of photos sent under 5 consecutive posts with my name, LordRegalia, the last 5 consecutive posts of the page.)

henzolucci:
I only stated the truth bro. Why are u angry? Are black boerboels recognized yet? If they are,pls let me know with evidence. Happy sales though!

Please refer verbatim to my earlier response to your initial post.

uchpanila:
Training them not to pick food items from the floor or taking food from people, please how did you get to do that?

Hello uchpanila.

I have seen your question and would very much love to respond and explain how I was able to achieve this. However, the entire process is quite extensive, the description of which would likely involve such a long response covering events of several months that I would need to sit on it for quite some time and concentrate on composing it. Unfortunately, I have been very busy lately and unable to make out the time. But do not worry, you can rest assured that I would definitely respond with the details as soon as I possibly can. Bear with me.


Thank you.

blasiangurl85:
@LordRegalia thanks so much for the advice. Someone has actually told me the same thing and I try to practice it when we are out for walks. I always keep him on my left. I don't do the hand thing but I will from now on. I've never really looked at if we are facing traffic or not so i will take note from now on. The lady in the picture isn't me, she's my friend. She actually wanted to see if Shadow would allow her walk him. So i let them and quickly took the pictures. You know I actually thought a shorter leash would be better for him and was going to buy one tomorrow. I saw a super short leash in the pet store.
We are going for our walk/jog this weekend so i will definitely practice all you have said and give you feedback.
Thanks once again for the advice

You are most welcome blasiangurl85. I am glad that you appreciate the advice and I have no doubt that you would find it truly helpful. It may take a bit of conscious effort to master but in the end it's easy like Sunday and perfect for walking multiple dogs.

I would gladly look forward to your feedback from your walk / jog this weekend and I hope it all works out great.

SingleSearrcher:
Mehn I'm sorry bro... Truly... I just searched through your thread for parent pic yet several pups pix... Carry on jor if your pattern work for you... Cheers mate

Apology accepted.

Best regards.

blasiangurl85:
Nope don't mind at all

That's great then. Thank you. My comments here are based on what I can see from the photos of you walking Shadow. I could be wrong in my assumptions though, as it is very possible that you normally do the walk differently, so again, the comments are purely based on what the photos show.

The two aspects that caught my attention are, Shadow's place / position during the walk and, the leash / style with which you walk him. I will elaborate on these observations.

From the photos, Shadow is on your right hand side. Ideally, your dog should be on your left hand and both of you should walk against the direction of vehicular traffic. That way, you get to see and anticipate any vehicles coming your way as well as quickly evade any erratic driving. You cannot effectively do this while walking along the same direction of vehicular traffic unless you want to keep looking behind you all the time. Also, remember that you and your dog's reactions to sudden surprises (like a truck or bike suddenly blaring it's horn right behind you) may not always be in sync and you want to avoid a situation where the dog is so freaked out by a surprise that in shock or while instinctively attempting to avoid it, makes a bad judgment call and right into the path of another vehicle coming from behind. It does happen. Which is why it is best to walk against the direction of vehicular traffic, because that way you have visual access to whatever is coming your way and can make the best judgment call in time for both you and your dog.

In addition to this, while walking with your dog on your left hand side and both of you against the direction of vehicles, try to ensure that you keep to the most extreme left of the path / walkway as you can so that whenever other pedestrians pass you from either front or behind, you are always between them and your dog. Remember dogs react differently to different people and also people sometimes may consciously or unconsciously do things that draw the dog's attention to them. So with you in between your dog and pedestrians, you are the first line of defense against any untoward reactions between dog and human, ie, the dog has to cross you to reach a person and in the time it takes to do that, you can always shush or correct it. This also applies with people who have strong scents emanating from their person or anything they may be carrying. Remember dogs have a keen sense of smell. Try to imagine Shadow's reaction to a person carrying a bag with something in it that smells like his favourite meal (and of course the bag would most likely be carried at the same level as his height).

Secondly, the leash you use and the style of use. From the photo, I can see why you sometimes get shoulder pain while walking Shadow. It is because you are holding the leash with one hand and that same hand is outstretched in front of you. What you need is a longer, more comfortable leash and also to change your style of holding the leash with the dog tethered to it. I will explain further below. The way it is in the photo is better suited for small breed dogs like the Lhasa Apso and not for large breeds like the GSD.

Picture this scenario; you are enjoying a nice lovely walk with Shadow and suddenly from nowhere a goat or ram appears and Shadow decides to pounce on or chase it. You are going to have a very hard time maintaining your balance let alone controlling the dog. And that is if you were lucky enough to see the goat / ram on time. If Shadow sees it before you do and takes action with you still unawares, you would most likely lose grip of the leash and Shadow is off unbridled in full prey drive mode. Or if you have a tight grip on the leash but still caught unawares, you would be dragged off like a rag-doll and probably fall flat on your face.

The style I am about to describe is actually the proper way to walk a dog, any dog. You need to get a longer leash; the type that is about 2 or 2 and half yards long, has a circular profile along it's length (it's easier on the hand and more comfortable to hold) and also has a loop at the opposite end. It affords you a two handed hold on the leash and better control of the dog and by extension, your balance at all times. How do you use it? With the dog on your left hand side, you wear the looped end of the leash on your right wrist, let the length of the leash hang lose in front and across your body and hook the latch on the opposite end on Shadow's collar. And then you have your left hand holding the body of the leash at some point anywhere between a third and half of the entire length of the leash (regulating the tension or slack you grant the dog on the leash). That is, dog on the left hooked to leash, left hand holding a portion of the leash, the rest of the leash hanging loose in front of you all the way across to your right wrist where the end of the leash is looped. You may also choose to twine the middle portion of the leash once or twice around your left hand in addition to it's hold on it as well as grip the portion of the leash just after the loop with your right hand in addition to having it looped over your right wrist. (I hope the description is not confusing). With this, you have a 2 - 4 step secure grip and better control over your dog at all times. It is also a lot more comfortable for your posture and you can hardly be caught so unawares as to lose your balance. The great thing about this 2-handed style is that if you and your dog perfect the usage, you can actually walk for hours with your dog without having to say a word to control it throughout because your left hand is regulating the dog's position at all times. In fact, the leash becomes the only means of communication between you and your dog because the tension and / or slack would say a lot and instinctively either of you would adjust your positions accordingly depending on what message one sends to the other via the leash. And if your dog is a natural that stays by your side at all times, you would find that you would only need loop the opposite end around your right wrist and not even need to grip the leash with either hand, thus freeing up both hands for other things like gesturing, carrying stuff or simply doing nothing at all.

You can give it a try. I am certain that you would love it.