Douge De Bourdeux Is Never Hungry. And He Is A Wimp

[thelongshoot]

This is realy driving me crazy. I have a DDB who is one year and 10 months old. He weighs 50 kilos right now and given his age and size should be more around 58 to 60. The guy is so hard to feed and always has been.

I have tried all the tricks.... Placing his bowl down for 15 minutes and removing if he does not eat (supposedly teaching him that he has to eat quickly, or go hungry). I have tried so many different types of kibble, ranging from standard pedigree chum right up to 6 star dog food such as Natures Own, Pinacle, that stuff with avocado 9forget the name) Chicken Soup for the Soul, for dogs...... I have tried kibble with nothing else, kibble mixed with tinned food (again, ranging from Alpo to 6 star tinned food at 140 baht a tin).

I have tried raw beef. Cooked beef. Cooked chicken breast with rice. I have recently even taken to acting like his own personal sodding chef and cooking diced beef with minced beef and a little oyster sauce, or tarriyake sauce, a little sugar mixed in sometimes, I was once even slaving over the stove and glanced over at a half open bottle of red wine - bloody expensive wine - and splashed a little in.

I honestly have tried just about every type of food available and all combinations. I have tried hand feeding him to wet his appetite. I have even once tried force feeding the bugger with a spoon but after two spoons he made it known this is not the way forward.

I took him to the vets and they say he has blood paresites a few weeks back. he is on meds to kill this. I dont know if this is the reason why he never apears to be hungry but he has ALWAYS been a fusy eater.

I totaly have no idea what to do. is there some type of pill available that will make the guy hungry?

The second problem i have with him is that I think he is a total and utter wimp. I love the guy to bits - i mean I totaly and utterly love the guy - but he is the biggest bloody wimp I have ever known in any dog. he followed a cat this morning up the road and the cat held is ground, turned at my dog and fronted him out. My guy just froze - and then ran like hell as soon as the cat made a noise at him. This is a 50 kilo DDG, bread to take care of Roman outposts 2000 years ago and supposedly one of the most protective and fierce dogs out there, against a 2 kilo cat.

A dog comes to my gate, and my guy stands on the drive looking utterly baffled and confused. yesterday I left the gate open and the dog next door walked in.... My guy litteraly walked backwards, never taking his eyes of the dog, and retreated into the house like a wimp is he not supposed tom protect his manner?

A Thai guy delivering water blatently walked into the drive yesterday and my dog walked up to him, wagging his tail and looking for a cuddle. Jesus christ is he not supposed to bark if someone casualy opens the gate and walks in?

Dont get me wrong. I dont want an aggresive dog. By the same token though I want my dog to have a set of balls and take care of himself, and his area.

Im totaly lost with what to do here and its driving me nuts. Any help greatly appreciated.

Edited October 9, 2012 by sbk
profanities removed from topic and title

[thelongshoot]

Profanities removed? Where did I write profanities???? Totaly baffled by your reason to edit this post SBK.

[yoslim]

A few steroid shots should turn him into a killer

[meatboy]

what a dog you got there but arent they supposed to suffer with the heat which gives them breathing problems,surely thailand is not for him,we have a malamute who has a double coat and must take care of when we exercise him.dont they suffer with heart problems as well,you do have your hands full.he is like ours dont bark unless theres danger loves everyone.ours has been picky with his food on times untill i started giving him fish oil capsuls its just over a week now and he has an appitite like a vulture.we feed our neighbours dog little minuture and i have to get between them feeding times,he has never been like that before[the capsuls] you say he is over 50kg.maby it could be the heat and the humidity.there are some good owners on here i am sure someone will have the answer.

[meatboy]

A few steroid shots should turn him into a killer

good owners this is not one of them.

[Thaddeus]

He sounds lovely, not all dogs exhibit the character traits that they were bred for, so you have a wimp, that's better than being overly aggressive in my opinion, and most people who you don't want visiting would probably be put off just on seeing him.

Most dogs are opportunist eaters, they don't know where the next meal is coming from so they eat anything and all you put down, this guy is obviously not most dogs.

As long as he is happy and healthy you are not going to be able to force him to eat more and unless he starts to lose weight (depending on how much) it may be nothing to worry about.

[thelongshoot]

what a dog you got there but arent they supposed to suffer with the heat which gives them breathing problems,surely thailand is not for him,we have a malamute who has a double coat and must take care of when we exercise him.dont they suffer with heart problems as well,you do have your hands full.he is like ours dont bark unless theres danger loves everyone.ours has been picky with his food on times untill i started giving him fish oil capsuls its just over a week now and he has an appitite like a vulture.we feed our neighbours dog little minuture and i have to get between them feeding times,he has never been like that before[the capsuls] you say he is over 50kg.maby it could be the heat and the humidity.there are some good owners on here i am sure someone will have the answer.

Thanks. Fish oil caps huh? Ill try that. I used to give him those as a puppy and stopped.... Maybe I should take them up again.

The heat could be an issue yah.... But i try my best to take care of that. I had 3 wall fans fitted to three different walls outside - i made a point to have them fitted where he likes to 'hang out' and they are always on full speed. He can walk in and out of the house whenever he likes and at night, all doors are closed, air con is switched on and he is in for the night. If I take him to the beach he gallops away without seeming to care about the heat too much so im not sure if that is an issue, though it is a good point you make.

[thelongshoot]

He sounds lovely, not all dogs exhibit the character traits that they were bred for, so you have a wimp, that's better than being overly aggressive in my opinion, and most people who you don't want visiting would probably be put off just on seeing him.

Most dogs are opportunist eaters, they don't know where the next meal is coming from so they eat anything and all you put down, this guy is obviously not most dogs.

As long as he is happy and healthy you are not going to be able to force him to eat more and unless he starts to lose weight (depending on how much) it may be nothing to worry about.

I agree. I used to have a staffordshire pit bull terrier in England who was a lovely dog - very soft and affectionate to everyone. However he did have that streak in him.... If someone was to put the front door through for example, i was always 100% certain that he would defend.

My DDB is TOO soft. I like a soft dog and I want a dog that people are comfortable in petting. I socialized him at a young age so he is friendly. But he is too friendly. I know, without any doubt, that if someone jumped over the wall with a view to steel stuff from the house, my dog would simply wag his tail and let him get on with it. He would probably roll out a red carpet for the thief and hand him a cool towel and a beer when he has finished.

He needs to wake up a little. He needs to understand that if anyone casualy walks into the property uninvited, he should at least growl. Not just wag his tail and start jumping around in circles looking to play.

[meatboy]

its great you do all you can to make him happy,we have the same problem with the heat but at night he sleeps with us air con and fan so he is quite happy,has he been neutered this made a big difference to our dog,there is quite a bit of info on this forum about it.lik its been said unless he looses weight i wouldnt worry too much.

[Cuban]

A dog only knows how to be a dog, his temperament will be a function of his nature and the nurture he has had during his early months as a pup as he gauges his role in life and how to interact with those around him.

I suggest that you will not successfully change his nature, this would be like turning a 110Kg fireman with 5 years on the job into a ballet dancer; you can spend the time retraining but the result is not pretty.

It is possible to show your dog how to react to some of the situations you describe, for example with a stooge coming up to your gate - you come out quickly and bark at him, the dog should follow you and join in - when the dog barks the stooge goes away - then reward your dog. If you get your best mate Fred to be the stooge you will just train your dog to bark at Fred! So you need multiple stooges and I suggest if using some people the most difficult thing will be getting the stooge to understand what you want them to do, dogs are often easier to train.

As for being scared of cats, what is your objective? To chase cats? As a pup your dog has probably not encountered many other animals so is apprehensive about anything new. The "cure" would be controlled exposure but he will learn what to do by example, I suggest that the objective should be to be calm around other animals. Again to do this you will need a stooge with a cat on a lead etc.

Fans; consider the effect of a fan in causing drying of the dog's nose and mucus membranes inside his nose also drying the eyes, both can lead to infection. Best to position the fan to create a breeze but not directly at your dog.

Food; why must he be 58Kg? Your dog is unique and that uniqueness is a function of parents, your family environment, activity and food. Personally I do not support the use of kibble or any canned jelly "foods", after understanding exactly what goes into this junk I honestly can not understand how anyone that even remotely likes their dog would feed it too them.

Well OK I can understand - firstly it is ignorance about a dog's natural diet, secondly it is due to brainwashing by pet-food manufacturer's advertising and finally it is convenience. Apply the same criteria to feeding of children then an uninformed parent would ONLY feed their child McDonalds and other junk marketed on TV. Does a child thrive on a Big Mac for every meal every day?

There are many threads in these pages on the subject of BARF and this diet does include raw sea-fish like mackerel so no need to overpay for Furmeg-3 fish oil capsules.

Thailand is a hot place and 50Kg is probably the natural weight for your dog in this environment, the amount of body fat required for the cold 20°C Winters in Asia is different from the -5°C (etc) in Europe. Sorry to be blunt but if you are seeking 58Kg because you are reading a book/on-line source written in Europe then you are crazy. Adapt your thinking to Asia.

I suggest that feeding should take place a little after a long walk, it's a natural process to go on a hunt/patrol and then share a meal after the trip. Dogs are driven by smell (assuming that the fan hasn't dried his nose out?) it is their primary sense. So what the makers of kibble do is bake a cereal and bloodmeal based biscuit that is then sprayed on the outside with fats and oils to make it smell interesting to a dog. Dogs do not naturally eat biscuits, their jaws are not designed to chew in a lateral motion like humans - for crushing vegetables and nuts etc.

The food that you offer should be at least at room temperature or a little warm, this is the area where many first time BARF feeders make a mistake and offer a leg of chicken straight from the fridge. Allow it to come to room temperature first, then it will smell interesting.

If you are the master of your dog you should be seen to eat first, so either have some human food on/alongside the plate/bowl you are giving to your dog or mock-eat first. Part of a dog's motivation is to share the food of the master and the pack. You are lucky in that you are dealing with one dog, we currently have four and have a feeding hierarchy to consider too.

You ask about a pill to make your dog hungry and talk about protecting Roman outposts. Sit back in your computer chair and picture the environment in-which Roman guard dogs would live: regular patrols and moving from camp to camp, probably some hunting too. Honestly how much walking does your dog do with you?

In the past dogs were in a symbiotic relationship with the humans that bred them for jobs of work where they needed a particular combination of weight/teeth ability to swim retrieve game or be a small watch-dog (watch-dog is not the same as a guard-dog, people confuse the ideas), these days many have a dog as a lifestyle accessory chosen from a picture book of breeds like Ikea furniture.

Do you have a DDB when you should have a Yorkie or a Jack?

[endure]

If you don't want him I'll have him

[yankee99]

I would gladly trade my bangkaew for a less agressive dog. If i was in america i would have to put him down. Lucky for him this is thailand.

BTW i leave kibble down 24/7 so he can eat when he wants. He generally waits for rice and whatever else is left over..

[thelongshoot]

A dog only knows how to be a dog, his temperament will be a function of his nature and the nurture he has had during his early months as a pup as he gauges his role in life and how to interact with those around him.

I suggest that you will not successfully change his nature, this would be like turning a 110Kg fireman with 5 years on the job into a ballet dancer; you can spend the time retraining but the result is not pretty.

It is possible to show your dog how to react to some of the situations you describe, for example with a stooge coming up to your gate - you come out quickly and bark at him, the dog should follow you and join in - when the dog barks the stooge goes away - then reward your dog. If you get your best mate Fred to be the stooge you will just train your dog to bark at Fred! So you need multiple stooges and I suggest if using some people the most difficult thing will be getting the stooge to understand what you want them to do, dogs are often easier to train.

As for being scared of cats, what is your objective? To chase cats? As a pup your dog has probably not encountered many other animals so is apprehensive about anything new. The "cure" would be controlled exposure but he will learn what to do by example, I suggest that the objective should be to be calm around other animals. Again to do this you will need a stooge with a cat on a lead etc.

Fans; consider the effect of a fan in causing drying of the dog's nose and mucus membranes inside his nose also drying the eyes, both can lead to infection. Best to position the fan to create a breeze but not directly at your dog.

Food; why must he be 58Kg? Your dog is unique and that uniqueness is a function of parents, your family environment, activity and food. Personally I do not support the use of kibble or any canned jelly "foods", after understanding exactly what goes into this junk I honestly can not understand how anyone that even remotely likes their dog would feed it too them.

Well OK I can understand - firstly it is ignorance about a dog's natural diet, secondly it is due to brainwashing by pet-food manufacturer's advertising and finally it is convenience. Apply the same criteria to feeding of children then an uninformed parent would ONLY feed their child McDonalds and other junk marketed on TV. Does a child thrive on a Big Mac for every meal every day?

There are many threads in these pages on the subject of BARF and this diet does include raw sea-fish like mackerel so no need to overpay for Furmeg-3 fish oil capsules.

Thailand is a hot place and 50Kg is probably the natural weight for your dog in this environment, the amount of body fat required for the cold 20°C Winters in Asia is different from the -5°C (etc) in Europe. Sorry to be blunt but if you are seeking 58Kg because you are reading a book/on-line source written in Europe then you are crazy. Adapt your thinking to Asia.

I suggest that feeding should take place a little after a long walk, it's a natural process to go on a hunt/patrol and then share a meal after the trip. Dogs are driven by smell (assuming that the fan hasn't dried his nose out?) it is their primary sense. So what the makers of kibble do is bake a cereal and bloodmeal based biscuit that is then sprayed on the outside with fats and oils to make it smell interesting to a dog. Dogs do not naturally eat biscuits, their jaws are not designed to chew in a lateral motion like humans - for crushing vegetables and nuts etc.

The food that you offer should be at least at room temperature or a little warm, this is the area where many first time BARF feeders make a mistake and offer a leg of chicken straight from the fridge. Allow it to come to room temperature first, then it will smell interesting.

If you are the master of your dog you should be seen to eat first, so either have some human food on/alongside the plate/bowl you are giving to your dog or mock-eat first. Part of a dog's motivation is to share the food of the master and the pack. You are lucky in that you are dealing with one dog, we currently have four and have a feeding hierarchy to consider too.

You ask about a pill to make your dog hungry and talk about protecting Roman outposts. Sit back in your computer chair and picture the environment in-which Roman guard dogs would live: regular patrols and moving from camp to camp, probably some hunting too. Honestly how much walking does your dog do with you?

In the past dogs were in a symbiotic relationship with the humans that bred them for jobs of work where they needed a particular combination of weight/teeth ability to swim retrieve game or be a small watch-dog (watch-dog is not the same as a guard-dog, people confuse the ideas), these days many have a dog as a lifestyle accessory chosen from a picture book of breeds like Ikea furniture.

Do you have a DDB when you should have a Yorkie or a Jack?

Thats an incredible reply and greatly appreciated. I note you have had a few digs at me within the post and I accept that and will take it on the chin. Its likely deserved. All I can say is that I love my dog with all my heart and dote on the guy and spend so much time evry day trying to make the guy happy and comforatble. Ill reply to your post in full tomorow but for the time being, thank you - extremely good advice and much appreciated.

[Cuban]

Please don't consider my points about kibble/tinned food a personal dig, I am anti this method of feeding and have yet to encounter someone that can provide a justified argument for such foods.

My comment about choice of dog and lifestlye is more of a general observation about people that do choose a dog for looks and then deny the dog it's "Raison d'être", needing walks and activity. On another dog-centric forum there is a steady chum of people with dog behaviour problems that would be better off with a soft toy from which they can remove the batteries when they are at work.

[isanbirder]

Two points:- 1. Let the dog follow its own nature. This may seem to vary according to circumstances! This not a Bangkaew thread, but I had a BK which was quite agressive. One day about 20 children, none of whom he'd seen before, came in and sat on the floor. He went and sat in the middle of them, they petted them, and he behaved like a rather placid woolly toy.

2. The dog has to adjust to the ambient temperature naturally. He does need to be able to cool off, but that should mean a shady place out of the sun, not artificial cooling. I admit that my four dogs, three of them naturally long-haired, like my airconditioned room at night, but I think this is because they want to be near me, not because they need the cooling. For some breeds, e.g. St Bernards, I am not sure adjustment to this climate is possible.

Oh, and I shouldn't worry about the weight. Unless he is sick, he'll eat what he needs (which varies from dog to dog).

[Nienke]

Reading the op's post I'm wondering about the (puppy) vaccines given.

At what age, how many in one shot (4-in-1, 5-in-1?), how long between each shot and how many shots altogether.

When did the finicky eating start? Straight from the breeder? After the 1st, 2nd or 3rd shot?

Were there any reactions to the shot (or otherwise, as it is often not seen as related to the shots by owners AND vets), such as lethargy, fever, runny eyes or ongoing slight eye discharge, recurrent ear infections or ear discharge, skin rash, demodectic mange at early age, diarrhea or feces with mucus or recurrent soft feces, behavioral changes, etc. ?

I ask as I've come across this problem now in several pups and slightly older dogs. And it was a direct result of the vaccines.

Currently I have a gorgeous little Maltese under my care (dumped by a 'loving' owner) who can not eat any dryfood at all or she developed diarrhea with blood. On raw food WITH bones (even not solely meat or organ meats) she is doing okay. Besides this she suffers from skin problems, mouth sores, ear infection, eye discharge, and patella luxation. ALL sx of vaccine damage.

And I get twice a week an owner with his most gorgeous 3 months old boxer pup (I LOOOOVE boxers )) for training. The boxer is very lively and active, but ... has ongoing eye discharge, is a finicky eater and has ongoing soft feces with sometimes mucus. The owner hasn't switched her to a raw food diet yet, though. So, I can't say whether she would improve on that or not.

With the DDB you could try a raw food diet, starting with chicken wings. do NOT start with only raw meat as that can give serious diarrhea. When switching to a raw meat diet it has to be meat and bones in approximately a 50-50 ration, hence the chicken wings. If this goes well, then after a 3 to 4 days you can slowly introduce other animal proteins such as pork, beef/buffalo, duck etc. After about 10 days you can introduce organ meats. I usually do that as 50% of the meal is organs meats and 50% raw meaty bones.

Cuban follows the BARF diet, which contains veggies and fruits. I follow the prey model, where the dog gets its veggies stuff through the stomachs and intestines of the prey animals.

Either way, following my (over 10 years of) experience with a raw food diet (first BARF and then prey model), I do suggest you give that a try.

Edit p.s.: I wouldn't worry about the dog being a wimp. He's only 10 months old and a XL breed. He's still so much a puppy. XL breeds mature around the age of 2 1/2 to 3 years old. Some dogs just grow up slower than others, also within the same breed.

Be careful though,as the dog seems (a bit) sensitive, that he gains mostly positive experiences. Big frights now can do permanent (or hard to cure) damage.

Edited October 10, 2012 by Nienke

[Naam]

send him to me for an apprenticeship. i have two teachers who will teach in no time to grab any food and bark at any stranger including me when it's dark.

[Naam]

perhaps he is sulking because you misspelled his name/race?

[F1fanatic]

Are you able to adopt a soi dog? I ask as I have a whippet who was never interested in food - until I adopted a few soi dogs - who wolf down their food and then 'hang around' him to eat whatever he has not eaten. The other dogs' interest in his food has resulted in him deciding he wants it after all...

Most dogs like to have a companion anyway AND, the new soi dog will probably teach him to be a little braver.

[isanbirder]

I just googled to find the breed standard for Dogue de Bordeaux. Minimum weight 45 kgs for female, 52 kgs for male. Yours is only 10 months so he's possibly even overweight.

How much exercise does he get? A big dog needs a lot of exercise to keep fit, and to make him hungry. And he won't be able to take his fan with him, so it's even more important that he learns to cope with the climate as it is.

[alfieconn]

I just googled to find the breed standard for Dogue de Bordeaux. Minimum weight 45 kgs for female, 52 kgs for male. Yours is only 10 months so he's possibly even overweight.

How much exercise does he get? A big dog needs a lot of exercise to keep fit, and to make him hungry. And he won't be able to take his fan with him, so it's even more important that he learns to cope with the climate as it is.

From the OP

I have a DDB who is one year and 10 months old

[Nienke]

I just googled to find the breed standard for Dogue de Bordeaux. Minimum weight 45 kgs for female, 52 kgs for male. Yours is only 10 months so he's possibly even overweight.

How much exercise does he get? A big dog needs a lot of exercise to keep fit, and to make him hungry. And he won't be able to take his fan with him, so it's even more important that he learns to cope with the climate as it is.

From the OP

I have a DDB who is one year and 10 months old

Woopsie, I made the same mistake.

[bina]

he's still young. large breeds reach maturuity at about two years old and sexual 'maleness' and 'dominance' even later, sometimes only around three years of age.

and DDB's that i know here are all softies. most are are just big dogs , that look scary, and are pretty much lap dog style. there is a breeder near my kibbutz and his dogs are all part ofa 'troubled youth ' training program (dog + youth=improved youth); the ones ive met here, (and they were in 'style' a few years ago) are all mostly 'softies', just look big. they are not like some of the other mollassar dogs like mastinos. give him time.

appetite could be his personality, could be physical. blood parasties can cause 'anorexia' , i would stick to one style of feeding, adn keep track of his weight and behavior. if he eats the same most of the time, then that is the way he eats. if he actively seems 'sick' from the sight of the food, then there could be a problem.

raw diet might be good for him.

[isanbirder]

I just googled to find the breed standard for Dogue de Bordeaux. Minimum weight 45 kgs for female, 52 kgs for male. Yours is only 10 months so he's possibly even overweight.

How much exercise does he get? A big dog needs a lot of exercise to keep fit, and to make him hungry. And he won't be able to take his fan with him, so it's even more important that he learns to cope with the climate as it is.

From the OP

I have a DDB who is one year and 10 months old

Woopsie, I made the same mistake.

I think I copied you, Nienke.... but no excuses. Sorry!

[bangkaew]

before I start, i think your dog sounds absolutely fine. If you want a tough dog, don't mollycoddle him. If you want him to protect his patch, make him sleep outside. If you want him to be hungry, stop feeding him. After a week i am sure he will be pretty keen! I am sure there was a similar thread on here about this and the consensus was that it is just too dam_n hot and humid for such a dog. Keep in mind that most lines of this breed for the last 15 generations have been bred to be family pets so they bred for less and less aggression. Even GSDs are too docile for police work often now so the Malinouise is now often preferred. There is a kennel that is even breeding Bangkaew dogs for tameness so they don't 'gat tuk kon'!

[robblok]

A few steroid shots should turn him into a killer

More likely kill the dog and steriods don't make people or dogs agressive. Tall tales. If you want humans agressive.. give them alcohol. By your reasoning it works on dogs too.

I got a bangkaew dog and he is a wuss too.. ok he chases cats,dogs monitor lizzards, kills rats. But when he sees something he cant explain he freezes. I think you can't change a dog that much.

[bina]

surprisingly enough, steroids (not the 'pump up the muscle' kind, but the prednisone types) are given to goats that are pre ecalmpsic and have no appetite, used to stimulate the appetite.... but not for anorexic dogs.

first u have to find out the underlying cause of the not eating... not all dogs that dont eat are spoiled, especially if he is refusing things that a regular spoiled dog would scarf down. so, could be 'no sense of smell' cause dogs go by scent not by taste (their 'taste' comes from their nose, so no nose working, no taste, no wanting to eat), or by illness or physical pain (legs, joints, teeth, toungue...);

as for the 'wussy' part : dogs are born in to a litter. the litter and the pup;s interaction int he litter, its dam, and the outside world, all make up part of the dog's inherent personality. therefore even a mild mannered breed will have more aggressive, or more assertive animals, and also, a rather 'agressive' or 'assertive' breed will also have a few 'quieter' or 'shy' dogs... when u pick a puppy it is wise to see its interaction among the litter, and how he/she behaves with you .

the general types are found if u google puppy, litter, personality... but if u chose a quieter, shyer, 'nicer' dog, then u get that, as an adult, and no amount of 'sleeping outside' or 'making him tougher' will actually do that. you can however teach him to 'stand up' more so, by you being a good leader. dont expect him to stand up to a cat (why would u want him to? most dogs lose eyes that way, boxers are experts at that), but, like horses, if u lead, he will follow and will develop confidence in himself. suddenly, at age three, u may have an assertive male on your hands. also, 'area to defend' is ,for male dogs, a rather large, extensive area. if u wanted a good yard guard dog, u should have chosen a female, especially in DDB's. some breeds the bitches are just more 'guardian' oriented. lhasas are an example.

teach him commands. there is nothing like giving a dog self confidence by obedience. teach him to bark on command. it is much more impressive to see a large dog bark on command or 'stand' 'watch' , have him stand up and walk forwared a step or two...

but forget about chasing lizards and stuff. DDB are not chasers. they are guards. guards dont run and hurl themselves at things like rhodesian ridgbacks. they are walkers, perimeter dogs, where size and voice are more important then the chase.

we had a DDB on the kibbutz and he was much more protective of his people then of his area, too much so, and they gave the dog away...

btw, DDB here are known to have lots of health problems, dont know bout over seas (not israel that is ) but here, i know quite a few that had problems, like boxers, with growths etc.

i find them very sweet dogs, but less fun then boxers.

jsut ideas.

[thelongshoot]

Thanks to everyone for the replies..... There are some great bits of advice here and I appreciate it greatly. I cant reply to each post right now as I am just about to nip[ off for a visa run but again, thanks to all of you.

I just wnated to reiterate though that im not looking to turn him into an aggresive maniac - I just want him to wake up... Just a little. Bark if someone walks into the yard and for christs sake dont run from cats lol! That said, as a few posters have already stated he is still young and i guess when he reaches full maturity he will toughen up a little.

I was walking him this morning and happened to walk past a cafe with at least 10 gnarly aggresive soi dogs sleeping. I tried to creep past but obviously they woke and went mental. I just carried on walking with the dogs on our heels, going nuts and with my guy looking totaly and utterly bewildered. He has a look about him of "i dont understand. What did I do wrong to them?" lol. Out of the blue, one of the dogs nipped me on the back of the leg - nothing hard and did not break skin, just a little nip and then retreated..... My dog went absolutley crazy, I have never seen him like that before. I was having a hard time keeping him on the leash and he was making every effort to break away and tear into these dogs. I have honestly never seen him like that - he just went balistic it was like having a little lion on a leash. All of these soi dogs legged it back to the cafe. So, clearly he has it in him then but only when the situation requires it, which is perfect i guess.

Also a bit of good news is that he is eating. Its a funny thing and I have no idea why but all i did was change his bowl from a jumbo 'anti chew' plastic bowl to a stainless steel one, and he has been eating twice a day and wolfing it down. I have no idea why - i mean I cleaned the bowl twice daily and properly scrubbed it so it was not dirty. There must have been a sent of some sort in the bowl?

Im taking him back to the vets when I return to check on his blood paresite levels but by and large, he seems to be happy and putting weight on.

Thanks again for all of your helps and advice, much appreciated.

Edited October 15, 2012 by thelongshoot

[yankee99]

Thanks to everyone for the replies..... There are some great bits of advice here and I appreciate it greatly. I cant reply to each post right now as I am just about to nip[ off for a visa run but again, thanks to all of you.

I just wnated to reiterate though that im not looking to turn him into an aggresive maniac - I just want him to wake up... Just a little. Bark if someone walks into the yard and for christs sake dont run from cats lol! That said, as a few posters have already stated he is still young and i guess when he reaches full maturity he will toughen up a little.

I was walking him this morning and happened to walk past a cafe with at least 10 gnarly aggresive soi dogs sleeping. I tried to creep past but obviously they woke and went mental. I just carried on walking with the dogs on our heels, going nuts and with my guy looking totaly and utterly bewildered. He has a look about him of "i dont understand. What did I do wrong to them?" lol. Out of the blue, one of the dogs nipped me on the back of the leg - nothing hard and did not break skin, just a little nip and then retreated..... My dog went absolutley crazy, I have never seen him like that before. I was having a hard time keeping him on the leash and he was making every effort to break away and tear into these dogs. I have honestly never seen him like that - he just went balistic it was like having a little lion on a leash. All of these soi dogs legged it back to the cafe. So, clearly he has it in him then but only when the situation requires it, which is perfect i guess.

Also a bit of good news is that he is eating. Its a funny thing and I have no idea why but all i did was change his bowl from a jumbo 'anti chew' plastic bowl to a stainless steel one, and he has been eating twice a day and wolfing it down. I have no idea why - i mean I cleaned the bowl twice daily and properly scrubbed it so it was not dirty. There must have been a sent of some sort in the bowl?

Im taking him back to the vets when I return to check on his blood paresite levels but by and large, he seems to be happy and putting weight on.

Thanks again for all of your helps and advice, much appreciated.

My advice when walking in a unprotected environment you should be carrying a bamboo stick as things can get ugly quick. Without it you may not have a dog to worry about.

[meatboy]

great news your story part of it could have been about ours,only time he barks was if there was a snake or takarb in the garden,if a stranger expecially a woman came to the gate he would want to kiss them,but one day a workman was cutting some trees that were overgrown behind our security wall when he looked over the dog went nuts the bloke turned white and never looked over again the whole week he was there,so never underestimate what he might do if you or the wife were threatened.