[Who_Am_I]

Hey! I have a 2-year-old Tibetan Mastiff Caucasian Shepherd mix, I had him since he was 2 months old and he's well exposed and very non reactive in general.
Recently my neighbor brought home a 6-month-old Rottweiler, and every day at 6 o'clock sharp they go on a walk and pass by our house, and when I tell you my dog losses it I'm not kidding, he's barking uncontrollably lunging at the gates runs back and forth tirelessly until they go beyond his sight. I've seen him act like that only when a stray animal gets into our yard and in those cases, I'm perfectly fine with that type of reaction as he's doing his job guarding.
I know that he's very territorial, and it's obviously in his blood as well but that's just a tad too much of a reaction for something that doesn't really threaten his territory.
I've tried talking to the neighbor about meeting with the dogs at a neutral location to get them to know each other but it seems like he's not the type to care...

To clarify, we have many dog owners in the neighborhood and my dog is very friendly with all of them as he's known them since he was a puppy, he never had a problem meeting new dogs as well but this interaction with a new dog near his territory seems different and I don't know how to deal with that.

Would really like to hear everyone's insights and suggestions on the matter!

 

[LMMB]

Hey! I have a 2-year-old Tibetan Mastiff Caucasian Shepherd mix, I had him since he was 2 months old and he's well exposed and very non reactive in general.
Recently my neighbor brought home a 6-month-old Rottweiler, and every day at 6 o'clock sharp they go on a walk and pass by our house, and when I tell you my dog losses it I'm not kidding, he's barking uncontrollably lunging at the gates runs back and forth tirelessly until they go beyond his sight. I've seen him act like that only when a stray animal gets into our yard and in those cases, I'm perfectly fine with that type of reaction as he's doing his job guarding.
I know that he's very territorial, and it's obviously in his blood as well but that's just a tad too much of a reaction for something that doesn't really threaten his territory.
I've tried talking to the neighbor about meeting with the dogs at a neutral location to get them to know each other but it seems like he's not the type to care...

To clarify, we have many dog owners in the neighborhood and my dog is very friendly with all of them as he's known them since he was a puppy, he never had a problem meeting new dogs as well but this interaction with a new dog near his territory seems different and I don't know how to deal with that.

Would really like to hear everyone's insights and suggestions on the matter!

Hi, welcome to the forum.

The problem is, at 2 years old, he’s becoming an adult and his true temperament and instincts are kicking in. With the bloodline of a breed described by the AKC as a “serious guardian breed” (the Caucasian), and another that is described as “highly protective” (the Tibetan) then well, like you said yourself, he’s very territorial and the Rottie is a stranger to him.

You mention that the neighbour and his Rottweiler aren’t a threat to him, but as he sees it, they’re walking past your house every day and every day, they could pose a threat. Also consider that what we perceive as your territory may not be what he perceives as your territory. As far as he’s concerned, the Rottie and his/her owner may well be “invading” your territory. They’re certainly coming way too close for his liking.

Furthermore, your neighbour and his dog move away, out of sight. As far as your dog is concerned, he’s done his job and scared the “intruders” off. He doesn’t know that they were going that way anyway and were never a threat in the first place.

As to what you can do about it - you could try to distract him, but he is doing what his instincts are telling him to do, so you’re fighting against nature.

Could you keep him inside at that time? Or take him for a walk in another direction so he never even sees the neighbour and his dog?

 

[Who_Am_I]

Hi, welcome to the forum.

The problem is, at 2 years old, he’s becoming an adult and his true temperament and instincts are kicking in. With the bloodline of a breed described by the AKC as a “serious guardian breed” (the Caucasian), and another that is described as “highly protective” (the Tibetan) then well, like you said yourself, he’s very territorial and the Rottie is a stranger to him.

You mention that the neighbour and his Rottweiler aren’t a threat to him, but as he sees it, they’re walking past your house every day and every day, they could pose a threat. Also consider that what we perceive as your territory may not be what he perceives as your territory. As far as he’s concerned, the Rottie and his/her owner may well be “invading” your territory. They’re certainly coming way too close for his liking.

Furthermore, your neighbour and his dog move away, out of sight. As far as your dog is concerned, he’s done his job and scared the “intruders” off. He doesn’t know that they were going that way anyway and were never a threat in the first place.

As to what you can do about it - you could try to distract him, but he is doing what his instincts are telling him to do, so you’re fighting against nature.

Could you keep him inside at that time? Or take him for a walk in another direction so he never even sees the neighbour and his dog?

Thank you for the reply!

Distracting him is impossible, not even chicken wings will divert his attention 😅
If I'm understanding you correctly you seem to think that there's no real way to subdue his behavior, only to take him out of the equation. Which reinforces what I thought...
I thought that meeting both of them in a neutral location will have an effect but today on my walk I bumped into them and it seems that my dog remembers them and really holds a grudge as he got extremely agitated by the sight of them even on leash which is very rare for him, so it looks like there not much to be done, especially without my neighbor's cooperation...

Anyways thanks again for the reply and your time!

 

[emeraldecho]

Is there any way you could safely redirect him away from the gate (leashes, barriers, etc.)? (I specify safely, because some dogs in the middle of a reactive episode will redirect their frustration toward their handlers. Especially with a large dog, this behaviour could be dangerous.)

It's a long shot, but by redirecting him away from the gate before the "threat" leaves, you may be able to convince him that:

• The threat goes away on its own, so he can relax, and;
• You do not consider policing happenings on the other side of the gate to be part of his 'guarding' job.

Good luck.

 

[BigBlackDog]

If the rottweiler (and the neighbor) is friendly, you could try meeting them out on the sidewalk, just you by yourself, to say hello. My thought here is that since Tibetan Mastiffs are independent thinkers, you have to show him that they are okay. If he sees you interacting with them, he may well decide for himself that they are not a threat.