[superface13]

My mom found a dog a couple months ago. It is a beautiful Japanese Mastiff. It showed up in her yard dead tired with bloody paws. After a month and a half of advertising in the paper and posting signs around NW Bakersfield she decided to adopt the dog as her own. She had him fixed and microchipped (one testicle was still inside his body so it cost $1000).

Today she went to LA for a Dr's appointment and the dog jumped the fence and went after her pony. The neighbor got a hold of me and I went over there to get he dog out of the pasture. She said the dog wasn't attacking the pony as much as he was trying to play with it, but he cut her up just the same. The dog is almost as big as the pony so if he was trying to kill her he would have. My mom is just sick over this. She feels guilty about bringing the dog into the house, and she feels terrible because the dog has no idea why he's in so much trouble.

The vet said it wasn't that bad but she did need some stitches on her eyelid and right rear flank....fender....whatever. The biggest problem is that if this dog can jump a five foot fence to go after the pony, it can jump the six foot fence and go after the neighbors' horses I feel bad for my mom.

[cephas]

Don't know how it would work on a large breed like a Japanese Mastiff, but there is a company that makes a harness that fits over a dog's body and basically keeps them from jumping by redistributing the forces from the front legs to the rear. When they try to jump, it makes them sit. An ex GF had one for her Jack Russell, I'd have to do some searching to find a name for you, but it might help out your Mom...

Another idea is fence that is bent inward at the top, or a dog run to keep him/her in when your Mom's away...

Really sorry to hear the situation, hope the pony heals fast!

[sandton]

So sorry to hear your story, your Mom have done a wonderful thing taking in this dog, chipping and neutering him. Everything a good dog owner should be doing. The no jump collar could work - if you can find it in that size. I had another suggestion for you, a electric fence. Run a wire or white tape either around the top of the horse pasture or the top of the fence where you want to keep the dog - I don't know if he cleared the fence, and at that size very possible, but if he had to make contact with the top of that electric fence he might not want to try it again. We have been keeping our horses in a pasture with only the white tape electric fence for over a year now and it's been working great - the dogs also know not to make contact with that white tape.
Best of Luck

[Skinzy420]

wow that's nuts! Have never heard of a dog takin on a pony before....but I guess if the dog is as big as the pony then wow! Hope all gets better bro!

[BiggerTom]

Please don't give up on that big dog SF. Tosa's are a great and noble breed in Japan. I had a man from Yokohama want to trade me a Yokozuna for a black and white dog I had in a show in Oroville. The dude loved how big I was and treated me like a rock star. Tosa's have a noble place in Japan, they're used for wrestling. They're known as the Sumo Wrestlers of dogdom, kind of a Japanese Pit Bull but not as toothy. They ARE game though.
I have handled one at a dogshow that was over 300lb! They can get HUGE!!! Impressive breed. If I didn't have a house full of Pit Bulls, I'd take that dog in a second.
Work on his enclosure to protect both him and the horse. I wish the best for your mom's poor pony, sounds like some superficial wounds that will heal quick. Give that poor baby some apples.
The dog just wanted to wrestle, it's natural for him. You just have to outsmart his innate nature--it is done daily. You can do it!!!

[superface13]

Thanks everyone!!! The pony is doing well, and my mom plans on keeping the dog. She bought an electric collar and boundry set, but will keep him in the kennel when she's out of town. He has always been by her side since she got him and sleeps in the house with her. I doubt the collar will do much as the neighbor saw the pony kick the dog in the head with zero effect. Hell my queensland ignored the shock collar and barked at the neighbors ( I put the collar on and barked....HOLY !!!) But my mom knows to lock him in the kennel when she leaves the house now so things are cool. She's gonna have to board him somewhere next month when she goes on a trip.

[Artimus J]

Originally Posted by superface13

Thanks everyone!!! The pony is doing well, and my mom plans on keeping the dog. She bought an electric collar and boundry set, but will keep him in the kennel when she's out of town. He has always been by her side since she got him and sleeps in the house with her. I doubt the collar will do much as the neighbor saw the pony kick the dog in the head with zero effect. Hell my queensland ignored the shock collar and barked at the neighbors ( I put the collar on and barked....HOLY !!!) But my mom knows to lock him in the kennel when she leaves the house now so things are cool. She's gonna have to board him somewhere next month when she goes on a trip.

Don't be surprised if the dog learned his lesson and will not jump the fence anymore,
check out Bachs rescue remedy search the web it really work great on animals and calms them down and is natural and not a drug and helps with most pet emotions.
This will really help since its impossible to tell what this dogs early life experence was so add a few drops to the water and be amazed, AGAIN THIS IS NOT A DRUG, it's made from flowers and it really works and anyone out there that has an animal with emotion or behavor problems check it out, you will be amazed, remember animals have strong emotions and this will do the trick. I find with my cats if one seems stressed or need to go to the vet i put a drop or two in his water and bang the cats mellow, plays harder, purs louder, talks more and seems very happy and loveable and not druged up, and takes life in stride. so I know it works.
try it it works wonders.

[C.C.C.N.]

always wanted a mastiff. they are the best breed out there in my book. DON'T get rid of that dog PLEASE.....

[LAAD]

Damn, what a story. Glad to hear she is keeping the dog!

but uh... "bang the cats mellow, plays harder, purs louder, talks more and seems very happy and loveable and not druged up, and takes life in stride." hm, that's fairly interesting... haha

[viridis]

Good one on your mom for working with this big boy and giving him a chance. One thing to know in case they didn't tell you when they did the neuter is that for dogs that are cryptorchid boys tend to have a more aggressive/grouchy disposition. Removal of the testes will definitely turn this trait around if he's still young. Depending on how long ago your mom had him neutered he could have been blowing out some of the last of his testosterone.

I'm betting that his disposition is going to smooth out and she'll be able to teach him anything that she wants to in the near future. I'm also betting that maybe that kick in the head may have been more effective than it seems to be showing right now. Horses/ponies are pretty smart and usually quite effective at protecting themselves from silly dogs!!

Now..... how's the feed bill looking and the back yard poo piles?!!! LOL, that is way too much dog for me, we keep all of ours around 50# and smaller, I like to think that we have some sort of control:)

[mcheramie]

I work with horses everyday of the week and around dogs all the time. To be honest, that is not playing, it wants that pony. It is going to take some major work to prevent the dog from doing this again. The instinct is pretty strong in a canine to attack a horse. It is more natural for that dog to attack the pony than not to. Your mom has some serious work ahead of her.

If she needs some ideas of how to train the dog to prevent attacks on horses let me know, just send a PM.

[superface13]

Well things were going well til my mom went out of town for the weekend. She left my nephew there to watch the animals and he let the dog out to go potty and fell asleep. The dog got into the pasture again, so now he's getting a new home His new owner is a fireman with another mastiff. He lives in town in an area with no livestock.

$1000 combined vet bill for the pony + $1000 vet bill for fixing and chipping the dog + $400 for electrical fence (I new that wouldn't work) = $2400 lesson .....although I'm not sure what the lesson is other than loving animals can be expensive :slaugh: My mom would do it again in a heartbeat if she thought the pony and neighbors' horses would be safe.


On the bright side....I'm getting a queensland heeler rescue from my mom's neighbor. A 6 month old pup that needs a good home. I love Queenslands

[zbestwun2001]

Originally Posted by superface13

On the bright side....I'm getting a queensland heeler rescue from my mom's neighbor. A 6 month old pup that needs a good home. I love Queenslands

What a GREAT breed.

Enjoy!

zb1

[Absynthe]

I feel sorry for the pony!