Hi everyone, once again, thanks for all the helpful suggestions. Sorry for not introducing ourselves properly. My name is Sarah and my fiancee is James. So we took her for a walk last night, kept her on the lead this time around the field and all was going so well until right at the end of the walk, she just turned again- so she was frogmarched back into the car with a pair of very cheesed off owners!! [color=red]besides whats been mentioned and necessary regarding a trainer experienced in molosser breeds... other recommendation is redirect that monkey business...which i think would be a good choice to attempt...that is get a toy/toys your dog likes, a soccer ball, tennis ball, frisbee or whatever...something you can kick or throw...and just before you let your dog off lead...chuck the toy, kick the ball & let the dog get focused in on it initially, before the bratty crap even starts...then let it loose off of the lead...have a couple of toys & keep dogs interest/prey drive in those...ignore the bad behavior and redirect with toys & praise the positive...cuz it can backfire sometimes when you acknowledge the bad behavior in any form if your training knowledge is possibly questionable in this circumstance...its still attention the dog has figured out it can get and feed off of that…[/color] Thanks Sodapop, the toy thing certainly does work to a certain extent. Sometimes she will have a tennis ball that she will carry around the whole walk with her but generally when she loses interest in this, this is when the trouble starts. We always throw big sticks for her and she loves to retrieve them. She does display a little of this behaviour when my fiancee is holding the stick, about to throw it. She just gets so excited about the prospect of the stick that she just can't contain herself. We have taken to ordering her to sit (eventually) before we throw the stick so she understands that there is no fun until she has obeyed us. This will work after a few commands but then the next time round, it as if she has instantly forgotten (or chooses to ignore) the rules. We will definitely try and take a toy out with us tonight. She does have plenty of them at home to choose from!! [color=red]the use of 2 toys if you have a ball hog...when the dog is hogging the first one...then you present the other & get the dogs attention...then when the dog goes after the other...you go & pick up the one dropped...and continue...easy redirection is a valid method to use...don't say you doubt it...cuz you don't know how to do it... desiree Quote: but with a co you can get your toy yourself even with what you said above...the dogs occupied and his focus is redirected on the toy…[/color] This too sounds like an excellent idea, I like the idea of once she has tired of one toy/or won't let go of it, to distract her attention with a different one. This I know works in the house, as when she has a Kong in her mouth and she is presented with a tennis ball for example, you can she on her face that she doesn't know which one to play with and her tail wags as she has the prospect of 2 toys to play with! Your right, the only way she would put down one toy, is to be presented with another, this always happens at home! [color=red]Soda pop - Has a good [point about redirecting the focus. As the Owners are posting more I think we can make some suggestions. Although an 8 mo. old Neo's bie needs to be respected and this is NOT the breed to learn "faith healing" with You don't get to make a correction?time mistake with thios breed. Reading that the Owner(post your names my friends) is an ex-athelete is encoraging. Because of what's been written, I rathger see a larger object be used as a distraction toy. I'm thinking a Jute "Sausage"...one about 2" long to allow plenty of room for inexperience hands to stay out of the way. Likle Sopa Pop posted two items ar better than one. Maybe the bite roll and a tennis ball on a rope. Or just a heavy 1" diameter rope 2" long with knots on both ends, find a cotton rope, nylon can cut the mouth while pulling. 8 mos. is NOT too young to start with a weight collar but, you won't have enough weight to wear her out. You don't want to go topo heavy because she's still growing. Weight collars. pulling or back packs should ONLY BE USED to stimulate the muscles at this age...NOT to be used as a serious work out. Save that for mature adult dogs.[/color] Haha, I definitely don't think she would respond well to "faith healing"…… She loves tennis balls on ropes, big knotted ropes, frisbees etc, but as I'm sure you are all well aware, not a lot lasts in her mouth. Tennis balls soon become little biys of grey rubber scattered about the house :lol: The knotted rope however, does seem to last! And then obviously a Kong (for large breeds) is about the only thing she can't destroy- not for want of trying :wink: [color=red]My Mastiff loves to rough house and will oft times completely ignore my wifes commands and bark at her as if he is telling her "Please?! I got some gonads you dig? I'm male Mastiff, back off!" He gets really rambunctious but stops short of actually challenging me, as we have had at least one "biblical" confrontation. What I try and do to alleviate this is take the dog on runs and play tug. A tired dog is a good dog. Yes they will get more fit and you will have to get more creative or work the dog harder. However, don't forget it is a Mastiff and not a pitbull you are dealing with here. Mastiff's will only run so much They are inherently lazy creatures. So it's not impossible to tire them out. If you are a former boxer you may probably still do some street work, maker her jog with you at a leisurely pace for a good 3 to 5K. I normally drag weight my dogs for fitness, but unfortunately this is the biggest dog I have owned and he is too big for my harness. So I have to order a new one when he stops growing in order to use this method. Don't listen to Platz, I once paid him to come and give me some dog training and he beat me in front of my dog instead of correcting the dog. Platz is a mean old violent drunken Rottweiler breeder, you have been warned![/color] A tired dog is indeed a good dog. Despite last nights little hiccup, she was as good as gold when we returned from the walk. She does indeed tire quicker than a lot of breeds. You can really see the difference in her enthusiam when the stick/ball is first thrown and by the 4th/5th time. By the time we are home, she is happy just to lay on her cushion in the front room and snooze until we go to sleep. Lucky James is a boxer, these dogs are certainly not for the faint hearted :D I myself am not a boxer :wink: but do love big dogs, just well behaved big dogs! We did think about getting a muzzle to stop the nipping when we were out for a walk, what does everyone think about that? Good idea? The jumping up doesn't scare me, although we DO definitely want to stop it, but at least whilst this is still going on, the muzzle will stop the nipping? Tonight we will deffinitely take a couple of toys out with us and see how she gets on.