Moving to a new house with your Boerboel – What to expect/ what to do about it

[JonP]

I recently moved into a new house and started experiencing some issues with my 15-month-old BB girl. She has never lived in a house that has neighbors with other dogs and now the neighbors on either side of us have dogs that tend to bark a lot. This has caused some issues with her and barking back at them. She doesn’t know what to do with herself; even if the other dogs aren’t barking and she smells them outside she will get agitated and posture up (sometimes giving a few barks to try for a response from the other dogs). She also does this if she hears the neighbors talking outside on their patios.

 

The new house has also led her to be exceedingly jumpy with noises. I am not joking when I say that she freaks with every little noise. It is non-stop. The other day I was walking through the house and had some nails in my hand. She heard them jingling and instantly starting barking running from the front door to the garage door (she thought someone was outside).

 

She also will randomly take out some pent up aggression on our little dog (a small Cavalier). She will be playing by herself and then suddenly take interest in him with anything he is doing. She will then crouch down and focus intently on him for a moment before charging him full speed and taking him out. She is not very gentle when she does this and it has become a problem because I don’t trust her in the yard with him when someone isn’t watching her.

 

My main reason for posting is to generate some feedback on what other people have experienced with their BB’s when moving to a new home. I don’t want to correct her to the point where she no longer alerts me to strange noises, but I am struggling to teach her the acceptable time to respond or alert. I also would really be grateful for some feedback on her behavior with regards to the little male Caviler. I know lots of people successfully keep BB’s alongside toy breeds but lately I do not trust my BB with him.

[Jennifer]

Hi Jon,  How is your girl doing?  Has she gotten any better?

[JonP]

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks for checking in. I thought more people would be able to provide insight in this area. Maybe moving isn't as common of an issue as I originally figured. My girl is doing much better with the neighbor's dogs. But she has started to have issues in other areas...

My new problem is her constant attempts to escape her kennel while no one is at the house. Today she actually flipped the kennel on its side and was able to get the door half way open. With just a small gap she squeezed through the opening in the door and got out. She got out once last week too, but that time she was able to pull down one of the kennel walls and get out. To fix that, I just put wire on the walls to reinforce them. I thought that was all I needed. Next step is to wire the whole thing!

I would love to leave her out without ever using the kennel, but I worry she would start destroying the house and barking at the neighbors again. I would hate to have her jump the gate and get out too. She doesn't know she can jump it yet, but its short enough where she could if she really wanted to.

She has also started to pant and drool heavily when we put her in the kennel for short term reasons (my guess is that this is an attempt to get attention). I have to put her up when the landlord comes over or for other reasons, and that's when she randomly starts panting and drooling. The kennel is in the house so its not hot or anything. I just don't understand why she suddenly adopted this type of behavior.

Jennifer said:

Hi Jon,  How is your girl doing?  Has she gotten any better?

[Jennifer]

We had a simliar expereince with Shango when he was a bit younger, he would panic being away from his pack.  What we did was we built him an outside kennel (because he was way too distructive to leave out) for when we where at work and after a few fixes (he was an escape artist) it did just fine.  Recently he turned 13 months and it is just now that I have started to leave him out with the other dogs.  They only have acess to the living room and of course outside through the dog door.  Luckily (knock on wood) he is doing very well!

 

But I think what has really helped his behavior as well is the constant training he is put through every day!  Remember they are working dogs and they thoroughly enjoy being worked!  He has progressed tremendously and the control and bond it has created is amazing.  Were you able to find a trainer yet?

Also he gets walked 2 miles in the morning and despite this heat we run 2 miles at night.

[Fuller Boerboels]

Hi Jon,

It sounds like she's fearful or nervous. All the new noises and a new home takes time to adjust to and she's probably freaking out when you're gone. The kennel has become a scary place for her instead of a place of comfort and that's why she drooling and panting. Do you give her things like nylabones to chew on in the kennel? Something that she can take her nervous aggression out on. I would discontinue the kennel for awhile (I'm assuming you're talking about a crate); maybe get an actual kennel that you can put in the garage while you're gone, where she has room to move around and have a bed and be comfy. I've heard of people leaving on a radio which covers up the noises outside and keeps them focused inside.

You can also buy 'calm' herbal aids at a vitamin or herbal store. You have to use about 4 times the amount for a human, but it works really well at calming them. Maybe hire a sitter to sit with her while you're gone until she adjusts.

[Sweet Pea]

Hi Jon, How old is your girl?

I agree with Fuller. The panting and drooling are definite signs of stress and she's probably starting to develop some separation anxiety along with her new fears. Dogs learn a lot by association. She's probably associated going in her kennel with you leaving. Being in a new place is obviously stressful and scary for her and your presence gives her comfort. So when you leave, that makes her more stressed. Try to build positive associations with her kennel like chews, treats and toys. Leave her in there for short periods while you're home and see if that helps to change her behavior while in the kennel. 

When new neighbors moved in next to us I had problems with my two Boerboels barking at them and their dogs, especially since they weren't used to seeing any activity over there. I trained up a 'that's enough' command in the house with treats, then moved it outside. They got lots of yummy rewards for stopping their bark-fest and then I eventually phased out the treats. When they get their 'that's enough' command, they run back to me like their butts are on fire because it's been trained up to that point. If you already have a leave it command, train it up in regards to her barking at the neighbors. That way she still alerts you to something unusual, but will have an off switch. 

In addition to the herbal calming aids that Fuller mentioned, you can try a DAP (dog appeasing pheromone) scent diffuser. While I never experienced a move with my dogs, I did use a feline version of the DAP and it really helped the cats after they moved since one was too scared to come out from hiding. 

[JonP]

Jennifer,

Thanks for your help! I did find a trainer but have not had a session in a few weeks now. It was getting a little too expensive to do every single week. I may have him come out to the new house for an hour or two to do some specific work. Just haven't made the time yet that's all.

I wish I could make a little dog run in the yard but the only space I have for one is on the side of my house with a crazy neighbor who doesn't work and smokes cigarettes all day in his yard. He is constantly out back making noise and she would never rest with him being that close to her all day. She would go crazy barking at him trying to scare him away haha!

She gets a lot of exercise, I walk her almost daily but I make a point to use the flirt pole daily. The flirt pole for 30 minutes will take all the spunk out of her for hours haha. Thanks again for the tips.

Jennifer said:

We had a simliar expereince with Shango when he was a bit younger, he would panic being away from his pack.  What we did was we built him an outside kennel (because he was way too distructive to leave out) for when we where at work and after a few fixes (he was an escape artist) it did just fine.  Recently he turned 13 months and it is just now that I have started to leave him out with the other dogs.  They only have acess to the living room and of course outside through the dog door.  Luckily (knock on wood) he is doing very well!

 

But I think what has really helped his behavior as well is the constant training he is put through every day!  Remember they are working dogs and they thoroughly enjoy being worked!  He has progressed tremendously and the control and bond it has created is amazing.  Were you able to find a trainer yet?

Also he gets walked 2 miles in the morning and despite this heat we run 2 miles at night.

[JonP]

Thanks for the help Fuller,

I think you are on to something here...I tried a risky move this week and have had her free roaming in the house while we are gone. So far so good. I have my fingers crossed! My only problem at this point is our other toy dog the Caviler. We can't leave him out with her because she will hurt him. And now I feel bad that they can't both be out together, he has to sit in that kennel and watch her roam freely because my female cannot seem to leave him alone.

I can't be sure what started it but recently she has been very hard on him. She will see him playing with a toy...so she will go take it away. Later she will see him off exploring the yard or whatever...so she will silently stalk him like a lion stalking a cape buffalo and when he least expects it she will charge him full speed knocking him over and running all over him.

It's not an issue when I am around but whenever they are in the new yard together for some reason she cannot let him be. He doesn't watch out for himself and he usually will try to play with her but she plays far too aggressively right now. Twice in the last week I have caught her as she grabbed him by the ear and tried to drag him. I don't know what to do anymore. For the longest time she played nicely with him, then one day it stopped. That brings me to today. I am seriously considering an electric collar for this. I need to get my trainer to come out for an hour or two to see what he can do. For now I always have my eye on her while they are in the yard together. Let me know what your thoughts are. I am struggling for solutions here. Since you are a breeder you may have some insight into this situation. I don't know if you have any toy breeds in the house but I am sure your dogs have been around them once or twice. Thanks again!

Fuller Boerboels said:

Hi Jon,

It sounds like she's fearful or nervous. All the new noises and a new home takes time to adjust to and she's probably freaking out when you're gone. The kennel has become a scary place for her instead of a place of comfort and that's why she drooling and panting. Do you give her things like nylabones to chew on in the kennel? Something that she can take her nervous aggression out on. I would discontinue the kennel for awhile (I'm assuming you're talking about a crate); maybe get an actual kennel that you can put in the garage while you're gone, where she has room to move around and have a bed and be comfy. I've heard of people leaving on a radio which covers up the noises outside and keeps them focused inside.

You can also buy 'calm' herbal aids at a vitamin or herbal store. You have to use about 4 times the amount for a human, but it works really well at calming them. Maybe hire a sitter to sit with her while you're gone until she adjusts.

[JonP]

Kimberly,

Very good points and thoughts, I agree with you. As I just mentioned above, I have started attempting to leave her free roaming in the house with use of the dog door while we are gone. My new issue is the guilt from having to leave the little toy Caviler locked up so he wont get hurt by Kierra's severe lack of self control. I am looking into some herbal calming products. I just sent my vet and email and am waiting to hear what he has to say. Thanks for the tip on the DAP. I will look into that.

Kimberly Baker said:

Hi Jon, How old is your girl?

I agree with Fuller. The panting and drooling are definite signs of stress and she's probably starting to develop some separation anxiety along with her new fears. Dogs learn a lot by association. She's probably associated going in her kennel with you leaving. Being in a new place is obviously stressful and scary for her and your presence gives her comfort. So when you leave, that makes her more stressed. Try to build positive associations with her kennel like chews, treats and toys. Leave her in there for short periods while you're home and see if that helps to change her behavior while in the kennel. 

When new neighbors moved in next to us I had problems with my two Boerboels barking at them and their dogs, especially since they weren't used to seeing any activity over there. I trained up a 'that's enough' command in the house with treats, then moved it outside. They got lots of yummy rewards for stopping their bark-fest and then I eventually phased out the treats. When they get their 'that's enough' command, they run back to me like their butts are on fire because it's been trained up to that point. If you already have a leave it command, train it up in regards to her barking at the neighbors. That way she still alerts you to something unusual, but will have an off switch. 

In addition to the herbal calming aids that Fuller mentioned, you can try a DAP (dog appeasing pheromone) scent diffuser. While I never experienced a move with my dogs, I did use a feline version of the DAP and it really helped the cats after they moved since one was too scared to come out from hiding. 

[Fuller Boerboels]

I think it's all part of the same issue. She is not at 'ease' and it's an attempt to control her environment. Something is making her nervous. I agree you should get a private trainer out there to help you. It's amazing how they can evaluate a situation and give you tips that are quick and helpful. We have used a private trainer on a couple of occassions and I have always been very pleased. They just seem to come up with resolutions that I never thought of! It's a little more difficult with a toy breed since he can't push back like a big dog, but I'm sure you'll find a solution. You'll be happy you spent the extra money to do it and the sooner the better. Keep us updated. BTW...the Cavalier might be glad he's in that crate instead of out with her at the moment!!! LOL
 
JonP said:

Thanks for the help Fuller,

I think you are on to something here...I tried a risky move this week and have had her free roaming in the house while we are gone. So far so good. I have my fingers crossed! My only problem at this point is our other toy dog the Caviler. We can't leave him out with her because she will hurt him. And now I feel bad that they can't both be out together, he has to sit in that kennel and watch her roam freely because my female cannot seem to leave him alone.

I can't be sure what started it but recently she has been very hard on him. She will see him playing with a toy...so she will go take it away. Later she will see him off exploring the yard or whatever...so she will silently stalk him like a lion stalking a cape buffalo and when he least expects it she will charge him full speed knocking him over and running all over him.

It's not an issue when I am around but whenever they are in the new yard together for some reason she cannot let him be. He doesn't watch out for himself and he usually will try to play with her but she plays far too aggressively right now. Twice in the last week I have caught her as she grabbed him by the ear and tried to drag him. I don't know what to do anymore. For the longest time she played nicely with him, then one day it stopped. That brings me to today. I am seriously considering an electric collar for this. I need to get my trainer to come out for an hour or two to see what he can do. For now I always have my eye on her while they are in the yard together. Let me know what your thoughts are. I am struggling for solutions here. Since you are a breeder you may have some insight into this situation. I don't know if you have any toy breeds in the house but I am sure your dogs have been around them once or twice. Thanks again!

Fuller Boerboels said:

Hi Jon,

It sounds like she's fearful or nervous. All the new noises and a new home takes time to adjust to and she's probably freaking out when you're gone. The kennel has become a scary place for her instead of a place of comfort and that's why she drooling and panting. Do you give her things like nylabones to chew on in the kennel? Something that she can take her nervous aggression out on. I would discontinue the kennel for awhile (I'm assuming you're talking about a crate); maybe get an actual kennel that you can put in the garage while you're gone, where she has room to move around and have a bed and be comfy. I've heard of people leaving on a radio which covers up the noises outside and keeps them focused inside.

You can also buy 'calm' herbal aids at a vitamin or herbal store. You have to use about 4 times the amount for a human, but it works really well at calming them. Maybe hire a sitter to sit with her while you're gone until she adjusts.

[Carrie Kruczek]

Hi Jon:  We have moved with our male has twice in the past year, and it was tough!  He is a difficult dog at best, and the move brought out the worst.  Definitely much edgier, more nervous, and more aggressive.  Luckily for us, he was already used to living in a neighborhood, but even though where we have moved is more isolated and quieter, the scents and the sounds are different and he was upset.  At our last house, our nearest neighbor started a construction project...lots of stranger and machines very close to our house.  Our male was going beserk!  To get him used to it, we worked on a "watch me" command:  it uses positive reinforcement to reward the desired behavior.  Once he was reliable with this, we practiced at a distance from all the activity, rewarding with really desirable treats.  Gradually we got closer and closer, and pretty soon he was oblivious to all the normal uproar.  This can work with you on getting your girl used to the new sounds.  Don't worry that she will still not alert you to anything out of the ordinary, if she is anything like my boy, she will still be vigilant.  My dog is just over 3 years and is over 150 lbs, and lives very comfortably with our 7 lb chihuauhua.  He has learned the command "gentle."  I trained this by having him interact with the chi and whenever he got a little too rambunctious I would put him in a down, hold the little guy next to my male's head and treat and praise him like crazy, while saying "gentle."  We also have an older male lab, no little boy at 110 lbs, but no match for our bb.  Once in awhile I still have a problem with Gage (the BB) bulldozing over him, usually when he's excited and happy.  When they are out in the yard together I supervise, because a bad hit could seriously injure the smaller dog.  Your girl is not drooling and panting in the crate to get attention, she is stressed and can't help it.  It is up to you to teach her that her crate is a nice place and safe place to be.  You can start by feeding her in the crate....don't lock her in, just place her bowl  just inside and let her eat with only her head inside.  Then you can begin giving her high value treats when she goes in.  I'd also recommend getting her a large elk antler, and offering that to her only when she goes into the crate.  (Be careful with this, my boy will resource guard an antler.)  Try a baby gate to separate the dogs when you are not home, then you don't have to feel bad about the little one being locked up.  I would try a long lead on her when she is out with the cavalier....let her go into her stalking mode (I know that crouch....and when I see my boy drawing a bead on the lab I deflect him with another command)  When she goes into that crouch, order her to "watch me" or remind her to "be gentle."  If she obeys, plenty of treats, if she thunders on to the little guy then you've got the line and can yank her up short, give her a verbal no, put her into a down next to the cavalier tell her gentle and praise and treat.  You want her to associate careful and gentle behavior with the little dog as leading to good things for her!  Be very careful using a shock collar in this situation!!  It may seem like an easy fix but could cause lots of problems.    Good luck. 

[JonP]

Thank you Fuller! I think you are right. I still have her out free roaming the house while we are gone and so far we have not had any issues. Well not quite...we did have an issue with her tearing a hole in our comforter while we were out. But oh well...that is difficult to control without someone around. I am still working on getting a trainer out, but as of now, she has started to adjust to the move. It only took about 3 weeks ha! I am sure that as time passes we will see more positive changes in her personality concerning the move and her new luxury of having free reign of the house while we are out. Thanks again for your help!

Fuller Boerboels said:

I think it's all part of the same issue. She is not at 'ease' and it's an attempt to control her environment. Something is making her nervous. I agree you should get a private trainer out there to help you. It's amazing how they can evaluate a situation and give you tips that are quick and helpful. We have used a private trainer on a couple of occassions and I have always been very pleased. They just seem to come up with resolutions that I never thought of! It's a little more difficult with a toy breed since he can't push back like a big dog, but I'm sure you'll find a solution. You'll be happy you spent the extra money to do it and the sooner the better. Keep us updated. BTW...the Cavalier might be glad he's in that crate instead of out with her at the moment!!! LOL
 
JonP said:

Thanks for the help Fuller,

I think you are on to something here...I tried a risky move this week and have had her free roaming in the house while we are gone. So far so good. I have my fingers crossed! My only problem at this point is our other toy dog the Caviler. We can't leave him out with her because she will hurt him. And now I feel bad that they can't both be out together, he has to sit in that kennel and watch her roam freely because my female cannot seem to leave him alone.

I can't be sure what started it but recently she has been very hard on him. She will see him playing with a toy...so she will go take it away. Later she will see him off exploring the yard or whatever...so she will silently stalk him like a lion stalking a cape buffalo and when he least expects it she will charge him full speed knocking him over and running all over him.

It's not an issue when I am around but whenever they are in the new yard together for some reason she cannot let him be. He doesn't watch out for himself and he usually will try to play with her but she plays far too aggressively right now. Twice in the last week I have caught her as she grabbed him by the ear and tried to drag him. I don't know what to do anymore. For the longest time she played nicely with him, then one day it stopped. That brings me to today. I am seriously considering an electric collar for this. I need to get my trainer to come out for an hour or two to see what he can do. For now I always have my eye on her while they are in the yard together. Let me know what your thoughts are. I am struggling for solutions here. Since you are a breeder you may have some insight into this situation. I don't know if you have any toy breeds in the house but I am sure your dogs have been around them once or twice. Thanks again!

Fuller Boerboels said:

Hi Jon,

It sounds like she's fearful or nervous. All the new noises and a new home takes time to adjust to and she's probably freaking out when you're gone. The kennel has become a scary place for her instead of a place of comfort and that's why she drooling and panting. Do you give her things like nylabones to chew on in the kennel? Something that she can take her nervous aggression out on. I would discontinue the kennel for awhile (I'm assuming you're talking about a crate); maybe get an actual kennel that you can put in the garage while you're gone, where she has room to move around and have a bed and be comfy. I've heard of people leaving on a radio which covers up the noises outside and keeps them focused inside.

You can also buy 'calm' herbal aids at a vitamin or herbal store. You have to use about 4 times the amount for a human, but it works really well at calming them. Maybe hire a sitter to sit with her while you're gone until she adjusts.

[JonP]

Hi Carrie! Thanks for your reply! Good to hear from someone who recently experienced a move or two with a large anxious Boerboel. Our girl has begun to calm down. We have been leaving her out while we are gone as I described above. I have a watch me or "eyes" command that I use for training purposes but that command is completely ignored when she thinks our home is in jeopardy. She runs around the house and yard barking trying to find the cause of a particular noise or sound. It takes some serious effort to get her to focus on me while she is upset about a possible intruder or something. Any thoughts? I can use high value food rewards for this but they are not always easily accessible in spur of the moment situations like this. I usually only have a second to react to her distress. 

Carrie Kruczek said:

Hi Jon:  We have moved with our male has twice in the past year, and it was tough!  He is a difficult dog at best, and the move brought out the worst.  Definitely much edgier, more nervous, and more aggressive.  Luckily for us, he was already used to living in a neighborhood, but even though where we have moved is more isolated and quieter, the scents and the sounds are different and he was upset.  At our last house, our nearest neighbor started a construction project...lots of stranger and machines very close to our house.  Our male was going beserk!  To get him used to it, we worked on a "watch me" command:  it uses positive reinforcement to reward the desired behavior.  Once he was reliable with this, we practiced at a distance from all the activity, rewarding with really desirable treats.  Gradually we got closer and closer, and pretty soon he was oblivious to all the normal uproar.  This can work with you on getting your girl used to the new sounds.  Don't worry that she will still not alert you to anything out of the ordinary, if she is anything like my boy, she will still be vigilant.  My dog is just over 3 years and is over 150 lbs, and lives very comfortably with our 7 lb chihuauhua.  He has learned the command "gentle."  I trained this by having him interact with the chi and whenever he got a little too rambunctious I would put him in a down, hold the little guy next to my male's head and treat and praise him like crazy, while saying "gentle."  We also have an older male lab, no little boy at 110 lbs, but no match for our bb.  Once in awhile I still have a problem with Gage (the BB) bulldozing over him, usually when he's excited and happy.  When they are out in the yard together I supervise, because a bad hit could seriously injure the smaller dog.  Your girl is not drooling and panting in the crate to get attention, she is stressed and can't help it.  It is up to you to teach her that her crate is a nice place and safe place to be.  You can start by feeding her in the crate....don't lock her in, just place her bowl  just inside and let her eat with only her head inside.  Then you can begin giving her high value treats when she goes in.  I'd also recommend getting her a large elk antler, and offering that to her only when she goes into the crate.  (Be careful with this, my boy will resource guard an antler.)  Try a baby gate to separate the dogs when you are not home, then you don't have to feel bad about the little one being locked up.  I would try a long lead on her when she is out with the cavalier....let her go into her stalking mode (I know that crouch....and when I see my boy drawing a bead on the lab I deflect him with another command)  When she goes into that crouch, order her to "watch me" or remind her to "be gentle."  If she obeys, plenty of treats, if she thunders on to the little guy then you've got the line and can yank her up short, give her a verbal no, put her into a down next to the cavalier tell her gentle and praise and treat.  You want her to associate careful and gentle behavior with the little dog as leading to good things for her!  Be very careful using a shock collar in this situation!!  It may seem like an easy fix but could cause lots of problems.    Good luck.