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Date Posted: 19:26:56 12/29/03 Mon
Author: Dan G.
Subject: Individual, Boerboel or mastiff family trait ?

I am curious to find out if others have experienced what I am experiencing. I have taught my BB to bark on command. The thing that I find interesting and unusual is what I believe to be his inate inability to vocalize a non-threatening bark. It seems as though to him the only time that he should bark is when he is serious (making a threat or warning).

During a play or training session he will be given the command. He seems to not want to comply, even though he knows what the command means. He wants the toy badly (so I do have full attention) but he will give a whine/bark as if protesting and then maybe a faint high pitched bark. When he sees that this won't work, he finally gives in and gives a full strong bark. Although the bark is accompanied with a rigid stance, tail stiffened and my gut was telling me that he seemed to be trying to intimidate me to give him the toy but at the same time without feeling sure about the whole thing. I would give him the benefit of the doubt and I would reward him and give him praise. Because normally I would just think that he has a different way of expressing his bark, and that in no way is he really trying to dominate or threaten me, etc. etc.

But now here is the kicker and the thing that struck me as being odd, which is why I posted. A few days back he started barking like I initially expected him too. Deep, full confident bark, but non-threatening. I know this may sound weird but the body language is just totally different. So I'm now thinking that he just had to be trained in expressing a non-threatening bark.

It's a first for me and I never heard of such a thing, so I was just curious. I'm not sure if it's just an individual, Boerboel or mastiff family trait. I would appreciate some input on this.

Thanks,
Dan G.

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