any training suggestions?

[Guardian Angel's White lightning]

Maya, the belgian i have talked about plays pretty rough (using her front teeth and pintching others with them, sometimes ripping skin off) My husband said that if she could play nicely, and not injure the others that we could keep her!!!!!!!! I would love to keep her.  Here is what i have tried

I have tried keeping a leash attached to her for an easy correction...w ell that didn't work...that made things more difficult...sh e kept getting tangled as did others. 
With her, play turns to fight reallly fast....one sec...and bam instant fight.

I think...tell me what you think..... i think that if we take her for longer walks and exhaust her, that she wont have energy for such rough play. BUT...mind you her past a** hole owner ran her 14 miles...so she has alot more stamina than i do.  Therefore i thought that perhaps i could have her come on walks with me, and then run her on the treadmill? please tell me any help....finall y i got a yes to keep her if and only if she can get along with the family....(not to mention how she wants to eat the cat! any help on that one too ...any help>>>?)

[NarniaMals]

The mals and the huskey get into some rough play - only the wicked female has gotten one small cut from all the biting they do - so far.  We use crates for the kiddos.  What seems to work for us is that when things get rough we use a stern voice and tell them they will have to go to crate - For some reason that seems to work.  I don't like to threaten crate - but if it gets wild we put them in crate (like a time out) for a few minutes and try again.  After a few visits to crate it got the point across.  We still have rough play but if it gets to wild all I need to say is crate and all stops.

The obedience trainer talked about tossing a choke chain (makes a LOUD noise) and shouting hey (I think) to startle them.  SHe demonstrated it once and it scared the begeebers out of the boxer she used for demontration.  WHen he started the behavior she wanted to correct all she had to do was jingle the chain.  She had the chain hit the wall behind him for noise effect - never touching the dog.  She tried it with my mal, unfortunately it didn't work at that time.  I guess it just depends.  She seemed to say this was more of a last option if all else fails since we really aren't into intimidating pups - rather - just a startle that they can eventually have the same response with just a HEY.

Not sure what will work for you - TIME and patience may work just as well - I NEVER though all 3 of mine could co-exist - but for the most part they do!

GOOD LUCK - Keep us posted.   May be a local trainer could help you out if things don't settle down (oyr makes house calls - yes in Alaska we have some people who still make house calls )

[mynameislola]

Working with a group of dogs where one is dangerously active, I let only as many play at once as I have harnesses, leashes, and people to hold them.  The leashes are limited to six feet to keep that tangling from happening and the harnesses work better for me than collars which can get pulled off fairly easily.  They stay leashed until I believe thay are all safe together.  Some dogs never get off the leash; some are off in a few days.

There are some commands that can make playtime more fun for everyone.  One is the Be Careful! command.  I use that when my dogs are not paying attention to where people are.  I do not want to get blindsided by 350 pounds of dogs.

Another is a command that sends them all to a place of rest.  Here I say Box! and everyone runs for their crate.  It makes for a good time out if it gets too wild and is a fine way to get them all off the floor in an emergency, for example if a glass breaks.  My dogs learn these two commands before they get to play with visiting dogs.

If you keep the Mal on a short leash while playing, you can make corrections like Too Rough! and you can easily remove the dog from the play area for a few minutes.  If you have to break up a fight, and I do not suggest that for people who have not been taught by a specialist how to do it safely, dragging dogs away with leashes may be the only safe alternative. 

I use squirt bottles and the chain rattling too, but some dogs are not affected by either. 

Are you also working on bite inhibition and suppression?  From your description of the dog's behavior, I would guess that those never got done.

[MagicM3]

I think you have gotten some good advise so far..but I do have a question..I am sure from what you have said that you do exersise her..and walks are important..but ..*the walk is more than exercise..

Who is following whom...on the walk...I know lots of people that walk their dogs and mostly it is the dog walking them..

If you are the leader on the walk it can solve lots of issues....that doesn't mean that you can't give them their time as well..just that you are the one in control of what and when..

My three play all the time..everyday ..inbetween naps..and while they are in the midst of it you would think they are killing eachother...if I think it is getting too much..for any reason..a simple sound or even no sound just walking over to them and a look can stop them in their tracks..

We have small medium and large and no one has ever been hurt..play is play..and sometimes as strange as it may sound especially if they have not been solicalize well...they don' understand the rules..but they can all be taught..

Don't give up..you sound like a good leader..and just what she needs..

Tricia and the fur kids

[Guardian Angel's White lightning]

in her origianl owners house she rules the roost....here at my house i rule the roost... I have never let any of my dogs walk in front of me, and that goes for the dogs i walk too.  Today i was pleasently surprised that maya out of the crate was being a good girl. so in return we went for a car ride, just her and i.  It seems as though we are having trust issues, she is truely trying, i saw that today.  She is trying so hard to try to understand what rules need to happen.  She is so anxious that it is insane and i understand that completely.  We are going to go on a new walking routine,and run run and run. That is what she likes and that is what she needs. Truely she needs another mel so that she can play.  I understand the theory of play and that it can get rough...i also have titan and jaz (mastiff and dane) but...dogs are getting hurt. Blood is flowing, from both other dogs and other people too...this is the problem. I do train dogs for a living, but never one with this much pent up energy and anxiety.  But we seemed to have come across an understanding and a little trust today, so we will see where it goes!!!!   

[Edwpang]

Everyone has given you great advice about training. I just want to know if it's possible to do roller skating or riding a bicycle when walking your dog...

[Guardian Angel's White lightning]

OH the frusturation. Today, after being such a good girl...after we let her out...she was chewing on a marrow bone...panted while looking at me and peed on my foot@!!!!!!!!!!!  what is up with that??? I didn't kill her, actually i was surprised i had no real issue (i guess my fault for not letting her out after we came home (we wer only gone 20 min, and let her out before we left) I am not sure if this was a big  or what it was.... i hope not a dominance thing...what do you think??

[Guardian Angel's White lightning]

OK...so since i last asked for help..or suggestions, maya is doing so awsome.  This weekend we did purchase a muzzel to begin working with people and other dogs. SHE DID GREAT... it has gotten to the point where if she gets too rough, i hold the muzzel and she then behaves herself, no biting, no jumping, she is a good girl.  We are on our way!!