It really varies. What's worked for me I know wouldn't work with some others. I have friends that have never completely house broken theirs. Their dad and the pups are my only ones even though my aunt n uncle had a mid content for 14+ years, she was a rescue that people couldn't handle her because of her "behavior" problems so they dumped her. I sat for them while they were on vacation, only one that could. She would not allow any of the other relatives around. I got really lucky, their dad took me 2 weeks and that was it, their mom took me 2 months as she was not a willing participant to go out nor pads to potty at all. As long as I stuck to out schedule, no issues. If I was gone too long for work or didn't go at "schedule times" then there would be an accident, not his fault mine for not going on time.
He's the same now. It used to be an every 2.5 hour trip, but much longer now. As long as he goes out at least once every 6.5 hours, no accidents. If I don't have a pad down or can't get him out in that time though, I will have clean up. Mom does much better time wise, I don't have to worry if I have an 8 hr work shift as she will not go inside at all now, not sure how long she could wait but I'm not going to see. I think having to wait that long is plenty long enough lol.
He never chewed, some never grow out of it. His only issue was he had a bad habit of peeing on me, he wanted to sleep with me but refused to get up to go potty and would pee on us both and go back to sleep. Needless to say that's what ended up him in his own kennel, which he went to the pad to go if he had to during the night. I never did figure that one out and no one else could help either. Momma ate a door facing, part of a wall, dresser, I don't even want to count how many of my stuffies died...she's a stuffie aholic lol...she HAS to be doing some thing or she's destructive.
When I am up for walking, she is the one that ends up dragging his behind all over if allowed to run. She's the one in charge between the 2. He was brought up that way though. He does from time to time try to one up her or me, but never lasts long. If he was with some one that hasn't had a strong breed and individual before, he'd be a wreck. I'm sure he'd be a danger if he wasn't socialized young and taught/kept how he is. I can't walk him like he needs but I have gotten him to run on a treadmill, which has been great. When I ended up in the hospital and got out for the blood clots, I tried to rehome him...no one was a fit. I would still consider it if I found the right person because I'll never be able to be as physical as I was prior too, just too much damage and no matter what I do it won't be fixed and I know he would benefit from a more active life than I can offer. It hurts me but I'm not willing to just give up either. He's a happy guy, its just when you know some thing could be better you want it to be better...or least I do.
Higher contents tend to have more trouble with house breaking in general, but some are just as good as any other well house broken dog. I think a lot of it depends on how much they are worked with and in what way, but its just a personal opinion. If you try to break them on your time, it isn't going to work and a lot of people don't want to put in that kind of work.
He does dig and dig and dig some more though. He also LOVES water...has his own pool in the summer. Its just a small plastic one, but you'd think it was a giant lake lol. She could care less, not a water dog never digs. I want to work with him and pulling, he's solid rock muscle but he's not a puller lol. He just doesn't have the drive for it naturally but I think with work he would at least carrier easy enough. He was the EASIEST I have ever had to leash train. Even though he's high drive, calling him off a focused on animal isn't hard. Neighbors chickens got into the main lot with him and even though dad was sure I was going to have to "replace" several of them, gave him cue to hold and he just corned them and kept them their while neighbor caught the darn things. Its not a guarantee that's how he'll always act, but its a relief if I need to call him off or cue he will be OK unless its some thing really daunting. I'm not in a hurry to test that. My dad doesn't understand that you can't go into those types of situations all frazzled either, completely different manner with me cueing him vs dad's attempt...dad lets his fear/worry show and that's some thing you just don't do with these types.
Even low contents can be very sporadic in behavior, I think I have been really lucky with that. I've had him go after a fox and a couple other intruding animals, that's part of his job to keep them out of the rabbit building. He has dug out of the wire fence after them BUT he's never left the property line that he'd been worked on (if it wasn't for stupid neighbors, I'd never have wire fence up for him), but I have seen others not stop for any thing when they get on some thing. I've been told females will do some silly things while in heat, their mom was a def good example of that...she went over kennel over pen wire barb wire electric fence and lead to get to him. Trouble maker vs non, she wins hands down lol.
I've been around some you would think were high by the way they acted but weren't. He shows a lot in his walk and his movements around new people, some one that doesn't know will take it as aggression or just wrong...if off lead he will walk tail lowered or tucked and head down at first. He won't run away when some one goes straight up to him on lead (he won't approach any body either though) but keeps the same and lowers self then rolls over. After that he will fly around playing just like he's always known the person or what a typical happy people person dog will do going up to people and trying to get them to play etc. Other dogs, it depends on the dog and how introduced. I've never had him start a fight, he's been around some not other dog friendly dogs and handled well. Some will start fights no matter what, they are in charge period on whatever ground they are on (again I've seen this more with high contents then lower ones but its never a guarantee).
One that isn't raised without a lot of social interaction, basic commands, lots of exercise/work, will be worse than a nightmare. If I hadn't been able to work with him and her the way I had every day when they were young pus, they would've both been seen as problematic dogs by now. I still do every day but its not an 8 hour span I'd spend doing some thing to work on with them, one of them is always with me. She stays with me more than he does inside, he stays pretty much outside of his own choosing. I don't have the same issues I had with things coming in now, but he does what he's supposed to do well. Overall, they want to be with you always, even the lows have a REALLY strong pack connection. Even though he doesn't want to come back in he will check in on me very frequently and then go back to watch. They won't listen to another person that well. Both will lead for dad and he'll lead for others that he's been introduced to....but will not use working cues with any one else. She will basic sit/stay/down/lead but nothing else. He will sit, but that's literally it. He acts more wolfish in that way then aunt/uncle's mid content did. Her "problems" surrounded feed and territory more than any thing else and she was a loner....did not care for any one's company unless she wanted our attention (would react in typical warning, which was seen as aggression) and was not ok with any one outside "family".
He does OK when I have to kennel or tether while I'm at work/doctors but that's it. He tolerates it. If it wasn't for neighbors I wouldn't worry about leaving him loose but I couldn't live with myself if they did some thing just out of fear. He's a big guy and not done growing yet. I do the same with her in her own space due to same reasons and because she worries me, her bolt in March (never have had her do it again or had any issues prior) ended up in her getting hit and loosing the rest of her sight on the one side, she was hit with a car and beaten...guy purposely tried to kill her just because he didn't like dogs and knew if I found out I'd have his hide....he fessed up but legally nothing came of it and I'm not in a position to seek more than that...she's still here and that's my main thought...needless to say she distrusts any one new now though. I've been working on that but I don't know if she'll ever be as social as she was. I took them with me to TSC/PetPlus on a normal basis, now they don't get to.
Her sight issues is the main reason I had put off and pretty much given up any thought on her having pups, smart working dog but no more sight at all on the one side has been a problem. I've had to work on teaching her different cues, can't see hand signals so have to start from scratch working with whistle. Its upsetting in more than one way, she wants to please but she's not able to judge distance and points like she did....its a whole new process. She's not happy just being an inside pup, so will see how the whistle training works out. With the pups and cold, I've not been able to take her out as much as would like but she's been pretty tuckered out being a mom most of the time lol.
