Bernese - behavioral problems

Question
Hello,

We have a male Bernese Mountain dog who will be three in September, we rescued him when he was three months old from a shelter in PA.  His behavior has always been quite erratic, he is extremely skittish, can become easily afraid of almost anything, right now we are trying to deal with his fear of his food dish and his fear of crickets!  We keep saying "you gotta chill out, or you are going to give yourself a heart attack", that is how much he gets worked up over something.   But, as much of a problem that is, it isn't our main concern, his personality is changing and not to a personality we are liking very much.  He has gone from being obedient to not listening at all.  He will become aggressive at the first hint of discipline, which in the past was a slight rap to the nose, but now, because of his aggressiveness, he is put into isolation for 10-15 minutes.  He will run off on a moments notice and not return until he is good and ready, it has gotten to the point where he cannot be let out without a leash on him because he simply will not listen.   So, here are some questions that I have wondered.  First off, could his birth have something to do with his behavior?  His mother was abused, could it have passed on to him at some point?  Secondly, we also have a three year old English Black Lab, who is the dominant dog, even though he is half the size, could this be a contributing factor in the behavioral changes?  Any help you could offer would be greatly appreciated, our Berner is extremely lovable the majority of the time, but the personality changes we are seeing at times mask the love!!  Thank you!

Answer
Hi Maggie,   This is quite a common problem.   There are alot of inherently shy dogs out there.   I had a male one time who was one of the boldest dogs I ever had & he was hard-headed to the max.   This same dog never threw a pup that was not shy to some degree.  Unfortunately,  he was a great performer, but I did catch it after about his third litter & never bred him again.  These pups were alot like your dog, in that their shyness seemed to progress in stages.
So, to answer your first question, no - I don't think that the birth or the mother's experiences had anything to do with their genetic composition.     I likewise don't feel that your Lab, being older & more dominant has too much to do with it.   
    I can't tell from your note, just how aggressive this dog is becoming.  If there is any chance that he could be a danger to anyone,  he should probably be euthanized.   BUT, lets not throw the baby out with the bathwater.   Although these dogs (especially one the size of a BMD) should never be fully trusted,  they can lead fairly normal lives with some extra management.
    Let me run down some basics first.   ALL dogs should be crate trained.  They should be trained to stand tied.   They should have a place to call their own both inside, a crate or dogbox, and outdoors, a substantial chain or a kennel with suitable shelter from the elements, ei. a doghouse.    Considering that BMDs are real outdoor dogs, (my friend has one that loves to sleep in the snow) I would probably kennel this dog outdoors as much as possible.   This does not mean just running around loose.   He needs to be worked with so he stays in his pen or on his chain for a reasonable amount of time without making a fuss, goes in his house etc.  After he becomes calmer & less nervous with his "own" piece of real estate, then "teach" him to come in the house.  These are training sessions with full supervision.  The more supervised exercise this dog gets, the better.  Some activity like sled pulling would be great.
    Don't push him too hard, let him become more comfortable in his own skin.   Realize that he will probably never get any magic "cure" but with alot of real patience & real work, you can continue to enjoy his company.
    An interesting note: I once had a Catahoula that acted like she was dying of thirst in the hot weather.   When I would give her fresh water, she would drink & drink.   Then later in the day she would have her tongue hanging out.   I finally discovered that a toad was soaking itself in her water pan in the heat of the day & she was absolutely scared to death of it.   Go figure.
  Thanks for asking, Maggie & Good Luck,   Rob