Little Miss Princess - Not getting her way?

[pbach]

Brief history –

Nikki is an 18 month old spayed female. For the first 16 months, she only lived outside. Little to no training and very poor manners.

We obtained Nikki when she was 16 months old. We immediately started her training! Had her spayed, crate trained her and trained her that she will sit and wait until we allow her to eat. No longer growls when someone is around her while she is eating. :)

Nikki is currently enrolled in obedience training. She has learned to Sit, Stay, Down and Wait. Also working on the watch-me command. Nikki also walks very well on a leash.

Our other guy Claus has full complete run of the house. He can be trusted not to eat the cat or the furniture or get into trouble. Nikki on the other hand will more than likely never have full run of the house, or at least not anytime soon. We still keep Nikki on a leash in the house and she is either attached to me or drags the leash around behind her. Always with someone, hubby, either of my teenage sons or me.

At night Nikki sleeps in her crate on the main level of the house and Claus sleeps on his bed and the foot of our bed. Nikki has been doing really well lately and we felt maybe it was time to start giving her some privileges. Like letting her sleep on our floor in our bedroom. For about a week now she has been sleeping on the floor either in our bathroom or our bedroom. I figured the bathroom was kind of shaped like her crate, just a lot bigger. This has really been working out well and I think she's been pretty happy about having this privilege. I’m really proud of her and her accomplishments. But like the old saying goes one step forward and two steps backwards.

Last night – Nikki was asleep in our room. We had the windows open and I noticed that she was really antsy about a lot of things. She could hear cars, birds, and other various sounds in the dark. She barked several times and even after telling her to stop, she would continue on. There was nothing outside that was a threat. I tried several times to get her to lay down and go to sleep and finally around 3:00 am I decided it was time to go to the crate. Here comes the bad part. I told her it was crate time and to come. She ignored me. So I grabbed her collar and she rolled over on her back, pawing at the air. I said enough of this $hit and grabbed her collar again, this time she thought she would growl at me. I definitely had no patience with this. Went and got her leash and she went downstairs to the crate. I had no problem putting the leash on her or getting her to come and go to the crate.

I guess my question is ~ did I do wrong by placing her in her crate or what should I have done differently? I understand that she is very new to us, but I believe we have come along way with her and I know training is so important.

Up until Claus came into our lives and having never owned a Rottweiler I never knew that I too needed so much training. I do appreciate all of your constructive criticisms, comments and or suggestions.

Thanks,

Patty:)

[cpalenchar]

I think I'm missing something... I don't see anything wrong on your part. Is the problem that she was brought to the point of growling?

I went through a stage with my dog where I was giving her more privileges for good behavior, then one day (to my supsrise) I got a little growl when I went for a toy she was playing with. She and I took some steps back and that problem is solved. I think taking away some privileges will readjust her high opinion of herself-- and you'll be right back on track.

That said-- I wonder if there was a miscommunication. On the back is *generally* a sign of submission. *Maybe* she was trying to tell you "okay master you're pissed and I am your lowly slave"-- but then when you went for her collar she was freaked by you "going after her neck" after she tried to call and truce and growled as a fight/flight response? (I have heard some dogs will learn the lying down behavior to avoid being moved... so this definitely isn't the only explanation here.) Even if this was the reason, taking her back a couple steps will still be good. She should believe you are number 1, and fair-- and taking her down on the totem pole should help this.

And finally... I think you have every right to take her to her crate. The crate is not punishment, and if she can't sleep in the room with you-- it's fine for her to have a vacation in her crate. ;) And once it has escalated into a challenge it is your RESPONSIBILITY to finish the challenge the way you intended it to end so that type of behavior isn't reinforced.

-chloe

[Mojave's Mom]

I think perhaps if you want to start giving her more priviledges you're going to have to take it a few steps backward and slow it down. ;)

If she's got an issue with growling at you when you ask her to do something, you should hold off on giving her the priviledge of sleeping in YOUR den. Continue to train her and work with her until she's dependable OFF LEASH inside the house while you're around. Then re-evaluate...when she's ready you can move on.

If she's not used to the noises, you're going to have to accustom her. If I were you, I'd bring her crate up to your bedroom in the place where you would like her to eventually have run of during the night. But leave her there during the DAY so that she can get used to all the noises slowly. As she becomes accustomed to the daytime noises, eventually you can have her stay in her crate, in your room at nighttime. When she gets used to that, you can start leaving the crate door open at night time so she can choose where she wants to sleep. I did this with my male as he matured and he'd start at the time where we went to bed in his crate, but then would come and sleep by my side of the bed until very early morning...I'd get up and he'd be back in his crate, door wide open.

[mickeymichellie]

I agree, perhaps a little too fast, but you never know unless you try! Take it back to her in the crate and be sure not to allow any other privledges as she has already shown you that she is not ready.