Help With 5 1/2 Month Old Male Rottie

[nolove316]

Ok my boy Kai chews on everything and i mean everything. He has eatin all of my mom plants in the back yard now. I checked the plant list and none of them will hurt him(thank god). Now he is pulling the gutter off the house and he plays with that. Mom is really hot about it and wants me to get rid of him. I told her id sleep with him in the car before i got rid of him.

I have told him and told him not to do it but it does not work. I tryed the sour apple spray and go figure he licked it.

Im runnin out of ideas. So what do i do to stop all the chewing in the back yard?


THANK YOU

[Rott-Wiley]

He is probably bored out in the yard alone. Can you bring him inside the house where he can be around people? That's what he really needs.

[nolove316]

Yeah well my mom has to cats and when he sees them he chases them and mom dont like that so he is in the basement.

If its nice out why not have him outside right? How can i stop all this chewing outside. Inside the house he only chews on his toys.

[Rott-Wiley]

Well, that's easy enough. Just put him on a leash and when he starts to chase the cat, give him a good correction and follow that with a firm NO. For a dog his age, he should catch on in no time. Do you have plans to get him into an obedience class?

[nolove316]

I was going to get him in a class but i just dont have the money right now or i would.

[Wrath]

Is he cutting his adult teeth? Does he have plenty of sturdy chew toys? At 5 1/2 months he should still be under pretty close supervision from you, when you see him start to chew on something inappropriate, stop the behavior with a correction or distraction and redirect him to a chew toy followed by lots of praise. Dogs chew, and to a dog, everything is a chew toy. It's up to you to teach them what really is or isn't.

Jaxom did a number on the baseboard of our apartment, pretty much every square inch around the permiter of our walls has tiny puppy teeth indentions in it but it was our fault. We didn't watch him. Keep an eye on your puppy and exercise patience and consisten training with him.

[Judi W]

I'm sorry, but what were you thinking of when you got this pup? Did you think he would happily raise himself left outside or in a basement? Did it not occur to you that training would be necessary and yes, it costs money? You knew your mom had cats, you should know that a puppy cannot raise himself. Please contact your breeder and see about returning him before things get worse and while he is still young enough to rehome.

[poohbearsmom]

When you bring a puppy into your home, it's very much like bringing a human baby into your home. If left to his own devices, he will create his own behavior.... and usually that behavior does not jive with what his human counterparts deem as acceptable.

Any moment you are not supervising and molding your pup's behavior, he should be safe from harming the house, or himself.

If you were/are not prepared to take FULL responsibility for this puppy, i.e. constant supervision, socialization, safe haven, and training classes, then I also would suggest you contact the breeder and return the pup.

Puppies can be taught to leave cats alone, they can be taught to chew on appropriate items, and they can be taught to be a joy to live with, but it takes TIME, CONSISTANCY, AND MONEY to accomplish these things, and raise a puppy properly.... if your pup is left to his own devices in the yard, or the basement, you are taking a SOCIAL animal and depriving him of his needs to be a sound minded dog as an adult...... and I have to ask myself, if you don't have the 50 or 60 bucks to attend a training class, what happens when your puppy eats something that is harmful to him.... can you afford an emergency vet bill???????? :(

Elisabeth

[Judy Chrusch]

This is very sad bc the dog sounds bored and frustrated:( . Dogs can be taught anything with time, patience and consistency. They need us for love and guidance just like children and need to be taken very seriously when you decide to take on that responsibility, especially a rottweiler. As Judi said, contact your breeder and return him so he can go to a home that will invest the time this poor dog needs. This guy deserves more then being put in the basement everytime he does something wrong:( .


As Elisabeth said, can you afford vet bills? Has he even been to a vet? Saying you can't afford training classes concerns me and tells me if you're unable to afford classes then what about the vet .

I don't know how old you are but a responsible dog owner is one that does whatever is needed and that includes training and medical care, can you do that????

If you think you're having trouble now with chewing, etc. wait for another couple of months when he'll be close to 100 pounds and you want him to do something . Do the right thing and return him and I hope to God you got him from a reputable breeder.

Your situation upsets and angers me!

Judy

[TrinityRun]

Well, the thing that bothers me about all of this is the original poster is 27 years old according to their profile.

There is NO excuse to not be able to cough up $60 for training classes. You're paying about that in Internet access for a couple of months. Those tools you learn there will aid you in training forever.

Nothing about this breed is cheap. Not their training, veterinary care, and nutritional requirements.

I doubt this puppy stems from a breeder who would take it back.

I doubt this puppy has been altered.

I would get the pup in to the vet ASAP and have him neutered and I'd move mountains to pay for it, work out payment arrangements at the vet, whatever I had to do. Then I'd get real with myself quick. Either I'm going to resign myself to enrolling him and myself into training courses and financially support him in the manner he should be, or I'd run an ad and place this puppy in a new home.

And if you choose to do the latter. Make sure he's neutered first and at least screen homes. We'd be happy to help you come up with the questions you need to ask and the answers you should hear.

Tough words but deserving.

[moondog]

Jiminy Christmas! If you don't want to PARTICIPATE in your puppy's life and allow your puppy to PARTICIPATE in yours, why do you have him?

I guarantee you that a Rottweiler would prefer your leadership, guidance and companionship over the nicest weather imaginable. Saying that he should be outside alone and unsupervised because the weather is nice doesn't cut it for me, especially when he hasn't had the benefit of your help in learning what is to be played with and what is not. Why aren't you out in the nice weather with him, helping him to be the good dog he has it in him to be? Why aren't you bringing him inside with you and helping him to learn good house manners?

Training classes are available that are very reasonably priced and worth far more than what they cost. Check around. Your local Humane Society may offer classes or be able to refer you to classes that are very affordable. If you don't do right by your dog, why would you expect that your dog would do right by you?

[nolove316]

I called me local pet store and talked to someone about gettin KAin into classes. ITs like $89 for some many classes. Kain will be in class starting next week. I can handle that.

Kain has had all of his shots. Rabies included and all the heart wrom stuff. NExt month he is gettin nutered.

[Wrath]

While I agree with everyone that you're not living up to your responsibilities as an owner, I don't think that dumping the problem on someone else is the only solution. You really need to seriously consider a few things.

One, this particular breed of dog (I'm assuming he's a rottie) can be very challenging, especially to a novice (I can attest). They have been bred as a working dog, and have certain traits and drives that are much stronger than your average Labrador or Shi Tzu. Often times, these drives cause behavior that conflict with what we as humans deem acceptable behavior. They require extensive training, socialization, and constant work to keep them happy, healthy, and safe. This isn't optional with this breed, it's a must. If you honestly can't afford classes, don't have the time, are physically incapable of controlling and working with a 100+ pound dog, then you SHOULD seriously consider finding another home for him.

Two, these animals are VERY social. They have hundreds of thousands of generations of instictual behavior designed to allow them to live and function in packs, when you bring one into your home you become it's pack. Secluding him outside for a majority if the time is absolutely going to cause all sorts of problems. I firmly believe dogs should live indoors with us and have ready access to a secure fenced backyard where they can get lots of exercise. We have two dogs, a rottweiler and a smaller female GSD mix. They both live in our 2 bedroom apartment with us and make frequent trips outside to a nearby common yard where they can get some exercise and practice training. We also make frequent trips to pet stores and parks where they can encounter and interact with lots of people and other animals. Everyone comments on how friendly Jaxom is. We've crate trained them, so at night and when we go out, they're in the crate. If we can't supervise them, they're in the crate. I am allergic to pet dander, it sets off occasional bouts of asthma, but I take allergy medicine and don't allow the dogs on the furniture or in our bed. So basically, we have 2 or 3 very good (and common) reasons for not keeping the dogs inside, but we do. If WE can happily live with our dogs inside, I can't see any excuse for anyone else not being able to.

Three, no one is born with an inherent knowledge of how to raise a dog. Don't feel bad if you make mistakes, you'll make a lot of them. That you're here asking questions is a great indication that you are interested in learning how to be a better owner (which is why I don't immediatly jump on the bad wagon of 'bad owner, give your dog up now') Now it's time to find a trainer, start reading books, go to other online sources for information and start learning as much about the breed and dogs in general as you can. Personally, I find it fascinating. As dogs grow, their behavior changes for many reasons. You'll find that you've got one thing covered and something new and unexpected crops up. It's a constant, life-long learning process for them and you.

At 5 1/2 months, you still have lots of time to correct any behavioral problems, have lots of socialization opprotunities, and raise a well mannered, happy dog. You just have to be willing to invest the time and money that it's going to take. If you're not, then yes...you should find a better home for him.

[PooPooPie]

Good job nolove ... its a lot of work but worth it and required in the long run for you and Kai ... also, you really can't leave a 6 month old alone in a yard ... I could never leave my 6 month old out there, or in the house for that matter without constant supervision and alertness ...

[TrinityRun]

Originally posted by nolove316
I called me local pet store and talked to someone about gettin KAin into classes. ITs like $89 for some many classes. Kain will be in class starting next week. I can handle that.

Kain has had all of his shots. Rabies included and all the heart wrom stuff. NExt month he is gettin nutered.

Outstanding! You can also check into your local obedience clubs for classes. Often K9 schools run ads for classes in the classifieds of your local paper.

A better place to train than Petsmart, IMO.