Adult bitch interaction with puppy/How much?

[tvanderwall]

I have had my new baby boy "Wyatt" for 3 days now, (he is 8 weeks) I also have a 3 1/2 year old female rott "Cheyenne", my question is, when Wyatt plays with his toys, he plays like a typical puppy, however I have one toy which is a heavy ball with thick rubber handles on it, when Wyatt plays with this toy only he will growl alot while playing, which in turn Cheyenne then will go to him, stand over him and growl at him ( a soft growl). At this point I have taken the toy away from him as this is the only toy he does this with and the only one that Cheyenne seems to get involved with. Is Cheyenne in fact telling Wyatt that this behavior is not good or is this all normal puppy play?

[Judi W]

The ball is like a tug thing with him and most dogs growl when playing tug. She's just watching and interested. With a bit of encouragement, she'll probably play tug with him which would be great fun for both.

[tvanderwall]

At this point Cheyenne is not too interested in playing with him, unless it's on her terms of course, but her terms change very quickly, play for one minute then growls at the pup the next, I have been reading all morning on this site and have read that I should allow Cheyenne to growl and put the pup in his place when need be (I was stopping her from growling) wrong thing to do from what I am understanding. Any suggestions should I stop making her growl or let her reprimand the pup?

[Judi W]

No mentally sane adult is going to do a pup an injury although if he is too cheeky she might scare the bejeesus out of him. I appreciate an older bitch teaching my little boys some manners as long as she is basically good natured and not too much of a bully.

[tvanderwall]

Thank you Judi,l just needed some reinforcement I guess.

[jas'smom]

Originally Posted by Judi W

No mentally sane adult is going to do a pup an injury although if he is too cheeky she might scare the bejeesus out of him. I appreciate an older bitch teaching my little boys some manners as long as she is basically good natured and not too much of a bully.

Judy is right here. I have a very bossy cattle dog bitch , but she is wonderful with the puppies. She will quickly put them in their place whenever they are out of line, but at the same time is much more tolarant of them than she is the older dogs.

[tvanderwall]

Judi, we have also been running into Wyatt growling at both myself and my husband when we correct him, he doen't do this all of time, but when he does what is the best way to stop this, he only does it during a correction, until about an hour ago after being corrected and growling, he was picked up to be put in his cage and he growled then as well. What is the best method

[Judi W]

Depends. I don't know what you are correcting him for or how you are doing the correction. If he feels it is unfair or if you are over-stimulating him with the type of correction you are using, he is sticking up for himself.

I don't carry Rottweilers around. I guess I could if I had a severely disabled one, (yeah, right) but I believe they should use their own perfectly good 4 feet.

[tvanderwall]

We had to pick him up because he was down stairs in the basement (family room) and his cage is upstairs and he cannot go up or down the stairs yet, he is not carried any other time.

As for the correction type it was a tug of his gruff (back of neck lose skin). Suggestions?

[tvanderwall]

I just wanted to let everyone know that I aloud my bitch to interact and control her environment with the pup last night, I was amazed at how well the evening went, I think only twice did she really correct him but it is amazing how much better he is acting now that I have left her correct him when necessary. Just had to put my fears aside and entrust in her. He was a wonderful playful puppy and not a banchie last night. Thanks for the advice.

Oh, and also, for the corrections last night, I left a leash on him so that I could give a quick correction and so far this is working wonderfully as well.

[SABELLESMOM]

Nothing more enjoyable than to have Sable "mother" Raven. Watching is an education in itself, these last months. Raven has all sorts of manners. Many of which I've had little to do with teaching. Bite inhibition, for example.

Sable has moments where you can clearly tell she's thinking something thru. One day, she got up after a pensive moment, grabbed a stretchy toy, when to the pup and taught her to play tug! It was great! Next it was a ball. They made up their own version of "soccer." It was just too sweet to see them rounding a corner of the house, side by side, with the opposite ends of the same girraffe in their mouths.

Other times the pup would do something so rediculous, Sable would grin and look at me as if to say, "I swear, she's lost her mind! What a goofball!"

Oh...training? Pups not only learn by traditional means of treats and praise. They also learn thru watching the adult. I didn't specifically teach "wait," yet Raven knows what to do by having watched Sable. Sable has to "wait" and not exit the door before me for potty breaks etc. The pup learned it by "osmosis."

[Judi W]

The bitch teaches the pup what "enough" means so you don't have to do so much work.

I don't scruff puppies or jerk them around which I find just gets them excited and emotional. When they become emotional they can neither learn or think. A leash correction does not have meaning to a baby pup other than an assault. It looks (quite rightly) like a fight. If I really need to communicate "stop" to a baby pup I simply put my finger through the collar and hold them still. They will usually go into a sit even if they've flailed around for a while. I simply wait. Then I will tell them "good puppy" after they settle down so they can think. It is getting into too big a hurry that problems arise. If you must pick the pup up, don't just swoop down and pick him up. That is most disconcerting. Squat down and speak quietly for a while to give him a chance to gather his wits, give him a couple of strokes and then pick him up politely. It is insulting for a dog to be carried, even a pup. It is perfectly possible to enforce things without getting into a fight. It requires patience and kindness and understanding as well as firmness but when they are still traveling on a puppy passport fighting is the last thing you want to use.

[tvanderwall]

Thanks Judi for the suggestions, I use them.

[Judi W]

Good, your puppy will thank you and you will make better partners if you teach with respect.