Help! My possessive five-month-old BITES!

[Otter]

HELP! I've had working breeds in the past, but my Rottie pup has a possessive behavior problem I can't seem to train out of him. Whenever he has something -an object or a toy which he really wants- he growls to warn people off. If they continue to approach him, he BITES! It's not just snapping: He really tries to do damage. I've gone to both trainers and behavioralists who have given me about the same advice, so I've been hand-feeding him and working to avoid putting him around objects which could activate the behavior. When he has bitten me, I've hit him under the jaw, rolled him on his back until he lies still while leaning over him, then secluded him for a hour (I'm not happy with hitting him but everyone I've spoken to says that biting is the ONLY time you are justified in hitting your dog. I've never needed to hit any dog in the past and I am miserable that I've hit my own puppy.).
Nothing has been working, and the problem is getting worse FAST! Now it's not just certain objects but everything he gets his paws on. It's definatly becoming a dominance issue, but since he always loses the object and is always punished for biting I can't explain why he is still behaving this way. It's been going on since he was 14 weeks (I did NOT hit a 14-week-old puppy, just removed the object and rolled him on his back until he was quiet, then secluded him.) and is getting worse instead of better.
I've had him since he was 10 weeks old and in all other respects he's a sweet, intellegent puppy. He's so submissive around both people and dogs that the vet has suggested leaving him unfixed for longer than normal to give him an extra testosterone kick, but when he is possessive he is NOT submissive and is getting more aggressive by the day. However, he is aggressive only when he is possessive. I'm at a total loss: I'm careful as to what he chews on and no one has ever forced a toy away from him, so I don't know what originally triggered this problem. But if this continues I'm afraid that he will bite someone besides myself and my roommates, and I'll be forced to give him up or destroy him. HELP!

[AngelBunny]

Your puppy sounds rather like my Tallinn was when she had something she wanted: She'd rather die than give the item up, and she'd die fighting to retain the item.

While Tallinn never became an easy dog when it came to taking things away from her, by dint of repetition--and always getting the item away--despite how hard she bit me & threatening she acted, I eventually got her to come around. Sort of. (While she growled & showed her teeth when I took things away from her, she stopped biting me.)

My suggestion is to keep taking items away, despite how tuff your puppy acts. It could very well be that you'll always have to keep an eye out on your dog. I had to do so with Tallinn.

[Killfactor]

Have you tried trading? That is what we have done with everything but bugs, guess what she wont give up?

[Kiminski]

Hi,
Personally I don't feel that hitting a dog will stop it's aggression, in fact it will most likely make it worse. There are better ways to train your dog. It does sound like you are heading toward a real problem, perhaps a personal trainer would be a good idea. At least to get the dogs temperment evaluated. Here are a few web addresses that address training and behavior problems. http://members.aol.com/RottnMary/lessons.html http://www.laundurmutt.com/pack.htm http://www.doggiedoor.com/nobite.htm http://www.cyberramp.net/~kender/Leadership1.htm http://www.clickandtreat.com/webart104.htm http://www.canismajor.com/dog/alpha1.html
I hope some of these are helpful, please, please, dont hit your dog.
Kim

[German Vanegas]

Please check this thread out. It may help.
http://www.rottweiler.net/rottie/For...ML/000268.html

Hitting the dog will produce negative results far from the ones desired from you. Be very-very patient, or give that pup away to someone with more experience in handling working large breeds, as the noble strong willed Rottweiler is not ordinary dog. Thanks!