Wimpy Rottie

[CorysBethers]

I have a 2 year old male Rottie. He is a wonderful dog and we socialized him when he was a puppy so he is friendly towards everyone that he sees. When we take him to PetsMart, he loves meeting new dogs. However, last night, my husband and I introduced him to a new dog, Rex, to play with. We went to Rex's house and when my Rottie, Tazer, first saw him when we were in the car, he barked like crazy. Once we got out, however, he was excited and tried to lick him but Rex snapped at him and tried to bite. My dog weighs about 120 and Rex is only about 35 pounds. We went to the basement so that they could run around together but Rex, who is an Australian Shepherd mix, immediately chased after Tazer biting at his legs to herd him. Tazer was scared to death and tried to run away from him. He ran to me looking for protection. After awhile he barked and ran after Rex but still ran scared if Rex approached him. I don't want my dog to be aggressive towards other dogs but I want him to defend himself if another dog is going after him or at least play back if they're being rough. Do you have any suggestions?!

[LunaBell]

Don't have playdates with that dog again.

[Maverick]

I don't think anyone can tell you how to teach your dog to interact with other dogs the way you want him too..... Or maybe they can, but I certainly can't think of anything to suggest for that.

[Stubby]

Nah, you don't want him to defend himself. Best he run behind you for protection. Vet bills ain't cheap to fix up the mess from a dog fight.
And breaking one up can cause you to be in the "emerg" yourself.

Anyways, you boy is still young, and probably won't gain confidence for a while yet. And if he doesn't, then who really cares if he doesn't fight other dogs?

Maybe it's you that has more of a problem with him being wimpy??

[Ilovemypuppy]

Pick your playdates with dogs that do not herd your Rottie and make him uncomfortable. Not all dogs are suitable playmates for any dog.

I don't blame your dog for reacting the way it did and he looked to YOU to correct the situation and get him out of there. You put him in that situation, afterall.

Two dogs, who don't know each other should be introduced in a neuter location and on leash and slowly. The Aussie was on home tuff and was being very pushy.

The LAST thing you want is to put your dog in a situation like this where he may decide he has to fight to defend himself. If you have done , as you say you have, and socialized him really well and he is well behaved in most situations...you should know that dogs DO NOT necessarily HAVE to have or ENDURE the company of other dogs.

The herding breeds like this Aussie tend to go after the back legs of other dogs in 'play'..I hate it and so do most dogs.

Your dog wasn't being 'wimp', he was showing good sense and restraint.....as Stubby says above, the alternative would have landed one or both dogs at the vet and maybe you at the hospital.

Please do not think of your Rottie as a 'big, tough dog'. He's a highly intelligent, sensitive individual who depends on you to make the right decisions as to his exposure to things that are not necessary or advisable. It's your job to protect him and put him in situations that are positive.

[CorysBethers]

I don't want him to fight, but I don't want him to get hurt. If there's a situation where I'm not there to help him, I want him to be able to at least stand up to the dog, ya know? I am soo glad that my dog is friendly, I just don't want him to get hurt. I think I will refrain from letting Tazer play with Rex again unless his owners correct him when he nips. Thanks for the suggestions. I think a bigger dog would be better for Tazer. I don't want him to end up being scared of other dogs.

[moondog]

There should BE no situation where he needs you and you are not there to help him! If you want him to be comfortable around other dogs, protect him from the bullies and he won't get hurt or into a dog fight, and may even develop some confidence along the way.

[Ilovemypuppy]

Originally Posted by CorysBethers

I don't want him to fight, but I don't want him to get hurt. If there's a situation where I'm not there to help him, I want him to be able to at least stand up to the dog, ya know? I am SO glad that my dog is friendly, I just don't want him to get hurt. I think I will refrain from letting Tazer play with Rex again unless his owners correct him when he nips. Thanks for the suggestions. I think a bigger dog would be better for Tazer. I don't want him to end up being scared of other dogs.

There's where you are wrong... "I want to to be able to stand up for himself"...make no mistake about it...if he is pushed, he will fight back and it won't be pretty....it could also lead to him feeling defensive around other dogs in future and feel he better fight first and ask questions later.

I suggest you get yourself and him into obedience classes with a good positive motivational trainer......where you both will learn how to focus on each other around other people and dogs. Dogs DO NOT have to make physical contact with other dogs to lead happy lives.

My girl is well trained and prefers NOT to make physical contact with other dogs..she's very sensible around other dogs, but does not want they ON her. I respect her for that. Make no mistake about it, I am sure she could defend herself, if she had to, but I consider it my job to not put her in a situation where she would ever have to.

How would you have felt, if, when the Aussie was hanging by it's teeth off the back legs of your boy, if he would have ripped around and sunk his teeth into her? and injured her or worse?

A bigger dog for a playmate ???? Please get into a training class.

[CorysBethers]

First, we have taken obedience classes and he listens very well. I posted this to get some helpful hints, not to be yelled at and treated as though I do not know how to deal with my dog. When the other dog was nipping, I separated them and consoled my dog. We took breaks and had the other dog on his leash at times so that Tazer could investigate without being harassed. I would appreciate it if you, "Ilovemypuppy" did not post any more comments because you don't really know the situation and what you said was not helpful. Another thing, a bigger dog would be better because they tend not to be so nippy and barky. The barking upsets Tazer too. I know my dog.

[dogsbydoug]

A bigger dog would not necessarily be less nippy and barky. We have an 80 pound foster rottie that thinks she is a herding dog - pesters the others to chase her by nipping at their heels and barking at them.

Instead of looking for a quick fix, look for well behaved dogs you can trust not to bully your dog. please don't expect your dog to defend huimself. I've been on the receiving end of a bite trying to break up dog fights when one was defending and the other was attacking...NOT pretty, and I have the scars to show it.

YOU are the one who has to protect your dog. No need to console your dog for trying to get away from what sounds like a typical Aussie. Get him out of there and don't allow him to interact with that dog again.

My almost 7 year old male is afraid of puppies - go figure! We've got a 10 week old pup here and he wants nothing to do with her, yet she follows him and the other dogs around because, well, she doesn't know any better. Do I force him to interact with her? No, I simply remove him from the situation. He is my first priority - not the pup - the pup lives here but does not belong to me. She belongs to our roommate, so the dogs have to interact with her daily, but are not forced to do it.

We're not yelling or telling you how to deal with your dog - we ARE simply replying based on the info you provided.

I would suspect that barking would upset your dog - so why make him deal with it? Find more appropriate playmates - no matter the size the dog must be a proper playmate for your dog...then again, you could always play with the dog - your dog does NOT need doggie friends in order to be happy - I suspect he'd be just as happy playing with you.

[MontanaRott]

Originally Posted by CorysBethers

First, we have taken obedience classes and he listens very well. I posted this to get some helpful hints, not to be yelled at and treated as though I do not know how to deal with my dog. When the other dog was nipping, I separated them and consoled my dog. We took breaks and had the other dog on his leash at times so that Tazer could investigate without being harassed. I would appreciate it if you, "Ilovemypuppy" did not post any more comments because you don't really know the situation and what you said was not helpful. Another thing, a bigger dog would be better because they tend not to be so nippy and barky. The barking upsets Tazer too. I know my dog.

No one is yelling at you, BUT they are giving you very good very sound advice. And what you choose to do with the advice given is strictly up to you, but I will say this, I hope you keep your dog out of situations in the future that could turn ugly and give our breed yet another black eye. Your dog does not need to have doggy playdates to be happy and healthy. YOU are your dogs best playmate.

[CorysBethers]

I appreciate most of the advice and I am taking it into consideration. One person was rude in what they said, especially in regards to saying that I need to go to obedience classes. I wasn't looking for a quick fix, the owners of my dog are my in-laws and they wanted to get some interaction for their dog, so we gave it a try. It wasn't the best experience, but I know how my dog responds to their dog, so it won't happen again. My dog LOVES playing with my husband and me; I was just trying to give him more playmates. I know he's happy with us. It had just been awhile since he had received socialization with other dogs.

[AB1101]

I have to agree that your dog is far from a wimp, your dog was looking to his best friend for help from an annoying situation. You should be happy your dog doesn't bite first. He might not have liked the other dog, and a play bite would have been a real one.

[SABELLESMOM]

It's hard, sometimes not to see things from a defensive angle. But folks here generally have a great deal of experience. It's wisest to make the most of what they say.

Your dog was not on equal footing in at least 2 regards. One, he was on the Aussie's turf. And two, the Aussie is a herder. Rottie's don't always appreciate being herded. And despite what you may think, looking to you to stop it. Now, you did modify the situation for him. And I'm sure that helped. But you need to evaluate whether these two dogs will ever be good friends. Rex's owners are in-laws, you said?

If so, then you need to meet on neutral ground and set up a planned activity, with breaks built in. Do they like fetch? Set up a parallel game. You throw for your dog and your relative for his. When they get tired, snap on leads and go for a walk, or each of you do a training session.

The longer Rex is "not allowed" to herd your dog the better. They will get used to alternative activities, as long as you keep thinking of things all will enjoy. A nice long hike? Swimming? Fetch the stick (summer of course) from the lake?

They may become friends they may not. But then you don't necessarily "like" everyone you meet either, do you?

Now, Ilovemypuppy did make a valid point. If he was pushed, he would fight back. It wouldn't be pretty. Be glad he didn't, and work on the possibility of them getting along thru parallel games/play. I hope it works out for you. But if it doesn't there are other dogs to romp with. And if not another dog...YOU. His best friend.

[CorysBethers]

The problem with Rex is that his owners ALWAYS allow him to herd their other dog, a miniature schnauzer, who is also very aggressive. I have been over there when Rex has been biting at her and she'll yelp and cry but they won't stop him from doing it. When Rex was biting at Tazer, I tried to tell him no biting but the owners didn't see anything wrong with it. I can't control how they train their dog, but I can decline going over there because of it. Yes, his owners are my husband's parents so it can make it stickier. I don't want them to think that I am trying to tell them how to train their dog; they are in training class right now which may help but I don't know if they will address it in the class.