Aggression

[jason2]

Today I was in my room and as I got up to go to the kitchen I saw Jason in the living room chewing part of one of my mom’s fake plants. When he saw me he dropped it right away, I went up to him and tried to open his mouth and he started growling. I told him sit and down and he did a down and rolled over I started rubbing his belly with my foot but he was still growling. I walked towards my room and he ran to my room because he likes to be in my room at night after this behavior I did not want him in my room so as soon as he ran in my room I suck out my arm with my finger pointing to the door as to say hit the road jack and he walked out of the room growling loud. Last night I also found him chewing a piece of plastic and when I went to take it away from him he also growled that time I backed off.

Just to give you a brief history he is 2 ½ yrs and kept indoors with my parents and I we are loving family to him and my mom spoils him rotten. The only other time he has ever growled was a month or so ago he was growling over food but we found out he had a hot spot and after it was treated he was back to his normal self. He was also at the vet this month because he has small dry bumps that the vet said are allergies and gave us antibiotics and allergy medicine and I have been giving him the medicine. So is it medical aggression? Or is he just trying to challenge me for rank in the pack what should I do.

[brunie's mom]

Sounds like he is full of himself and testing you.
You say he is spoiled? It's time to stop the spoiling and start taking him down a few pegs. Start with NILIF (do a search), and make sure everyone in the family is all on the same page.

Get back into obedience classes with him, or at least do 15-20 minutes of training with him yourself everyday. He's got to start seeing you as a leader.

You should also not need to be wrestling with his mouth to get him to drop something he should not have. Teach him the "drop it" command. Start when he's playing with a toy....show him a yummy treat and say "drop it".....keep doing this during the day...and work up to things that are more important to him.
The drop it commands is very important and should be started from puppyhood.

Gina

[groupieindenial]

Yes, like Gina said, you need to work on obedience and NILIF. You should be able to ask for him to drop anything. I still can't just 'take' anything away from my boy, its not fair to just "take" - he'd put his head down and guard the item under his chin. I can ask for it no problem. Sit, out! Problem solved. Do not get into wrestling matches with your dog to overpower him, its unfair and it causes more problems. NILIF is a great non-confrontational way of molding their view of you as leader.

The grumbling/growling when he was walking out when you pointed him to is plain back talk of his displeasure of what you told him to do.

[AngelBunny]

Medically induced aggression has nothing to do with your dog's behavior.

Much more likely is that fact you are a "loving family to him and my mom spoils him rotten" is the cause for his bad behavior--you all love him so much, you're not treating him like a dog. He's starting to see himself as something more than he is.

He's growling because you, an underling, are trying to take something he, the king, wants. And, his self-importance is only growing and being reinforced by your backing down when he growls.

Your family and this dog are currently not on a path that will end happily. Today your dog growls and you give in. Tomorrow, or next week, someone may not give in when your dog growls and he'll feel a need to rachet up expression of his displeasure--by biting.

Start NILIF with this dog. Find an obed class and sign yourself and your dog up for class. Get your mother to stop spoiling him because she's setting him up for failure. Get a crate and start crate training him. If he's allowed up on the furniture and in people's bed, that's over. Your dog needs to understand he's not the leader, you all are. Your dog is a dog, not a child in a fur coat.

Hot spots can be food-induced, in that they indicate the dog is allergic to something in his or her diet. What food are you feeding?

[moondog]

Jason, here's a story that demonstrates what you are dealing with. Everyone's advice is right on......get him in classes and establish structure in your home for him using the NILIF concepts and his behavior will improve dramatically.

http://www.rottweiler.net/forums/gen...458-fable.html

[buddysdad]

do not rub his belly with anything if he has been naughty.when he rolls over dont say a thing. if hes spoilt u have a lot of things to no b4 he will be ok.

[jason2]

Hey thanks every one for all the input well first off all when I said I tried to open his mouth he had already dropped it I just wanted to make sure that nothing was left in his mouth. I read that long post about Alfa dog dominance and learned a lot. Today I took him on a walk and gave him no slack what so ever I kept his head next to my leg the whole time to show him that he’s is not allowed to walk ahead of me. During the walk I would do a stop sit down and stay then make him wait 40 or seconds and then a come all wile on the leash. I did this like 5 times.

Oh and just to let you know no one in the house ever lets him on the couch or the bed no way would we have that he’s no allowed to be up at our level. When I said my mom spoils him what I meant is that she is always giving him all kinds of human food. And play with him a lot. But at the vet they said he was like 10 pound over wait he’s at 128 they said he should be no more than 115 because at 115 you won’t be able to see his ribs but you should be able to feel them easily. I told mom to please stop all the human food not only because it make him over weight but I could be the cause of his allergies. We have always given him eukanuba. Really he respects her most I think he doesn’t challenge her because he only wants to challenge the males. But I know if his behavior is not corrected now it’s only a matter of time till he acts up even with her. Ill make shur to not let him get in my way when I walk around at home and to always enter door before him also to not let him walk in front of me on the leash and to practice commands every day.

[AngelBunny]

When he's out on walks, he shouldn't have to be heeling the whole time, if that's what you were doing. A portion of walks should be fun, provide opportunities for the dog to relieve him or herself, and for the dog and owner to have a good time together, enjoying each other's company.

The food you're feeding is not of good quality. If you read thru the postings in Nutrition & Grooming, you'll find the names of many much better, readily available foods. You'd be doing your dog a very good thing to take him off Euk.

I've always fed our dogs human food and plate scrapings, but have never had a fat Rottie in many years of owning the breed. That's because I feed my dogs enough for their age and activity level. Your Rottie appears to be like many I know--incapable of self regulation, so he eats as much as you feed him. You are going to have to feed him less and increase his exercise level.

Sounds as tho you're practicing NILIF. This is a good thing to do with all Rotties--especially males the age of your Rottie. It would also be a very good idea for you to get yourself and your dog into class. Dog trainers don't train your dog--they train you how to train your dog.

[BostonRott]

Originally Posted by jason2

Hey thanks every one for all the input well first off all when I said I tried to open his mouth he had already dropped it I just wanted to make sure that nothing was left in his mouth.

All of my dogs, whether they will ever set foot in a show ring or not, are taught from a young age to allow teeth/mouth exams.....for exactly this kind of thing.

Start with a treat, while he's hungry, just before a meal, and using your thumb/forefinger, lift up his upper gums on the sides. If he does not growl, praise and give him a treat. Something small, soft, and easily swallowed (cut up string cheese works well). Be sure you're not flattening the rest of your hand over his eyes.

As he gets used to this, add the command "teeth" to it. Then start using your other hand to "peel down" the lower lip. The final step is to open his mouth and look at the back of his mouth. Again, as you progress, each success is followed by immediate reward. You should stay at each step for a few days, to be sure he's 100% comfortable with it.

I would NOT attempt any of this in the next few weeks. Spend some time working on NILIF (get EVERYONE in your house hold on the same page with this!), and leadership exercises, and THEN start into the teeth thing.