fighting same sex males

[dadaa]

hello everyone i have just joined this forum
i have got an 3,5 year old rottweiller he is a very sweet dog
he loves people
here comes my problem he always used to be good with other dogs when he was a pup he used to play a lot i knew it was important for him to socialise then when he was getting bigger a lot of dog owners wouldnt let him play with their dog cause he was bigger which i thought was a big shame
then when my dog was around 1,5 years old he got attacked by two dogs he didnt even know what fighting was he just ran of, then a few weeks later he got attacked by another dog a goldenretriever of al dogs i had my dog on the leash and this dog just started attacking him
then a few months later walking on a field another dog attacks him and i think thats what did it
because a few weeks later we saw a dog that looked a lot like that dog that attacked him and my rott started attacking him i was so shocked i had never seen my dog fight i also think it was worse because of the way i reacted because i had never experienced this i was quite hysterical (i react different now)
since then every male dog he sees ,and that dog is a bit dominant he will fight, obviously he is now always on the leash but as i live on the netherlands antilles it happens that the other is not on a leash and will walk up to my rott
i know male dogs have this problem but i think a big part of it is that he got attacked is this true
and is there any way to stop this behaviour cause it really is not easy taking him anywhere as you can emagine
i really love my dog he is so great i just wish that we could have a day at the beach without having to look around for other dogs every minute
overall my dog has just been very unlucky like the time when i was still living in holland i went on holliday and my rott went to a kennel (dog hotel) dont know the word in english i told the owner to not put my dog with any male dogs when i came back my dog had changed so much and he had bites in his neck so obviously he had a fight all these things make me think why he is like he is today
its just a big shame because he is so nice with people kids cats everything
do you have any ideas to help me ?
dadaa

[BostonRott]

Yes, being attacked by other dogs will cause him to be suspicious of similar looking dogs in the future.

Basically, there is no easy answer. Figure out when the beach is less populated by other dogs (early a.m.? at dinner time?) and that's when you two go. Perhaps rainy days are the best time out b/c most people stay in to avoid the rain....it will take some time, but you'll figure it out.

In the meantime, are there other areas that you can go to where there are not other dogs?

Allowing him to continue having confrontations is not going to help the problem.

[dadaa]

that is what i thought because he was never agressive until then i do try and go at times when its not that bussy i really avoid it ,if i see a male dog i will cross the road if needed. i was just hoping that there might be a way of making him stop doing it
the problem is because he is so big he always gets the blame even when a other dog starts .people look at my dog and see a big dog if it was a poodle no one would care, its just that he is big and he growls louder its so unfair
because he is so nice, in the beginning i really didnt like people walking around him etc now im used to it
it wasnt nice for him though when he was a puppy i couldnt walk 2 steps and someone would be like aah can i stroke him then he got bigger and then everyone would be scared poor thing
well all i can say is he is so lovely he really is my baby i have had a german sheperd before they are nice but a rottie is so different .its really my dog and im his owner mummy its just a shame that people dont understand that they are not dangerous to humans when well traint .they are the best thanks for your reply dadaa

Originally Posted by BostonRott

Yes, being attacked by other dogs will cause him to be suspicious of similar looking dogs in the future.

Basically, there is no easy answer. Figure out when the beach is less populated by other dogs (early a.m.? at dinner time?) and that's when you two go. Perhaps rainy days are the best time out b/c most people stay in to avoid the rain....it will take some time, but you'll figure it out.

In the meantime, are there other areas that you can go to where there are not other dogs?

Allowing him to continue having confrontations is not going to help the problem.

[BostonRott]

Are there obedience classes or trainers available to you? I would strongly suggest teaching him a "watch me" command. This is done in your home, and then in areas of low distraction, and gradually increase the distraction. It would be easiest for you if you could find an obedience instructor to help you with this.

Eventually, you get to a point where the dog will "watch" (you) on command (thus not being able to lock eyes with another dog). When you see a dog coming, you march yourself off in good stride, telling the dog "watch me!" When you are past the distracting dog, you praise/feed/reward.

[dadaa]

this is a very small island so no trainers
i do distract him when a dog comes his way that sometimes works but if the dog if sniffin him from behind he is bound to look round
i will just continue to distract him thats the best i can do and avoid bussy times
i have read before that rottweilers have this problem more often im happy i know my dog so i can jump in when it does go wrong plus some of the stories i read on this forum i am just pleased that my dog is such a sweetie he would never hurt me or any other person
thank u for your reply bostonrott greetings from the caribbean dadaa
p.s since i have moved here my rottie is more happy then ever less dogs plus swimming in the ocean he loves it he will just go for a swim himself no need to throw anything he will just circle around

Originally Posted by BostonRott

Are there obedience classes or trainers available to you? I would strongly suggest teaching him a "watch me" command. This is done in your home, and then in areas of low distraction, and gradually increase the distraction. It would be easiest for you if you could find an obedience instructor to help you with this.

Eventually, you get to a point where the dog will "watch" (you) on command (thus not being able to lock eyes with another dog). When you see a dog coming, you march yourself off in good stride, telling the dog "watch me!" When you are past the distracting dog, you praise/feed/reward.