Cats, jumping, dominance,pawing, growling you name it.

[reliewttor]

I recently adopted a female rotty two months ago, she's 1 1/2 years now.
She extremely hyper. she gets lots of exercise and i've already started agility and i begin beginners class soon. she already has her basic obedience but i need to start from the beginning. she torments the cats, jumps, paws and mouths me. she walks fantastic on a leash and she's really a great dog and wants to please. I could use some advice, it's been a long time since i owned a rotty and when i did i had started from a puppy. This is my first entry in this forum, the first of many. hope i here fom you all soon.

[hokisteph5]

I definitely think the beginner's obedience class is a good idea. I would also start implementing Nothing In Life is Free (NILIF) since it teaches the dog manners and lets them know your rules for the house. For example, before either of mine can eat, they're put in a down stay, I get the food, put the food in their bowls, and then release them to eat.

[Ayoka]

Concrats on the new pooch and welcome!

Just curious, how much is "lots" of exercise? I know that when I got Bear close in age to your girl when you got her that he was ridiculously energetic...a bit more than I had imagined

I found soon enough that fetch, swimming and playing with other dogs were the things that REALLY tired him physically. Walks were great for what I call, "clearing the cobwebs but I don't think that walks alone will tire a dog's body out.

I think that obedience and nilif can be useful too to help the dog with her "manners" and to help wear her out mentally, mine always sleeps well after obedience classes.

Mine also tormented the cats for a while and I made sure the cats had a place to go that the dog couldn't access when he gets too rough, they let him know (rule of the claws) and then go away, he has learned. Of course ther's always the possibility that you may have to seperate them permanently.

[lilbitotrouble]

Originally Posted by reliewttor

she torments the cats, jumps, paws and mouths me. she walks fantastic on a leash and she's really a great dog and wants to please. I could use some advice

Welcome to the land of rotts; I haven't been here long myself, but have found an amazing network of people who know and understand our breed and are a wealth of information.
There are people here who show and work their dogs, others who breed, all have some experience with training, at different levels. My advice is to read everything. You can go back and read older threads on topics of interest, search by subject, that kind of thing...just read and read and read. Some of what you find you will be able to implement immediately, other things will be of not interest to you at all or will not fit into your situation.
IMO, the most important thing is to be consistent. None of us are perfect and it is more important, I think, to be consistent than to be right. Your dog will not only learn the things you teach her, but will be conditioned to your habits. She will not know the difference between it's okay to get on the couch with the slipcover and not without...she will know that when you put your shoes on, you are going outside. That kind of thing. Encourage the behavior that is acceptable to you and discourage that which is not. There are things my dogs do, little things that do not bother me at all, that I have read others post here as problems. Your relationship with your dog is a very personal thing.
It is important that you be the one in control, I think "easy" is probably the first command I teach; it is important that you handle her, touch her all over her body every day, between her toes, under her tail, in her mouth, just everywhere, so that she is accustomed to being touched if and when an emergency arises and a vet needs to do these things.
Be patient, be consistent, and, well, be smarter than the dog! Which can be trickier than it sounds with rotties! Keep her safe, keep her busy (you do not want a bored rott on your hands!) and enjoy her sense of humor.
Congratulations! While the newest member of your family is still learning her way around, you have embarked on a wonderful journey. I can't imagine life without rotts!

[dogsbydoug]

Originally Posted by reliewttor

I recently adopted a female rotty two months ago, she's 1 1/2 years now.
She extremely hyper. she gets lots of exercise and i've already started agility and i begin beginners class soon. she already has her basic obedience but i need to start from the beginning. she torments the cats, jumps, paws and mouths me. she walks fantastic on a leash and she's really a great dog and wants to please. I could use some advice, it's been a long time since i owned a rotty and when i did i had started from a puppy. This is my first entry in this forum, the first of many. hope i here fom you all soon.

Congratulations on the new addition!

Regardless of the age the dog joins your home, everything the two of you do together will be new to you both...so start with her as if she is a baby puppy.

Tormenting the cats? Put her on a leash so you know where she is at all times when you cannot 100% supervise her. Redirect her, and if she really wants to torment, correct her with a calm, stern but firm "NO, LEAVE IT" and when she looks away from the cats, PRAISE HER.

Jumping on people? Ask people to IGNORE her if she's not sitting or standing calmly (I ask my dogs for a SIT before people pet them - if they stand up once petting begins and remain calm, that's OK).

How much exercise is she getting? Mental and physical exercise will do wonders for her - even though you start classes soon, you can practice basic obedience commands such as SIT, DOWN, WAIT, STAY, COME, OFF before classes begin.

Long walks can be used to practice obedience skills you've been working on at home...

[reliewttor]

Thanks for all of the advice, most of it I have been doing. Maybe I need to be more consistant and patient, it has only been two months, it seems like she's been a member of our family for a lot longer. As for how much exercise, here's and example. I walked her for 4 miles with a backpack on her in the am and in the afternoon I took her on a three mile run, she runs I ride my quad, my legs were still crying from the am walk. It really didn't slow her down. On that morning walk we ran into a small white fluffy dog she wanted to eat. I'm happy she's just a small rotty, 70 lbs, easier to handle. We'll keep working.

[AngelBunny]

Originally Posted by reliewttor

I walked her for 4 miles with a backpack on her in the am and in the afternoon I took her on a three mile run, she runs I ride my quad, my legs were still crying from the am walk. It really didn't slow her down.

Do I understand that, every day, you and she go for a 4 mile walk in the am with her carrying a backpack, followed by a 3 mile run the afternoon?

If so, keep this up. On top of the mental exercise she gets in agility--and soon in obed--she'll settle.

We foster for Rottie rescue and have fostered energizer bunnies. I've found that a routine, clear expectations as to what I want to see in terms of behavior, NILIF, and lots of exericse (mental and physical) helps the foster settle. It can take awhile, but the dog does settle.

[greatdane]

hi, new to forum
i also adopted a 1 1/2 year old female rottie about 2 months ago. she has done extremely well in our house and is laidback and eager to please in the house. we looove her . reading your post i feel blessed that she is low key , my problem is on our walks . if she sees something she wants she just goes full steam in that direction. dogs, squirrels , she has relaxed when she meets joggers. she walks nicely on the leash when she wants to , meaning most of the time. she was picked up as a roaming dog and was starved and left to her own devices as far as food goes. i believe that is our problem , she is a very independent dog when outside. i am working with her to see me as a leader outside but it is slow going, can anybody give me advice?
i do tie her to me while working in the yard , we have done nilife since she arrived and that works well. it is hard to build up my confidence on our walks because i am always on the look out for things to avert. i am now feeding her breakfast while we walk and she does look when i ask her to, but all this is when there is low distraction. she seems on full alert , high instinct , when outside. she whines when she looks out the window and sees other dogs go by but when meeting them she wants to play hard. i do have an old dog that she respects and she is around another dog that she can't boss around , i need her to behave enough so she can be out in the world with me and so she can have more fun. she hardly cares about balls or toys when outside. she is only outside while on a leash. sorry for the long post, i have read just about everything out there but maybe you pros have new advice.

[reliewttor]

That much exercise doesn't happen everyday, three days a week with the running. just the weekends and mondays. I don't get home early enough to walk and ride and i'ld rather walk with her. we do a lot of walking with the backpack. that does seem to help. I took her for a walk today in the pooring rain for about 2 miles. figured she'ld be all wound up tonight. it's been the best night i've had with her yet. The cats even noticed. she's such a great dog. can't imagine life without her.
Thanks for the advice about starting her out just like a puppy sounds like a great idea, i'll give it a try
good luck to you great dane member i don't have any advice for you but i hope it all works out.
it's great to get advice from people all over the country
i never heard of NILIF, what a great concept. I'll deffinately remember that.
i'll be using that on my dog and family

[greatdane]

thank you for positive thoughts.
in regards to your dog being hyperactive it could be caused by too much fussing over her , i have kept things very calm here in the beginning. it is hard to not love on them so much but it does create the sense in your dog that she is topdog and she might not know what to with that. good luck to you also.