Two Lives

[maya's dad]

We have a 10 month unspayed bitch. When she is good, she is really really good, however when she is bad she is really really bad.

We have taken her to obedience class, and on the leash she is so sweet,docile, well behaved, and knows everything she needs to know. However at home she is a terror. So we have started keeping the prong collar on her so that we can pull and yell "no" when she behaves badly. She has someone at home all day with her, is loved, stays in the house, has three acres to play in, goes for a walk twice. She loves people , is super friendly and has been socialized as much as possible,. All in all she is amazing..

Now the issue we can't seem to 'control. She will pick something up, or be somewhere in the house she is not allowed. When we approach her, she thinks its a game and runs away as fast as she can. The "come" command she knows so well on leash is but a distant memory at this point. Today, when we finally caught her , after 20 minutes, we tried yelling "no" pulling on her collar. She went crazy, started barking and really lashed out with her teeth ready to bite us... it was really alarming.

Advice please, she really was frightening.

[lgslgs]

Chasing a young dog who thinks they've found a new toy usually ends up being a lot of fun for the dog, and a training set back for the human.

Does your dog like peanut butter? I'd train her to learn that a tiny dab of peanut butter is a very special treat.

Then the next time she picks up something she's not supposed to have, instead of chasing I'd go get my jar of peanut butter, sit down, and talk quietly to the jar of peanut butter - not the dog. When the dog comes to investigate the strange goings on and good smell, I'd let her watch for a little while. When I was sure I had her full attention I'd give the "come" command, and then teach the command "give it" as a trade for a taste of peanut butter.



I'd also keep her crated during the times when I was too busy to keep one eye on her. That would give her far less opportunity to make mistakes, and ensure that when she did make mistakes I was prepared to turn the situation into a positive training situation.

I don't find yelling "no" to be very helpful in training dogs, and much prefer to keep them out of trouble situations through prevention and then set up some good trouble situations as training exercises. You should be getting a feel by now for when your dog is likely to break training or for which situations she has training gaps. If you know she loves a good game of chase (even when you don't) then don't give her that game and instead be prepared with a training exercise that gives her a really good reason to want to do something different.



We currently have one training gap that's a lot like what you are going through. Our 6 month old girl is learning how to behave around livestock, and she knows which particular young goat she can spook into a game of chase. But we know that she likes playing with a tennis ball even more than chasing - so we reserve tennis balls for training only. When we work around the animals, hubby and I each have a couple of tennis balls in our pocket so that we can be sure to get Georgia Rae's attention off chasing Molly the goat and onto something equally fun (carrying a tennis ball in her mouth as she follows us) - but where we're controlling the shots.

If instead we tried to chase Georgia Rae, shout, and pull on her collar - all that would happen is that she'd think it's chase time for everyone in the family, and it must be important to chase because of all the exciting noise and chaos.


Hope that helps.


Lynda

[Cdn1050]

I'm no expert but it sounds like she's not getting enough mental stimulation. I know you mentioned that you take her obedience class, but how many times a day and for how long do you go over obedience commands with her? When mine acts like a stinker, I don't yell, I remain calm and this in turn doesn't get her riled up into thinking it's a game. I don't think she was attacking you, but more she thought it was a game and was playing.

[AngelBunny]

She's the way she is because she's bursting with energy.

You have a young, healthy, energetic dog. Having three aces on which to play and taking her for a walk twice a day are nice starts but, clearly, they aren't enough.

I'm guessing she isn't in class now--"We have taken her to obedience class..." implies this happened in the past and you aren't doing this today.

And, there was no mention in your post of you working her--running her thru her obed routine--during the day.

I think if you up her physical and mental exercise she'll calm down. A dog that's worn out from work is more interested in sleeping and napping than engaing in naughty behavior.

[jakesfostermom]

Hi Maya's Dad! Your female sounds like a male I have in my house He requires a lot of mental and physical exercise every day, or he's a bit of a handfull. When you say you walk her - are you physically and mentally challenging her, or are you taking a leisurely stroll? While walking, do you ask her for attention work, practice stop/sit/stay, down/stay, or change directions quickly to keep her thinking?

Since she sounds like she enjoys a good game of 'catch me if you can' - why not turn that into a thinking exercise for her - have her 'sit/stay' while you hide a favorite toy or item of hers, then teach her to 'find the toy'. She is doing her best to communicate to you that she needs more stimulus in her world........and these dogs are SMART - if you don't give them a job - you know they will find one of their own

[jakesfostermom]

Originally Posted by maya's dad

She went crazy, started barking and really lashed out with her teeth ready to bite us... it was really alarming.

Advice please, she really was frightening.

Maya's Dad - is she is your first rottweiler? I ask this because it sounds like she was being a bit bratty because you tried to calm her down and she threw a bit of a 'fit' or 'tantrum' - at least humanizing it so we can describe it via the internet. It can be frightening if you've never shared your world with a young pre-teen rottweiler showing a bit of themselves when their owner issues a correction of sorts. It sounds like she was asserting herself and that can be easily rearranged with fair and consistent leadership from you. I'd continue with formal training classes until she is 3 or 4 years old, so you BOTH get the benefit of a qualified trainer. I would also up the exercise - mental and physical. She needs more than she's getting - at least based on what you've shared here. And trust me - she sounds VERY NORMAL when compared to the rottweilers I live with She just needs guidance and exercise from you - in a fair and honest manner.

[Weily4Life]

Sounds like you have a girl with pent up energy to expell and she is trying to engage you in play. Play with her outside.

Something we do that our dogs really love is what I call the "recall game." If your girl is not good off leash with recall, get a 20 foot training leash. Each person stands at opposite ends a distance apart with yummy treats, the person holding the dog stands quietly, while the other gives the come command, dog runs to that person is treated and then the opposing person gives the come command, and so on, back an forth. If your dog is distracted by something, running somewhere else, all you need to do is catch up to the end of the lead dragging behind her and step on it to stop her. As she gets the hang of the game you can continue to increase the distance.

When it is just one of you there during the day, throwing a rope bone or tennis ball for her to chase and bring back and throw for her again is another great thing to do. Play as long as she continues to have the energy and interest, sounds like 20 minutes might be it if it is taking 20 minutes to catch her with the "game" inside.