maturing

[chewys mom]

Okay some of you know I had a rough start here tonight I have another area that I do not know much about at all. I was younger and can't remember everything. I have no intentions on training for attack as my mother had one of ours growing up to do I was just wondering about when my male matures will he naturally start to be protective and bark when someone knocks on the door. Right now he doesn't usually do anything. I have noticed that at night he will bark and sometimes growl at people coming close to us of course he sees them and hears them well before i do. I have noticed that most people he is fine with meeting his nub wiggles and no signs of not likeing the person but I have noticed that sometimes he will see someone he just doesn't seem to like at all. He acts like he wants to eat them. I have someone who lives in the same building (four family house) that everytime he sees that person he wants to eat. Everyone else in the building he seems to like no problems. I do believe that dogs are good judges of charater. I would like for him to bark and alert us of someone knocking and such but not an attack dog just his breed and size keeps people away. I think this is a sign that he is starting to be more protective and watchful but again this is not an area I know too much. I know the basics like the breed in general that they can be great watch dogs ect... I don't know pacifics with maturing. I do watch how he acts to someone before I go near them or allow them to go near him. I tried to bang on my front door once to see if he would do anything at all. Nothing I think I heard him do the whine that he does when he knows it is us coming in but I am not sure. I tried to call a professional once to see how much it would cost to have him come to the house and kinda break in to see what he would do but they never called back. I would like to know that if someone broke in that he would attach on his own again because I don't need or want him trained to do this. I want it to be his own choice to do it if someone breaks in.
okay thanks
chewys mom he is about 20 months now.

[arby]

I don’t know about attacking on their own.
With Brandy we never trained her to Guard our house. As she got older she did start to “watch” more, and she does let us know if someone or something is different in the neighborhood. She well watch people walking by out side and let out a bark to let us know, and if she hears a car door she will run to the window to see who it is.

If someone is coming to our house and she knows who they are she will get excited. If it’s someone she has never met before she will bark to get our attention, but she doesn’t growl. Then after we tell her they are ok she gets excided because it’s a friend that she hasn’t yet met.

This is when we are home, when she is alone we have heard from people that stopped by while we weren’t home that Brandy didn’t make any noise at all. They didn’t even know the dog was there until they saw her watching out the window.

[chewys mom]

Bostonrott

As I have mentioned before I do not always agree with her and I love her but we don't always get along. I also think that people here such as your self are more up to date with the lastest news and info. We learn new stuff on dogs all the time just like with people. Yes my mother breeds them and she does a great job but I never understood why she had that one dog trained to attack, I dont' see the reason behind it.
Now you and I have had a few things posted but I will not leave this place as long as I can learn from here. You don't like me fine dont I could really care less. I am here to learn new things and was very excited that I found a site that was just for rotti's. I am an owner who is just trying to learn more I never claimed to be the expert. I have trained dogs in the past and have never had a problem. I have never recommened the prong collar to anyone nor will I. Now if you don't mind Bostonrott offer your answers or just leave me be please. I am not here to fight with you or argue with anyone here. I just want to learn more things and get new suggestions. Now I am sure you know the answer to my question and I would love to hear your answer. You can give it or don't. Just because everyone here loves you doesn't mean I still can't learn from others.

chewys mom

[SOX_H8r]

I tried to call a professional once to see how much it would cost to have him come to the house and kinda break in to see what he would do but they never called back.

Go stand outside your local courthouse, I'm sure you'll find someone very quickly and you'll probably not even have to pay them!

Why don't you just get your dog trained to listen to you, make him a well behaved, controllable pet. Obedience is the way to go if you're worried about how your dog will react when he comes in contact with strangers. You said yourself, sometimes he's playful and sometimes he's agressive. You have a responsibility to have a 20 month old, powerful, male rottweiler listen to you.

You mentioned that you trained dogs in the past and have never had any problems???? Are you saying Chewy is too hard to handle? If that's the case you must get obedience training. Maybe you could talk to the trainer to teach him to bark on command. That's a good way to let someone on the other side of the door know you have a dog, a big dog.

If you're concerned about break-ins, call ADT or Brinks to have an alarm system installed, but please don't rely on your dog.

[chewys mom]

What is it with you people. For one thing my dog does listen. Second off at night and such he is just warning me that someone is there as soon as I pet him and let him know it is okay he is fine. The man that llives here well i have no explaination for that. I do know the other night my husband had chewy out and that same man started itching chewy on so that does not help. As for training yes I have trained years ago and I was not the pro at it. I didn't not handle every single situation that came through the door. I am not saying in the least bit that my dog is hard to handle. I am still undercontrol. So please do me a favor don't be so harsh and arogant. I called the professional because one I don't want anyone hurt and I was just curious what chewy would do. That is it. So get over it. I have every right to be curious as to what my dog would do and not do. When we are away from home he is very friendly to everyone and I have not yet ever seen him act aggressive to anyone. In the yard is the only time. Particularly that one guy.
I think you guys need to chill out and stop being so arogant and rude. If you don't know all the facts then ask. I just wanted to know more but you know what I will go else where to look for my information that I am looking for. I won't get too far here with you guys being so arogant and stuck up. I am just trying to explain that I have had experience and I am not a newbie with training. But you have to take it all and get rude.
I didn't come here to be put down and made to feel stupid or whatever it is you people are doing. I am sharing what I do know and seeking more info in areas that I could learn some more in. God i pray some poor soul doesn't come here and get this garbage because you know what you won't help them at all.
well I am gone. I will find another place that people are nicer and try to teach not insult and get rude.

[fostermom]

All rotti's are not protective. My adult male will not bark and will allow anyone to enter the house, whether I am there or not. The adolescent male will bark at people along the fence line, but again, will not bark at anyone knocking at the door and will allow anyone inside. I had two rotti fosters as well who behaved similarly. However, I do believe my one foster would have acted protectively in a threatening situation. My husband was coming home late from work one night and the dogs were all sleeping in our bedroom. The dogs do not normally react to noises in the house at night (I have cats who engage in all kinds of mahem during the night ) so they are used to hearing all sorts of "things that go bump in the night". However, this one night, my husband instead of just walking up the stairs and opening the bedroom door was possessed by some kind of mindless insanity to see how the dogs would react to an intruder. He made all kinds of noises coming up the steps and then rattled the bedroom doorknob. My two rotti's (plus my lab) slept through the entire episode, but my then foster Gizmo, plastered his nose to the bedroom door barking. When Dave opened the door, Gizmo went for him....very scary!!! As soon as Dave yelled, Gizzy recognized him and was all butt wiggles.....I would NEVER recommend trying this though....my husband came very close to being bitten.
I very much liked the above suggestion to train your dog to bark on cue when he hears knocking if that is important to you...personally, I like my dogs NOT barking. I do not believe a dog should be relied on for protection but do believe that simply having two rotti's living in my home is a deterent to neighborhood vandals. In fact, I had taken a personal safety class in which the instructor had mentioned just having a very large dog bowl on the porch (with the name Killer painted on it ) was a deterent to people considering breaking into the house!!

[Denise L.]

I may be reading your post wrong but I think you may be mixing apples with oranges a little bit here.

I agree with the others about obediance training. Find a trainer and get into a class. That's basic.

Will he "protect" you? I agree with Sox8er (Oooooh that name hurts me) get an alarm. It is our job to protect our dogs. That being said, my dog will bark when someone approaches our house. He is a great early warning system. Cyrus is rescue dog and it took him a month or two before he would bark.

Now, for the the one person he wants to "eat". He does not get to make judgement calls like that. I had a situation where Cyrus acted hinky around a guy in my dorm that I had recently argued ( and made up ) with. I made a show of shaking hands and hugging ( we hug in my dorm, that's just our culture here you probably shouldn't hug!) within Cyrus's sight. A few times like that and they made friends beautifully. Did Cyrus "sense" ambivilance from me about the guy? Maybe, but I decide who is acceptable not him.

I am a new dog owner and I am happy to say the road has been made much easier by a combination of training classes and listening to good advice from the folks here.

[Canesmom]

Hi Chewy's Mom! I'm sorry that you've gotten off to a bad start on the forums. I've gone back and read all of your threads and I feel that you are ginuinely looking for help with your situation. If I were a professional, I would tell you anything I could to help without being judgemental. I have always taken my boy to obedience classes and have always treat trained him and he is good boy. He has been neutered and is just our pet so I don't have any experience with any of the other aspects of training. My suggestion to you is to use the search and look for answers to your questions. I hope everything works out for you. Good luck with your boy.

[LynnS]

My Rottweiler typically growls when another dog walks by our flat, or when a very strange person walks by (like a homeless person with a shopping cart). I highly doubt she would actually attack an intruder

[Blair]

My Rott never barks when people knock on our door, and I for one love that he doesnt. My husband works nght, so I am alone at night, I have a gun in the house to protect me, my kids, and my rott. I must admit I do feel a little better having him laying with me knowing i am not alone when the kids are all sleeping. There was one time I had someone in my frontyard, looking around, and Zeus barked and growled at them through a window and they went running off. But I dont expect him toprotect him, I protect him as long with my kids, but he does make me feel better when i am alone.

[chewys mom]

I couldn't help notice everyone here so far seems to think that is all I want my rotti for and that is not the case. I will protect him with my life. and for the record I have just trained my dog what his ball is. Now when I say get your ball he does. I love him and will protect him i was just wondering............ Just having him deters people and that is fine with me.

[Denise L.]

"tried to call a professional once to see how much it would cost to have him come to the house and kinda break in to see what he would do but they never called back. I would like to know that if someone broke in that he would attach on his own again because I don't need or want him trained to do this. I want it to be his own choice to do it if someone breaks in.
okay thanks "

I think the above statement may be a bit confusing. It led me to think you are interested in protection.

"I want it to be his own choice to do it if someone breaks in."

I am confused by this...it SOUNDS like you want him to choose to attack?

Sometimes the written word doesn't get our true message across!

[chewys mom]

YOu are right I can see how this would confuse people I just want to know if he would or wouldn't. I would love it if he would on his own but I don't demand that from nor will I. I was just curious about it and instead I got the list of do's and don'ts. You are right postings don't always sound right or have what we truly mean on here but some people here for get that. To the others I don't want an alarm system duh I would have gotten one if that is what I wanted.
Well I am not reading anymore or posting. I Have gotten some good advice from the very few people that were nice and I will use it and do my best on my own. I don't need a trainer for all the basics again I have taught him all of it and he is good at it. I just need help with the one problem and was curiouse about other things.

[mook1620]

Maybe I'm wrong, I haven't read chewys mom's other posts, but it really didn't seem like anyone in this thread was being rude or arrogant. I'm not sure what happened in the other posts, but if you ask for opinions, you're going to get them. Opinions are everyone's own idea about what they feel or think about a situation. You don't have to agree with them, but you also shouldn't lash out because you don't agree. The people on this site are 99% responsible Rottweiler owners, who give their advice based on experience and love for this breed. They suggest training not to say you are doing a bad job with your dog, or that your dog doesn't listen, but because a rott is a large dog, who needs the guidance and protection the training will give him. I doubt you will find any forum on Rottweilers that will tell you training is unnecessary.

It's unfortunate that you were not more respectful of the advice you asked for...hopefully your dog will not have to suffer because of it.

Jen

[chewys mom]

Well I guess you wouldn't see it because someone has removed them. My dog will not suffer. don't even go there. Again i am not stupid i know dogs need training. Funny how bostonrott's post here disapeared. she was rude enough.