New rottweiler owner in need of help!

[ODOG77]

Well although I did try and get Phoenix to a good home we ended up having to give him to the breeders brother. I did not want to do that because who is to say that the breeder themselves are not really keeping him and going to re-sell him. But people we knew did not want him, I tried with a local rottweiler breeder who said she was going to make some calls and would call me back yesterday (never heard from her) and them my trainer gave me a name who I did call and she said as of now she did not have anyone for him but she did say that she might by Friday. We can not wait until Friday though. It is hard enough to give him back as it is because he is great with my 1 yr old son, just not with my 5 yr old daughter. If we did not have kids we would have kept him. I really believe that he would grow up to be a great dog is he was in a house with out kids. Hopefully is the breeder does resell him that they do let the purchasers know that he cannot be trusted with kids. Thanks for all the input. Also I don't belive that our SPCA has the funds to do the thing that they would like.

[Robenk]

Originally Posted by jelly8bean

Things are not this way with the SPCA here.. How horrible for them, It must be location specific. The community here is very supportive and the SPCA has a behaviorist on staff and more in training, etc. Your post is very damming for your local group and I'm really glad I don't live there.. although concerned citizens do make a big difference.

It really does STINK, and I do know MANY concerned citizens that do what they can there, but we are in the center of Agricultural Center of CA and people just dont think of their pets like pets...just property!!! We have one of the worst areas for dumped animals, unfortunately, but on the flip side, there have been MANY private, NO KILL shelters/foster groups opening here in Central Calif...glad to hear your area is better. I'll stop now to not hijack this thread!!!

[Robenk]

Originally Posted by ODOG77

Well although I did try and get Phoenix to a good home we ended up having to give him to the breeders brother. I did not want to do that because who is to say that the breeder themselves are not really keeping him and going to re-sell him. But people we knew did not want him, I tried with a local rottweiler breeder who said she was going to make some calls and would call me back yesterday (never heard from her) and them my trainer gave me a name who I did call and she said as of now she did not have anyone for him but she did say that she might by Friday. We can not wait until Friday though. It is hard enough to give him back as it is because he is great with my 1 yr old son, just not with my 5 yr old daughter. If we did not have kids we would have kept him. I really believe that he would grow up to be a great dog is he was in a house with out kids. Hopefully is the breeder does resell him that they do let the purchasers know that he cannot be trusted with kids. Thanks for all the input. Also I don't belive that our SPCA has the funds to do the thing that they would like.

I am SO sorry about how this turned out!!! I totally understand your situation, and I wish I lived near you to foster your pup until we could work together to find a suitable home! My only advice from here is: you've obviously learned from this situation so do some research (which we know you will) prior to getting your next pup, even if it is a nottweiler....Good luck!

[ODOG77]

Thanks so much for all the support. Yesterday it was VERY hard to just let him go with the breeder. She stopped yesterday on her way home from work to pick him up. My wife tried to hold her composure but she just got soo attached to Phoenix that she started to cry. Hopefully they will take care of him at this point that is all we really care about. He was with us for 6 1/2 weeks and he became some what a part of our family. Thanks again soo much for everyones support.

[mrsguglie]

Originally Posted by ODOG77

My wife and two kids acquired a rottweiler puppy, called Phoenix. He is know 13 weeks old and we got him when he was 8 weeks. He was great for the first two weeks, but then he showed signs of aggression (I think). Especially if he's sleeping and we go pet him a little, he'll growl and then if we keep petting him he'll snap at us. He'll also act like this if he's tired. It makes me extemely nervous because I have a one year old and a five year old. If he acts up like that we lay him on his side and tell him "NO BITING," and he looks away and settles down. Yesterday he had one of my wife's socks and my daughter went to grab it and he bit her on the arm almost breaking the skin and sending her into tears. There's times he can be such a sweet heart and I'd hate to get rid of him because of these few instances but i don't want my kids to get hurt. Phoenix is great when we have company or are visiting people. We have a trainer comimg over next Monday to evaluate him and his behaviors and to help us. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks ahead of time.

We also have a puppy Rott. that's 4 mo. and we got her when she was only 5 1/2 weeks. Her name is Berlin. We have 4 daughters ages 9-3. When she was about 9 weeks she started showing signs of aggression. She continues to challenge us in every way. When we feed her we would pet her and she immediatly growls. We did put her on her side and told her "No" and she was fine as we continued to pet her while she ate. But, we cannot let our kids pet her while she's eating or chewing a bone unless we supervise because she will give them a look, maybe growl and if they don't stop then she tries to snap at them...she hasn't bitten them (yet). We can NEVER let our girls be alone with her because she cannot be trusted. Can she ever be trusted? When she gets a sock she won't "release" unless we push her lips on her teeth and with much patients and a firm voice she will let it go but sometime she attempts to bite our hand. Do we keep her and work with her until she is an adult and then evaluate her aggression? Should we live with the unsettling feeling that our "guard dog", who was purchased for our sense of security, is the one stalking our girls?
I'm eager to know what the trainer tells you about Phoenix. I hope we can both get some help!

[jelly8bean]

Oh my MsGurglie.. you should carefully read this whole thread. The OP has had to return the puppy and that unfortunately seems to have been the best solution. You should get your own trainer/behaviorlist to evaluate your situation as well.

[mrsguglie]

Friday my husband and I had to make the hardest decision. We decided not to wait until Berlin is older and possibly more aggressive to our kids, but to give her back to the breeder. They agreed to take her back and she will be there house dog. That very morning, while chewing on her toy, our kids went to pet her and she snapped at them. 3 different times. I hate the stress of not trusting our dog with our kids. She's only 4 1/2 months old! Of coarse, we could not get rid of Berlin without replacing her with another puppy. We got a little Yellow Lab. He is so sweet and such a joy to our hearts. Looking back we have no regrets. It was the best decision and even though we are out about $1,000 we take it as a learning experience. I hope we can help anyone that has a concern or question.

[meg8777]

Originally Posted by mrsguglie

Of coarse, we could not get rid of Berlin without replacing her with another puppy. We got a little Yellow Lab. He is so sweet and such a joy to our hearts. Looking back we have no regrets. It was the best decision and even though we are out about $1,000 we take it as a learning experience. I hope we can help anyone that has a concern or question.

Please do some serious reading about canine behavior. The problems you were having are not necessarily due to the breed of puppy, so simply trading in one breed for another is not a cure. More often, it depends on the environment in which the dog is being raised and the interactions you are having with the dog that create the resulting behaviors. I would hate for you to be having the exact same problems with your new puppy in a few months.

[mrsguglie]

We did a lot of research on Rotts. My husband is a teacher and we both spent the entire summer working with her. Socializing, training and spending a lot of time on walks with her. Our correction was futile. When she would growl or bite we would give a firm "NO" and it didn't phase her. If we used the choker collar and leash or scuff her that just made her come at us ever more aggressively. We took her to Petsmart for a training session and when she mouthed the teacher she would say "Excuse me?" Well, that was far from effective. When we took her back to the breeder he said that Berlin is "just like her dad". He is only respectful to the guy and no one else. He's food aggressive and he is not very friendly at all. I wish we would have had that evaluation of the dad when we bought Berlin. I understand that any breed of dog can be aggressive but this was something that was just in her passed down from her dad. We know we did all that we could with what we had and we learned a lot. Our new puppy just has a gentleness to him and a desire to please. He immediately responds to a firm "NO" and goes to the toys he's redirected to. We have peace in our home and in our hearts!

[kina]

OMG mrsguglie, your post made me feel sick to my stomach, you just traded in you rottie pup (which from your post sounds like you made some very text book mistakes with!!) for another puppy. Oh dear, I really hope you take advice here and do some research about dogs! Please don't alpha roll your pup, and don't pet it when he's eating. Research the trade game and some other things to prevent resource guarding. What it sounds like you did to your rottie pup is you created or enforced his resource guarding.

[moz205]

Originally Posted by meg8777

Please do some serious reading about canine behavior. The problems you were having are not necessarily due to the breed of puppy, so simply trading in one breed for another is not a cure. More often, it depends on the environment in which the dog is being raised and the interactions you are having with the dog that create the resulting behaviors. I would hate for you to be having the exact same problems with your new puppy in a few months.

Words out of my mouth! Just to inform the OP that my friend's adorable lab bit her son's face to the tune of over 70 stitches.

[FilosFolks]

I for one am absolutely sickened by people that get a puppy, ANY puppy, and think things will just be a breeze. ESPECIALLY with children in your home.
Were things a BREEZE when you became a parent? The first time?? The second time???

Yet some people EXPECT a PUPPY to be easier to raise.

Some people should really think about ADOPTING an OLDER, TRAINED, DOG.

PUPPIES less than FIVE MONTHS OLD! Give me a break.

[moondog]

Originally Posted by mrsguglie

We did a lot of research on Rotts. My husband is a teacher and we both spent the entire summer working with her. Socializing, training and spending a lot of time on walks with her. Our correction was futile. When she would growl or bite we would give a firm "NO" and it didn't phase her. If we used the choker collar and leash or scuff her that just made her come at us ever more aggressively.

Your puppy was only reacting to the aggression she was experiencing from you, like any puppy worth her salt would. You treated her like she had already been taught.

When you teach a child to read, do you start with sentences and then rough them up until they get it right? I think not, so why would you do essentially the same to a baby puppy?

Originally Posted by mrsguglie

Our new puppy just has a gentleness to him and a desire to please. He immediately responds to a firm "NO" and goes to the toys he's redirected to. We have peace in our home and in our hearts!

What you have is a puppy that will tolerate being bullied rather than being taught.

Dog training has come a long way in the past couple of decades....it's just a shame it takes so long for the populace to catch up.

[Anne]

How sad to see that people still have the opinion that dogs are disposable objects. I wonder if the breeder of the Lab pup knew that the former puppy was conveniently returned to the breeder....now what will happen when the Lab pup starts mouthing and biting and it all gets too hard. How sad. Some folk never learn.

[FilosFolks]

Some folks never learn, and most of them are selfish.

These puppies deserved the chance to go to the right home the first time.

Some folks never consider the consequences of their actions.

An old Army saying: Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

If more people took the time to educate themselves about raising puppies and breed characteristics we would not have countless numbers of sad, lost, souls in shelters in every county in this country.