Rotti Gone Wild!

[CJsMommy]

Well, CJ has been with us for three weeks now and frankly, I'm getting exhausted. I love the little guy to death but I'm starting to become almost afraid of him. One minute he's sweet, affection, will lick you like a peanut butter flavored human and the next he's a crazed biting machine. Like tonight, I get him out of his crate for potty and play time. We come in and I get out his toys, he's biting, hopping around and I tell him OFF, to get off the couch and he growls at me then leeps off the couch towards me. I yell NO BITE and it's like that word ignites a fire under his ass and he starts trying to attack me and bites hard. I say NO BITE louder and he starts running circles through the living room and each pass by me he lunges for a bite. I get out the bitter apple, he see the bottle and backs up and barks like a mad man at me. I finally get to his bone to distract him from biting me and get him into his crate.

Is this behavior normal for a male pup? He only acts like this in the evening hours and I'm really starting to get scared of him. This happens almost every single night.

[CJsMommy]

I also want to add before I get yelled at for not using the search feature..I've tried them all...I don't stare him in the eyes, I don't do the alpha roll, we do redirect to toys, we do leave the room, we do ignore this behavior, what I'm talking about is a point beyond getting control. I litterally have to drag myself to a toy with him biting into either my arm or hanging off of the back of my shirt to regain any control.

[melou4life]

Hi how old is your male puppy? my 6months old male will usually do what your dog do but i always win. one time my rott was hogging the couch and i tried to push him off but he just refused to get off so i end up grabbing his collar and throw him off but he just showed his teeths and growl then when i approached him he get raging and will run around the room like he's hunting me or something so i just run up to him and he will bite my arm and just like that he was hanging on my arm. i grabbed his neck and throw him to the ground and pin him on the ground, i'll look at him in his face and asked him You Give Up? and he'll just stick his toung out and smile, then i just let him go and he'll just rolled on his back and i always end up bending over to give him a belly rubb. That is my method of taking him on , i'm sure people won't agree with my method but to be honest dogs live in a pack and the pack leader is us humans and he'll try to test your ability as pack leader and they would growl at you to see if you back off, and if you back off to the dog he thinks he has succed in taking over. I don't remember where i read this at but the wolf pack leader will always roll his challenging member to the ground to show who is boss. never back out if you dog challenged you because that will teach him that he can do what ever he wants because you won't show him who is boss. i'm typing this response at 2 in the mornign, i shouldn't even be up but i am and i am half a sleep so if my post is long and mis gramar and spelling please escuse me for i will not be able to reread what i just typed and correct any mistake so what you read is what you get.

[alexav]

He sounds like a normal puppy.
Since you know he gets wound up at night, be prepared. Take him for a nice long walk, feed him his dinner, and put him to bed.

Also, keep a leash and collar on him when you are there with him. If he gets a case of spaz puppy, you can use leash and collar to control him.
When Miss P went barracuda on me, I'd just take hold of her collar, lift her slightly and give her the hard Mommy eye until she settled down a bit.

You can yell "No Bite" til the cows some home...It doesn't mean anything to him unless it is consistently backed up with some authority.

[SABELLESMOM]

Find yourself some classes and take him. And up the outdoor exercise...walk him on a leash. Good time to practice what you're learning in class, right?

You'll begin to see that rewarding him for doing what you expect, works best. You say " We come in...I get out his toys..." Like when you first get home? Oh no. Not the right time for playing when you first get home, if you are.

A good thing to practice is not even to pay much attention to him at first. He needs a potty break and a nice walk. Then home for some quiet. Play later. Doing it when you first get home is sending him into a craze.

And then there's "the toys". See what you think, do too many toys at once rev him up into craziness? You could be over stimulating him. He's a little guy. Too many is too much for him. Try one at a time. And eliminate certain games that make him wilder, if there are any.

His most excitable time is when you first get home. Diffuse the situation. Exercise, then settle for a more relaxed playing session. If it gets too high energy, stop. Let it cool down, ignore him.

He sounds like a guy in need of some guidelines and patience. Puppydom doesn't last forever. But it is time for you to buckle down and teach this guy how to act. Your instructor can help.

[CJsMommy]

hmm..okay, I didn't think about that. Yes, he does seem to get more wild after potty time or after nap time. As for the toys, he has two we play with indoors, a rubber bone and a hard bone (with the little nubs for teething), which he is still doing. I took a looksie in his mouth the other day and it looks like most of his teeth have come in. 90% of the time he's the perfect dog, it's just those hard bites and crazed run around that scare us. We've all been bit hard enough to draw blood, at least one shirt a day gets a hole in it (which I expected). We start puppy classes on Monday. So which would you say is better to do, when he starts getting all nutty like that do we 1)take him for a walk or 2) give him some crate time ?

[Anne]

How long is he in the crate for? It sounds to me like he needs more exercise to burn off all that puppy energy.

[CJsMommy]

He gets 2 - 3 walks a day, and is never in the crate for more than 3 hours at a time. He usually gets an hour break between crate time. Most days its wake up, eat, walk, potty, crate, potty, play, crate, eat, walk, potty, crate, potty, play, crate, eat, walk, potty, crate, potty, play, potty, crate for the night.

[poohbearsmom]

Christy gave some very sound advice... I'd like to add :

When you yell at a pup who's got the zoomie-bities, it tends to wind them up a bit more. If you deal with the pup calmly, and in a direct manner such as Christy suggested, you'll teach your pup control.

I had a pup once who would fake me out on the calming exercise..LOL. She'd start to relax, so I'd release her collar, and she'd come straight at me again... soooo, calm collar hold and eye contact until she really relaxed and submitted.

By doing this consistantly (not just when you're tired at the end of the day, or don't feel like dealing with him), he should get the message.

Young pups are almost constantly leashed in my home. It gives me something to grab when/if the pup is up to something it shouldn't be. I can then easily redirect the pup, and turn what could be a negative experience into a positive experience for both of us.

He sounds like a perfectly normal pup, going through a perfectly normal stage in his development.

Happy puppying!

[TheBoysHarleySpike]

See if you can find those tab leashes that are only about 10 inches long to attach at all times to the collar. It worked great for our two when we first got them at 10 months as rescues. Also have another dog we got from a puppy mill and I umbilical corded her to me with a 10 foot leash (homemade) that I could tie around my belt loop so she could never get too far from me and be out of control.

[BostonRott]

When you yell, being a woman, most likely your pitch of voice goes up. Increased pitch and volume comes across to a puppy as a fantastic game. Therefore, he's releasing pent up energy and you're (in HIS eyes) egging him on.

When he gets on the couch, take him calmly but very firmly by the collar, say in a calm, firm voice (with a low, almost menacing tone) "OFF!" And then without any eye contact or other stimuli, hand still in collar, march his sorry butt right to the crate and put him there for 5-10 minutes. If you keep your elbow locked as you do this, he won't really be able to "play/bite" at you.

I agree with more exercise, and also with the fact that he probably needs some "stress relief" when you first get home. Sounds like the sight of his toys winds him up, so if that is the case, do not get them out until he's had the edge taken off.

Also, are you still thinking of taking classes at Petsmart? I'd VERY strongly recommend against that, they really are clueless there and it sounds like you've got a handful of a pup. They're going to give you "canned" advice based on a 10hr (if that!) course on "how to train dogs." A complete waste of your money.

In another thread, I gave you some links to local training clubs, whom I'm sure are offering puppy classes. Please please look into one of those instead. You've got a dog with some gumption, you are going to need a trainer with years of experience and a real understanding of dogs. A teenager/20yr old with an after-school/evening/weekend job at Petsmart, who has never trained dogs to titles, is NOT going to be of help to you with this pup.

[Echolover]

First, I'd like to say from the outset, I am not a professional trainer by any means, but am currently dealing with an extremely aggressive male rottweiler myself. I am very vocal on this issue, as I have taken the wrong advice from too many "want to be trainers" - and I mean this in the nicest way, and unfortunately, caused more profound problems.

Niko, my 9 month old rottweiler puppy, was showing extreme signs of aggression. Showing his teeth when I was close to his space and always around his toys and food. Well, a few weeks ago he finally bit me - causing some minor injuries. It seemed that the only option was to give him to a professional or euthanize him, for fear that I may lose my face.

I finally came across a professional handler - since 1957 who made me see that the problem is me not my dog. He insisted that I had to start over and re-establish the pack hierarchy. Clearly, Niko thinks he is the Alpha - something which is evident in his behaviour. Niko is clearly "dominant aggressive" and it began with puppy biting and then went to serious biting, snarling and growling.

Establishing the pack role is very important. As did I, most people treat their dogs like humans, but they are not. They are born in a pack and live their lives like a pack animal. If we want to be boss, we must show them that we are worthy of being the boss, otherwise they will automatically assume the role.

I have now learned to be rather aloof to my dog. No more kissing, hugging etc. His entire life is now structured. He is on leash at all times. Outdoor - indoor and spends much time in his crate. Dogs have a "den instinct" which is readily satisfied by being crated. This is not MEAN. In fact, it allows your dog to observe how you live your life. A healthy puppy will sleep 15 - 18 hours a day - so there is no need to feel guilty for crating him. However, he does need exercise and play - all very structured and in your control.

Niko will not be loose in the house for many months. Once he realizes that I am the leader and is at my feet at all times, then he will have earned the right to be off lead. Keeping him on lead establishes that I am always in control and has given me the opportunity to repair our fractured relationship.

Although I cannot say that Niko will be cured, but I can honestly say that in the last few weeks, he looks at me for approval. He stays close. I now control everything, a big change from when Niko controlled everything.

Again, I by no means claim to be a professional trainer. But, if you strongly feel that the problem goes beyond common puppy behaviour, you must take control of it now.

If you need more information you can PM me and I can lead you to a few articles that may assist you. GET control while he's young and prevent a biting incident and please do not Alpha Roll your dog, it will be very difficult to say NO BITE when he has your face in his mouth. This is NOT a common dog behaviour, despite common belief.

I have to agree with BOSTONROTT, always keep a firm, strong tone. Don't get excited and please do not yell, this only reaffirms the dog's belief that you are not a stable leader.

Needless to say, I don't kiss my dog anymore. I've grown quite attached to my face.

I wish you the best of luck and please listen to BostonRott, his advice about Petsmart is quite accurate. If you are skeptical, just go in on a Saturday and observe an obedience session.

[BostonRott]

Echo,

I'm sorry you've had to go through such a mess. This is why we strongly coach novices in this breed to avoid certain behaviours.

While the Rottweiler is a wonderful breed, it is also a physically strong and mentally tough breed. It requires strong, firm guidance. Therefore, it is not for every one. Those who do not breed for true temperament do the breed no favors.

[CJsMommy]

Wow, that's a lot to soak up. But I do think I'm starting to understand. I will definitely put all the great advice to use and see if we can't get this behavior curbed. I'm not giving up on this pup.

As for PetsMart, we are going to give it a try and if we feel like we aren't getting what we need from it the contract offers a money-back guarentee if you're unsatisfied. We'll look into the CCTC a little more and maybe set something up with them.

[flyballmom]

You are coming close to describing my Blitz as a very young puppy. As others have said, yelling just escalated the behavior. To avoid dragging said puppy around attached to my person TO the toy, I spent many weeks with a toy (to be used for redirection) stuffed down my pants or in a pocket. I also found that a short "time out" in a crate helped calm the wee one. Or at least it helped calm ME, so I could deal with HER.

To show you a light at the end of the tunnel...that puppy has now become a fairly well mannered girl, with only an infrequent glimmer of that "naughty one." At less than 2 years of age, she has a herding title, a Rally title, an agility title, and her CGC. It's lots of work, but well worth it