Growling and Showing Teeth!!Help!!

[StuartsMom]

Once again, my pup is 8 weeks now and he went to the vet saturday and when the vet picked him up he started growling and showing teeth. The vet said it wasn't good, but he's a pup and doesn't really know what he is doing at this point so it is up to us to stop it now so he doesn't do it later.
Well, yesterday my husband and I were playing with him and he started to go behind the tv, where there are a lot of wires.( Which I know now to block off)
. We called him and got treats to bribe him with and he just didn't listen, so my husband picked him up to get him out from there, and out came the teeth.
The vet told us to hold him close and let him relax, but the tighter he held dim the more he growled. This is scary and I really need to stop it before he's bigger and really snaps at us.
Please tell me this i normal and there is some helpful advice out there

[kelis]

Kiya has only just hit 9 weeks she has also been a little terror!! Iv noticed if she finds something she knows she isnt allowed to have she will grab it and run, if i try and catch her she nips at me if i hold onto her she gets ajitated and mouthes at me.. i think its just puppy fun? im sure its normal he just needs to know where he stands.. he will learn in time hes only a baby!! xxx Firm and consistentcy and hell get the jist of things.. xx

P.s sorry about me spelling i was very under educated!! or maby im just high on puppy breath ! xxxxxx

Kelis and bundle of destruction Kiya xxx

[sophie's-mom]

StuartsMom, this is normal and there IS some helpful advice out there!

You've got a "baby" dog on your hands (but please do not misread this to mean this dog is a baby)........and when you are getting him to do something he doesn't want to do......he's throwing a FIT! That's the best way I can put it..........he's being a BRAT. He's trying to do what HE WANTS TO DO! You need to be consistent in teaching this dog what is and is not acceptable. Obviously, growling and showing teeth is not acceptable. BUT, he is still a puppy.

What kind of training schedule do you have for this pup? What are you working on with him to let him know what you want from him? You've got to start there. Sure he might growl but that does NOT mean he is going to grow up vicious.

[StuartsMom]

Well we are doing normal housetraining like the crate and sitting and trying to get him on the leash. We have him set up for his first puppy class on Saturday so hopefully that helps. He gets more than enough attention and playtime, I think he just thinks he can do what he wants. He's also a little nipper, so he chews on whatever he gets his mouth on. Were working on that...

[pupmama]

Kona pulled that same stunt on me this morning. She is a 12 week old Rott/shepherd mix. She got something out of our closet and was chewing on it. I assumed she found some kind of candy that had fallen from a jacket pocket or the like, but wanted to make sure it was not medication or something else that would harm her. I said Kona, what do you have and she immediately took off under the bed and played keep away from me and would not let me near her. When I was finally able to firmly grasp her by the collar and lead her out from under the bed (all the while telling her to come out) she began growling at me and when I had her out and tried to see what was in her mouth, she growled and snapped at me. I could not find what was in her mouth, assumed she swallowed it and spent several minutes working with her and checking her mouth. She was well-behaved and calm and did not fight me. I then spent a few minutes with her with her toy, handing it to her and then grasping it and telling her to "give", and praising her when she released it. It seems that she only acts like this when she has something she is not supposed to have.

Anyhow, right after that, she ran under the bed and retrieved what she had earlier and this time she did not run from me. She still was reluctant to give me what was in her mouth and was bordering on the same behavior she had exhibited before, but dropped (accidently, I think) what she had in her mouth, which turned out to be a gel toe pad, which I threw away.

She has done this once before with some other item she has "found" and not wanted to relinquish to me.

My question is what is the best way to work on this kind of behavior. I do not want her to be agressive. Frankly I was a little frightened by her agression and snapping. I remained calm, but I want to curtail this kind of stuff NOW. Help......

[Sharon Marples]

Originally Posted by StuartsMom

Well we are doing normal housetraining like the crate and sitting and trying to get him on the leash. We have him set up for his first puppy class on Saturday so hopefully that helps. He gets more than enough attention and playtime, I think he just thinks he can do what he wants. He's also a little nipper, so he chews on whatever he gets his mouth on. Were working on that...

IMHO he is too young for a puppy class yet. At 8 weeks he should just be getting his FIRST vaccination, how many has he had?

How old was he when you got him and how long have you had him? Did you get him from a good, reputable breeder? If so, have you talked to the breeder about their methods of raising a puppy?

You need to do lots of searching on the forums, you will find tons of information here if you do your research. This is just a PUPPY,......at 8 weeks of age he should be played with, learning how to listen and learning the rules of your home. I think you are expecting too much of him to expect him to never challenge you or question what you are asking him to do. He is a Rottweiler after all! It is very normal behavior, but still needs to be worked through.

Do a search for puppy biting, nipping, etc. He will need to be worked through this stage of his life for several months, especially during his teething stage (4-6 months of age). You are not going to make him quit nipping and biting in a week, it takes patience and good training techniques.

Buy the book "Rottweilers For Dummies" and read it through. It will give you a lot of input on how to raise your new little one. Enjoy him while he is young and do not put so much pressure on him. He does need to learn the rules but you also need to realize he is just a baby and give him some slack as you work through his training.

Edited: I just read through some of your previous posts and found out you got Stuart at 6 weeks of age. That in itself explains a lot about his behavior. It will take even longer and you will need even more patience to work with him since he was removed from his siblings at such a young age. You sound as if you have a pretty good handle on things, just have patience and keep up with the good work!

[kayozzy]

Originally Posted by kelis

Kiya has only just hit 9 weeks she has also been a little terror!! Iv noticed if she finds something she knows she isnt allowed to have she will grab it and run, if i try and catch her she nips at me if i hold onto her she gets ajitated and mouthes at me.. i think its just puppy fun? im sure its normal he just needs to know where he stands.. he will learn in time hes only a baby!! xxx Firm and consistentcy and hell get the jist of things.. xx
:

Don't chase her, that makes it a game to her. You need to teach her drop it with some less valuable items, so that when she grabs something she shouldn't have or dangerous, she'll drop it without it becoming a game. Please read everything you can on here in puppy development and get the book Sharon Marples suggested. Raising a puppy is tough and we can never learn too much!

[StuartsMom]

Originally Posted by Sharon Marples

IMHO he is too young for a puppy class yet. At 8 weeks he should just be getting his FIRST vaccination, how many has he had?

How old was he when you got him and how long have you had him? Did you get him from a good, reputable breeder? If so, have you talked to the breeder about their methods of raising a puppy?

You need to do lots of searching on the forums, you will find tons of information here if you do your research. This is just a PUPPY,......at 8 weeks of age he should be played with, learning how to listen and learning the rules of your home. I think you are expecting too much of him to expect him to never challenge you or question what you are asking him to do. He is a Rottweiler after all! It is very normal behavior, but still needs to be worked through.

Do a search for puppy biting, nipping, etc. He will need to be worked through this stage of his life for several months, especially during his teething stage (4-6 months of age). You are not going to make him quit nipping and biting in a week, it takes patience and good training techniques.

Buy the book "Rottweilers For Dummies" and read it through. It will give you a lot of input on how to raise your new little one. Enjoy him while he is young and do not put so much pressure on him. He does need to learn the rules but you also need to realize he is just a baby and give him some slack as you work through his training.

Edited: I just read through some of your previous posts and found out you got Stuart at 6 weeks of age. That in itself explains a lot about his behavior. It will take even longer and you will need even more patience to work with him since he was removed from his siblings at such a young age. You sound as if you have a pretty good handle on things, just have patience and keep up with the good work!

Yes, I did get him young, but the class he is starting is more of a basic socialization class. It starts at eight weeks and up. He will play with the other pups for twenty minutes ad then learn basics like sit and stay.
Nothing too extreme, I know he is still young.
We are working with the distracting and treats, which works sometimes, but the part that scared me was the teeth showing. We were shocked that he reacted like that. Of course, after he came back to lick us and play so I know it was innocent, but I want to get control asap.
I have the Rottweilers for Dummies, and I will be flying out tommorrow, so I plan on reading it on the plane, where i can concentrate without being nipped at
Thanks!

[sophie's-mom]

Originally Posted by StuartsMom

We are working with the distracting and treats, which works sometimes, but the part that scared me was the teeth showing. We were shocked that he reacted like that. Of course, after he came back to lick us and play so I know it was innocent, but I want to get control asap.

I mean no disrespect when I write this so please don't be offended............BUT

If you can not be BRAVER than your dog you need to find this dog a new home. This is a PUPPY........nip this behavior in the bud NOW or don't bother!

If you are not braver, smarter and MORE patient than the dog..........what are you going to be able to teach him?

[LavenderRott]

DO NOT take him to a puppy class if he hasn't had ALL of his shots!!! For some reason, rottweilers seem to be more susceptable to Parvo then some other breeds, so you need to be sure to avoid putting him in situations that might expose him.

[Eros]

My 14 week puppy was like this since I got her at 9 weeks. The first time it occurred, I was training her Free, which is the word I use to release her from sit. I had her on a leash, said Free, and gave her a little tug. She ran to me, growling and jumping. This worried me a little because there was no reason for her to growl, so I asked her trainer why she does this. My trainer said rotties are talkative dogs and her growling during training was probably just that, talking.

To this day, when she brings a tennis ball back to me, and I proceed to take it from her, she'll growl. Once she lets go, the growling will stop. I tell her to sit, and she'll be ready for the next toss. Sometimes, after she sits, I pet her, and she'll lick my hand. So, the growling never showed aggression, she was just talkative and excited about her ball.

Also, although she does growl at home, she's never growled at strangers. In fact, she's always happy to see someone new. She'll lick their hands, and wag that little knob of hers.

[StuartsMom]

Originally Posted by sophie's-mom

I mean no disrespect when I write this so please don't be offended............BUT

If you can not be BRAVER than your dog you need to find this dog a new home. This is a PUPPY........nip this behavior in the bud NOW or don't bother!

If you are not braver, smarter and MORE patient than the dog..........what are you going to be able to teach him?

I was scared in the fact that it caught me off guard, not that I caved in. I stood my ground and he stopped and calmed down. I think its all a learning experience and in no way feel that this woull entitle me as a bad pet owner. I think owning a rottie can be scary if it is your first time since if raised wrong, some can be mean. I also stated I was looking for advise so that I can nip it in the bud. I will not allow this behavior, I was simply asking for advice to see if it was normal..

And Stuart has all the shots needed to enter this puppy class. It's a requirement to be enrolled. I dont see a difference in letting him play with other dogs and teaching him to sit, come, etc. on my own, or having a teacher help us do things right.

Thanks

[kayozzy]

That is great you can get him puppy class. (You just reminded me I need to get Xander's shot records to show to the obedience class instructor tonight!) We went to puppy class and I think it really helped with teaching him to accept other dogs, we never would have met as many in a good setting like that otherwise. Although I didn't like their method of teaching sit. Moving the treat over his head making him plop his butt down trying to look backward was much easier than rocking him in place!

[Dimitri]

I think poohbear's mom wrote a great article on this matter as I experienced a similar situation with my pooch. lots of socializing and TLC are recommended as well as taking him to puppy school to socialize with other dogs in his age range and their owners in a controlled enviroment.

my pooch still growled at the vet :D, though they all admitted that he has greatly improved over the first visit where he wanted to ripe the vet's hand off .... sometimes i wonder if i'm raising a dog or an spoiled brat

[BostonRott]

Ok, here are my thoughts, and as we all know, I'm not a warm-fuzzy, sugar-coated person.

A) In *my* experience with well-bred, working line dogs, this is NOT normal. If I had a puppy pulling this crap, it would have gone back to the breeder for temperament problems.

B) I know this is not uncommon in "poorly" bred dogs. I'm not saying the dog is a piece of crap, I'm saying he's probably got poor genes for temperament and you're going to have your work cut out for you.

C) I think the puppy class will be excellent. That said, he is too young to have finished his vaccines and have them be truly effective.

Going on the assumption that he is poorly bred, and mom may not have been up to date on all of her vaccines, he may well have received little immunity from mom while nursing. In a puppy from a well-vetted dam, with a good immune system, vaccines are completely ineffective until at least 10 weeks of age. Prior to that, when the vaccine is given, the maternal antibodies (from mom) fight off teh vaccine and the puppy's body never has a chance to form it's own antibodies. This is why reserach indicates the first vaccine should be given between 10 and 12wks of age, and then #2 is given 4 weeks later. At this point, the vast majority of puppies have immunity, unless they have a faulty immune system.

So.....with regards to the puppy class: most places clean their floors with disinfectants at least once per day. The other puppies in your class are probably well vaccinated and protected. Therefore, the chances of your puppy being exposed to anything in class are minimal. IF another puppy poops on the floor, get your puppy immediately and be sure to stay away from that area. This again will minimize chances of infection.

As to the growling, I would take this puppy firmly by it's collar, and CALMLY hold it with tension, and tell the puppy in a CALM low voice "No!" If you yell, or get excited, your tone of voice will go up, and high tones of voice indicate approval from you, as well as "a game."

I would also start puppy boot camp. Cut up some hot dog slices into tiny bits (each nickel sized slice, cut into 4 quarters). Start teaching sit and down and using a lot of food reward. Teach the puppy from a young age that obeying you is fun, and you will also start building his respect in you.

NEVER call the puppy to you for punishment, pills, nail trimming or anything else viewed as unpleasant. Keep "come" a VERY positive thing. If something bad must happen, YOU go to the puppy.

I do agree with your vet, the growling is not good. To me, it indicates bad temperament. You are going to have to work extra hard with this puppy to make sure that he is a good citizen in the canine world. You should stay in training classes with him on a VERY regular basis through his first year.

Also, no getting on the bed or the furniture.