Showing teeth and growling

[Lexigirl]

No its not an answer at all. Your simply stating what i already know...Of coarse its not an immediate fix. and not once did i say i refuse to train her. I said I dont feel i need to continue classes for this one problem that i have. That doesnot mean im not training her. The fact that i'm asking you for help should tell you that Im trying to train her. This is what im talking about, If you dont know what to do why are you commenting to my thread? anybody can say what your saying.

[rottcrazed]

I have little more experience with this breed and you are dismissing my advice? Why are you asking, I am one of what, 3 people trying to help you.

Well, good luck then.

Kristi

[AngelBunny]

Originally Posted by Lexigirl

...I dont feel i need to continue classes for this one problem that i have. That doesnot mean im not training her...

Well, you certainly aren't having much success, now are you?

There is no short, easy, quick way to fix your dog's behavior. You have to--whether you like it or not--get yourself and your dog into class. You are looking for a quick fix, an easy answer--and there isn't one.

You seem not to understand the reason you have a problem with her lifting her lip is that you aren't training her and you haven't been training her. She has no respect for you as an authority figure. If you had been diligent about training her and consistently practicing NILIF you wouldn't be having this problem.

Do you want us to say Take a club to her to get her to stop?? Is that the type of short, quick, foolish, cruel recommendation you want?

The roots of your problem--a growling puppy who lifts lip--stem from lack of training and demonstration of your authority. You are not going to gain status as an authority figure by one action, but you will do this by taking her to class and consistently practicing NILIF.

All of us say "training" because that's what it takes to get a dog to behave. I have three adult Rotties in my home. They would no sooner think of doing what your puppy does to you--lift lip and growl--than they'd think of flying to the moon. Getting dogs to this point takes time and diligent effort. It was not accomplished by me soliciting a quick fix from people on a discussion board.

There is no quick answer to your longterm issue--and that is, your puppy is turning into a brat and a punk because you aren't training her.

Originally Posted by Lexigirl

The fact that i'm asking you for help should tell you that Im trying to train her.

Yes, it's excellent you're here, asking for help. But, the help you need must be given by a trainer to you in class, with your dog.

[Troodie's Mom]

Originally Posted by Lexigirl

With all do respect, I know it shouldn't be tolerated and it isn't. Thats not why im here asking for help. I'm asking What to do in that instance where she is baring her teeth and growling? There seems to be a right and wrong way for everthing else so why can nobody just simply answer my question. All i hear is she need classes, well can't some of you just say hey this is what you do when she does this. Seems like an easy thing to me. She is a very good dog and listens well. The growling and showing her teeth is her only problem so i dont feel I need to spend the money and sit through a class where 90% wont pertain to what my problem is.

Its very frustrating for me when I ask a question most of the responses are that you dont tolerate and that none of your dogs are allowed to do that blah blah blah. Thats all great and wonderful and everything but really doesn't help me.

How about saying...oh this is what we did....ya know give me some ideas

The best way to deal with this behavior is to prevent it, and that is done by training. And by training I mean obedience classes, with daily reinforcement. What needs to happen is the dog needs to view you differently, as her leaders. When she sees you as her leaders, this behavior will not occur, because in her rottie mind, there will be no need for it. She is testing you, and she is learning that this behavior is working to establish dominance in your pack. When the people take the lead and run her through obedience drills over and over, and she has postive reinforcement for learning new things, she will see that you are running the show.
When my dogs ever growled at me, which was very,very, rare, except for one that was demented, it was bang-zoom we are going to do the canine equivalent of drop and give me 50! Come, sit, down, stay, leave it, you tell your dog to do these things for you and you mean it, then they get that "aha" moment, when they realize you are the boss of them. You have to be fair with rotties, though, you cannot bully them into submission, not that I think you would, but just so you realize it has to be a mutual respect between human and dog.
See, you want to treat the CAUSE of her behavior, by training, which establishes YOUR dominance, in a good and healthy and respectful way.
This is a key concept with rotties, and I really hope you understand there is no quick fix, there is only lots of time and effort and work, and it will pay off bigtime if you stick with it.

I bet if you enroll your dog in another obedience class, and work with her daily, she will stop doing this. You can't really make her stop, you have to make her not have a reason to do it.

[RottsNScotts]

Lexigirl, what I am seeing as the problem in communication in the answers to your question is that you see this behavior as a problem and those of us who have been in the breed for quite some time see it as the symptom of a problem. So, in our view, you are trying to treat the symptom rather than the undelying problem which, in the long run, will not work.

[GypsysMom]

Originally Posted by Lexigirl

With all do respect, I know it shouldn't be tolerated and it isn't. Thats not why im here asking for help. I'm asking What to do in that instance where she is baring her teeth and growling? There seems to be a right and wrong way for everthing else so why can nobody just simply answer my question. All i hear is she need classes, well can't some of you just say hey this is what you do when she does this. Seems like an easy thing to me. She is a very good dog and listens well. The growling and showing her teeth is her only problem so i dont feel I need to spend the money and sit through a class where 90% wont pertain to what my problem is.

Its very frustrating for me when I ask a question most of the responses are that you dont tolerate and that none of your dogs are allowed to do that blah blah blah. Thats all great and wonderful and everything but really doesn't help me.

How about saying...oh this is what we did....ya know give me some ideas

Well I will say the same I have 3 dogs and none of them have ever growled at me for anything, when Gypsy was young she would growl when she had a bone and the kids walked by,,, I nipped that real fast and she has not done it since... I do agree that training class will help you get issues under control, the trainer shows you how to handle certain situations that are in a positive way... as for growling when she has a bone, if that were my dog, she wouldnt get any more bones, she would have to earn that right.. you will benefit from more then just sit, stay, come, down you will learn all kinds of things trust me I thought the same thing... I look forward to my weekly classes, your dog is showing you that she has no respect for you at all, and you need to regain that where you are the authority not her...

NILIF is awesome read up on it and pratice it all the time, listen to people here, yes they can get testy and it gets frustrating but 98% of the time they are correct in their advice, buy some dog training books and some on rottweilers read and learn all about certain behaviors.. Some people say dogs need a time-out some say its foolish, but try it, but somewhat in a positve way.

ex... she growls and shows teeth.... no treats and she goes to her crate.. until her attitide is gone and she realizes you mean business.. but even though you may not want to hear it, bad manners dont go away they only get worse as your dog matures, so get a good trainer and with great help you will have a good dog


sorry so long

[observer]

You want a quick easy fix, but there isn't one. Training IS the issue, including NILIF, classes, etc., because you don't need to just fix this one behavior problem -- you need to fix the overall relationship between the two of you and the dog to fix that problem and prevent worse behavior issues. And that will take WORK.

Two days without food will not harm her. When she is hungry, she will eat.

[Yogi'smom]

I think Troodies' mom put it really really well...its best to change the way your dog thinks of you. Lexigirl, I understand where you're coming from (been there!). My little Yogi was quite a handful as a younger pup. I thought he was bad news, and was ready to sell him to they gypsies a few times.
However, at the first signs of his crappy attitude we got him into private lessons with our trainer right away. We started reinforcing that he had to work for everything he got because we were the boss, and he needed to depend on us. For example, we tought him not to take his food until we gave him his 'release' command of 'ok', he had to sit, shake a paw, etc for any cookie or treat, and he had to sit and wait until we walked out and gave him the release command before going out the door on walks. All these little things added up to Yogi seemingly having more respect for us. His bad attitude stopped and now he is a nice young man. Even our vet has commented on what a nice dog he turned out to be, and attributed it to the work we've done with him.
In terms of the bones/growling, we try to teach him 'out' so he drops what he has in his mouth (its not perfect, but getting there). We would say 'out' and then take his bone, tell him he's a good boy and give it back. He learned to trust that we weren't big meanies who were going to steal his bones all the time. Plus, if you ever do have to take it, it won't be a big production. Hope that helps a bit with the growling thing anyway. Best of luck.

[rottcrazed]

Anyone find it funny that once people started to chime in here that I MAY JUST BE ON THE MARK, the OP has been silent?

Hopefully he is busy reading and talking to trainers in his area .... we can only hope.

Kristi

[TJK291]

My dog would get a serious come to jesus meeting if he ever uttered a growl or curled a lip at me or my kids. He's 9 months and of course full of himself, but we can take anything from him.

[Lexigirl]

well she has gotten better. No bones since she last growled. we've been practicing NILIF and I dont know if i've really seen any difference but we will keep trying. Last night was our only little ordeal. lexi, my gf and I were laying in bed watching tv and lexi was laying next to me. I was petting her and she got where her head stopped moving and she just used her eyes to look where our hand was. That is when i know she isn't liking what im doing. I kept on petting her and she started growling just a lil tiny bit. I said no and made her submit and after that she laid there panting and just loving the moment that she got to sit there next to us and be petted. I dont know if she just doesn't like affection or what but she better get used to it.