Showing teeth and growling

[Lexigirl]

My 10 month old is becoming to show signs of dominence. Her when she chews on her rawhides for a while and she's really getting into chewing them and you lay next to her and start petting her she just kinda stops and watches you. Sometimes you can pet her and she will continue to chew but if you start petting her head she just stops and is like okay im getting petted. When you go for her snout or her feet and especially her bone she starts growling and showing her teeth. How do I correct this behavior????

She also seems to be listening less. Kinda like i dont have to listen to you. I've also notice she seems more independent and just likes to be off in her space chewing her bone. My girlfriend has also said that if you tell her to do something and she doesn't do it when you go to get her she growls and barks and has even snipped at her a little. She has never done this behavior to me besides when petting her while she's chewing her bone.

Can you please help us....

[rottcrazed]

Short and sweet, your dog needs training NOW whether you have had her through classes or not. She needs more, and she needs them yesterday.

She does not get any more bones or other things that she deems as high value items (rawhides, bones, etc...) until her issues are dealt with.

The age she is at, she is pushing, but she should not be allowed to act as she is because it will get worse and fast.

Personally, I don't bother my dogs when they are chewing, however, I have had to take bones away from them from one time to another (small piece broke off and I want to get it from them before they eat it, etc...). I know without a shadow of a doubt that they will NOT lift a lip to me because when they were young, they had extensive training and they have respect for me, and I for them (thus, when they are enjoying their recreational bones, I am not on top of them petting them).

Even my 8 month old pup has learned respect. I don't use harsh methods of training by any means, it is fair and consistent. Your girl needs this kind of training ASAP.

Also, search NILIF on this site, this is something you need to put in place in your home ASAP.

Kristi

[zorro13]

I agree with rottcrazed regarding continuing and stepping up your dog's training and house manners etc.

There's just one thing I don't understand here. If you give your dog a bone to relax and enjoy, why on earth are you going for the snout or the feet? There is no need for this, this is not training by doing that, this is nothing but purely aggravating a dog, which in turn, could give you more problems in other areas, say, lack of respect to you. Instead, offer something yummy to your dog, call her to you, praise, give her whatever you have then offer chew bone again to her. Sometimes my dog brings me his toys and wants to lay next to me and be petted or played with and sometimes he just hangs out on the floor by himself, no big deal here.

[Lexigirl]

Well, I feel like I should be able to pet her no matter what she's doing. Also I want her to get used to the fact of being touched and such like that because some day there may be a kid or something who doesn't know any better that will do the same. I dont want her to bite their head off.

[rottcrazed]

You are right, you should be able to touch her whenever you want. BUT, it is obvious you missed a step somewhere along the way and now you have to go back and figure out where that step was.

Our relationships with our dogs are built on trust and respect, which is why, once you have that, you CAN go and pet your dog while she is chewing her bones and not have her feel defensive (which is what your girl is doing).

I can do this with all of my dogs (aged 8 months to 9.5 years), and thus, as a sign of respect, I usually don't bother them while they are chewing. However, as I said, I KNOW that if I needed to remove a bone from them, I could. I had to take one from my pup the other day as she brought it into the living room, which is a no-no. No problem.

Fair and solid training = respect = trust = a good relationship with your dog.

That is all I was saying.

Kristi

[zorro13]

Lexigirl: Again, you are going to have to train. When she is chewing on her rawhide, offer her something else, pet her before you give it to her and pet her while she eats whatever treat you just gave her, get her used to that then give her back her rawhide and pet her again. Get in the habit of running your hands thru her entire body on a frequent basis, even when she isn't chewing on something, it would be best to start this when she isn't chewing on anything actually. Talk to her while doing it, praise for getting the correct response and you can even treat her after if you want. This way you will find if she has a 'sensitive' area that you may need to work more with.

Regarding not listening to you or your girlfriend at times, you need to continue with your obedience and house training. What kind of training are you doing right now?

[gingersmum]

I agree with Rottcrazed--Ginger tried it a few times and had her bones taken away. She responds well to NILIF, it's worth a try.

[Lexigirl]

Now again today. My girlfriend was putting her food in her crate for her and she would sit there and growl and her and show her teeth a lil bit. For some reason we can never get her to eat. She wouldnt eat this morning so we tried again now at 2:45 and she just sits there. Has no interest in it at all. She would give me these eyes like i just wanna get out, and then all the sudden you can just tell she don't want to be bothered. I dont understand her. I had the crate door open hand feeding her to get her to eat and she was all lovey dovey licking me and then all the sudden showing teeth and growling. 90% of the time she's a great dog and listens very well its just these little phases she goes into. its like she's bipolar. Could this have anything to do with her going into heat?? I think she will be going into heat any time now.

What do I do when she is growling and showing her teeth? how do i correct that properly. Whats the In the moment thing to do???

[AngelBunny]

Have you taken your puppy to class? Do you practice NILIF?

On another topic--are you planning to spay her?

[Lexigirl]

Yes she has been through puppy class. We try to practice NILIF but i'll admit we dont do it for everything.

Yes we do plan to spay her. She had puppy vaginitis and the vet said we had to wait to spay her after she goes through her first heat cycle otherwise it will keep coming back. Does he not being spayed have any to do with her moodiness?

[rottcrazed]

It is NOT moodiness, it is a puppy pushing her limits to see what she can get away with, and she is, by all accounts, WINNING.

PLEASE take the advice to get her into more classes NOW.

She is bullying you. She is not bipolar. If you or your girlfriend has backed off her just once when she has bared her teeth and growled, she was rewarded for her actions and now she is continuing that crap because there is always the possiblity you will back off again.

She cannot get her way.

If she does not eat, so what? Dogs will not starve themselves and when she is hungry enough, she will eat.

Teeth baring and growling is something I would not tolerate for one second. I have taken care of puppies of mine from time to time who walk in my house and try to pull stuff like that on me. One time is all it takes, they are corrected and they never try it again. ONE TIME.

She has no respect, and in all honesty, a proper correction cannot be told to you, you need to work with a good trainer to SHOW you how to deal with this. BUT, you also need to get off the pot and practice NILIF consistently because you are just adding to the problem. Dogs think in black and white; they either can or they cannot. You are sitting somewhere in the grey area in regards to her handling and training. This is all you, you are teaching her what she can do and what she cannot, unfortunately, many people do this with their dogs and the dogs end up paying the price.

Just get her into some training, CONSISTENT training and CONSISTENT NILIF.

If you do this, you WILL see a difference.

Kristi

[AngelBunny]

I can't answer your question about her bad manners being attributable to her coming into heat.

But, I can tell you that dogs do not grow out of bad manners or rude behavior and if these are not correct, the behavior gets worse. To my mind, coming into heat does not warrant her lifting her lip at anyone.

One thing about the Rottie is that one puppy class or obed class does not a trained dog make, so you'd be wise to sign yourselves up for class. Rotties need training thruout their lives.

You say you can "never get her to eat." If she's not eating, on what is she subsisting??

[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

[rottcrazed]

Well, sorry, but YOU HAVE A TRAINING ISSUE - it can only be fixed WITH TRAINING.

Unfortunately, you have created a BEHAVIOR PROBLEM.

There is NO QUICK FIX for behavior problem.

SO, since you are not willing to train her any further, you will have to live with a dog who lacks respect for you and who WILL get worse.

We cannot, in simple words, tell you how to correct it apart from READ THREADS ON NILIF AND DO IT 100%. THAT will help. It is not going to be fixed in one day. It is becoming a habit with her. NOT a good sign.

Sorry if this is not the answer you are looking for, but it is the only answer.

Like it or not, that is it.

Kristi

[Lexigirl]

well she does it but we practically have to force her. theres been times where she went almost 2 days without eating. She doesn't look sickly by anymeans i just dont know. When we put some gravy in her food she scarffs it right down. Unless she doesn't like her dog food but i always thought dogs would eat anything. when we first switched her over to this food she loved it.

LOL off subject but i told her to lay down next to me cuz she was being a lil pill, and she's laying in the exact spot now passed out...lol