New puppy....need help!

[killiansmama]

Hello everyone......my name is Katie! This is my first time on here. I just recently adopted a female rottie. I have never owned one before. Her name is Killian.....she is around 4 months old. She is a very sweet girl and gets along with our male shih tzu just perfectly......she is doing very well with house training. Our only concern is her timidness. she is fine if she is sitting in your lap....but if you are standing and reach for her....she runs away. She runs away from everyone....even my husband and I. I dont know if she is still just trying to get used to us or if she was abused int he past.....we have only had her about two weeks now. My largest concern is.....if she doesnt grow out of it...and she keeps it as she gets older....when we have children that she may be aggressive with them. If anyone has any ideas on how to break her of it....and make her more comfortable that we are not a harm to her i would be willing to listen! Like i said....she is my first rottie!

Katie

[brunie's mom]

Do you have any background information on her? where did she come from?
Stop putting her on your lap. This is a Rottweiler not a Shih Tzu....not a lap dog.
This may just be poor temperament? or just that she needs more confidence and time to adjust?
The best thing to do is to enroll her into obedience classes...Puppy Kindergarten for now and then more advanced levels of obedience after. The classes will help to build confidence in her, as well as build a bond with you.

For now...try having a treat in your hand and/or pocket at all times. Call her name while showing her that you have a treat...praise and then give treat when she comes to you.

Gina

[felicityjay]

hiya...congratulations on your new puppy!

i think you have had some good advice about the treats and praising... make sure you do it - she'll soon come running everytime you call her and feel more confident.

get any new people she meets and visitors to offer her a treat too sp she associates people with good things...ideally she should be sitting and you should introduce her when she is calm.

also try not to lean over her and try and grab for her as that is intimidating to a little puppy - she is still getting used to you if you crouch and reach out to her she will probably come towards you.

once you are in training i'm sure you'll bond even more and she will become more confident too.

good luck

x

[AngelBunny]

Instead of leaning over to grab her, squat down, turn sideways, clap your hands, and call her to you in a high, happy, excited tone. Play with her when she comes to her and give her a treat. Make it a party and tell her what an amazingly clever, wonderful puppy she is.

It would be highly beneficial for you to sign yourself and Killian up for obed class. She's old enough and she'll benefit from being around people who like dogs.

Have you thought about taking her to your local plaza and asking people to feed her a treat and play with her? Standing in front of your post office on a Sat morning is another suggestion.

I echo others in urging you to stop having her sit on your lap or otherwise be up on the furniture. She belongs on the floor.

Reading thru the postings here in Puppy Development will be helpful to you.

[BrandyandClair]

I always have my rottie on my lap I find a sense of warmth and happiness the closer I am with my dogs. I have had rotties since I was little as my dad was into them and I have just moved out of home and gotten my own female rottie who is 3 months and she was quite timid to. I used treats and lots of cuddles and affection and now she is a compleatly different dog. SHe is warm loving and comes bounding up for a cuddle everytime I move! I believe that sometimes dogs need to feel the love more than others if they have had a rocky start to life! Any way just my opinion and I sure many people disagree but hey it worked for me so?? oh well :-)

[killiansmama]

Thank you all for the info! I dont mind that she is on the couch or in my lap....i like to snuggle with her.....even if she is big i would love it. She loves to snuggle and i dont put her on my lap...she crawls up there herself. I have thought about obed. classes and i might look into that. Once again thank you all for the good info!

[cerulean]

IN dog language, a large dog puts a head or foreleg over another dog to show dominance. That is one reason people say not to lean over your dog IF she is the timid type.
If she runs from you, don't ever chase after her. With our pup, I hold the treat in my fingertips near my eyes, say her name, and simply wait until she focuses on me and comes naturally. She's only 11 weeks, but when I say her name now, she's 100% attention. Hopefully this will remain a habit when she's older !!! I hope this idea is helpful to you.....

[brunie's mom]

Originally Posted by killiansmama

Thank you all for the info! I dont mind that she is on the couch or in my lap....i like to snuggle with her.....even if she is big i would love it. She loves to snuggle and i dont put her on my lap...she crawls up there herself. I have thought about obed. classes and i might look into that. Once again thank you all for the good info!

As was said before: this is not a lap dog. This is a working breed! There is nothing wrong with giving a pup a snuggle...but she does not belong on the couch or on you lap. You are giving her the wrong signals. This is going to be a big dog, a breed that often likes to be pushy and do things their way.

Stop thinking of enrolling in obedience classes and get started in them. With this breed it is a must. Training and leadership are a must. How much research on the breed did you do before getting this pup?

Gina

[Shelby427]

Originally Posted by killiansmama

Thank you all for the info! I dont mind that she is on the couch or in my lap....i like to snuggle with her.....even if she is big i would love it. She loves to snuggle and i dont put her on my lap...she crawls up there herself. I have thought about obed. classes and i might look into that. Once again thank you all for the good info!

You clearly don't understand dog dynamics. Having the puppy/dog up on the couch is showing the dog that he/she is on the same level as you, the leader. Rotties need leadership or they will take over that role. Of course you can snuggle and cuddle with your puppy (if she tolerates it) but there is no reason to have this dog up on the couch or bed with you. The fact that she goes up there on her own is showing that she thinks she SHOULD be allowed up there.

Her place is on the floor, until she is trained with manners to understand that the bed/couch is YOURS and she must ask first. Then she must get off as soon as she is commanded to.

OB classes are a must with this smart, strong breed. You should continue with classes for the few couple of years. Do yourself a favor and get enrolled for a class.