Please help me with my 1 year old Rottie

[Leader]

Iluvrotts,

I concur with judi W and cucciolone. However I think that it is very important for you to get a good trainer to teach YOU how to handle your dog and become the alpha in your home. Please reread Judi's post and cuuiolone's. print them out and read them over and over again. I get the feeling that you haven't really heard what they have to say; You don't need to buy lots of toys for your dog, plastic water or coke bottles, one great kong and he'd be fine. You need to get the upper hand, that's all. it has nothing to do with neutered or not. That won't change things so think long and hard before you take any drastic steps in that direction. And he is very yung still. if you wait too long before getting pratical help from a tainer you could have some real trouble with him.

Get thee to a trainer :D and good luck. They really do deserve our love,


Leader

[poohbearsmom]

I concur with Leader..... completely.

Elisabeth

[Bucky's Mom]

Originally posted by Judi W
He listens to your husband, and you could hire someone who the dog would learn to listen to, how does that help you? Well, it doesn't.

Since you see yourself as weak - small weak hands, soft voice, you'd never dream of giving him a smack.......... why should he see you as strong? He will not. Weaklings are not leaders and that is the fact of it.

It is possible to learn to change the timber of your voice. Many do so. I have students that have had to learn to do so. People involved in public speaking often have to learn such things. School teachers who sound weak and unsure because of their intonation and inflection are quickly disrespected, and must learn to speak differently or they will be very unsuccessful in the classroom. If the pinch collar is fitted correctly and used properly, it works. If you are also timid in your corrections - it will not. The same applies to body language which usually reflects one's confidence or lack thereof.

Everything she says is TRUE! - Please take her advice - it is perfect - Lisa (Bucky's Mom)



So, the answer lies in your mental self-image and confidence, not the dogs. Dogs are not managed through brute force, but through their minds. They do not defer to those who do not exhibit those qualities that demand respect. Size has nothing to do with it.

Now, what to do? Well, there are lots of tricks designed to help. One is the "no free lunch" program. He must obey a command before he gets anything from you. That includes praise or petting and it certainly means food. If you have been in the habit of stroking him and petting him for no reason whatsoever, stop it. Unless he obeys a command quickly and promptly, he should not get a treat. No second chances, let alone third or fourth. Quit using treats as lures and use them only as rewards. Also, do not lie to your dog. If you tell him to do something - mean it and enforce it. No ifs ands or buts. Quit seeing yourself as weak and unable to manage him. Dogs are not easily fooled. Unless and until you have him responding promptly and respectfully at home, do not take him out for walks where he has the experience of dragging you around. That simply reinforces in his mind, that you have no authority. You have to decide who is in charge.

Although all dogs benefit from training and I certainly would advise formal training for all, that is not going to solve the problem of him failing to respect you if you do not see yourself as someone he must respect. Does that mean you cannot live together peacefully? Not necessarily. Just as dogs live peacefully with children who they do not consider their leaders, they can live with an adult the same way. It is not recommended or desireable and it certainly means you should not attempt to take the dog places any more than we would send a Rottweiler out with a child. The choice is truly yours. A trainer can help you learn to use your voice and to give corrections but I would recommend private lessons, not sending the dog off to live with a trainer, nor would I want to see you attempting to go to a class with the dog dragging you wherever he wants to go. Until you get past that part of the training, you cannot work with a group.

Well, this appears to be a bit of a lecture, and I am sorry, but I hope it will stimulate you to roll up your sleeves, put on your supervisor's hat and get to work.

[AngelBunny]

Iluvrotts:

Absolutely forget about sending Harley away to a residential training program. He doesn't need this--everything you say about Harley says--excuse me for saying this--he's not the problem. You are.

Because you're too soft, too easy, not assertive nor demanding enough. Harley can't give you the time of day most of the time because he's decided you're lower in rank than he is. Subordinates don't give orders. That's why he ignores you most of the time. He listens to you when it suits him and there's something good in it for him--he can't execute the command you give him fast enough when he sees you have a liver treat in your hand, for instance, or the only way he'll return to you is if you yell, "Harley wanna Eat?"

I'm sure they're honest trainers who run residential training programs, but there's no way I'd leave my dog with someone I don't know personally. Some people running these types of programs use less than desirable methods to train their charges.

Besides, leaving Harley to be trained will return him to you trained to listen to someone other than you. Yes, Harley might be perfectly well behaved for a period of time following his return home, but guaranteed, he'll resume all his current behaviors and practices of not listening to you on the first command because YOU haven't been trained how to train your dog.

That's what taking a dog to class does--you're trained to train your dog. The instructor doesn't train your dog--the instructor trains YOU, the handler.

Finally, all the things you've said about Harley say loud and clear he's a good dog. He doesn't need the heavy-duty residential training program.

Size has nothing to do with who rules--attitude does. We've all heard of Chihuahuas & other small dogs who are lords over the much bigger dogs with whom they live. You need to have the courage of your convictions, too. YOU'RE queen bee; what you say goes. No matter what.

Sign yourselves up for a series of obedience classes. Don't worry about looking foolish if Harley drags you around class for the first lesson or two--lots of dogs do this to their handlers. And most of the dogs in the first class or two make their handlers look silly.

It's how much progress you make in handling your dog from class to class that counts; this is what people remember when class is done.