how to train rott pup to be obeident not tempermental

[jenny27360]

Bruce is 8 weeks old, i have had him 5 days now and he has done real well. his potty training has been good.

I have 2 children, a 2yr old and a 3 yr old, bruce likes to bite at our feet, hands, hair, face,etc. i tell him aaah and then no and he usually stops.

What im needing to know is how do you train a rottweiler (starting at 7 weeks) to love my children, and for him never to WANT to hurt them.

what should they do with bruce now? what shouldn't they do?

When he gets older, should they play rough with him?

how to train him to be obeident and not tempermental

any tips would be helpful

sincerely

jenny from nc

[poohbearsmom]

Originally Posted by jenny27360

Bruce is 8 weeks old, i have had him 5 days now and he has done real well. his potty training has been good.

I have 2 children, a 2yr old and a 3 yr old, bruce likes to bite at our feet, hands, hair, face,etc. i tell him aaah and then no and he usually stops.

What im needing to know is how do you train a rottweiler (starting at 7 weeks) to love my children, and for him never to WANT to hurt them.

what should they do with bruce now? what shouldn't they do?

When he gets older, should they play rough with him?

how to train him to be obeident and not tempermental

any tips would be helpful

sincerely

jenny from nc

Perhaps you can give us a little more insight on your modus operandus?

Are you crate training your pup? How are you allowing your toddlers to interract with this puppy? What leads up to these playful interludes that are getting out of hand... and how are you dealing with them now? If all it takes is a mild verbal correction, it sounds like you have a fairly mild tempered pup, and with a little more info, we can likely give you some helpful tips.. however...

You need to understand that this Rottweiler puppy will be tipping the scales at nearly 100 lbs or so within the year. Your kids will be small for a while yet, so it's up to you to be aware of what's going on at all times... A large, rambuncious dog can knock a small child down and do serious damage to limbs and such... so be advised - It is never wise to allow children to rough house with your dog (any breed). For that matter, if you are raising the dog as a family companion, physical rough housing is probably to be advised against altogether. You can entertain the dog by utilizing it's desire to retrieve, search for toys, etc... AND...Small Children should NEVER be left unsupervised with dogs. NEVER.

You can enroll Bruce into PuppyK or Puppy Socialization Class. From there, you need to enroll in basic obedience and keep it up through the first couple of years. Training and proofing lasts a lifetime with a dog - and especially a rottweiler. What you put into it - you get back out... kind of the same as with kids, only dogs don't tend to be so sarcastic once they reach adolescence.

I have to tell you, I'm a little curious as to why you didn't wait until your kids were a little older before you obtained a new puppy. That's an awful lot to pile onto your plate. You're a far braver woman than I... Nonetheless, you have a puppy now, so let's see how you're handling the situation, and see if we can help you out a little.

Welcome to the forums!

[Judi W]

I just posted some basic "primer" information in the behavior thread titled puppy and toddler, please read that.

In addition, if you want your pup to treat your children gently, then you must teach your children to treat the puppy gently. (that means no rough play as Elizabeth stated) Do not put our pup into the position of being egged on to misbehavior by the children.

[Vista]

Here is the link:
Raising Puppies with Toddlers

[jenny27360]

Thank you all for repling! No i am not crate training(is that bad)Im not familuar with crate training. He does listen well. he will stop biting when I tell him no.
My kids are real good with him, but they get a little scared when he tries to bite their feet. They did try to hit him to make him stop. I told them not to ever hit him but to tell him no or easily push him off and give him his toy instead. Is pull and tug rough housing? example- when he bites a toy and i grab the other end of it and he starts pulling and shaking his head-is this ok?

[LavenderRott]

Crate training will make your life soo much easier, I think. It will give you someplace to put Bruce where he is completely safe when you are unable to keep an eye on him. It will also be a safe place for him to be when you leave the house or sleep at night. If you search the forum, I am sure you will find a thread on crate training.

While most people might not consider tug rough housing, it is not something he should be allowed to do with your children. While at this age, it may not seem so bad, as he gets older he will be whippin' those poor kids right off their feet!

[poohbearsmom]

Originally Posted by jenny27360

Thank you all for repling! No i am not crate training(is that bad)Im not familuar with crate training. He does listen well. he will stop biting when I tell him no.
My kids are real good with him, but they get a little scared when he tries to bite their feet. They did try to hit him to make him stop. I told them not to ever hit him but to tell him no or easily push him off and give him his toy instead. Is pull and tug rough housing? example- when he bites a toy and i grab the other end of it and he starts pulling and shaking his head-is this ok?

Performing a simple search on these forums for "Crate Training" should land you a pile of threads to read up on.

I imagine it does scare your children when the pup runs amok. Puppy teeth are sharp. Do you do any redirection exercises with your pup when he's biting on you and the kids?

Tug can be quite a fun game, as well as a wonderful training tool (as a reward)... however, as with all games, rules must be explained and enforced. A good trainer can help you learn the ropes of rule making and instilling.

Since you have two very small children, who are too young to control a dog (and should not be expected to), it's going to be up to you to be vigilent about supervision. In your situation, if YOU choose to play tug with the pup, that's probably OK, as long as you institute rules. I would not allow small children to tug with a dog. Too many mixed signals can be sent. It's not a kid's responsibility (although responsibility and awareness should grow age appropriately) to control the dog - it's the adult's. A dog can and will learn the difference about kids and adults, and will learn to play physical games with the appropriate people, if things are kept consistant.

Hope this helps....

[jenny27360]

Thank you so much for repling. You have gave me some helpful tips about my questions.
yes, I do redirect him by telling him no or aaah and he usually stops biting and will go find something else to bite, or he will start whining for me to play with him.

However, he does try to bite my kids' hands sometimes when they try to pet him.
Is this just puppy behavior?
Do you have Kids? Or know anyone with with kids that has a rott? Are they good with the kids?

any replys or tips would help...

[Judi W]

Yes, that is puppy behavior. Whenever that occurs, you need the children to go into "freeze tag" mode. The pups are not stimulated to bite things that are not moving.

Tug. Although many of us play tug, in this case it is not a good idea. Your children (or likely yourself) are not experienced enough to understand and enforce the rules that make tug a profitable game, so just leave it out of your plans. Play fetch instead. A pup needs an experienced teacher to learn "tug enough" and your children certainly do not have the status to do so. There are other games they can play with the dog.

Freeze tag is when the dog is allowed to chase after or go find, but BEFORE it reaches the child or person, they must totally freeze (no biting that way), then another person can call the dog and repeat the "freeze". This is an active game and safe for all.

[trackermom]

Originally Posted by jenny27360

However, he does try to bite my kids' hands sometimes when they try to pet him.
Is this just puppy behavior?
Do you have Kids? Or know anyone with with kids that has a rott? Are they good with the kids?

any replys or tips would help...

Yes, it is puppy behavior and I have a daughter that will be 3 in July, My GSD was home when my daughter came home from the hospital, and knows she is not allowed to play with Kaylee, we made that very clear from the get-go she loves her and they interact but they do not play... My current rottie male came home when Kaylee was 6 months old, and SUPERVSION is what has made theirs a great relationship. I Also foster pups and when a new pup comes into the home Kaylee understands she cannot run and scream and play in front of the pup becasue that will solicit the biting behavior, rather we leave that for outside play time. She is allowed to interact, but we will leave the playing until she is old enough to understand the rules and consequences... Kids and dogs can have a great relationship by simply coexisting...

[jenny27360]

Originally Posted by Judi W

Yes, that is puppy behavior. Whenever that occurs, you need the children to go into "freeze tag" mode. The pups are not stimulated to bite things that are not moving.

Tug. Although many of us play tug, in this case it is not a good idea. Your children (or likely yourself) are not experienced enough to understand and enforce the rules that make tug a profitable game, so just leave it out of your plans. Play fetch instead. A pup needs an experienced teacher to learn "tug enough" and your children certainly do not have the status to do so. There are other games they can play with the dog.

Freeze tag is when the dog is allowed to chase after or go find, but BEFORE it reaches the child or person, they must totally freeze (no biting that way), then another person can call the dog and repeat the "freeze". This is an active game and safe for all.

Thank you so much for the good advice and tips.

so when he gets bigger, he wont WANT to bite them all the time.

What if they run from him and they dont freeze before he gets to him, will he bite them. If so, will he be biting to hurt, or will he bite in a playful manner?

I want Bruce(dog) to not want to ever hurt them. I want to train him to understand that he is to be gentle with them. Is that Possible??

Example- A year from now, I want to say " I feel that bruce would never hurt/bite my kids. Can this goal be acomplished? If so, any tips on how to start?

About the toys- should my kids pick up his toys and play with him- is that a good way for bruce to get to know them and interact with them by "nice play"?

Thanks again to all that have replied,
Jenny

[Judi W]

Originally Posted by jenny27360

so when he gets bigger, he wont WANT to bite them all the time.

What if they run from him and they dont freeze before he gets to him, will he bite them. .......................
Example- A year from now, I want to say " I feel that bruce would never hurt/bite my kids. Can this goal be acomplished? If so, any tips on how to start?

Thanks again to all that have replied,
Jenny

Jenny,
A year from now, he will be bigger, that does not mean that he will be mature or trained enough to self-control under very stimulating activity. I am assuming since you voice concerns that you know that you must have the dog in training classes and continue those classes for about 3 years or more. These questions about what he will or will not do when he is older are not answered just because time passes. The dog needs consistent and on-going training. Especially with young children in the house, if you are not committed to doing that, then just return him to his breeder right now (and no, I am not being facious or mean, just honest).

"What if they run from him and they dont freeze before he gets to him, will he bite them". .......................? Probably. That does not mean he is vicious, but merely acting like a young dog who is being stimulated. Children must learn the rules, not just the pup must be trained.

"A year from now, I want to say " I feel that bruce would never hurt/bite my kids. Can this goal be acomplished?" A year from now is a bit soon to expect mature thought and control from a dog. Thinking you can say that discounts the responsibility of supervision.

Soooo, yes the dogs can and should be able to be excellent members of the family. My children were raised with Rottweilers in the home. This however does not just happen. It involves intelligent and consistent work with the dog and well-behaved children that understand and obey the rules out of respect for the dog and the parent.

[poohbearsmom]

Originally Posted by jenny27360

Thank you so much for repling. You have gave me some helpful tips about my questions.
yes, I do redirect him by telling him no or aaah and he usually stops biting and will go find something else to bite, or he will start whining for me to play with him.

However, he does try to bite my kids' hands sometimes when they try to pet him.
Is this just puppy behavior?
Do you have Kids? Or know anyone with with kids that has a rott? Are they good with the kids?

any replys or tips would help...

Jenny,

Redirection is a little trick you can do to move the pup's attention from say.... your ankles.. to a toy. By wiggling an appropriate chew object (the toy) in front of the pup (remember what Judi said about dogs liking movement, and their prey drive), so that the pup is REDIRECTED from biting in inappropriate (you and your kids). Once the pup's attention is on the toy, toss it so the pup can get it. This is a very good method of keeping a pup's teeth off of bodies, and it happens without much correction.

I agree with Judi, now that I've read more of your responses, that tug would not be a wise game to play in your household at this time.

I'm still interested, why, at this time of your life, you have decided to pile a new pup onto your plate. Putting the time into raising two small kids is an awful lot to have on one's plate. Adding a new puppy, and a rottweiler pup at that piles the plate further, especially since this appears to be all very new to you. (no offense intended, everyone starts somewhere)

What made you decide on a rottweiler?

What books have you read on rearing puppies? Rottweiler books? Behavior books?

Now that you've had time to peruse the crate training threads - any questions regarding that?

The time investment necessary to properly rear two children into adulthood is monumental....The time investment necessary to properly rear a rottweiler into adulthood is immense - not weeks, not months, but years. If you do not commit yourself to learning as much as possible, as quickly as possible, you are doing your family and your puppy a disservice.

Now it's time for me not to mince words... I would rather see you return this pup to the breeder now.... take some time to learn more about this breed, and fortify yourself with the necessary knowledge, so that a couple of years down the road, when you're more confident about your abilities, you understand dog behavior better, and your kids are more able to understand the rules you can provide a long term home for one of these dogs.

Best of luck,

[jenny27360]

Originally Posted by poohbearsmom

Jenny,

Redirection is a little trick you can do to move the pup's attention from say.... your ankles.. to a toy. By wiggling an appropriate chew object (the toy) in front of the pup (remember what Judi said about dogs liking movement, and their prey drive), so that the pup is REDIRECTED from biting in inappropriate (you and your kids). Once the pup's attention is on the toy, toss it so the pup can get it. This is a very good method of keeping a pup's teeth off of bodies, and it happens without much correction.

I agree with Judi, now that I've read more of your responses, that tug would not be a wise game to play in your household at this time.

I'm still interested, why, at this time of your life, you have decided to pile a new pup onto your plate. Putting the time into raising two small kids is an awful lot to have on one's plate. Adding a new puppy, and a rottweiler pup at that piles the plate further, especially since this appears to be all very new to you. (no offense intended, everyone starts somewhere)

What made you decide on a rottweiler?

What books have you read on rearing puppies? Rottweiler books? Behavior books?

Now that you've had time to peruse the crate training threads - any questions regarding that?

The time investment necessary to properly rear two children into adulthood is monumental....The time investment necessary to properly rear a rottweiler into adulthood is immense - not weeks, not months, but years. If you do not commit yourself to learning as much as possible, as quickly as possible, you are doing your family and your puppy a disservice.

Now it's time for me not to mince words... I would rather see you return this pup to the breeder now.... take some time to learn more about this breed, and fortify yourself with the necessary knowledge, so that a couple of years down the road, when you're more confident about your abilities, you understand dog behavior better, and your kids are more able to understand the rules you can provide a long term home for one of these dogs.

Best of luck,

Poorbearsmom,

yes the breed is very new to me, but basic training of dogs is not. My first dog was a German Shephard, she was the best dog anyone could ever have. My father trained her, and I learned from him. I was quite little when I got her, she died of old age.

The 2nd dog i had was a black Chow. I got her in 1999. She was thee first dog that i raised on my own. I wasn't expecting to grt her but the owner of the pups wasn't very nice to them and i decided to take her in and give her a good home, and that i did. I didn't know anything about the breed, so i started gathering information about the breed and how to train her properly. I baught several books and followed the books like a guide for proper training of the dog. I was sucessful. My Grandfather was very close to her and when I moved to NC (where i am now), He wanted her to come and stay with him for a while. I was raised by my grandparents and that was the dog's home until I moved here. Anyway, she got hit by a car when she got out of th fence. That was in 2001

With Bruce, I wasn't expecting to get him either. The owners/breeders of the pups are getting ready to move into the house they just built, and they were going to take them to the pound because they didn't want to take them when they moved(terrible huh) so i took bruce. my husband has always wanted a rott and I have never been around the breed. Several of his friends have rotts and he is used to the breed and he keeps telling my not to worry so much, and if we train him right, then he will be a very good dog. he said that rotts love their family.

But with the tempermental history of the dog(which I found out about after I got him)
I DONT want to make any mistakes.

As for my kids, they are very very good to him now since I have told them how to act toward the puppy. They treat him like another child, they talk to him, courtney(3) will read him stories, she will get toys out of her bedroom and show them to bruce and ask him if he wants to play with her..Etc

The main WORRY that i have is that I want Bruce(when he gets older and bigger) to be gentle with them. I don't want him to ever "TURN" on them for any reason.

Am I worring about this matter too much??

Thank you for repling, you have helped me so much.

jenny

[poohbearsmom]

Originally Posted by jenny27360

Poorbearsmom,

yes the breed is very new to me, but basic training of dogs is not. My first dog was a German Shephard, she was the best dog anyone could ever have. My father trained her, and I learned from him. I was quite little when I got her, she died of old age.

The 2nd dog i had was a black Chow. I got her in 1999. She was thee first dog that i raised on my own. I wasn't expecting to grt her but the owner of the pups wasn't very nice to them and i decided to take her in and give her a good home, and that i did. I didn't know anything about the breed, so i started gathering information about the breed and how to train her properly. I baught several books and followed the books like a guide for proper training of the dog. I was sucessful. My Grandfather was very close to her and when I moved to NC (where i am now), He wanted her to come and stay with him for a while. I was raised by my grandparents and that was the dog's home until I moved here. Anyway, she got hit by a car when she got out of th fence. That was in 2001

With Bruce, I wasn't expecting to get him either. The owners/breeders of the pups are getting ready to move into the house they just built, and they were going to take them to the pound because they didn't want to take them when they moved(terrible huh) so i took bruce. my husband has always wanted a rott and I have never been around the breed. Several of his friends have rotts and he is used to the breed and he keeps telling my not to worry so much, and if we train him right, then he will be a very good dog. he said that rotts love their family.

But with the tempermental history of the dog(which I found out about after I got him)
I DONT want to make any mistakes.

As for my kids, they are very very good to him now since I have told them how to act toward the puppy. They treat him like another child, they talk to him, courtney(3) will read him stories, she will get toys out of her bedroom and show them to bruce and ask him if he wants to play with her..Etc

The main WORRY that i have is that I want Bruce(when he gets older and bigger) to be gentle with them. I don't want him to ever "TURN" on them for any reason.

Am I worring about this matter too much??

Thank you for repling, you have helped me so much.

jenny

Thanks for the insight... what temperamental issues did you find out about with Bruce? I have to make a comment about people who would guilt others into taking a pup because death is the alternative for it. I think I can say with a fair amount of confidence that this was not a well planned breeding, for which Bruce has paid the price, one way or another....

Basicly, Jenny, you get back what you put into Bruce. If you treat him gently, he'll return the favor. Set boundaries, ATTEND TRAINING CLASSES often and for a few years, be aware of how fair your expectations are on the dog - are you setting him up for success or failure? Fortify yourself with knowledge - there's plenty of it in black and white - knowledge regarding dog behavior has increased by leaps and bounds in the past 20 years, and especially in the last 10, so take advantage of all that's at your fingertips.

People like me want people like you to succeed with this. So, if you've obtained a pup with questionable temperament (you know the story, we don't), he's young enough to be rehomed in a different situation. If you really are committed to making this work, then commit to it. Above all, people like me want the dog to live a long, happy and secure life, with people who don't stop at just "loving" the dog... but with people who go the extra mile to learn and succeed in making the relationship a safe and rewarding one.

Jean Donaldson has written a couple of books that would be a good start for you - "The Culture Clash" would be an excellent first read.

Good luck, Jenny - keep us posted.