Why Do Rotts do this?

[Pumacat]

In the Bernard Flinks Motivational retrieve, the commentator (not Bernard) says that with Rotts you are most likely going to use a tug rather than the ball on the string. He says that its because rotts like to "fight"


He then directs you to his website to read the article why rotts behave this way.


But there is no article explaining this.



Could someone please explain this and tell me why rotts like to "fight" (I assume this means play tug o war with the tug)

[RottiMomCT]

Uh oh...I think I got a broken rottie ;) ...he LOVES to play with a ball as much as he loves to play tug. Maybe he learned that from his Labrador girlfriend . In either game, he's quite vocal....hard to be a scary dog with a fleece duck (or a little gorilla) hanging out of your mouth

[poohbearsmom]

Well, I had to switch from the tug to the ball, because mine was trying to dislocate my shoulders with the tug, and he was into the "fight" so much, he couldn't focus on anything else, and neither could I (ouch)...lol.
Visualize me as the ragdoll. Ball is working much better for me, but... I didn't start my training until he was a big boy, so this may be part of my problem.

[spoteet]

Sajan prefers the tug to the ball. He'll work with both but there is more intensity with the tug andit's easier for me to swing him off the ground.....he loves that:p

[Grendl]

My male Rott is a ball dog, and my female is a tug dog, and believe me, she is much more intense about it than he is. She loves to play tug, and never gets enough. The male loves to retrieve and play with the ball, and he is visibly happy about it. The female exhibits more fierce determination, and sometimes I think its not really a game to her. Why? I don't know, but I would be interested to read Ed Frawley's theory.

[kimble]

My Rott is definitely a tug dog. She loves to be lifted off her feet and swung around. Then if I let go, she pretends to kill it by giving it a good shake.

Balls don't do anything at all for her. But then again, I got her as a rescue aged 4, and she'd never played with toys before. Took me 5 minutes a day for 3 weeks to get her to play. ;)

[samanthac]

Disel's not picky...ball, tug, sleeve, leash..its all the same to him. He just likes to bite anything! :)

[LynnS]

I must have missed this thread.

Bella is not picky either - loves balls and tugs. Her only wierdness is that she likes everything mixed up. Throw the ball, then roll the ball, then have her leap in the air to catch the ball...everything has to be complicated

[Luvs]

Originally posted by samanthac
Disel's not picky...ball, tug, sleeve, leash..its all the same to him. He just likes to bite anything! :)

Akasha is the same way. Although, I don't know about the sleeve since she has never seen one. Her absolute FAVORITE toy is her tug. She loves to be swung off the ground also.

Keil likes to play tug although he doesn't like it as much as his sister. When we first started playing tug with them Keil wanted nothing to do with his tug. The only time he wanted it was when his sister had it. After making him sit and watch his sister play with the tug a few times he decided he wanted to play too. ;)

[poohbearsmom]

Originally posted by Pumacat
Could someone please explain this and tell me why rotts like to "fight" (I assume this means play tug o war with the tug)

No answers yet? ;)

[Judi W]

They enjoy the game because they find great pleasure using their strength and playing tug or working on the sleeve is one time when they are encouraged to do so.

[poohbearsmom]

Rotties letting loose and loving it. Sounds familiar. :)

[Pumacat]

Originally posted by Judi W
They enjoy the game because they find great pleasure using their strength and playing tug or working on the sleeve is one time when they are encouraged to do so.

I can understand that. But then why do the German Shepards not like the "fight" as much. They seem to enjoy the sleeve just as much. And the video implies that the "ball on a string" is much better to do if you have a choice and you are more likely to be able to be successful with it with a non-rott.

I am just going off of what the Bernard Flinks video says.

Not trying to be argumentative....just curious as to this whole "fight" concept due to this video.

[Wookie'sMom]

I would think it would have something to do with GSDs being a herding breed. It would be bad if a herder decided that chomping on the sheep and tugging was grand fun. So basically my (non-expert) theory would be that it has been bred out of GSDs.

[danyp1]

Originally posted by Wookie'sMom
I would think it would have something to do with GSDs being a herding breed. It would be bad if a herder decided that chomping on the sheep and tugging was grand fun. So basically my (non-expert) theory would be that it has been bred out of GSDs.

Just wondering wasn`t a rottweiler originally a herding dog as well?