[rottierose]

Hi all! I am on a Rottweiler forum but it moves pretty slow with very little feedback.. We got Rose our Rottweiler at about 3 months old. We only had her as an outside dog ( I know it's awful, it's a long story) However now we are buying our house starting August 1st so Rose will be an inside dog! I brought her inside today for the first time, just to get her used to the house noises, the crate, our cat etc. She did pretty well in the crate, and didn't make a peep at our cat! I took her out for potty breaks but she never actually went. The last time I took her out on leash she acted crazy! She was lunging at me and biting at me, my shirt, my back. She actually took my arm in her mouth and scratched me with her tooth (she did not bite down) While it seems aggressive, I honestly don't think she is. She is more of a bully, I know that is the personality of most teenage rotts. It doesn't help that she is unmannered from living outdoors separate from us. This girl gives me a run for my money on leash, she weighs more than 3/4 of my own weight! My husband is over the road trucking (this was originally his dog :eyeroll so it's all me in training her. I eventually will have a trainer come in and help but it's not feasible at this time.
She has always nipped at me to try to get me to do things she wants. She also has always jumped at me. She doesn't do EITHER to my husband...and not so much to the kids any more either. I feel like she doesn't want me to be dominant over her...so she bullies. What should I do to stop this lunging and biting nonsense immediately? When she comes at me, I by reflex, put my knee up and physically push her down. Which I know isn't good, she could think I'm playing. What else can I do? When on her hind feet she's almost as tall as me...
I'm going to give Rose my all in training her but if she's physically harming me it's frustrating and painful and I can't allow it.

 

[BrittaS]

Hello!
First off welcome and good luck with the house buying

How old is Rose now? Where was she kept outside? On a tie-out or a kennel run?
Disclaimer up first, I'm not a professional, but maybe it is similar to something my dog experiences once in a while

It was her first time being inside, so she was probably over stimulated, but kept it all "inside" so to speak. She didn't go after the cat, she was good in the crate and so on. You took her out a couple of times, but she was still "careful" with what comes next, so to speak. As said, for her everything was new. Then, when you took her out the last time, it just all broke out of her, so pretty much "all hell broke lose" and she just tried to let her excitement out on you.

My dog does this when we're in the pool. She isn't comfortable with going in the pool from the stairs, but she does go "in" if I hold a floaty she can jump on and I can "drive" her around. She looks around and wags her tail, but is otherwise really still. As soon as we're back at the stairs and she can jump on "land" she takes whatever is in close proximity, runs off and tries to "kill" it. I bet she would react similar, if she would be restrained by a leash and me close by. She just needs to let her built up excitement out.

So, trying to find a solution here: Is the yard/run where you have her outside, fenced? if yes, let her of the leash before stepping outside, so she can "run it out" and you're not the target. Or, but I'm not sure how well this would work: Try ignoring her, turn away, be quiet, no eye contact, no talk, and so on.

I hope this somehow helps.
I really also don't think this is aggression. It's just total excitement overload

 

[kelly528]

Sounds like she is super overstimulated and amped up to be inside. Try direct her to quiet, rewarding activities (bully sticks, a raw bone, puzzle toys, etcetera). This will set her onto a different track as far as fun things she can do now that she is in the house. At this point, since you have likely been going outside mainly to interact with/feed/entertain her, she is probably thinking that what goes on when you close the door is 24/7 puppy Disneyland. She needs to learn to chill all over again.

Matwork (you can use her bed or her crate as well) would also be very beneficial to her. Builds impulse control, keeps her from getting underfoot, and gives her a "calm place" to send her to when she's bouncing off the walls.

 

[jagger]

Could be the dog is just bored as well, doesn't know what to be doing with itself. Rotties are strong intelligent working dogs - maybe find something for the dog to do... Could be something as simple as a backpack on a walk to carry stuff for you - but find something.

You don't need to be the dominant master over a dog, try more of a team attitude.

 

[rottierose]

Thank you for the replies! Rose is 7 months old now. On my other forum [dedicated to only rot owners] I was under the impression that I must be dominant, in order for her to respect & obey me. I agree with all who said she is over stimulated. I am going to let her explore the house on leash today & see how she does. If anyone has training tips that will help with a very hyper pup that'd be great! I have 3 young children in the home, one being a baby. Thanks all!

 

[jagger]

You have kids? Even better. Don't think of it as being dominant over the dog - yes there has to be mutual respect - but think of it as being a team with the dog.

Try something simple - have a sled or a wagon? Get a harness and see if she'll pull the kids around. Just bear in mind that she's a young dog and you don't want her pulling massive weights. Backpack for the dog when you're out for a walk - let her carry water bottles and such - give her a sense of purpose within your family - your team.

A good exercise routine that gives her both physical and mental stimulation will work wonders.