Should I be worried ?

Question

I have 2 male rottweiler both 9 months. Falco and brownie, this morning i was giving my dogs bones to chew to keep them occupied while i watched tv and i noticed that falco ( more smaller yet agressive dog ) was struggling with his bone, so i decided to come over and hold the bone in place while he chews. A thing about falco is that he is 2x smaller than his brother, both were born at the same time but brownie was the first one born in the litter and falco was the last born. Well falco is really agressive to people and other animals and he has never ever growled, bark, or try to bite me. until this morning, i came over to help falco and when i reached for his bone, he started to growl at me and show me his teeth, which i was shocked, he never ever did this before .. Should i be worried or is this a stage that they go thru when they began to mature. also i use to take them to obidience school, until about a month ago and got lazy and stopped going. Should i be worried ?

Answer 1

It's normal at this age, he's an adolescent. Mine sometimes try it on at this age.

But make sure he knows it's NOT ACCEPTABLE. If you have difficulty, consult with a trainer.

Answer 2

YEs you should be worried. you have a breed of dog that when grown will be able to outweight and outpower you. If they're still young and willing to show aggression toward you their master/pack leader/parent, you have got to be concerned how you will handle them in the future.

Definitely don't accept this behavior correct it by removing the food and not rewarding him for his "bad" behavior. you can also try rolling him on his back when he does this to show him you're the boss AND no matter which approach you take definitely get your dogs into obedience class! It is important to make sure they obey you and know you're the boss as well as good socializing skills for their future with you and other dogs and people.

Food aggression is not normal nor acceptable behavior.

Also, imagine if your dog were to get ahold of something it shouldn't eat...you'd have to be able to get it away from him.

If left unchecked this will become a serious problem, nip it in the bud now.

Answer 3

Yes you should. This is not a good thing for your pup to do. It has nothing to do with size it has to do with what you let the pup get away with. If you don't take care of this now somebody or something WILL get hurt. You can teach the pup not to be the way it is. Remember it's all up to you how your dog is. If you don't have the time or money to do what needs to be done than give the pup to somebody that can.

Answer 4

It is something to worry about in that you would do best to get him into training specifically for his issues of aggression so that it doesn't become a bigger problem. His behavior can be worked with. Otherwise he could be a lethal danger to a child or even an adult that might walk over where a bone is buried or who gets too near his chew or even a toy.
I think if you get him into training specific for turning this behavior around, then you won't have to worry about him.

Answer 5

I hope you continued and held the bone. Because if you backed off you just demonstrated this behavior works. When a new pup comes into my home we pet it while its eating. We remove the bowl from it several times. You must start this training while very young or you can be in for trouble. Now I would certainly keep children and company away while this dog is being fed.

Answer 6

Be worried, u need to start again taking him to obediance training. this will ONLY get WORSE with time. i would also get a spray bottle and spay him when he does that, then say with a VERY firm voice, "NO"!! if he keeps doing this, and he probly will even though he now knows its wrong, take him to a room with the light off, or if u have a kennel that is in a different room, close the door with the light off. i do this with my dog when he pees in the house, and it really works. they HATE the isolation when they hear other people talking. GOod Luck. God Bless!!

Answer 7

You need to head back to obedience school FAST! If your dog is starting to show signs of food aggression at 9 months what is he going to be like at a year? 2 years? 5 years? This is not something to fool around with. Stop it before it becomes a big problems.

Answer 8

Well I have a female pit bull and a male boxer and i never ever give them bones or rawhide. For some reason dogs get nasty over those things and believe me someone will get hurt, whether its you, the other dog or someone else.

Its best not to give bones or rawhide (those things are usually chemical washed anyways, that cant be healthy to digest, and they are hard for them to digest) to them, toys are much better, and they wont fight over them, in most cases they will share.

Make sure when your dogs are eatting that you bug them, pet them, try to play with them, sit down with them while they eat (just try to get in their face). That way they dont get mean while they are eatting. This has worked with both of my dogs. Now they share the same food bowl and all their toys. Seriously take my advice, this will work.....otherwise someones gonna get hurt.

Answer 9

Don't accept that behavior in any dog you might own!
You're bigger, stronger ... you have to be the leader! Every dog owner should be able to take food or any item from their dog's mouth. If you allow your dog to be the Alpha, he can potentially harm you or another person in your home.

Answer 10

It's normal for a dog to protect his food. He didn't know you were helping. I never bother dogs when they eat. Accidental bites to humans occur frequently because of interference.My rule is leave a dog alone when he's eating, break up dogs fighting by spraying them with a hose, and don't interfere a male dog when aroused by a female dog.Your dogs are fine. Buy a book on obedience. Classes with a bunch of dogs seems too distracting for all of them. Spend 10-15 minutes a day for training. Have a great holiday.

Answer 11

Of course. Its like someone taking your candy away from you while you're trying to eat it. Dogs must be socialized young (so never do this with an adopted dog)

I can only take it away with two of my dogs. If he is struggling (unless choking) then just see it as he is building muscle or just not paying attention to his chewing