why does my 1 year old rottie still not get it that I AM THE BOSS?

Question

we spent over £1000 on a personal trainer who came to the house and he said that he has a very strong temprament and it will be hard to change him, he is sometimes agressive to us when he doesnt want to do what we tell him to do,. at the end of my tether - mite have to get rid..... HELP!

thank you to all the people who replied, the trainer i used, uses the 'dog whisperer' methods... i do show i am in control and not scared and when he sees me coming he puts back his ears- so he does know i am 'the boss' but he will still test me... if i hold him down to floor by collar he will riggle, snarl and snap (just to show that he doesnt want to go down) but i use all my strength to hold him down until he is calm- however, when i let go he comes back for seconds!!! due to him chewing like crazy (when he was a lot smaller) he is only allowed into rest of house when we are there (otherwise he stays in his half of kitchen)- he is always hypo when he comes in2 other part of house (which results in me putting him bk in2 his 'room')- i always eat before him and walk away from rough play, believe me, read the books and t/shirts and gained valuable info from others with this breed, but resigned to fact that he has just got a 'queer' temprement.... he is being castrated soon, so fing x!!

Answer 1

Initially, when you are at home ignore him for the first five minutes of every day or upon your return from leaving him alone for an extended time. Importantly, instill this with everyone he meets. Moonitor and adjust accordingly.

Try establishing a feeding regime of not letting him nearby when you eat & only feed him after you have eaten yourself & not from the table.

Don't let him relax at the same level as you. Don't let him on the sitting room chairs or any chairs for that matter. Keep him away from bedrooms and especially, out of & off of your bed.

Reward him when he has been good with treats (dog's prime instinct is to eat); scold him when he is bad, but try not to shout at him. Dangerous dogs aren't necessarily bred but instilled with issue. Basically, you will reap what you will sew. Give him plenty of love & that's what you should get back. But I also feel and it has to be said, that you have to get him on your side first before you will reap any of the benefits from the measures I have suggested. This is also dependant on what has gone before and will with no doubt, take a time to bring to fruitition.

He must have his own space (or even sanctuary) where he can relax and feel safe, like a kennel, cage or even just his bed. Don't tell him off in his place of sanctuary.

Give him plenty of toys to keep him occupied. Walk him (on a choke chain) as often as possible. He is still a puppy, the walking will let him socialise with other dogs and other humans. As daft as it sounds, talk to him on whatever subject you like.

With my own dog (Jack Russell-Staffy cross, who is still fully intact & aptly named Well'ard) the first couple of years of his life, he was a nightmare and he still can be at 11 years old. When he was 2, he started to show signs of maturity by doing as he was told and behaving himself. This can also be said of my mother's male Airedale Terrier. He is also extremely willful and yet I have seen his character change quite considerably now that he has attained his second birthday. You don't want to stifle this part of their character. You should have got a Cocker Spaniel for that sort of dog. At the age of one, your dog is quite obviously displaying the qualities of a lout - no disrepect intended - now you have to gently steer him away from this behaviour. There are some excellent books with this situation in mind. Try a search on the Alpha Dog - I'm sorry, I can't remember the author.

Don't give up on your dog. The male of the species can be just as loving as any other dog or b1tch of any other breed. Be his best friend and enjoy each other's friendship.

Good luck.

Answer 2

A true dog-whisperer wouldn't have walked away until the problem was resolved. I really think that your trainer was bit of a con artist.
First of all, without seeing your dog I would have to guess that the continued expression of dominance is caused not only by his testing you but by something in your body language or vocal tones that leads him to believe that he can win.
The second thing is, YOU MUST get him to take the down position on command. If you have to practice fifteen times a day he must take it every time you command. A dog I had in Boarding School took six weeks to willingly obey that single command every time it was spoken by a handler. After we reached that point the rest of the exercise came along beautifully.
Thirdly, (and this may sound silly but I have had tremendous success with this exercise,) make sure that your dog ALWAYS FOLLOWS you through doorways and narrow passages. I find that most dogs react amazingly once you have established this manner of passing through narrow openings. In body language it simply means that people are always first. It makes you top-dog.
Wish I could help more but there is so much involved with changing status in the family pack.

Answer 3

I have spent my life around dogs. Do not listen to those people who tell u to sell it or put it down because rottis are just bad. I have a rotti x ridgeback and he has been difficult to bring up because they are very strong willed. Find a good trainer and stick at it. Obviously your other trainer had no idea what they were doing. You need to assert yourself as the boss. Also wat sort of history has the dog had was ot abused as a pup. If he was ot could be possible you are doing something that he finds threatening. Holding him on the floor is not a good way to go about it. It is threatening to him and backs him into a corner which is why he comes back for more. Good Luck. also try talking to your vet and having him desexed should help as he wont have the testosterone racing around making him do stupid things.

Answer 4

Well, sounds like you have done your homework - Just remember, not all experts are right all the time - just take what you read and the points that stick with you are the ones you need to use. The whole holding them down thing to show dominance - is a BAD IDEA with a larger agressive type of dog. They see this as an act of trying to make them submissive and they will show their bullheaded side. The only time in the wild an animal is turned over and held down is when it is being attacked. I don't think you want your dog to feel like that about you. I wouldn't advocate doing this any longer. Try having him "fixed" to get the testesterone high taken care of and then give him plenty of exercise often to burn off some of his restless energy and then try working with him on commands - Good luck

Answer 5

I'm not sure if the TV show "the Dog whisperer" is available for veiwing on the national geographic channel in the UK. But the star of the show Ceasar Milan could demonstrate just what you need to do to get the point accross! His method is based on understanding how dogs relate to eachother, the leader of the pack is the one that is "Calm and Assertive" and they never yell or reward either with food or affection. He usually ends up showing the owners of problem dogs that they themselves are the cause of most problems! He also say's never pet or praise and comfort the dog until it has taken a calm and submissive mode! And especially in the case of large dominant dogs exercise is the key take the dog for lots of walks so as to both tire him out and demonstrate to the dog that you are the leader. You need to lead the dog never let him lead you, if you go through a gate or door way you should always go first never the dog ! You also need to react and correct the dog before his bad behavior takes place not after it is in progress! say in the case where he likes to take out after other dogs, the instant he even notices the other dog you should correct him not after he is already in fight mode. he suggests the use of a choke chain collar and says it should be placed as high as posble on the dogs neck where it will get the most notice when used. yet another way of showing the dog who is the leader it to quietly but assertivly place yourself between the dog and his food blocking his access until he completely gives up and submits to the fact that you are in control. You should also get the other people that he lives with to do these same things always remembering that the dog will feed of it's leaders emotions if you are nervous or excited he will be also, so try to stay as calm as possible no matter what the circumstances. Do this and stick to your guns and he will catch on.

Answer 6

You sound frustrated. I can understand. I adopted a very unruly lab 5 years ago, and although he has improved, he is still more like Marley of "Marley and Me" than he is like the sweet companion I envisioned. Oli went through 4 homes before he landed here, and there are days when I still do not know if it was worth it. I love him, but he is definitely not the companion I had hoped for, (yes, I have had other dogs).

Keep in mind that one year is still a pup, and you can still get him in his appropriate place in your "pack", but you have to be consistant and vigilant.

Try reading and following the Monks of Newskeet, (hope I am remembering title right, check Amazon), books, such as, "How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend". It is helpful in asserting dominance. It helped me with Oli.

From my experiences:

Things with Oli got better when I made some subtle but significant changes: 1) He sleeps at the side of my bed, on a dog bed 2) When I get up, I go through the entry and down stairs first 3) I step out the door first then tell him to come 4) I do not play tug-of-war games or any games where he can imagine himself dominant 5) When we play fetch he must drop the toy in my lap, no stuggle with him 6) When Oli gets out of control during play, I end the session and ignore him 7) Oli must lay down away from table during meals, and he eats after I eat
8) 15 minute "play" training sessions help, because he follows your orders: sit, treat. lay, treat. shake, treat. Over and Over and Over. 9) the crate training helps too, since you control the crate times.

I would definitely say that the sit/stay was the toughest for me. But it made a huge difference when he got it. When your dog gets excited about looking to you for his commands, then he will start to look to you for leadership in general. Play is definitely what helps Oli learn.

All of my experience with Oli shared....I will say it was the hardest thing I have ever done, and I would be much more cautious about adopting a difficult dog in the future.

Your breed is notoriously difficult. Good luck.

Oli's devoted boss

Answer 7

Because he's a Rottie.... and if you have a determined Rottie, he'll never stop trying to be top dog.

You probably should have picked a different breed or even a different , more passive Rottie pup to better suit you.

Well, unless you can find a reliable and educated trainer to help you put your dog in his place and keep him there (and you will ALWAYS need to keep him there by reaffirming your rank), you should rehome the dog with someone who is familiar with this strong and often very dominant breed.

I would go to the local Schutzhund club (or maybe to your dog's breeder) to find a trianer who is good with Rottweilers to help you learn how to properly control your dog. It is a matter of safety.

Answer 8

As the owner of a 3 year old bullmastif I hope I can offer you some hope..hes being a terrible teenager at the moment..Never allow him to get away with being aggressive to you stern words and being put in the sin bin alone...the dining room in my case, for about 30 mins used to do the trick. I also by the time he was 2 had ..had enough then one morning I got up and he must have grown up overnight.........I now have a beautiful dog and great friend please don't give up but never let him forget who is in charge..and stop spending a fortune on trainers you can do this yourself..good luck.

Answer 9

i have 2 rotties and as a last resort a shock collar could be the answer the last dog whisperer i saw he had to train a bulldog with a shock collar i have one for my male rottie i had to shock him once and the controls have a setting for shock and one for a beeping sound (my rottie is very protective of the fenced in yard and if he wanted to he could jump our 5 foot fence)(only reason i got the collar) after shocking him the one time i can put the collar on and he knows he best behave and i can pick up the remote for anything (like the TV)and they don't know the difference so he does a complete turn around please check into the different collars out there my rotties are so lovable i can not see putting them down if theres a way good luck collars are only $100.00 well wroth it

Answer 10

Because he is one that is always going to be fighting for the top position. He wants to be top dog...so to speak. He would be a great pack leader in the wild...the Alpha, if you will. You can't give in to him even though he wants the position very badly, you must stay strong!

When he attempts to be aggressive with you, you need to tell him IN A LOUD VOICE..NO!!! He needs to know that that is NOT acceptable behavior. A sign of submission is when they expose their tummy to you. If you get close enough to him while yelling no, will he cower? I do not believe in physically hitting him...that could only make him more aggressive.

If that doesn't work, I would make a call to your previous trainer and let him/her know what problem has arisen. They may be more than willing to help you free of charge because you already had been to them.