Aggressive Behaviour

[Erny]

I am so sorry, it isn't severe aggression. I think I was just frustrated and at a loss of what to do. I can get a private lesson with the behaviouist, however like I said I can't see him doing it in front of her. It has only happened 2 or 3 times so far and the likelihood of him doing it in that hour is probably slim.

Regardless of whether it is aggression, severe aggression or based in play, I think you'd do well to engage a behaviourist. Your story has changed dramatically from one thing to another and you've expressed frustration has been a component of that. It sounds to me that you're not really sure what behaviour your pup is exhibiting and even if you were, to have posted to the other extreme because you were frustrated is enough for me to suggest you could do with a bit of professional guidance.

I also would recommend Mark Singer. He'll set you on the right path and give you lots of tips/instruction/demonstration - even if it is not aggression that you're seeing. And if it is aggression that you're seeing, all the better that you see him urgently. Act now. Don't try to guess it out and hope that fiddling around from internet tips is going to fix whatever it is that is frustrating you so. A week in a pup's life at this 'critical' period is a long time.

Edited July 3, 2009 by Erny

[Kelpie-i]

Don't try to guess it out and hope that fiddling around from internet tips is going to fix whatever it is that is frustrating you so. A week in a pup's life at this 'critical' period is a long time.

Absolutely agree with the above.

[Oscar (AmBull)]

As I have said I have already contacted a behaviourist and have organised a time next week to evaluate the situation.

[Erny]

As I have said I have already contacted a behaviourist and have organised a time next week to evaluate the situation.

Sorry. I missed that part of your post.

[Sandra777]

I would don't know how many aggression cases would be solved purely by pinning a dog to the ground.

This is a FOURTEEN week old puppy. Puppies of this age do not tend to suddenly turn up with human aggression problems - they have pushing the boundary problems OP says this is something that has happened only in the past 2-3 days. Also this puppy was removed from the litter at 6 weeks and placed in a home with a first time owner who has asked some very basic questions in the past few weeks me these are all very clear warning signs of what might be going on, and it doesn't include the puppy suddenly becoming a human aggressive monster.

I have done this exact same thing on three occasions to Staffords between 11 and 14 weeks, I have not been bitten (have been threatened) and only had to do it twice to one puppy, once to the other two. Two were puppies I hadn't raised myself, the third was a singleton puppy

I was told to try this method with Daisy when she was six months old (or younger, can't quite remember) and it made her behaviour WORSE, because she took me up on the challenge and didn't back down.

6 months - adolescent. Wrong advice IMO.

That's the danger with alpha rolling IMO, you risk getting bitten and having the dog take you up on the challenge. I consulted a behaviourist and I don't have any problems at all now, I changed my daily interactions with Daisy and gave her stricter rules and boundaries and she began to respect me and see me as the alpha.

Alpha role an adolescent and that's what happens.

[Buster_09]

Same thing is happening with our 12 weeks old Rottweiler, I have notice that he only gets aggressive when he is outside and when we try to stop him from eating grass, wood chips, Kangaroo poo and doing his own thing. I have read so many articles on the internet and read so many books on how to raise a good family dog and at the moment I don’t know which one to follow, we are currently taking him to a puppy preschool, and soon we will be attending the obedience school.

There are so many different ways on how to train a dog, as I am new to (Rottweiler owner) this however my partner isn't, IMO being an Alpha male is the key to success especially when it comes to having a larger confident type dogs i.e. Rottweilers.

When Buster (our Rottweilers' name) gets out of control what I normally do is like an Alpha roll but a little different, instead of grabbing him by his coat/ skin I grab him by the collar and push him down to the ground on his side, when he is in this position he will try to do whatever he can to bite me. Before I can release him I have to wait until he settles down, when I’m telling him off I tell him off in a calm and soothing voice and after Buster has been release this is when I ignore him.

I have tried so many different ways on how to teach our little (for now) adorable Rottweiler out of his bad aggressive behaviour and the only one that has worked for me so far is the Alpha roll.

The way I look at it is that I need the upper hand right from the beginning; I am not going to have a Rottweiler that gets out of a secured area and start mauling an innocent person that is just walking by.

[Nekhbet]

Buster a 12 week old i not capable of true aggression. If he is at a scary level (I have seen one but that animal was just beyond) get a one on one trainer to help you before you go to group classes it is worth the expense

when I’m telling him off I tell him off in a calm and soothing voice

thats not telling off to a dog - your tone dictates to the dog your mood. YOu could be reading off a shopping list as far as he's concerned

how much encouragement do you do for Buster to do the correct behavior for you. FOr every corrective thing you do, you should be giving him 3-4 praises/rewards (be they verbal, treat, toy, play etc whatever works for your dog) in order for him to learn.

[all that glitters]

The alpha roll did nothing but make my girl anxious and stressed, so I stopped using that method. I get much more results from consistent telling off and then praising good behavior after, but then again she has never been aggressive towards me

[sas]

My Amstaff Oscar has in the past two days become rather aggressive. Out of nowhere he will start barking at us and actually lunging to bite us. I have seen him in his play mode and this is not it. I am rather concerned. What should we do to prevent this? We try ignoring him but he continues to lunge at us (normally sitting). We stand and ignore him and he normally stops, until you sit down again. Removing him from the room, as soon as he enters again he starts up, even worse though because he actually tries to bite the back of our legs. Is this just a stage of dominance? What should we be doing?

ETA: I was extremely frustrated when I wrote this and it is no where as bad as it actually sounds. Thanks to everyone who has replied and I apologise again for me not making it clearer. For piece of mind I have organised a home visit from a trained behaviourist to evaluate this behaviour and see what this behaviour is. I have had a private message from someone in a similar situation to me and it was put down to 'tantrums' by a professioonal, they described the same sort of things and therefore I think it is more likely to be this. I will let you all know the evaluation made by the behaviourist. I apologise again and thank you all for your help.

My boy was like that as pup.

I didn't see it as aggressive behaviour. It is in my mind inappropriate behaviour from a tough nut puppy (my opinion on my own dogs behaviour).

I wouldn't put it down to tantrums, although my pup did have tantrums. Please don't just take the word of someone else, their dog could be completely different to yours but sounds similar.

My boy if I may so politely say was an asshole puppy and as a 2.5 year old can still be a right little asshole and I'm pretty firm and consistent with my dogs.

If you can, get your pup assessed by a Behaviourist, that way you can see what kinda temperament you're dealing with so you know how to bring the dog up, you find it challenging when the pup starts to really mature.

If your boy is anything like mine you're going to need the extra support and help from a trainer and behaviourist.

[percyk]

interesting post

and just reminds me of my friends problems with a greyhound cross

the behaviourist she employed told her that 14 weeks is an important time flagstone

and that you have to get behaviour under control by then - aggressive tendencies at any rate

her dog is let me see....about a year old

i saw it last weekend

seems better with the owner

she got the food thing going- getting the big boy to lie down and hold eye contact

the dog is more attached to her now

there is some improvement in recall - i think through all the training she has down with this strange mix of greyhound and some farm dog type

he will walk quite well on lead and responds very very well to food rewards

so she continues to do on and off food rewards if he gets a bit pulley on the lead

she has chosen to muzzle him when out on the beaches only because the greyhound in him is really coming out in recent times

he will go for the dogs hindquarters in play and bring them down which scares other dogs' owners

he is disinterested in most dogs but will chase one that is in full flight and try to initiate a game

never joins into a rumble though

this was a very dominant and potentially aggressive pup

that resented my g/f intervening when he was having his fun

but i swear the way he looks at her now is very different

took about 8 months to really notice a consistent difference

he still has a way to go and he is in his teens now

i really admire her for putting up with it all

hes one of the hardest dogs i have seen and certainly im glad i havent had to wear the damage and destruction and worry she has had to put up with

keep at it

amstaffs are a very strong breed and you certainly dont want to fear it nor have others fear your dog