The Rottweiler. Old ,,evil dog?" or ,,devoted companion?" questions

[Dumi]

I have a one year old rottweiler, his name`s Sammy(Davis Jr.)and he`s a nice dog. I have another 8 year old boxer and a metish dog, they get along fine. Even tough the metish weighs about 10 kg, he is the alfa male in the yard. They are all free in the yard, but by all means necessary I have to build a fenced restricted zone for them, and separate them. I am most concerned about the rottweiler. I fear that he will become an uncontrolable beast and I will be forced to ban him in his perimeter for the rest of his life. Sometimes, he tends to growl at me. He is not very used to going outside of the yard, I have not walked him very much, let`s say he`s been out and about for 20 times and I feel that he is kind of uncomfortable and when I put my hand on him or touch his back, chest or ears, he tends to growl at me, but he chills out when I scream at him. But when he comes back in the yard, it`s ok, he doesn`t get irritated by me at all. When I put on/take off his (i don`t know what to call it in english, the thing you put on his mouth so he doesn`t bite)he tends to be irritated again(maybe he isn`t used with it, considering that I`ve only put it on him for about 3-4 times).
Some people say that they have rotties and they`re loving dogs and that they only talk to them nicely, no screaming and nothing at all. Some say that if you do not let your rott know who is dominating, he will try to take your throne. Thanks for reading the post and I hope you will come up with some help. I have got proper professional help for him, a trainer. He also says that a bit of authority in hand and voice is needed when dealing with these dogs.

[Iamme]

I would be interested to know how long you have had Sammy and if you got him from a shelter or rescue organization. If that is the case, it is very possible that Sammy was abused by his previous owners and it may take some him for him to get used to you and you touch. You might start by, occasionally, rubbing his head and smoothing the hair over his back gently. Also try hand feeding him, once in a while. This will get him to bond and also he will know that you control the food (the dog food fairy doesn't just bring it). This will build his trust and confidence in you and he will grow to depend on you. Play with him and his toys, the biggest key to a good dog is plenty of exercise. If you do not feel comfortable taking him out throw the ball up and down the stairs or a long hallway to wear him out. Also seek training for him, it's well worth the investment. One more tip: Positive reinforcement works better than harsh punishment. Give him a treat occasionally for a job done well (like coming back when you call. Good Luck

[DebbyM]

I Work with a Rottie breeder and his animals were big babies.
But I have a Sharpei/Beagle that likes to show his alfa side and dominate by growling and really, really dirty looks. I have a show down with him about every 10 weeks and what works the best is as soon as mine acts up we go for a walk & walk & walk & walk & walk until he can't stand it anymore .
Tire them out and Mine gets the idea. Good Luck

[sandram]

i owned a rott but had to let him go abt a year ago...for breeds like this,socialization is very important,they should be around different pple and different dogs from the start in order to avoid any problems...since they have very strong characters ur dog needs to know whose boss and accept the face that u r above him...my rott became very dangerous, it all started with me being too nice and friendly with him, i never imposed strict authority...this lead to the injury of my family members, he bit my sister and brother and we had to stitch them up...so i sent him to training school,because he was nearly a year old and his character was fully grown,nothing helped, the trainer blamed me saying i put him as an equal to all...i got him back home and whenever id go out i would keep him in my room so that he does not harm anyone but eventually he did and they were serious injuries...so i had to let him go...i had a female chiwawa with him and he never harmed her, he loved her deeply and she was the boss...but he never growled at me or anything,he would just push me off the bed when im sleeping so that he is more comfortable...if hes growling at u then u have a big problem, however,i dt suggest u isolate him becoz that would only make him more aggressive...go to a professional trainer and discuss ur options with them...
good luck

[LalaLover<3]

Dumi -

Growling is not good, but yelling at him is worse. You should establish dominance over him, and scold him not by yelling or screaming. Hitting, or physical force doesn't working either. I own a doberman/rottweiler mix and she is amazing. She hardly ever makes a mistake or does something wrong, but if she does, I just simply say in a stern voice "NO". When NO doesn't work perhaps just flicking him on the nose my work. Just as the others said, try seeking out proffesional help. Rottweilers are very sweet dogs, but it is true, you one - need to know how to control them, two - need to establish dominance over them as a puppy, and three - proffesional help is helpful. Hopefully my input helped, after all I'm here to help. Oh, and one more thing, don't try to overstep his boundries, just like humans they need their space. A second time - GOOD LUCK!