Need serious help asap have read every training advice out there!

[have a rottweiler!]

About a year and a half ago my familys golden retreiver died a dog that need virtually no training and was practically perfect in everyway. We then decided we wanted another dog so we went to the pound were we got a dog that was supposibly German Sheperd/Golden retriever when we first saw the dog she was well behaved allthough a little hyper which we figured was from excitmenet. When we bought it home we noticed the dog had moments were it went completely outta control running around the house and sometimes bitting us especially(getting as bad as to be considered an attack) jumping on us and growling especially when shed get into moments were she bite our feet. Some other people(including professional trainers) say are dog look like it has other breeds in her I did some reaserch and figured out that she looks exactly like and acts like a rottweiler making me 99% sure she is part that breed. We we're not ready for this kinda dog.

The problem with the dog is the random attacks for no reason,the constant bitting and jumping on (which scratches us), and when new people come or people she hasnt seen in awhile she will jump and bite, and when we take things away from us she growls and bites and sometimes attacks us.
We have given this dog constant love she always wants to be with us we potty trained her,she knows sits and downs, and she knows how to use the invisible fence(which took her all of maybe three shocks for her to know what to do).

We've tryed bitter apple, saying no and ignoring, putting her to the ground and closing her mouth, distracting her with something else, none of those stops her from bitting us or other people. She is about 6 months old we've had her for three and a half of those months(some other people had her but returned her because of the biting we were not aware of this) and were just afraid shell hurt someone and have to be put down she is very smart so smart she can bash open the front door and run out(the invisible fence stops her from just running around free but shell bash through to greet us or a new person) but if some ones there she could attack them with our us being able to stop her.I realize we prolly shouldve never got the dog but we didnt know any of these things about her and we dont wanna return her because she is so attached to us and will even cry when were not there and what not. Also I realize some of you are against invisible fences but she already uses it its 2 late to change she doesnt get shocked anymore she knows the boundries and shes only taken a few shocks(which i have felt and dont hurt so much as surprise you) and she wouldve prolly dug, climbed up, or broke through a fence. Plz any advice at all and one method I was considering was adjusting a dog whistle to make it hurt her and use it when she does behaviors that are unacceptable. Im extremely desperate and the whole family will work together to do anything. PS:she is not spaded but were gonna and we have taken her to an obdience class that did really nothing cause she was to busy and distracted by the other dogs to misbehave and there advice didnt help us.

 

[Brattina88]

spaying and an obediance class would help...

how much exersize does she get?
when she's "attacking" what does her body language represent? How do her eyes look, ears, hair on the back, tail, ect...

 

[have a rottweiler!]

more info

I did go to obedience class didnt help and she curls her lips when she bites us sometimes growls her fur goes up and her ears goe back and she gets plenty of excersiseprolly around 4-5 walks a day and running around in the yard from chasing balls or what not.

 

[Zoom]

You need to find a licensed behavioralist NOW. This does not mean someone from Petsmart. Ask around at your vet and different vets in the area. It will cost you a pretty penny but it sounds as if this dog has absolutly no respect for you or your family and this is only as a 6 month old. She'll tear your house apart (and possibly one of you) when she hits maturity.

 

[have a rottweiler!]

Rather not

Were not made of money and we've already put alot in the dog and she behaves differently when we bought a behaviorist around for a trail its these moods she gets in thats the problem and I really believe the dog does have some respect for us bcause shes pottey trained and is sometimes good and is usually good and will jsut sit there and be petted its jsut when other people come or when she gets really excited and other times idk.

 

[Zoom]

I don't want to sound mean, but please add a period or two in there. It's hard to follow what you're saying.

Can you post a picture of the dog?

What did the behaviorist tell you when they were there?

Just because she is potty trained and "is sometimes good" does not mean there won't be huge amounts of trouble later on.

 

[Doberluv]

Honestly...it sounds like this dog is too much for you. My recommendation would be to re-home her with someone who is very knoweldgeable about training and raising a dog like this. This is a disaster waiting to happen...IMO. Sorry....

 

[have a rottweiler!]

Once again

Yeah I dont ahve a camera as of now but Its supposidly german sheperd Golden retriever but no one can quite pin point the other breeds they think is there. We've heard for what other breeds are there Akida,Rottweiler,Hound, a few others I dont member and this si coming from vets and trainers.

The behaviorlist said that shes totally trainable and that shes just a smart dog that needs to be dominated and immediatley taken control of. He showed us somethings like hitting here with a pan to make the ping sound which is suppose to startle her and stop biting and how to walk her right. But she walks fine and the pan thing really never worked that well.

 

[Zoom]

Let me get this straight...he advised you to hit your dog with a pan? Or to hit the pan with something else to get the ping sound?

 

[have a rottweiler!]

LoL the dog and i think we make the ping sound while hiting her idk cuz it didnt work i just know we hit the dog. and this guy was recomended by a very big pet store around here and is known as the best dog trainer in the area.

 

[Doberluv]

He showed us somethings like hitting here with a pan to make the ping sound which is suppose to startle her and stop biting and how to walk her right.

Are you kidding?????? Hit her with a pan???? Startle her? How could you allow someone to do that?

That behaviorist sounds like a nut job. Being harsh and frightening, wild, noisy, is not being a leader...is no way to handle any dog. There are other ways. She'll just get habituated (use) to that sound and it will mean nothing other than it will make her fear you. Fear puts a dog on the defense. This is not a place you want to put a dog. You'll have to get tougher and tougher until it turns into abuse. Aversives and harsh punishment can cause aggression and real neurosis.

If you're going to keep her, (I cringe at the thought) I recommend you find a behaviorist who uses methods based on operant conditioning with the emphasis on motivation and reward. This dog will just end up in a power struggle with you if you enter into a dominance game....who can out do the other.

There are other effective ways to work through this. Please find a positive method trainer.

 

[Zoom]

That guy is a jackass. Pure and simple. You do not do yourself or the dog any good at all by hitting with anything.

I'm going to side with Doberluv and say that you should probably rehome the dog with someone who knows what they are doing and knows what the dog is like before hand. You said yourself that you probably should not have gotten the dog in the first place. It will re-adjust to a new home.

Think of it this way, new home and probably happy/alive or your home where you hit it with pans until it seriously bites one of your family members one day and has to be put down. Your choice.

 

[have a rottweiler!]

Well i now realize what it sounds like its like a shiney metal pan that like you get when you buy a pie or something one that wouldnt hurt but it stil wasnt a good idea.But it didnt hurt the dog I wouldnt off allowed him to hit her with a real pan. About the trainers I mean the people at the behaiviorhal classes were real trainers and stuff I mean this positive methods with my dog didnt seem to work all that good thats why i wondering if any1s heard about a dog whistle working or not cuz the bitter apple works to a point and so did shocking the dog on the invisible fence.

 

[Doberluv]

Positive methods will work when they're done correctly. It works on all mammals. They train tigers in zoos to tolerate the workers coming in and drawing blood from their veins. They use to have to anesthesize them. They train dolphins to do all kinds of things. They train service dogs, movie actor dogs, messed up dog who need rehabilitation with operant conditioning type methods. Again, startling and making a dog more nervous than he already is is going to ruin him.

I hope you seriously consider finding him a more experienced person. It's not the positive methods which don't work. It's the trainer.

Think of it this way, new home and probably happy/alive or your home where you hit it with pans until it seriously bites one of your family members one day and has to be put down. Your choice.

I see this happening.....absolutely.

 

[have a rottweiler!]

Findng a home with someone who knows what there doing is harder then you think especially out here in the country and ppl think they dog will be ez her looks are desceving but they prolly couldnt really take care of her better then us and I cant just give it to a pound cuz the same thing will happen switching from home to home until eventually its put down. And with the positive behaivor im all for it if I knew what to do when shes bitting on us or attakcing us thats the problem I need some pointers(also the dog has improved since we got it the biting is dieing down and we dont abuse the dog in anyway or hit it with anything and I dont think this is a lost cause quite yet cuz a friend of mine who has had German Shepards and Rottweilers says that what shes doing is natural and that he just kept restraing his dogs to the ground and eventually it stopped just that isnt working for me.)

 

[Brattina88]

Restraining the dog to the ground is probably going to make her increasingly frustrated and aggressive

I agree with the others, a behaviorist is needed & she needs to be spayed !

you might want to try implementing NILIF
Here's some links
http://www.k9deb.com/nilif.htm
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/nothingfree.htm
http://www.nomorehomelesspets.org/behavior/dog/nilif.htm

 

[whatszmatter]

are you sure he didn't say hit the PAN with something, not hit her with the pan?? seems much more believable, which would just be a pattern interrupt so you could move the dogs attention over to something else, just like clapping your hands. But then again there are trainers that have you throw bean bags at dogs for things, so who knows.

 

[tinksmama]

havearottweiler, it sounds like you're getting the best advice there is. You asked, I hope you're wise enough to listen. Either suck it up and pay a GOOD trainer to help you, b/c it'll reward you with many good years with this dog(worth more than any tv or toys or whatever) or Give the dog back,and accept that, or find it a new home with a competent trainer. it's hard, but it's life! Some dogs/people aren't good matches,and it takes a huge commitment to get some dogs livable.

 

[silverpawz]

I'm not going to even touch the 'trainers' advice about hitting her with a pan except to say...pelase don't do that again. Ever. That won't help you train her, it'll only make your problem worse.

Now, it sounds to me like she's a "Wild Frapper"
Fraps (frequent random activiy patterns) are common among pups, they race around the room bounce off furniture and generally act like rubber balls for five minutes or so. Some puppies nip at hands, feet, play growl, and jump at people while frapping. Seen a lot of it, doesn't mean that's for sure what's going on with your puppy, but from your discription about how she only does this 'when excited'... that's what it sounds like to me.

Either way, keep a leash on her at all times. When she starts to get excited grab that leash and hook it over a doorknob, close door, instant teather. Walk away from the dog and don't go back untill she's settled. You MUST watch her and catch it BEFORE she really get's riled up. I'm sure you know the signs by now that mean she's getting over excited, as soon as you see them hook her to a door an walk away.

When she's clam you can go back and un-hook her.

This is ONLY a means of mangement for this behavior. You're going to want to find a qualified trainer to work with so you can get better contol of her in the long run. Assumeing you want to keep her. Also, be sure she's getting enough exercise and play time as this can help her to settle more easily.

 

[have a rottweiler!]

Thanks thats exactly on point silver

Yeah thats exactly what she does I mean as of today Ive been studying her more and I think she does have respect for us such as she has us walkthrough doors before her and she sits on our laps when shes chewing on our toys. Its just these random times when stuff like the bitting happens shes improved alot since we 1st got her.
I dont think the trainer is nescasary so far today shes been perfect this includes kids touching her,walking with me there was no pulling, she also obeyed me when i called her over when she was chasing a cat and she never once bite any1 today.
So im gonna try the door knob thing thats actually good advice cuz I dont wanna hurt her but I think she needs some punishment of some sort to get her outta this stage or to prevent her from biting some one.
As for the pan its like an alumnium pan that wouldn't hurt no matter how hard she was hit and the guy knew what he was doing because hes trained over 2000 dogs before and he got control of my dog pretty fast.
If you wana here something realy bad one of the trainers at the obedience class told us to give the dog a punch in the nose if she bite us because biting is unaccepted and I saw her do this to her dog.(Believe me I never once tried punching my dog which I know would be like 2 steps back and just make her hate me).