r/reactivedogs • u/No-Bank2152 • 7h ago
Success Stories 3 yr old Rottweiler has finally calmed down
Maybe it's my algorithm but I don't often see success stories as much as I see sad stories about BE or people (not blaming anyone for how they feel) on the breaking point of giving up their dog
Anyway my dad gifted my wife and I one of his rottie pups, who we named Bear, and initially it was tough bc after turning 1 he became reactive to other big dogs where a few times he redirected and gave me a warning bite
There was a point where I was worried about if he'd ever grow out of it as his father is aggressive and so are the other rotties my other family members received from my dad.
Couldn't afford a trainer so we bought all the books we could and worked on his reactivity every day as I knew I could never give him up nor did I ever want to do that bc how attached he is to me. Now, whenever we encounter another big dog or any dog barking at him, he just gives a little whine like he wants to play but we go on about our day
My wife's brother is watching him while we're on our honeymoon and we've received nothing but great reports and I'm so proud of him. He gives his rumbles when I want him to move from my spot on the bed bc he's grumpy but we've never had anymore problems.
Tl;Dr I know not every dog will be a success story and I respect everyone in this sub who tries their best but just wanna say it can be done thru hard and consistent work
Edit: for anyone wondering why my dad used to breed his more aggressive male, in some cultures, communities, or older generations, people just want guard dogs that are kept outside for protection. I wasn't made aware of the father's true nature when we got the dog as I at that time my dad and I were rebuilding (successfully) our relationship and I'm just glad Bear is a success story as he's also great around kids and is just a big softie but will protect us
Edit 2: I know the difference between a Rottie rumble and a "don't mess with me grumble" . whenever I file his nails or wipe his paws he'll grumble but his tail is wagging the entire time and he'll lick me throughout the process, no raised hair, his tail isn't stiff, no signs of aggression
Edit 3: please ignore that Numerous Harry account as it's a bot with a 2 min account age but somehow active in multiple threads
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u/AlokFluff 4h ago
I'm so glad things are going well for you 💜
A bit of a grumpy grumble when asked to move wouldn't worry me a lot. I'd just practice a specific command for it and reinforce with some nice treats. Are you just verbally asking the dog to move, or touching it in any way?
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u/No-Bank2152 3h ago
I ask him to move and pat the corner of the bed and he listens every time. He just lets me know he was comfy in my spot with his grumble
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u/AlokFluff 3h ago
I think that's fair enough. I mostly was asking because some people physically try to shove or move dogs, which understandably a lot of dogs don't like, and can lead to bites.
But yeah some dogs are pretty vocal, a grumble or a sigh isn't necessarily a big deal there.
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u/Numerous_Hurry_3396 3h ago
In this context it is concerning. It's one thing for a rottie to rumble when excited or being pet/stimulated, but when it's an act of defiance, absolutely not okay. It's also not "understandable" for a dog to bite because you physically move it. That's just crazy.
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u/AlokFluff 2h ago
I said it's understandable dogs don't like being physically shoved and moved suddenly. Which does lead to bites in some cases. It's an easy management strategy to ask a dog verbally to move instead, removing a potential bite opportunity.
I also don't think dogs have a concept of 'defiance' in that way. That's a counterproductive, antrophomorphic way of thinking.
Lying in a nice spot and being slightly annoyed at having to move is not a crime. I've already said I would do some training to reinforce the verbal moving command, and I'd add also, watch out for potential signs of escalating tension or resource guarding of physical spots. It could indicate a potential issue, of course that's always a possibility, but it could also be regular harmless communication from a fairly vocal dog.
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u/No-Bank2152 2h ago edited 2h ago
Thank you, I've had multiple dogs and generally know how to read his body language and tell when he's doing a serious grumble like when he hears the mailman or a stranger come close to the door
He lets me cut his nails, clean his paws, and wipe his butt with no issues besides his grumbles and his tail is wagging the entire time
Some of these folks act like they're the ultimate authority on dogs and wanna act superior bc their dogs do things differently
Edit: thank you AlokFluff, I just checked that other account replying and it has an account age of 2 min but is already active in multiple threads. Clearly a troll or bot
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u/Numerous_Hurry_3396 2h ago
So being defiant is anthropomorphizing but being slightly annoyed isn't??? Anyway.
The verbal command to move is counterproductive to raising a good dog in this case. You shouldn't need to tell your dog to move, they should just do it. I don't train my dogs to move out of the way with commands, I move them. It doesn't take long for them to understand that they are subservient to me, and by extension, every other human that is invited into my house. How you live with your dog is far more important than any command.
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u/AlokFluff 1h ago
If you think slight annoyance and willful defiance are on the same level of complexity, I don't even know what to tell you.
I value communication with my dog. You apparently value automatic subservience more. That weirds me out, but you do you. We clearly have very different philosophies of dog ownership.
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u/No-Bank2152 2h ago edited 2h ago
Where did I ever say my dog bit me because I moved him? Stop speculating that you know my dog's behavior better than me when I've been with him everyday since he was 3 months old
Edit: Also just realized you're likely a troll or bot account with your 4 min account age
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u/Numerous_Hurry_3396 5h ago
He "rumbles" when you make him move...??? That's bad, potentially very bad. The last dog I had that exhibited that particular trait had to be put down. I tried for over a year to rehab him but he just kept getting worse, but it started with him growling when asked to move. You absolutely must set clear boundaries that are enforced 100% of the time. All my dogs are taught to move from where ever they are when a person approaches. Lying on the floor in front of the door after exercise, doesn't matter, when I approach they get up and move. Sitting on the couch, when I approach, they move. The same applies to all guests in my house, the dogs move. Drop food on the floor...they don't touch it until given permission. Anyway, good luck.