As you know we have a rescue rottie our first of the breed and I am amazed at how laidback and cowardly she is.

Now I've grown up with and lived with Shelties, working springers, Lurchers, GSD's a Ridgeback, BC and Rough collie and bred obedience trained GSD's and the love of my life my schips so I think I've got a bit of experience with dogs both working ie shooting, lamping and rabbiting with most of them and show training. 

This Rottie has me amazed big voice big coward lol but she insists on having the last word like a naughty checky street urchin, insists on buring her treats where she thinks the schips can't get them - am sure she'll eventually learn there is NOWhere the schips won't get them and having about 30 seconds between her poos, we do a bit here chase a schip then finish off in another spot then she comes in telling us all about it!  She has 3 meals a day now she's give up her 4pm feed and the schips are getting fat on it hmm, but she'll poo in the am and I mean there's enough there for about 4 big dogs to have done by the time she's finished then she'll not go again until late evening before bed I'm sure there's not that much going in!  I tell her off she gets off first time but then back chats so I tell her no she rolls on her back and back chats but a bit quieter so u tell her again no still she back chats again the volume goes down, it seems to me she'll jump on furniture just to be told off so she can chat away!  I thought BC's were chatty but this is silly now is she just stupid or am I?

All of the Rotties I know are quite wimpy about lots of things similar to GSDs there is not bigger wimp that a GSD when doing things like nail trimming & ear cleaning(& tattooing older dogs)I used to handle a Rottie bitch who would run a mile if a little dog barked at her yet portected her owner when a housebreaker threatened her(whether or not she would actually done anything is a different matter.but she barked & growled & got between her owner & the criminal)

They can talk a lot as well again like a GSD might be something to do with their recent German origins(some dobes I know are also gobby)

I think that Rotties have had a bad press & most are normal dogs with a wicked sense of fun. I've judged a few in obedience & they were without exception keen happy dogs full of fun & one or two smarter than their handlers !

I used to train with a Rottie Club with my Boxers and she sounds like the Rotties I knew there
Anne

Yep rotties love to talk,our male is like a persian cat when new people are stroking him.
I would say just be gently firm and remember how big she is going to get.

Hi,

how old is she and can you tell me what you mean by 'cowardly'??

From your post i'm not quite sure why you're telling her off - is it because she is messing in the house or is it something else entirely? :) Sorry to be dim but i find it's always best to clarify things.

Rotts generally are known for being talkative and some will "growl" which is sadly sometimes mistaken for aggressive behaviour.
Generally speaking if a dog is on its back it is being submissive; if an owner then continues a telling off many dogs will attempt to say "please leave me alone" and this may be interpreted as being cheeky, dominant, etc depending on the owner.

IF the owner is very "strong" in their idea of punishment (either verbally or physically) a dog may feel the need to defend and it will start to do this, not surprisingly. It also often occurs when a dog is confused about what is required. Often the problem will then start to escalate as the owner feels thedog must "not dare growl at me" without really attempting to understand the "whys" and the dog's view. It's always very hard to tell via the net though what is happening :)

Lindsay
X

She's not been with us a week yet and is believed to be about 14 - 16 wks still got milk teeth bless her. 

By cowardly I mean my schips can take things from her and she won't try to keep it and if any of them bark at her she's gone out the room, I know it's only puppy behaviour plus her being new here and we don't know why she was a stray and what happened prior to the dog warden picking her up, I am just amazed at how easy she is for the schips to steal from.

When I said telling her off I mean using the word OFF to get her down from the furniture not shouting at her sorry my grama is terrible and I just write it as I'm thinking it, we're not upset by her back chat we find it endearing but she does go on and on which non of the other breeds I've had have done.  We've also discovered tonight that her tummy is spotty again and she rather likes me putting the aloe vera gel on it so she's started to roll over when she wants it on again, back to the vets in the am to see if he can figure out what these spots are as they do seem to be sore for her till she's got her aloe gel on that is lol.

Just to clarify I've got 2 rescue schips here one of whom has a new home in the New Year, the other is coming out of a phantom pregnancy then I have my show schips and retiree schip and pom plus this new rottie all of whom are happy to play together except for one male schip and the pom also an entire male.  I've bred and competed with my GSD's at shows and obedience so have had vocal dogs before just not in the same way as this rottie bitch, the only other talkative dog has been a bitch BC rescue that we had with us for a couple of years but even she didn't go on and on like Merry the rottie is doing.

Well she is only a wee baby :-)  I wouldn't expect her to be in any way confident until much older, Rotts are late maturers anyway.  Our last Rott bitch was very very talkative and it could be VERY misunderstood by those who didn't know her (and us occassionally).  The noise could sound horrendous.  She'll mature given time and find her feet in your home.  Be firm but fair with her, give her good training at a club and she'll be fine.

Yes i tend to agree, she sounds rather sweet :)
Try www.apdt.co.uk for a club in your area. Have fun with her and good luck!

Lindsay
X

rotts are very vocal dogs. they also have a "purr" that most people associate with a growl. it is usually displayed when she/he is having a wicked good time. yes the rott is quite the show-off and will do most anything for attention, so the jumping on the furniture just to be told to get down sounds quite normal to me. they have a great personality and are very easy to get along with, although they do alot of back-chatting. but for the most part they are just looking to make you laff at something really goofy. sometimes they take things a bit too far, but, for the most part they know when they are really in trouble and are very apolligetic for whatever they have done to make you angry at them. they will look at you so broken hearted that you have to forgive them.

sounds normal to me :) my girl is 3/4 rott, 1/4 GSD - you can imagine how much talking she does, we've had to give up on quite a few conversations in my house when she's happy!

My bitch is fairly quiet and laid back, mostly sleeps :) But my boy on the other hand....If I do not pay him attention he stands in front of me (If watching TV for instance) and makes a whinging / growling / grunting noise and waddles backwards and normally sits on his Mum!  He is what I call a dancer too as he moves his front feet alternatively and wiggles his bum LOL!  His mum normally rolls on her back if after attention with everything on view until she gets her tummy tickled :)  Oh and my boy is quite a wimp too, any small dog that barks or growls at him he once again makes the whinging noise and backs off, so you are not alone in the world of soppy Rotts!

Well miss Rottie has been very subduded this last week or so, she's got PMS I'm sure, on her season and she's been sick a few times with it so am glad this is her 1 and only season she has to be spayed as part of the adoption agreement with the council so about June/July time she's going to be done.

Have noticed now that she's a big girl just how many folk walk across the road rather than walk past her such as shame as she loves people and always sits to wait for a cuddle, although now she's learn't how to put her paw up to get the attention, my dinner went flying across the room the other day when she did it!!!  It does amaze me how agilie she is too she can turn on a sixpence just like the schips and moves so quickly you hardly have a chance to react when she gets her mad 10 mins on her - I now have the patio door wide open so she can run the full lenght of my 2 rooms, some 30 plus ft down the steps onto the garden about 100 ft then turns and comes back like a bulldozer we just clear a path now coz she don't do GOING AROUND anything!!!!

Her latest trick is to walk thru your legs to get thru the door at the same time as you especially if she's going to see her friends at the local pet shop ----- she's also worked out she's big enough to stick her head in our large swing bins that I put the dog and cat food into, I have holes in my legs where shes come thru with the lid around her neck munching her way thru about 1/2lb of cat or dog food after breakie.  Oh and yesterday she finally figured out she was strong enough to bulldoze the stairgate over and jump over the 3 steps it was laid on to come see mummy still in bed on a bad day so we spent most of the day on my bed chewing our way thru a 10 inch rawhide chew and FARTING lol.

I am sooo glad we got her and wouldn't be without her if all the dogs had to go she'd be the one I'd fight hardest to keep ------ don't tell the schips that though will you???

Ha ha ha LOL it is amazing how alike a certain breed is!  My two are exactly the same, if there is somewhere to be going, they go straight and if they are running towards you stick your ground and move at the last min as you can be sure that one day your legs will be taken out and you will be flat on your bum!  My two also give their paw even though I only taught the mum to give the paw I was asking for so to make it a trick rather than a nuisance but she does it still and will push your hand under her leg (arm pit) to have a tickle - my boy will also give his HUGE paw again to have his arm pit tickled, most rotts I know love being fussed under their legs. 

I would watch the barging through a door between your legs though as they are a stubborn breed and will do what they like if not told firmly other wise, maybe teach her to wait when going through doors, gates etc until you have gone through first and then tell her 'ok' to calm a situation!  Mine would happily barge me out of the way out the gate when they know its time for walkies - they really have no idea about barriers or objects in their way even though as you say they can turn very quickly!

I did laugh the other day as I was at a motor bike event with my OH and I always take the dogs for a day out, they were tied to the back of the car and a young lad walked through with his Staff, and sort of gasped and said 'whoooaa' they are big dog - I was laughing for ages - but then another group of kids come along and asked, can you believe it they actually asked which is great, if they could stroke the dogs and they loved it - the kids were stroking them for ages and then one commented that my bitch was 'much fatter than the other one' he he!

They really are a fantastic breed and I also used to have German Shepherds, 2 of which sadly had to be put down at the beginning of this year and although I love them dearly and would willingly have another, my first choice of breed will always be a rottie.