To cut a long story short.

My sister's friend has a 12wk old male pup, who has bitten a 2yo child.
The child grabbed the pup from behind when it was eating it's dinner. Despite being told not to etc.
It is also said pup to have been sore from being bitten on it's backend by another dog.
Plus the vet felt it's tail has been docked far too short.
The child's mother had left the toddler at this lady's home so wasn't in the house.
From what I also understand the house was pretty chaotic with other people and kids in
the kitchen too. The childs injuries luckily aren't severe just scratches and a minute cut.
(I did ask why if the child kept persisting and ignoring the adults wasn't it removed from the kitchen and
allow the pup some peace whilst eating or why wasn't pup placed in the sanctuary of it's cage to eat it's dinner
in peace)

The 12 week pup is a pretty dominant pup (growled when friend did some temperament tests
on it when it was 7 weeks old - which is when we warned them that he would need training and a firm hand)
The family that own it are pretty inexperienced dog owners
and I believe have never owned a Rottie before. I do not believe that the pup has come
from a good breeder just a back street breeder with no health tests but cheap puppy (sigh).
I did warn from buying a puppy of any breed from anyone that did not health test
and to make sure that pups breeder was reputable - originally they wanted a Boxer puppy etc.

The pup has bitten my sister and also snapped at her 4 yo little girl. My sister was bitten whilst holding the pup
while the owner cleaned the wound on it's backend (he must be sore). Not sure of the circumstances of my neice being snapped at.

However I feel that the family and this pup need help fast before the puppy becomes another statistic and headline
news. I felt the pup probably wasn't the ideal pup in temperament for a first time owner with a young family.
But what can I say - I have advised that they need to seek professional help and fast. They do want to keep the puppy.

Does anyone know of a reputable trainer/behaviourist in the Farnborough area who may also have experience with
Rotties?
Thanks

As you say, cheap is not always good, especially in this breed. I am about to get a rottie, but as a first time rottie owner, was told to go for a bitch. I spoke to a few breeders who said that they would not give males to first timers. Its also very important in this breed to meet both the parents to see what their temperment is like.

From what I understand all puppies bite, but I would have never left a toddler with a dog alone, even for a minute. Has your sisters friend got a crate so the pup can go in to eat and when there are small children around, this will give him some quiet time as well.

You could speak to you vet who may have a list of trainers in your area.

You may also be able to get some advice off this website which is dedicated to Rotties.
http://www.rottweiler.co.uk

Wish your friends lots of luck.

Hi there my mother has a rottwieler and she was like this when my mother first got her she would growl when you picked her up and when she was about 5 months hold dived on my head and started pulling my hair she was only playing though, but now she is great if you have a firm hand with them they do turn into lovely dogs but they shouldn't have got a male for a first time owner, all i would say is when the pup is feeding add food take his bowl off him and then put it back down if he doesn't growl then praise him, also do the same keep picking him up and when he doesn't growl praise him again, i would suggest the child be there under watchful supervision as the dog should learn that humans are not a threat while he is eating.  If done now while he is young he should turnout to be a lovely dog, it's a shame really that they go to the wrong homes especially a rottwieler male, i have alot of experience with dogs but i personally wouldn't take a male on of this breed, because i'm not a strong enough character to maintain it's personality.

Warm regards Susan

I don't want to seem picky, Susan, but that's not 100% sound advice I'm afraid.

Taking a pup's food away (even if you then put it back) can teach them that their bowl needs to be guarded more. :( A better thing to do is to put down an empty bowl and then, by hand, add food to it. That teaches the pup that human hands near the bowl mean more food, not its removal.

Also many pups growl when they're picked up, especially by a child. It's a very scary thing to happen, and they're often very uncomfortable and feel insecure. Growling is their first indication of complaint, and should be respected - if they're not allowed to growl the next form of complaint is likely to be a snap. :( It's usually best to get them used to this by picking them up when you're sitting down so that they're on your lap and feel safe.

I would agree with Jeangenie, never practise taking a bowl of food away as it can lead to extreme behaviour. If the dog associates theowner with trust and with giving food, ie adding food to the bowl, and also if the owner teaches retrieve games and so on, then the owner should be able to take a food bowl away if there is some sort of emergency (such as glass in the bowl).

Lindsay
x

Thats okay Jeangenie i will let you off because you have more experience than me, i do this to my dog and she associates it with more food, but she is very relaxed by being by her when i feed her and doesn't feel any threat. My breeder when she had her litter always put her hand in their bowl so they wouldn't get food possessive and told me to carry on and she was great when i got her and still is.  It very much depends on the dog.

Warm Regards Susan

Your breeder does a similar thing to me with my pups, in that I always feed my litters from individual bowls which I'm holding, so they never feel they have to compete for food (even with each other). Food is the most basic of and important of all resources (otherwise you starve) so must always be something provided by people.

If a pup feels he has to defend his food then he's not ready to have the bowl taken away, even very briefly. That stage must wait till he's happy having the bowl held while he eats, confident and trusting his owner.

It's a shame isn't it that that breeder has sold them that dog because rottwielers are lovely dogs in the right hands, by the sounds of it though they shouldn't even be breeding litters.

Warm regards Susan.

All the rotts I've ever met have been absolute softies. But they're a big strong dog, and need correct training. It certainly seems from the post that this family aren't ready for a dog yet.