I have been with my partner for 3 weeks and met his 6month old Rottweiler twice in that time. He came to mine to meet my two boxer puppies of 12 weeks and was growling and barking at them. When he was alone with my OH and i he was barking at me, jumping up and bit my sleeve and arm.
The next time i went to his house and he was aggressively barking at me and trying to stare me down, despite my OH's efforts to control this behaviour.
I have always been around and owned large dogs but never Rottweilers and don't know why he is acting like this. He is very big already and has his adult teeth, so despite his young age he is very powerful already.
My OH has never owned a Rottweiler before and i'm not sure if his behaviour ios the result of some type of training or socialising he hasn't done.
I really want to be around him, but feel that if his behaviour continues i will have no choice but to avoid the situation of having a large powerful dog act aggressively towards me.
Any ideas why he might be acting this way? Or how i can get him to stop?

You might actually be better meeting at a park or somewhere that doesn't belong to you or your partner.  I'm no expert and I'm sure that there are people on here who can advise.

I don't know as I haven't seen this dog, but to ME, if it was one of MY dogs (also guarding breed and powerful) I'd say a 6 month old pup behaving like this just wanted to play. My 12 month old barks and jumps up and grabs my arms etc and it is all done in play, much the same way as he would play with other dogs. I think at 6 months it's unlikely he is truly aggressive, unless he has had bad experiences or really lack socialisation. In any event, sounds like your OH best get booked in for some training classes ASAP to teach the dog good manners, and also to have somebody knowledgable assess the dog as like I say it can be very hard to tell from just a description. Good luck!

They are a breed that need to be told firmly right from wrong, they are very stubborn and strong willed so at 6 months your OH needs to knock this on the head ASAP.  I would not have thought this was aggressive behaviour but then it does depend on the situation and also his lines of breeding (some are more highly strung than others)......it sounds more like attention seeking, he is used to having your OH all the time to himself and probably see's you as a new play mate.

Deff get some training classes booked but in the mean time when you go round, ensure that you are stood tall and if he tries to jump up, cross your arms and ignore him - if he is just excited to see you, make a fuss of him and then perhaps pop him in the kitchen for a bit of personal time - let him out after 30 mins or so if he has been good - I think he is in need of some ground rules too ;)

Good luck!

I'd be surprised if it was real aggression as well, although some youngsters can get terribly overexcited to the point where they find it hard to control themselves.

I'd suggest getting professional help if it continues, purely because if your partner has no idea how to train or doesn't understand dogs or Rotties, there is potential for problems later (just because of the dog's size - better to have an obedient happy dog than an untrained one). Try www.apdt.co.uk for starters, there may be a trainer near you who could help with a home visit to assess the problem.

Agree too with Enfielrotts advice :)j

Lindsay
x

If it seems like he is being aggressive, barking and growling, is it okay for my OH to just let him some up to me or should he hold his collar to be on the safe side.
Aparently he only does it with me, which seems strange. Other strangers visit the house and he is fine with them.
Will get on and book training classes though, thanks

If you think he is being aggressive towards you, get help from a professional as recommended above.  The advice below is a stop gap until you find a reputable person to help you.

The worst scenario I can think of is for your OH to be holding the dog by the collar whilst he barks and growls at you.  If he is doing it because he is excited and playful, then holding him so tightly will only wind him up further.  If he is fearful, then holding him so tightly will make him feel trapped and possibly that he has no other option but to lash out.

You don't want your partner's Rottie to be allowed to engage in this behaviour at all.  I suggest your OH shuts the dog away when you arrive at his house.  If when you are settled in, you want the dog to be allowed in with you, I suggest he is brought in on a long lead and at the slightest sign of the barking or growling he is quietly and without fuss removed from the room, as per Enfielrotts suggestion.

Good luck with the classes. :-)