My Rottie was 6 months old yesterday and we are still having serious problems with her mouthing and biting! On some occasions she will just run up to you and nip your leg, thigh, ankle etc - causing me to be covered in bruises!! We have tried the ingnoring and walking away, isolating her for say 2 minutes, yelping like a dog, saying a firm no and looking at her in the eyes untill she looks away - but nothing seems to be working.
We are constintley reminding her that we are pack leader and she is at the bottom of the pack i.e by making her sit and wait and she goes through the door last, making her wait 10 seconds before she eats her food once we have placed on the bowl on the floor, pretending to eat out of it first. She is never allowed on the furninture - however she has ran and jumped on it twice in the last couple of days!
We take her bones of her while she is eating them and we pretend to have some she has no problem with that - its just this biting!!!!
Also she came into season for the first time last friday and seemed to be growling a little when we told her to get down of the chair - she has never done this before!!
Please help - i cant continute to be bitten and bruised and am worried that if we cant stop this now I will have a 8stone rotti running at me and biting!!
All comments appreciated.
Thanks
Sarah

Hi Sarah, i'm sure someone with lots of good advice will be along soon but in the meantime try not to be too worried, my german shepherd did exactly the same and we followed all the same advice that you have been given and then when he got to about 7/8 months he just stopped doing it, i've no idea why as nothing  had changed but he wouldn't dream of nipping or mouthing any of us now so please try to be patient and obviously it seems worse because she is a big dog. As she has come into season she will probably act a bit strangely for the next couple of weeks so bear this in mind as well. :-)

Thats good to hear - at least I am not the only one that has suffered this!! Hopefully she will stop soonm too, it is just so worrying anf frustrating!!

Unfortunately this breed are very stubborn and you have to be in control otherwise they take over, it sounds as though you have been given lots of advice but you can't confuse her by one day ignoring her and the next yelping etc, you must be consistent.  I have always managed to 'nip' this in the bud from an early stage but I know many people who have not.  My boy does however still take your hand in his mouth when he is excited but I just cross my arms and say 'ah ah' and follow it up with a sit, this way if he sits he gets my attention, if not I ignore him.  The girls in my experience do seem to 'test' your patience a little more than the lads and do become (all breeds not just rotts) hormonal during their seasons.  I personally do not allow dogs on the sofa because that's my area, they have their beds - sharing a 3 seater with 2 rotts could get uncomfortable LOL, if I were you I would not have her on the sofa, she can still have a cuddle or lie next to the sofa but you must be in control.  I have found that by setting boundaries in the house you can establish a better understanding, I don't allow mine upstairs or on the sofa, they have the whole of downstairs and the garden but they know they lay on their bed and sleep in the utility room.  Many will object to this but I think with such a strong minded and powering breed you need to get it right who is in charge.  You could also take her to training classes, learning new things knackers dogs out, you can put this training in to practise at home to curve the mouthing, she could be doing it through boredom and by working her for 15 mins or so an evening will stimulate her - if you have the 'down' mastered you could tell her this once she starts the nipping?  I am sure that she will out grow it but sometimes if the mouthing is not cured then bigger problems arise ;)

Where are you in the country?

Hi
Thanks for your response.
She is Never allowed on the furniture - she has her own bed - she is never allowed upstairs - we have a baby gate to stop her!! She sleeps downstairs in the hall in her bed every night without a problem!
We are currently taking her to training and she has passed her foundation and bronze good citzen award - she is currently doing her silver but has has missed the last 2 because she has been in season!!
She can do a sit, recall, down, stay for about 2mins and a recall. We take her for at least 3 walks a day - well two walks and a run on the field where she is let of the leash - but we havnt doen this since Friday with her being in season. She has a reasonably big garden to play in and lots of toys to play with - balls, squaky ones, kong etc!!! However she prefers to bite or chew on us rather than play with her toys!!!
I am in manchester - near the trafford center.
Sarah

Hi Sarah

Sorry I thought you meant she was allowed on the sofa because you said she growled when getting of the chair.  Have you tried to put your training in to practise when she mouths?  My bitch was also terrible with mouthing but soon grew out of it like most things (my lad has taken far longer to mature).  I would deff try putting her in a sit or down when she plays up, if she does so just tell her she is a good girl, maybe ask her to fetch you something when she does this in order to distract her from nipping, they all seem to go through this stage, some worse than others unfortunately.  As she is in season and can not go out she will play up more as they get bored, maybe try teaching her something new, not sure what she already knows but she sounds as though she is responsive as you have passed your bronze (well done).  I find my two love to learn new things - my bitch has only just learnt finish (moving from front round to my left side) and it took us about 1 evening to crack it, she LOVES to do this now as she knows it gets a huge fuss :D  My lad has just learnt 'catch it' he get a ready, steady and catch it but sometimes we do ready, steady, stead, catch it - making him listen to the command, he is shown so I am also teaching him 'back' all fairly basic things but I try think of something new all the time to distract them.  She is still young but I would use a 'ah ah' followed by a 'sit' or 'down' if she responds well tell her she is a good girl (don't stroke because she may nip) and ask her to get her ball - if you can get her to do a down then maybe give her a quick belly rub then ask her to wait and walk away, if she waits for a min then allow her to move, if she continues to try and nip get her in a down again - she will learn that nipping means she has to stay where she is which is boring and not much fun ;) I bet she will catch on to it and grow out of the puppy nipping but remember they all seem to do it when they are excited but there is a huge difference between taking your hand and chewing it :D

Sorry if I have repeated myself, and remember this is only what works for me.  As you already have a training class I won't need to recommend one?

Maybe you could send me a piccie of her, would love to see.  My email addy can be found if you click my user name.

Hi
Thanks for all the advice I will try that tonight, I am in work at the mo, but will log on and email pic later!!
No she was on the chair and she isnt allowed too - normally if she jumps up on it we just say down and she gets off, it was on this occasion that we said down and she started growling a little!!
One problem is when she is in a little mad rage biting she wont listen to any command she bites and then runs under the table - sometimes she will listen but other times she wont. - Depends what kind of mood she is in - some are worse than others!!!!
If you know of another training class in our area - that would be usefull, our trainer isnt very consistent in the some of the things she tells us to do - often contradicting herself - she is good at getting them to sit stay etc but not very good with advice!!
we are trying the finnish with Lotti at the minute and she in nearlly there!!!!! we are trying to teach roll over - has just cracked paw!!!
How old are your two??

HI! I think I may have found a possible cause of confusion in your dog. You say:

>normally if she jumps up on it we just say down and she gets off, it was on this occasion that we said down and she started growling a little!!

Do you use the word 'Down' for when you want her to get off the chair? If so, what word do you use when you want her to 'lie down'? If you use 'down' for that too, she'll be muddled, especially if she's actually lying down (albeit on the chair) when you tell her 'down' crossly ... Trainers will usually advise you to say 'Off' for 'get off the furniture/flowerbed/worktop etc' and only use 'Down' for lying down.

Just a thought.
:)

Hi
No we use "lie" for a lie down and use down for her to get off the chair of if she is jumping up!! Everyone else at training uses down for a lie down - except us!! We had already been using down when she jumped up so we thought it best to use somehting else for a lie down - so the lie it is!!!!

Fair enough! That's that idea out of the window then! :D :D

Thanks for trying - coulld have been a good idea : ) !!

Hi ya, my two are 3 1/2 and 17 months so my older one is actually mostly a delight except she is rubbish walking to heel - very stubborn and she is really greedy :D  but she knows not to dare take anything without being told too LOL.  If you contact the kennel club they can send you a list of training classes, it's a good idea to go along a few of the classes to see how things are run, that way you don't pay out for anything but know what to expect. 

Make sure you stand up straight and tell her in a deep firm voice, make sure you follow it through because she is pushing you, if she doesn't feel like doing it she knows if she plays up mum will give in.....make sure you give the command twice, is she doesn't do it remind her how we sit - normally a hand on the bum jogs my two's memories or I take a step towards them the soon shove their bums down.

Try being firm and follow things through, see how you go tonight and let us know tomorrow ;)

Look forward to the pics ;)

Thanks
Yep I will try the new things tonight and let you know how it goes - im leaving work now but will email the pics to you later - then you can email some of your two if you have any!! Love rottie pics - like big cudly bears!!
:)

How do you imput the smilies - i am quite new to this forum

There are various but here are a few:

: followed by ) but no spaces = :)
: followed by D = :D
: followed by ( = :(
; followed by ) = ;)

then there are more like confussed ones and roll eyes but I can't remember how to do them!

Have you thought of redirecting her behaviour into tuggy games?

rotties are very keen on this and this would satisfy her urge to play tug o war and keep her off your body etc.

Just a thought

I personally would not play pully games because this can turn in to a tug of war with your arm, jumper etc - certainly a ball game though.

yes we play with a ragga - she can get a bit bostirous though with this, however loves it!! Also trying to teach her fetch - she will run and get the ball but wont bring it back!! If she does she is very reluctant to bring it back!!!  :D
I have read that playing tug of war games and cause aggresion - does anyone agree with this??

No tuggy does not CAUSE aggression.

If it did then there are an awful lot of competitiong dogs in agility, obedience and working trials etc who have not read the books! :D

The reason I suggested a tuggy rather than a ball is that Rotties in general prefer tuggy games to balls IME.

Playing tuggy will NOT encourage your dog to start doing it on your arm or clothing or sleeve as the game is restricted to the particular toy.

Of course if you are a poor trainer and cannot teach your dog that this is so, then you should refrain from doing anything that could be confusing to your dog.

I wouldn't say it causes aggression but it can teach them that they are in control - it can also teach them that playing tuggy with mummys hand is fun too because this also get attention - if 2 pups were playing tuggy they would growl at each other and pull and pull, they also play tuggy with each others ears, legs, tails etc - she may well see you as a play mate therefore thinks biting you is acceptable.  I would not play tug of war until you have the mouthing under control, concentrate on other games that don't involve 'fighting' over toys.

If I play tuggy I always use the leave command so that I win it, this also means I am in control of the situation, therefore if my hand is mouthed and I say leave he or she should - its about being in control of a situation - I don't allow my dogs on the sofa but if I let them sneak up for a cuddle by saying 'cuddles' then they always get off when I say, they know mummy is boss :D  Well I have to be, I am a woman!

Sorry but I have to say my boy would settle for a game of tennis fetch over a tug of war any day and my bitch loves to play football - I have found that all my friends rotts love balls and squeaky toys too - I have played tuggy with them but they soon get bored and like you say if you are not confident in teaching them when tugging is and is not acceptable I would refrain from it ;)

I will bear all this in mind and try and stick to the squeaky ball for now - will play more tug of war when she stops mouthing - however playing with ragga does keep her quiet for ages!!! Which is a blessing especially while corrie is on!! :)
I have notices that she has been barking a lot aswell over the past week (doesnt normally bother) doent even bark at the postman or milkman - however does not like the window cleaner -i think she can hear other dogs barking - as there is a animals in distress sanctuary very near us - do you think this could be down to her being in season??

It could be due to her season but she will start maturing now and 'guarding' her property.  My two only ever bark of the bin men come, a lot of bangning us going on, someone hammers on the door if if they dont like the look of something like caravans, tractors etc - this is when they are in the car LOL!  My lad didn't start barking til he was about lotties age.

Tuggy is no problem at all as long as you and your puppy know the rules. My TM loves to play tuggy, but a couple of times during play I tell him to leave it. He always lets go without protesting and I tell him what a clever boy he is. Then we start playing tuggy again. Just don't let her get too rowdy and carried away, practise taking the raggy toy from her and all should be well.