How to control bad behaviour in my 12month old rottweiler

by Rachael
(Westmidlands)

hi, my rottweiler Bow is 12 months old, i'm currently expecting my first child.

Bow is very hyper and over playful, she bites, destroys, jumps on furniture and jumps up people. she is a lovely dog and has never showed any aggressiveness!

what can i do to stop this bad behaviour?





Hi Rachael
I know that Bow is a big girl, but at 12 months old she's still a teenager/adolescent and is likely to be considerably more active, energetic and 'hyper' than she'll be as an adult.

It sounds as though perhaps you haven't been clear enough in showing her what's acceptable behavior and what isn't, and when a pup is younger (and smaller!), this sort of stuff doesn't seem to be such a problem. However as the pup grows it becomes more difficult to tolerate, which is why it's easiest to get it taken care of during those first few months rather than when it actually has grown to be a nuisance.

Still, Bow is still young and will learn quickly as long as you are consistent and loving in your corrections and show her clearly what you expect from her. I'd recommend getting a crate and using it for short periods during the day so that she gets used to playing quietly by herself. A crate keeps her safe and protects your belongings, it will also be very helpful to have this habit already comfortably established by the time your baby comes as there will be times when you need to devote 100% of your attention to the baby, without making Bow feel upset or left-out.

Make sure she's getting enough exercise too, there's a lot of truth to the saying that 'a tired puppy is a good puppy'!! At least 2 walks a day plus a play session, and at least one short training session are ideal.

I'd recommend that you check out my Stop Puppy Biting page as it has lots of tips and advice to help you correct her nipping. The same sort of corrections work well for jumping and chewing behaviors.

By now this 'naughty' behavior has become a habit so you need to realize that it will take some time for Bow to break these old habits and adopt the new, correct, habits. You'll need to be very consistent and very patient with her during this learning period. Rotties are very intelligent and very eager to please, so once she understands what you want she will try hard to obey, it just will take some time.

I'd also recommend getting her enrolled in a basic obedience class at a local dog obedience school. It will help your relationship, be great socialization experience for her, and allow you to get some hands-on help with any issues/problems. If it's difficult for you to handle her during your pregnancy, perhaps your husband or another family member could work with her for now. This sort of mental stimulation also helps to calm a pup and has a ripple effect on their behavior as a whole. For basic obedience commands that you can work on at home, check out my Free Puppy Training Tips page.

It sounds as though Bow is a great girl overall, just hasn't learned the rules properly yet. If you give her the time, patience and lessons that she needs I'm sure she will grow into a great adult, she just needs your help to get there.

I hope this helps some, I wish you the best of luck.