too tame rottweiller?

by Cole
(Cape Town, South Africa)

Hi

I have a 6 year old female who seems to be to passive. I guess it's a blessing but being too friendly seems to be a problem. Having a child in the house we did'nt want her to be aggressive. Now a have a problem where things are going missing and the only way onto the property is by jumping over the wall.

Just the other day someone sneaked up on me in my driveway (an old friend) and the dog couldn't be bothered. IS SHE TOO OLD? I now have a pup of 7 weeks and is scared he will pick up her good nature of not being protective. Don't get me wrong the she is great and i can take her anywhere. Is there anyone who can recommend a good trainer. I'm in Cape Town SA

thanks




Hi Cole
Generally I'd say that a Rottweiler will protect you, and your property, when necessary and if he/she feels that you are threatened. However, it does sound as though your girl is extremely passive and trusting, which is unusual in a guardian breed like this.

Obviously there's a lot of positive things about having a dog who is very friendly and non-aggressive when you have children around, but I would expect her to react to strangers coming on to your property.

First of all I'd suggest having her examined by your veterinarian to make sure that there's nothing physically wrong with her that could explain her behavior. If she is 100% healthy, then having her evaluated by a professional dog trainer or behavioral specialist would be the next step.

You don't ever want to try to encourage aggressive or defensive/guarding behavior in a dog as that can cause all sorts of problems. However a professional trainer will be able to answer your questions on this subject.

Although the pup will definitely take it's lead from the older dog in lots of ways, he will have his own personality and temperament and I doubt that he will be as passive in terms of guarding. Again, don't encourage that type of behavior but just let it develop naturally at it's own pace.

Hope this helps. If anyone out there knows of a good trainer that Cole could contact feel free to leave a comment below.