my 2 yr old rottie keeps mouthing/biting my 3 yr old son when he gets excited

by nicky
(surrey)

my rottie is two and a half and he is extremely excitable and getting more manic every day, i have a 3 yr old and every time he runs or gets excited my rottie will put his mouth on him, enough to make him cry, and my son is pretty tough.

he is a very large dog and temperament wise unlike any dog i’ve ever had before, i’ve previously owned a rottie x alsatian and a staffy, neither ever had any similar issues. He shadow chases constantly all the while yelping and crying, frantically chases his tail and is food aggressive, hates physical touch, makes him growl and spins his head round to wherever your hand touches him, he will come and have a cuddle when i invite him to and he’s fine the whole time u r strokin but if u stop your hand moving he growls and goes like he’s gonna snap at me, but doesn’t.

he will get excited and mouth me and i tell him ah no! in a loud firm voice and he will stop and start, i’ve tried ignoring him, removing him from situation and giving him toys to bite instead but nothing seems to work. He is also incredibly aggressive at the vets, he has to b muzzled and restrained and the vets are incredibly scared of him even when he is muzzled!

What am i doing wrong, please please help me, i am at the end of my tether and i am ashamed to say i have now hit him for biting my son as i am at my wits end and just didn’t know what else to do. i have absolutely no money and therefore can’t afford a trainer.

I do have bipolar and manic depression and it means that my behaviour can be very erratic and i wonder if my mental illness is what has made him the way he is. oh and when my son is staying with his dads my dog is completely different, chilled, calm and relaxed. I love and adore my dog but am starting to worry that one day he will really hurt my son.

He always seems to get attacked by other dogs when we are out walking and he has now started to fight back, he was being walked for over an hour a day but it seemed the more he was walked the worse his behaviour has got so i have cut his walk down and walking him is now very stressful as i am worrying one day he will get attacked and he will fight back and i won’t b able to stop the fight. He is pretty obedient in basic skills, he’ll sit, lay on command, always comes when i call, will lay and stay even in park when things going on, but if someone comes in my house he is manic and runs around barking like a nutter and knocking into everyone smashing into them and knocking them flying. but like when we go for a walk he will wait to have his lead on, will never go thru door before me etc.

Please please help me.
ps when i got him he was supposedly 8 weeks old but all of his litter mates, but one, had already gone and his mum and dad lived outdoors so i’m not sure how old he was when his mum was taken from him
nicky

Hi Nicky
I’m so sorry for the situation you are in and I have so much sympathy for both you and your Rottweiler. You are in a very difficult position and you both need professional help to deal with the behavior issues I’m afraid.

It’s impossible for me to say what is causing your dog’s behavior, but I imagine that your illness and erratic behavior has a big impact on it all. Dogs are very intuitive and feel our emotions but are unable to understand them. Your emotional upsets and roller-coaster rides are being mimicked by your dog because he feels anxious and afraid and unsettled by it all. He can’t help it.

Rotties need strong, stable leadership in order to develop into confident, friendly adults and your dog hasn’t had this. I’m not blaming you because it’s obvious that you love your dog and have done the very best you can for him, even in an extremely difficult situation. But it’s clear that what you are doing isn’t working and sadly I believe that you are right to be seriously concerned as if his behavior is allowed to continue in this way I am afraid he will hurt someone or get hurt himself. These dogs never get second chances so you need to step in now.

From what you describe, you need professional help to get him under control. If you absolultely can’t afford that then I can really only suggest that you try to find a Rottweiler Rescue Organization and ask them for help. It may be that you need to find him a home with someone who will be able to spend the time and money necessary to get him back on track, someone who is familiar with the breed and can handle him with loving authority.

I know this will be heartbreaking for you, but I honestly think it’s in your dogs’ best interests and the safety of your child. He needs more exercise, proper discipline and training and a stable, secure environment. All the behaviors you list (such as shadow chasing, spinning etc) are classic signs of extreme stress and anxiety and he needs help now.

I so wish I could help you more and am praying that you manage to find the help you need so that you can both have a happier and less stressful life. I am sure there are Rottweiler Organizations that could point you in the right direction if you feel that you can’t give him the help he needs due to financial or emotional difficulties.

Best of luck with it all. I wish you both all the best.