by sedt
(w-stad)
my 8 month old female rottie is afraid of me,
please tell me what to do.
Hi
Unless you’ve done something to MAKE her afraid of you (ie hurt her or scared her badly), chances are it’s more that it’s something in her past that has scared her, or that she has a naturally fearful/anxious nature … rather than her actually being afraid of YOU individually.
I’ve no idea how long you’ve had her or what her personality/health etc. is like, so it’s very difficult to comment or advise you, but if she’s generally fearful and anxious you’ll need to take things very slowly.
If you’ve owned her since she was a little puppy, and things haven’t improved, then I would strongly advise getting some professional help from an experienced trainer or dog behavioral specialilst… and be sure it’s someone who understands Rottweilers and who uses only positive reinforcement and NOT negative or punitive training methods.
If you’ve only got this pup recently you will need to give her time to adjust to you and her new situation and not ‘rush’ her. Just let her come to you in her own time. Rottweilers bond closely with their owners, and tend to be ‘one person’ dogs, so if they have to go to a new home once they’re older it can be traumatic for them.
Without more information I really can’t help much more, but I can say that it’s important to be gentle, loving and consistent with your pup regardless of the situation. Don’t raise your voice, punish her or force her into situations where she’s not comfortable as that will only make things worse.
Talk to your vet, a dog trainer or someone else who can give you hands-on help. I wish you both the very best of luck.