by Trevor
(Evansville, IN)
I’m looking for a little input on my 7 month old rottie Champ. We have had Champ since he was 8 weeks. He has passed basic obedience class and an intermediate obedience class,and is soon to start advance. Also we review commands he has learned daily. He has to sit and wait before meals and before exiting or entering the house.
Over the pass month he has seem to become defiant, only listening when he wants to, running off the porch to chase a car with a dog in it, then proceeded to bark at the neighbors on their after he gave up on the car. We have never had a problem with him leaving the porch or yard and normlly listens to our stay command. Also he has been snappy. He is not biting down but turns his head sharply with his mouth open, when he is handled like being brushed, when we stop petting him, or when we walk by him and don’t acknowledge him.
One other concern is his aggression for high value foods. We have taken all the steps to avoid food aggression, but he is still aggressive over high value foods only. When he is eatting his kibbles he let’s us walk by, touch him, take his attention away from is food and all, but when we give him high value food, such as raw meats, or rice he growls, but after he growls he usually lays down and submits himself as if he didn’t mean to do it. I have just stopped giving him high value foods all together because I don’t know what to do.
We have done a pretty good job of being calm and firm with him, but it has not been tough for us to keep our cool with him lately. Just wanted a little insight on how to properly handle this situation.
Thanks
Hi Trevor,
It sounds as though your pup is behaving like a pretty typical adolescent… and that’s what he is right now.
Large breeds like Rotties have an extended adolescence and it’s normal for all breeds to be challenging during this stage.
This page on another of my websites has tons of tips and advice on handling the problems which tend to accompany the teen years in puppies. I hope it will help answer your questions… An Owners Guide to Adolescent Puppy Behavior</>
