Rottweiler Puppy Biting Issues

Puppy biting is in fact a very natural behavior! Still, it can be hindered by applying the practices mentioned below.

Though it has been around two thousand years since Roman rule was ousted from England, our Rottweilers are still genetically predisposed to act in a defensive manner (though not nearly to the same degree).

Don’t worry! If raised properly, your Rottweiler puppy could grow into an affectionate, loving adult!

Socialization

Unfortunately, this is an area of training all too often ignored. Dogs can grow up to become fearful and defensive of creatures they have never interacted with before; many of the reportings of dog attacks are due to a lack of socialization. Forgoing socialization, especially with a breed already predisposed toward aggression, is poor handling and might as well be inviting disaster.

Introduce your puppy to other animals; let him play with children and family. Teach your Rottweiler puppy that humans are not dangerous, and not to be feared. Consider asking strangers/companies/kids to offer your Rottweiler puppy treats.

• Socialization is an extremely simple process if taken care of during puppyhood, but can become much more time-consuming and complicated with adult dogs, sometimes requiring the intervention of an accredited behaviorist.

Bite Inhibition (Soft Mouth)

‘Bite Inhibition’ refers to the degree of pressure a dog exerts when biting. For a dog already genetically predisposed toward aggression to an extent, this is extremely important to teach at puppyhood! Don’t wait until you have a fully grown dog, capable of causing serious injury, before deciding this is a problem.

When playing, a dog’s skin can tolerate a lot more pressure before breaking or bruising; where the ‘bite’ of an adult dog at play would likely be shrugged off by the other animal, the same bite could cause serious harm to human handlers. In other words, an animal that was allowed to grow up having never been taught ‘soft mouth’ could hurt someone without meaning to.

• Puppies usually learn ‘soft mouth’ to an extent while playing with mothers and siblings. Separate the puppy too early, like most breeders tend to do, and they won’t learn many of the vital skills for good personality development.
• It isn’t recommended to separate a pup before four weeks of age.

Teaching ‘Soft Mouth’

When puppies play with each other, one bites a bit too hard every so often. The other puppy will almost always yelp, ‘elp elp elp’, and run away cowering. The play usually resumes shortly after, as if nothing happened.

When playing with your puppy, allow him/her to ‘mouth’ you every once and awhile. If they bite harder than your liking, immediately snatch your hand (and the toy) away, making a point of over-reacting injury. It doesn’t matter if your Rottweiler puppy actually injured you; he will think he did.

More importantly, the play stops. Your Rottweiler puppy won’t like this, and do everything he can to make sure the play doesn’t stop next time.

The Muzzle

This is an effective solution only if nothing else works. Immediately jumping to the muzzle does nothing to help the roots of the behavior, and can in fact increase anxiety in some dogs.

• A dog’s primary method of heat exchange is through panting. Applying a tight muzzle on a hot day can not only be considered animal cruelty, but it can also be deadly.

Buyer Beware

Due to the enormous popularity of the breed, ‘Mill’ breeders will often breed Rottweilers in massive quantities, usually forgoing medical treatment. As you probably guessed, the goal for these people is to ‘manufacture’ as much ‘product’ as possible at the lowest cost possible. Despite the US government is very aware of this, the majority of these establishments are allowed to continue unhindered due to the money they put into the economy.

• It usually takes a large public outcry for action to be taken; it often doesn’t happen simply because.

These large breeders very seldom screen their dogs for personality issues, often promoting behavioral problems in the long run. In other words, your Rottweiler puppy might turn out to show more aggressive tendencies than normal.

• Pet shops will often choose to buy these ‘mill’ dogs because they are a whole lot cheaper. Beware of any Rottweiler puppy you might purchase from a pet shop, and certainly be extremely wary of purchasing animals from the internet.
• For this reason, owners that purchase animals from pet shops are often inadvertently supporting puppy mills, creating a bit of a ‘catch-22’ situation. Consider adoption; unlike puppy mills, shelters are legally required to properly treat their animals’ medical needs.

Resource Guarding

A long, long time ago, wild wolves had to guard their kills; if their prizes were left unattended, other animals were likely to steal them. As an instinctual reaction, today’s dogs will often still guard their food.

Does your perfectly friendly, well-behaved pup turn into a vicious terror when eating? Does he regard others with suspicion? Though it can sometimes take time, this is easily fixed.

• First of all, don’t take your dog’s food away while he is eating. That would do nothing but show him his worries are warranted.

If you are going to put your hands around your dog’s food dish while he is eating, accompany them with a treat! Show your dog that your presence during his meal means good things, and isn’t to be dreaded!

Other Advice

• Keep the volume to a minimum at home. High-pitched or loud noises can excite a puppy, promoting biting.
• Offer plenty of chew toys to occupy your pup, especially while teething.
• Take your Rottweiler pup for daily walks to help expend excess energy.
• Beware of separation anxiety; if your puppy gets into trouble constantly while you are away, there is always a cure. It may just require a bit of research and effort.