I purchased a working German rottweiler as an 8 week old puppy about two years ago that comes from a fantastic lineage. In fact his grandfather was Igor Von Muthmannsdorf the #1 French ring champion Rottweiler ever. All his other bloodlines are also hearding, cart pulling, police protection and Sch III going back to many generations.
I have worked with him since a puppy using several Leerburg DVD's and with advise from this forum, and he has filled the bill to a tee. He is fearless, works cattle, horses, is obedient, does not wander off, takes on coyote and mountain lion. He has served well as a guard dog. If anyone comes near the house or truck(if he's in it)people run the other way, as you would think he is gonna eat them. The only exception is I am the only one that can handle him. He quickly grew to 115 pounds and is of a very dominant nature. My wife and children are scared of him as he growls and will nip at them if he is a mood that he does not want to be touched. I have tried correction and tried to break him with choke collar and physical correction and he does not change. I am getting to the point if I don't know that I can trust him around my family. He goes beserk even if I am wrestling with my kids. I do not want to get rid of my dog as of course there is an emotional attachment. However, my families well being comes first. Any and all advise would be appreciated. I will post a link to the breeder if it helps in an analysis of my dog: http://www.rottpuppies.com

David,

I have a few questions. Are you using a prong to correct him or just a choke collar? I would recommend the dominant dog collar Ed sells. It has worked wonders for my aggressive shepherd, she doesn't respond well to prong collars or regular metal choke collars. I would suggest having your family work with the dog (obedience wise) a little bit so he understands his place in the family. He must understand he is below everyone in your family. The dog may be feeding off your uncertainty of what the dog might do to your family (Is he growling when he is near you and them?)

Since you know the dog may be a potential problem, I would not wrestle with family members when this dog is loose. He may attack thinking he is protecting you. It is best to put him in a crate, probably out of site of the horse playing.

Kimberly

I do use a prong collar. When he does growl and nip I am usually only a few feet away. When it happens that's when I correct. For instance, I'm a few feet away from my wife. My dog will walk up to my wife, put his head on her lap to be petted. She pets him and proceeds to push him away when she's done. He will then growl and snap at her. I have told her not to pet him from here on out unless you do it on your terms. In other words, give a sit command first, then pet him. If at times she walks up to him to initiate the pet, he growls. He has done this with every family member. Last Sunday my dog was playing with a toy. My 5 year old son(which has never had a issue with the dog) starts crawling all over him, as he has done many times in the past. All of a sudden I hear a load growl and my son starts crying. The dog bit him on the arm. To my wife, that was the last straw.

David,

You need Ed's DVD on dominant and aggressive dogs. I strongly recommend the dominant dog collar also. You will probably have to use it to its maximum ability, if you know what I mean by that.

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I have tried correction and tried to break him with choke collar and physical correction and he does not change.

I hear this a lot. In a seriously aggressive dog, all it means is that your correction was not hard enough for the dog. For this level of aggression, the dog must believe that consequence for aggression is as bad as death. In reality, that the way it really is. You have a very large dog with strong dominant and aggressive tendencies, who has already bitten a child - usually these dogs end up euthanized. It will be difficult to avoid that situation.

I assume your dog is crate trained. Feed your dog only in the crate. Toys and treats only in the crate. The only time the dog is ever loose is when it is on a short lead (2-3 foot) attached to your body. When your dog is out, you must keep 100% of your attention focused on him. For your family's sake, consider muzzling your dog also.

I recommend the book "Fatal Dog Attacks" sold on the main Leerburg site. It shows the 7 most common situations in which dog attacks occur. You need to know this to keep your family safe, both now and in the future.

P.S. You can NEVER trust any dog - no matter how docile is appears to behave. Certainly never trust this dog, even if you believe the matter is resolved.

Eek... I have never had a dog bite a family member in an agressive way. I would not let this dog out without your direct supervision and take all his toys away so he doesn't try to bite someone over them. Sounds like it is rank issues with the dog and your family. Do you (and your family) do basic things like make the dog sit before going outside, you go first then he proceeds? Or he goes down the steps after you instead of racing to be first? These are some basic things that can make a dog think they out rank someone. Is the dog being exercised enough?

Kimberly

David, Please do not trust this dog around your children. If he belonged to me he would not be allowed around my family,especially my children. It is simply not worth the risk.

A 9yr old relative of mine was recently mauled by her aunt's 6 yr old male rottie. The dog had been raised with children and had been around this child all of his life. The adult that was present layed down on top of the child to shield her from the dog, he continued to try and get to the child and would have likely killed her, the adult did not have a single bite mark. She was hospitalized for 5 days with extensive bites on her chest and one arm, also had a chuck of muscle torn out of her buttock. Needless to say the dog was euthanized.

He has been crate trained since day one. His crate stays in the garage, where his food is also. If I'm not home and he is not with me, he stays in his crate. When I'm home and he's not out in the field with me, he is in the garage, basement or on the porch. He is limited to his toys as to when I decide he can have them. The only thing he has in his crate is a big rawhide chew I give him when I'm away. As far as, some of the basic things, I've been doing them all along, i.e. making him sit before going out or up/down stairs.
When he is with me, he is very playful and loving. He gets plenty of exercise. He will run for miles beside me when I'm on the dirt bike.

You will not like this reply.

If you believe you have exhausted every sensible and responsible option, then it is time to euthanize.

The dog himself may have potential for dramatic improvement, but the dog in your family group may never be a safe companion.

If you want to try, you're going to need to find a trainer who is not afraid to take on your dog and who has experience solving dominance aggression problems. These trainers are few, far between and pricey. You and your wife are going to have to work together with a trainer intensively - think like 3 private lessons a week (depending on your location, that could range from $300 - $1,200 per week.)

I have contacted the breeder to get his opinion. He said he was gonna get me in contact with a trainer that he knows in my area. I'm still waiting to hear back.

To OP:
You said

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Last Sunday my dog was playing with a toy. My 5 year old son(which has never had a issue with the dog) starts crawling all over him, as he has done many times in the past. All of a sudden I hear a load growl and my son starts crying. The dog bit him on the arm. To my wife, that was the last straw.

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IMO, continuing to live with a dog who has crossed the line, and who (from what you said in your initial post) has given you forshadowing of what happened Sunday, is going to be very difficult if not impossible.

IMO, if it was your wife (AKA MOM) who was saying "let's get a trainer" "let's work on this dog" it would be one thing, but instead, it seems it's not the MOM saying those things.

Let me remind you of something else you wrote in your initial post:

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I do not want to get rid of my dog as of course there is an emotional attachment. However, my families well being comes first.

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Unless your wife and children are ready, and *all* willing and able to pursue training with this dog as a team, it is my belief that you will continue to have problems, trainer or no trainer. Disaster in the making. Good luck.