I Have a 3 year old rottie, who has an aggression problem. I think it has a lot to do with his breed. The problem is, he thinks he has somthing to prove to all other animals. He has been in obediance school since he was about 3 months old. He is a normally well behaved dog, that is unless he has a major distraction. If I see the animal first and get his attention first there are no problems and he is once again, a well behaved dog. The problem is, if i dont see the animal first he does not respond to his obedience commands. The other recent incident was with the vet, he has always liked the vet until last visit.
I think the problem was that she was in a hurry and did not take the normal time to love up on him. She tried to look in his ears and he growled then she tried to look at his teeth and he growled. This was very unusual concidering he has not, up until now, ever shown aggression to people. Since the incedent I have asked several of my friends to do the same things and mall him to see if it was just the vet or if it was him being a brat and he lets them do it and doesnt show one bit of aggression. My basic questions are: 1-Does aggression come with age?
2-Will I always have to be on gaurd with other animals present?
3-Do I need to worry about people aggression?

T.P's. Questions - My basic questions are: 1-Does aggression come with age?
2-Will I always have to be on gaurd with other animals present?
3-Do I need to worry about people aggression?

Yes aggression does increase as he gets older.
Yes you should be concerned with his aggression toward people and other dogs.

You have to socailize him better. You should not allow him to growl at the Vet, anybody or anything, unless you say its OK (unless you train it). I know you know this but HOW DO YOU HANDLE IT? First you must be assure that the dog sees you as Alpha. This stop the first encounter, the second would also be easier to control. Because that what Alphas do.

Usually if my dog shows agression toward a person that he doesn't know I'll tell him "No", sit him near me and then ask the person if they are willing to slowly let him smell their hand, then they may pet him. And all is well. With people he knows and show aggression (this has never happen, with exception to me, if I step on his feet by accident) or (I drop a tasty treat and he lunges for it, I'll tell him to leave it) he'll growl a little and back away. But usually he will just just comply. Usually dominate aggression actions start presenting themself about 9 months to 1.5 yrs about like it for humans when they become teen-agers .

You gotta get this under control, you said he had Ob classes, but it obvious that he hasn't been proofed, with distractions since they still affect his OB. You have to finish the procedure and keep the training up 4-5 a week if not daily. Some people think that since they got the puppy trained in OB they don't have to work on it,anymore. Its like raising kids you need to stay in touch throughout there life. They will ask questions and you have to tell them whats right. If he growl at a person you should be there to tell him thats not acceptable.

One way I desensitized my dogs to aggressive (this took months) is while on walks, you got two barking GSD dogs running up and down their chain linked fence. I usually will get my dogs attention and get the to ignore the dogs and focus on me.

I don't recmmend this because a dog without good nerves or a firm understanding of who is Alpha could never do this, it deal with them trusting you to have there back. (A dog with poor nerves could never pull this off. He be a nervous wreck. Unless you are one heck of a trainer).

I then will put them in a sit facing the barking dogs, me standing in front of them. We have progressed to them in a down with their back turned away from the barking dogs and their leash on the ground. I call them to me take their leash (praise them) and continue our walk home. Distract, Train and Praise. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Rottie reputation is bad enough they don't need any help, Vets gossip like women, alot of times they are women. I'm in the stew or dog house now, sorry in advance ladies. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I owned Rotties back in the 80s. I have had similar problems like yours T .P.

Before my Rott was 15 months old. He was very friendly with people and dogs, and everybody commented him as "a lamb".

On one occassion, He had been frightened by a GSD belonged to a friend of mine at his 12 months old. He hided behide me to avoid a fright.
4 months later, they met again at the training field. My Rott ran into the same dog like mad, that GSD was almost killed if we weren't quick enough to stop the fright.

At the same perood of time, he was under proection trained by me. He was allow to protect me without my command while I am being attacked. He reacted this very well every time on every practicing. However, You gain some and will loss some. He was no longer a safe dog since he has been trained for this purpose. I had to keep my eyes opened for him every second on public places.

Rottwieller is so powerfull a dog that must be kept controlled by tough and heavy hands. Honestly, it is not a right dog of everybody.

T.P. you have to gain control of your dog, Rotties IMO will try you more often then less say a regular GSD, not the Fire wagons. But even a lazy Rottie will try you, is what I found.

Raymond where was the owner of that GSD and what was the dog doing off leash on a training field. I expect more control then that from trainers that know how to work dogs.

Then the fight were dog almost killed the GSD, where were you? I live in BumTuck USA but I know if your dog attacks and injuries some of these high dollar GSD, Mals or Rotties you are going to be curse out and then sued for medical and anyother damages. Maybe even punched out, some of these guys have spent 5 digits for their dogs and they don't appreciate their investment being punctured by a uncontrolled mutt. I'm not one of these, I'm more closer to the mutt owner that has invest alot of time in training my dogs. I'd still be pissed if another dog tried to attack my dogs. I'd probably club him with my stick. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

You got gain control of your dog, here something I experience young helping train this assoicates Rott (Gerbuton was his name) the guy had the dog tied out with him standing behind, he had a chain and garage door spring set up to give when the dog pulled rather then cloth line the dog. I didn't know the terminology then but he had me flack the dogs with a bamboo rod, as the dog did a long run (15 yrds or so away) I was standing just out of the dogs range. It was vicous for a second there, he kept trying to bite me as I swauted his front legs or shoulders. This was civil no sleeve or protection.

Then the Jeff called the dog back, put him on leash and in a sit at side and asked me to drop the stick and come pat the dog, I had just beat upon. Talk about scary, I did this shaking in my boots. The dog relaxed and I slowly patted him.
Jeff stated that the dog need to know that he decides when to turn off and on.

You got gain control of your dog guys. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

My message should read.....

YOU GOTTA gain CONTROL OF YOUR DOGS GUYs.

Don's suggestion of using the barking dogs behind the chain link fence is exactly how I got my GSD over her fear agression. It took a few months, but now she will respond reliably even with a dog 10 feet away barking and spitting at her. Passing dogs while walking has become an absolute pleasure...
I get to watch the other owner beg and plead with his dog to "be good!"

I've done a similar thing with one of my dogs. We have a few neighbors that leave their dogs home alone with the curtains open so that the dogs can jump up and scratch at the windows and bark like maniacs every time another dog walks by. I take my dog toward the house, and when the other dog starts to go nuts, work my dog in obedience, making her ignore the other dog and pay attention to me. At first I started out across the street and down on the corner away from this house, but now I can work her all the way up to the property line, with her ignoring the other dog an paying attention to me. I figure if the people didn't want their dog barking like a maniac when they're not home, they would at least close their curtains. :rolleyes: I've used the same principle for dogs behind fences and other leashed dogs on the street. Control distance, work just under dog's threshold, decrease distance over time as the dog's threshold increases. If I am caught by surprise, I just turn around and go the opposite direction until my dog can be gotten under control, then I work her in obedience to get her refocused on working with me. Same thing when we see cats or squirrels while out walking.

As far as growling at the vet, lots of dogs don't like having their orifices messed with. It doesn't mean your dog is suddenly going to start attacking people. Vets are used to being growled at; you might consider having your dog get used to wearing a muzzle, and muzzle him next time the vet needs to look in his ears.