please, tell me what you think! (sorry, it's long!!)

[Peng1zrule]

I'm so sorry this is soooo long!! Please bear with me and tell me what you think. My neighbor has a rottweiler. I watch the dog over the summer, while she's away. The first year I watched the dog, I wouldn't bend over when I went to feed her for the first few weeks (she was on a chain the whole summer) because I didn't want her to be able to reach my face--I would use a hoe to pull the bowl to me, and then push it back into place. Eventually, she got over her aggression toward me, and i was able to pet her and play with her and even bathe her and walk her. I didn't really work with her, she wasn't my dog so I didn't want to spend alot of time getting her over a behavorial problem. (yes, I know that's probably a wrong attitude) Anyway, my neighbor came back and the dog had puppies. Knowing that the dog now liked me (we thought) she asked me to peek in at the mom and pups that first day. I did, and the mom went beserk. I had let her out of the bathroom, thinking she'd like to releive herself outside, and she flipped out. She wouldn't let me down the narrow hall (where I could have escaped) and she wouldn't let me get near the babies, and she began to bite at me. Not hard enough to bring blood or break the skin, just little pinches through my clothes. She was gradually biting harder and harder, and so I "removed" myself from the situation by backing into the bedroom. She charged the door and I had to hold it closed for a second, then she calmed down. I tried to go back into the hall, thinking she was calmer, would recognize me, and let my by. She backed me into the bedroom again. We did this three times, then I let her follow me into the bedroom, I slipped out, shutting her up, and ran out of the house to call my neighbor and let her know the dog was going nuts. (she tore up the bedroom in the ten minutes it took her owner to get home) There was a greenish liquid all over everything-the floor, the walls, even the cabinets and toilet in the bathroom where she had been corralled for the birth. AFter much discussion, we agreed she probably was in pain and scared, and that was why she had reacted so negatively to me.
Well, I watched her again this summer, and she was in the house all the time (I let her out several times a day) She never tried to block my path, always allowed me in, but she did kill two of my neighbor's cats. My neighbor had told me she was "fine" with the cats, great with them, wouldn't bother them, so I beleived her. I had almost forgotten her aggression towards me before. (yes, I know it was stupid) Anyway my neighbor let her get pregnant again, and she had puppies again. They are now about three or four weeks old. Last week, I went up to see my neighbor, and she had the dog running around the yard. The dog didn't even bark as i pulled in, and I was a bit slow getting out of my car, so my neighbor went ahead and went inside with the dog. As I got to the porch, her other dog had hung behind to say hello to me, so I let her in first, then stood for a second, holding the door open and talking to my neighbor. The dog was standing in front of the door, at first off to the side, then toe-to-toe with me. I barely noticed her, but she seemed to be looking up, right at my face, or above my head (she seemed to be peering very far up) I went to step over the threshold, and she freaked. She seemed to jump, and she snapped my hand so close she gouged my nail polish. She could have bitten me, but she did not. She did bark her head off, and my neighbor leaned forward and slapped her on the hip. The dog instantly quit barking and slunk down the hall, toward her puppies. I really don't feel in danger with the dog, but this behavior strikes me as abnormal. I have had unstable dogs and human aggressive dogs, and I can recognize it in other dogs--but this dog doesn't flip out like a truly unstable one, and she doesn't seem to vy for dominance--she just gets very aggressive toward me. My neighbor says she is scared of her and does not want her around if I think the dog is dangerous. I don't know what to tell her, because I am not afraid of the dog but I think the dog's head is not screwed on quite right. What do you guys think??

[xavierandrea]

:o Seems as if she acts this way when she has puppies. I not an expert but there are many others on this forum that can help. Good Luck. Sorry I can't help.

[imported_Kat]

The dog sounds as if she is insecure which I am guessing is due to both her upbringing family being afraid of her and also a hormonal effect. She sounds as though she doesn't know where her place is and dogs quite frequently if they are not stable and in an environment where they know their place in the "family pack" will resort to aggression to try and establish its own order. Dogs love stability, they are reluctant to change. This is your neighbours dog, not yours and your neighbour needs to deal with her. You should mention to her that it is time to call in an experienced animal behaviourist to try and help build a stable relationship between the dog and her owner.

You have done your best truly,

Good luck :wink:

[kendalyn]

It sounds like a very confused and insecure dog. I have to say that if she has temperment issues, I really don't think your neighbor should be breeding her.

Recommend professional help to these people before someone really gets hurt. These types of situations only seem to escalate...

[courtnek]

I agree. She doesnt seem to know her place, and she is being overly protective of the puppies, which makes me think the owner is not handling them and they are not getting "people" saavy....

Professional help would be the way to go...the owner needs to be trained on how to react and interact with her dog.

[Peng1zrule]

mucho thanks to all who replied!! she didn't seem unstable, and you're right--it's out of my hands, and best placed into a professional's. I'll be sure to tell her all this. Thanks for lending some insight to the situation!!