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Pupforum presents your training questions answered by professional dog trainers.
Fran grew up teaching everything from chickens and goats to dogs and horses. These days, Fran works with DOG GONE IT rottweiler rescue, is registered with AKC as a Canine Good Citizen Evaluator and continues to train dogs in Las Vegas, Nevada. She also writes a canine question & answer column for a local news paper, The Hilltop & High Desert Shopper News.
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Fran Williams
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[Edit]
2/9/2007
I have recently acquired 2 full grown male Rottweilers of unknown age. The previous owners stated that they needed to be kept together, that they had been together since birth. They are brothers. Usually, they are both sweet and lovable. I am not capable of playing with them together for any length of time because they become jealous and want all the attention. I have tried to separate them, but they want to be close to the other one. When I take one out, he will pull on the leash and whine. When that doesn't get his brother near him, he will become aggressive and growl at me. I have even taken one to the other side of the house (out of sight out of mind theory) but that didn't help either. I have also separated them into separate pens, but they lay on the side closest to the other dog, and will touch the available food or water until I put them back together. Which was for 2 days. Then I put them back together and of course they both ate and drank. They are being fostered until I can find homes, but it is hard to place 2 Rotts together. How can I separate these two? (tootiebarbara, Georgia)
Hi, thank you for working with these two. It can be done; but they would have to be completely removed from one another. Not on the same property, nowhere that they could see or smell or hear the other. Two completely different homes, as if one had
died and the other must go on alone. But I would try to keep them together since it seems this is what gives them feelings of being safe and happy.
Many people have adopted two Rotts from me when I had my rescue but it was usually one male one female. Sounds like these two guys have gotten past any problems they might have in being together. As I said before I would adopt them to together as a team put them in a brace AND WORK THEM TOGETHER.
As for the one getting nasty when you took him away from his brother, that’s pretty much a Rott thing. He’s just telling you he is pissed that you did take the other away. If you where the one wanting to keep them I would tell you work through it by becoming the alpha, but that’s not the case here you are just a temporary home so once more their lives will be put into upheaval if they bond to you.
It’s so hard trying to help, while still trying to keep them at arms length so they don't get their hopes up that they will be with you. That’s why all my rescue Rotts where kept outside in kennels so that when some one did adopt them and take them in to there homes it gave the new owner one up on the rescue and helped to start the bonding faster. Anyhow I say leave them together. Most people want two if they want one another is no big deal. I wish you the very best with this and again thanks for caring. Fran
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