Rottweiler Puppy Growling And Biting (Causes & Prevention)

Rottweilers are a particularly popular dog breed, often due to their protective nature. They make excellent guard dogs – alerting owners of intruders and even acting upon the intrusion if needed.

At the same time, Rottweilers make excellent companions and can be considered gentle giants in some cases. Some people, however, might not be as lucky. Because a Rottweiler puppy growling and biting is a relatively common problem.

Failure to take action when these problems develop can turn into a bigger issue. If your Rottweiler puppy is growling at you or your loved ones or seems prone to biting anyone, then you need to take action.

We will take a look at important reasons why your Rottweiler puppy might be growling and biting. We’ll also talk about what you can do and the specific actions that you need to avoid.

Table of Contents

Why Do Rottweiler Puppies Growl And Bite?

The first step to dealing with a Rottweiler puppy growling and biting is to understand the reason behind these problems. You need a little more insight into the puppy’s life – take a good look around you and determine what might be causing this aggressive behavior.

If you have an aggressive Rottweiler puppy on your hands, then consider their age and how long the puppy has been with you.

Stress As A Potential Reason For Biting And Growling In A Rottweiler Puppy

If the puppy is still new to the environment – which happens in cases where you only recently picked up your Rottweiler puppy – then they might be under stress.

Stress is common among all breeds of dogs and can make them act out. When your puppy is stressed, they may act aggressively in some scenarios. This might be the case where you suddenly approach the Rottweiler puppy – they might feel frightened and feel like they need to protect themselves. Consider the fact that the puppy was only recently moved away from their mother.

There are certain signs associated with stress in puppies. If you find that your Rottweiler puppy expresses these symptoms, then it may be an indication that they are under stress.

Possible symptoms that you should be on the lookout for include:

Your dog may be shaky
The dog may have a pacing breath
Your puppy might bark a lot and whine frequently
There may be changes in your dog’s ears and eyes
Body posture may also give off a signal related to stress
Some dogs tend to pant consistently when they are under stress
Shedding is also a possible sign of stress in a puppy
The puppy may have an avoidance behavior – they could try to escape situations, especially when people are involved
Certain changes in the puppy’s bodily functions can also show they are under stress – such as a puppy that suddenly starts to urinate indoors after they have been trained to go outside

While a common cause for stress in a puppy would be the new environment that they have entered, you should note that there are other reasons why your Rottweiler puppy suffers from stress too.

There are many human behaviors that have been linked to stress in canine companions.

One important factor to consider is overwhelming the puppy soon after he or she was taken from their mother. When you try to smother the puppy too much, it could stress them out. Your puppy still needs to adapt to the new environment and get used to you.

Take this into account before you try to constantly pick up your Rottweiler puppy and smother him with too much love and attention. Gradually build up a relationship with your puppy and do not force a connection onto them.

Here are a few other behaviors that could stress your puppy out:

Constantly pointing your finger to your puppy will surely stress them out
Staring at your puppy will make them feel uncomfortable and stressed
Confusing your dog by giving them too many verbal commands
Waking your puppy up too much – remember that he or she is still a puppy, so they do need a lot of sleep
Constantly pulling on your puppy’s leash when you take them for a walk
Associating a command like “it’s okay” with a visit to the vet – the moment you give the command, your puppy will realize what is going on and their stress levels will rise
Yelling at your puppy will surely stress them out
Constantly telling your puppy, “no.”

Teething Could Also Cause Biting

By the time a puppy reaches the age of four weeks, they will have around 28 teeth. These are all temporary teeth. They are often referred to as puppy teeth. Sometimes also called milk teeth. These teeth are only temporary and will fall out – when they fall out; the teeth are replaced by permanent teeth. This new set is referred to as adult teeth. This process occurs between week 14 and week 30 of your puppy’s life.

The teething process – particularly when your puppy goes from temporary to adult teeth – can be uncomfortable and even painful.

When your puppy enters this teething phase of their life, the discomfort and pain they experience could make them more aggressive than usual. They may also have a need to bite constantly – as this may assist in relieving some of the pressure they experience in their mouth and the gums.

Thus, consider teething as a potential cause between biting too. If your puppy is in a lot of pain, they might also growl at you – particularly if you are trying to reach near their mouths. This is a protective response due to the pain that they are experiencing.

There are some signs that you should look out for – these can signal that your puppy is entering or currently going through a teething process.

One common sign is chewing and biting, especially if your puppy did not exert such behavior previously. Additionally, also be on the lookout for bleeding gums.

The puppy’s gums may also become swollen. Most puppies who are going through the teething phase will also experience drooling. Furthermore, there may be a poor appetite that accompanies these symptoms – your dog may find it uncomfortable to eat properly, as their teeth and gums may hurt when they eat.

Failure To Train

Another important factor to consider behind Rottweiler puppy growling and biting would be an unfortunate one – which is the failure to train the dog effectively.

Training a dog takes time and effort, and this process should start from the time when the dog is still a puppy. Remember that a dog is an animal of habit and tend to learn rather quickly.

If your puppy growl and bite, and you fail to train them in terms of this particular behavior, then they might consider these actions to be normal. They will continue to perform these actions – since you did not train them to stop.

Training is important to ensure your puppy becomes obedient. With the right training methods implemented, you can avoid your puppy using the indoors as their toilet. You can also train them to do basic commands. Some commands can also be used to tell your puppy that growling and biting are considered inappropriate behavior trends – without the need to get physically or verbally violent with your pet Rottweiler.

Try Brain Training For Dogs

If you haven’t trained your Rottweiler properly, then this is the perfect time to start. Whatever bad behavior your Rottie shows, whether it’s growling, biting, or barking using the right training program is the key to having an obedient and happy pup.

The training program I love and highly recommend is Brain Training For Dogs.

With Brain Training For Dogs you’ll save yourself a ton of time and effort. Instead of banging your head against the wall trying to figure out why your dog won’t listen, you’ll follow a path that has been tried, tested, and most importantly, that’s given proven results. Not to mention the fact, you’ll be able to fit the course around your schedule, not fit your schedule around a trainer or obedience class.

So instead of worrying about whether they’re going to be well-behaved or not, you’ll only have to worry about how much fun you’ll have with them!

And in most cases it’s still going to be:

Cheaper than hiring a professional.
Cheaper than replacing everything they might break.
And definitely cheaper than a lawsuit against you, if they decide to bite someone.

Just imagine how great it will feel to finally be able to have a calm, happy dog, not one that’s constantly growling and biting. Instead, you’ll have the peace of mind that you have a well-behaved pup, and the boundaries you set for them, will always be there, EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT.

And the best part is it also has a 60-day money-back guarantee! So there’s no reason not to give Brain Training For Dogs a try!

So if you’re tired of your dog’s bad behavior, or how they react around other people and pooches, then give it a try! You’ll be amazed by the results!

(You can also check out a full review here, to learn exactly what the course has to offer!)

How To Stop A Rottweiler Puppy Growling And Biting?

We have considered some of the most important reasons why you might be faced with an issue like a Rottweiler puppy growling and biting. Taking these factors into consideration, it might be easier for you to determine the cause behind this behavior in your puppy by now. Maybe you can detect certain signs of stress in your dog, or perhaps you have now realized that you are not training your dog properly.

Whatever the reason behind the behavioral problems, you do need to ensure you implement an appropriate plan to stop the growling and the biting.

The first step to stopping your Rottweiler from biting people and growling when someone comes too close to them would be to take the possible cause into account. The specific methods that would be appropriate depending on why your puppy is acting this way.

We will consider the best solutions for the specific causes behind biting and growling in a Rottweiler puppy below.

Relieving Stress In Your Rottweiler Puppy

Since your puppy may still be very young and only recently moved into your home, we should really start by considering ways in which you can relieve their stress. If you find that the signs of stress in a puppy we shared earlier are present in your Rottweiler, then this section is critical to helping you resolve the issue you have on hand.

If this is the case – your puppy has entered into your environment only recently – then consider backing off just a little. Consider the fact that your puppy feels overwhelmed by the new environment. They were used to being with their mother at all times prior to coming to your house, after all.

Do not force your puppy to fit into their new environment. You need to be patient. If your Rottweiler puppy seems distant – allow them to be. Every puppy adapts to a new environment at their own pace. Some puppies will easily adapt, while others may take a longer period before they really feel comfortable with their new owners.

At the same time, do make time for your puppy. You want them to feel like they are part of the family. Spend time with your puppy every day – but at their own pace. If they do not seem to be in a playful mood, simply sit with the puppy. He or she will eventually start to take a better liking to you, as they feel more comfortable in the new environment.

There are also some strategies that have shown to be useful when looking to reduce stress in puppies and dogs. Consider taking advantage of these solutions to help your dog better cope with the stress:

Mental stimulation is important, even for a puppy. When you make time to spend with your puppy, be sure to add some toys to the mix. Have some treats available while playing with your dog and reward them.
When your puppy is old enough, consider taking a daily walk with them. Physical exercise also acts as stimulation that helps them relieve stress – plus exercise will help to keep your dog healthy.
Consider the use of a natural supplement that helps to impose a state of calmness in your dog. Do not use a natural calming supplement that is intended for use by humans. Instead, visit a local vet shop for a product made specifically for puppies.
If your dog feels comfortable enough to sit on your lap, consider wrapping him or her in a blanket and spend some peaceful time with them.

Also, remember that dogs can pick up on human emotions. If you are tense and anxious, they might detect these emotions. This could stress them out too.

Relieving Pain And Discomfort In A Teething Puppy

When you notice that your dog is teething, then the strategies needed to provide relief of the symptoms they experience are different from a dog that is stressed out. Teething causes the gums to become inflamed. It also leads to pain and discomfort.

Luckily, there are ways that you can help to reduce these symptoms and make your puppy feel more comfortable during the entire process.

Toys are an excellent option for teething puppies. Since they are prone to biting and chewing, the toys would provide them the stimulation they need – reducing the risk of your Rottweiler puppy biting human hands.

Cold items can help to provide a more potent relief of the symptoms that your puppy experience. Consider adding some toys to the freezer before you give them to your puppy.

You can also choose to freeze some carrots. There are some puppies that enjoy chewing on ice cubes too. This can also provide relief of inflammation and pain, and reduce the discomfort they experience.

How To Train Your Puppy To Stop Biting And Growling

If training is the issue behind your puppy biting and growling, then it is time to implement some training techniques to help rectify the issue.

Training does not mean yelling at your dog or becoming physically abusive toward them. Instead, training means being patient, awarding your dog for good behavior, and telling them when they do something wrong.

When your dog bites or growls, tell them ‘no’ in a firm voice – but without yelling or becoming aggressive. If they stop their behavior, immediately reward them with a treat they truly enjoy. See if you can do this every time they growl or bite. This would give them the opportunity to associate, not biting or growling with good things – which is the reward.

It will take some time to get your dog to stop the behavior, but with patience and persistence, you can definitely train them.

(And if you want the process to be as fast and as painless as possible, make sure you check out Brain Training For Dogs.)

What To Avoid Doing

While you are training your Rottweiler puppy or implementing appropriate actions to eliminate their growling and biting, you need to understand that certain actions will only make the problem worse.

The worst thing you can do is become violent with your dog. If they bite or growl, never hit them. This will escalate the issue – and possibly turn your puppy into a vicious and aggressive dog. You should also not yell at your dog. This will only make them feel stressed; a stressed-out Rottweiler puppy is more likely to act recklessly, such as to bite and growl again in the future.

You should also avoid locking your dog in a small room or even a crate if you haven’t crate trained them. Never put your puppy on a leash and then attach the leash to a pole or other structure in the yard. These are all solutions that will not help the problem, but rather cause you to experience a worsening of the biting, growling, and aggressive behavior in your Rottweiler puppy.

Conclusion

While it is quite rare for a Rottweiler puppy to bite people at random, it is a possibility. If you find yourself in a situation with a Rottweiler puppy growling and biting, you do need to take this matter seriously. Learn why your puppy might be growling and biting, and then consider the most effective strategy for correcting this problem. At the same time, you also need to understand what you should not do – as there are certain actions that may rather aggravate the issue at hand.

If you liked this article, make sure you check out the rest of the website! Otherwise, have a great day!

Here are some other common problems you may notice in your rottweiler.