leopui
K9 Maniac
Mar 17, 2002, 1:09 AM
Post #4 of 6
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I am not sure what such of ideas you may want ... but from your's stated above, look like you do have a Rottweiler with good defensive drive!!!
It is very true that, there are large numbers of "hero", which you have mentioned. However, a trained dog with good defence drive will act accordingly when there is a threat toward himself or his handler's safetyness. If you do enroll him for home protection work training after the obedience class, your family should be well taken care of by your Izac ... in term of security!!! From my point of view, you don't need to sociallize your your Izac with other but some level of training will definitely turning him a GOOD-DOG!!!
Anyway, below is one article I have "curi" from my associate ~ FredAL, hope it would give you some ideas [understand dog training terms and how the dog's drives work] what you could build up your Izac!!!
Rottweiler’s Correct Temperament, Behavior & Character
AKC Standard for Temperament:
The Rottweiler is basically a calm, confident and courageous dog with a self-assured aloofness that does not lend itself to immediate and indiscriminate friendships. A Rottweiler is self-confident and responds quietly and with a wait-and-see attitude to influences in his environment. He has an inherent desire to protect home and family, and is an intelligent dog of extreme hardness and adaptability with a strong willingness to work, making him especially suited as a companion, guardian and general all-purpose dog.
The behavior of the Rottweiler in the show ring should be controlled, willing and adaptable, trained to submit to examination of mouth, testicles, etc. An aloof or reserved dog should not be penalized, as this reflects the accepted character of the breed. An aggressive or belligerent attitude towards other dogs should not be faulted.
A judge shall excuse from the ring any shy Rottweiler. A dog shall be judged fundamentally shy if, refusing to stand for examination, it shrinks away from the judge. A dog that in the opinion of the judge menaces or threatens him/her, or exhibits any sign that it may not be safely approached or examined by the judge in the normal manner, shall be excused from the ring. A dog that in the opinion of the judge attacks any person in the ring shall be disqualified.
FCI Standard for Behavior & Character:
Being good natured, placid and fond of children in basic disposition, he is very devoted, obedient, biddable and eager to work. His appearance is natural and rustic, his behavior self assured, steady and fearless. He reacts to his surroundings with great alertness.
Discussion of the Rottweiler’s Correct Temperament, Behavior & Character:
Although the AKC and FCI standards are fairly similar, the FCI’s standard seems a bit more adapted for the ideal companion and guardian. According to the AKC standard, “an aggressive or belligerent attitude towards other dogs should not be faulted.” With the negative press that our breed is going through, and the continuing rise in Rottweiler attacks, it is my opinion that this phrase should be removed from the standard. Breeders will then strive to improve their breeding program by getting rid of the dog-aggressive behavior, which is getting prevalent in the breed – especially in American bred Rottweilers.
A dog-aggressive Rottweiler – or any working or herding breed – does not possess the true character of the breed. Dog-aggressiveness is a temperament and/or behavior fault.
Understanding Aggressiveness and/or Defensive Drive
Drives are internal impulses, instincts or urges that compel animals to behave a certain way. Dogs have several drives that evolved for its survival in the wild. However, the domesticated dogs’ drives have been altered and modified by dog-breeders to suit their needs and utilization of the dog. Drives must have Drive Specific Stimulus, Drive Specific Action, and a Drive Goal.
In Defensive Drive, the Drive Specific Stimulus, or what causes the dog to resort to this drive, is a “threat”, or what the dog perceives as a “threat”. This perceived threat differs in every dog, depending on its temperament, nerves, hardness and courage.
The Drive Specific Action for this defense is either aggression or avoidance – sometimes referred to as Fight or Flight. Since we are discussing dog-aggressive behavior, let us first focus on that Drive Specific Action. When a dog resorts to aggression (barking, growling, posturing, belligerence, etc.), his Drive Goal is to scare away the stimulus, or the object that he perceives as a threat – in this case, another dog.
In evaluating defensive drive and how it affects behavior, we must also observe when the dog resorts to this drive. Dogs display aggressive behavior toward a threat – the “drive stimulus” – but what determines a threat to each individual dog is dependent on the “stimulus threshold”. The stimulus threshold is the point at which a dog’s drive is triggered to react to a situation. It is also the point that triggers the dog’s drive from one behavior to another. In the case of defensive drive, it is the point at which the dog exhibits aggression, and the point where the dog resorts to avoidance.
A dog’s defensive stimulus threshold is determined by its “nerve strength” – a term commonly used by trainers and behaviorists to describe a dog’s courage or nervousness. A “hard dog” is one that has strong nerves, and can take a great deal of stress and threat to trigger its defensive drives. At the other end of the spectrum is the “nervy” dog that would react aggressively to the same stress and threat because of its weak nerves and low stimulus threshold.
The best way to explain these two types of behavior is with an example:
One evening, a woman walks two Rottweilers (A and B) on leash, one on each side. They go through an unlit street where a man wearing sunglasses and holding a long stick is walking toward them. Rott A starts growling, hackles up, bares his teeth, starts barking aggressively, and threatens to attack the approaching man. Rott B alerts, looks attentively at the man, and goes on with his walk. Which one would you rather have by your side?
The posturing and aggressiveness displayed by Rott A would scare anyone walking that street, and the woman walking him would have a difficult time controlling him. However, the posturing and aggression displayed by Rott A is because of weak nerves. Hackles up, baring of teeth, and indiscriminate aggression are signs of insecurity and nervousness. The man with a stick can just be a blind man with a cane and poses no threat.
Rott B alerted to the man and did not feel threatened by him; therefore he did not see a need for defense or aggression. Rott B is the hard dog – more self-confident and courageous. Rott A is the nervy dog that easily feels threatened by new situations.
Some people will argue that Rott A would be a better dog for protection since his guards are always up and he is ready to show aggression to strangers. However, a nervy dog possesses low stimulus thresholds. That low stimulus threshold which triggered his aggression will also trigger him to avoidance at the same low level. Therefore, Rott A will be the first to run and leave the woman once the threat is increased, or the low stimulus threshold is reached. To put it plainly, Rott A will run once his aggressive posturing does not work, or if the man hits him with the stick.
On the other hand, the defensive drive of Rott B will be switched on only when the man with the stick attacks him or the woman. Since Rott B’s stimulus threshold is high, it will take a great deal of stress and pain before he resorts to avoidance. Even stick hits may not deter his fight drive.
Therefore Rott B – with the higher stimulus threshold and stronger nerve strength – is a better guardian and companion. Can you just imagine what the woman has to go through continuously trying to control a 125-pound Rottweiler (Rott A) from aggressive behavior toward everything it perceives as a threat?
Conclusion
Now that you have a better understanding of Defensive Drive and aggression, you can realize the importance of good temperament, behavior and character in Rottweilers. Indiscriminate aggression toward dogs, people and other beings is not acceptable in the breed standard. Proper breeding practices, tests, evaluations and training will help alleviate these problems in the breed we love.
LEO PUI
Get REAL, Train REAL & Be REAL! Do RIGHT and FEAR No One!
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