Nice Rottweiler gone bad! Help!

[BrutusMummy]

I everybody, we usually only post in the Saint Bernard area but, we have been looking after my parents Rotti Lucy.  My parents went away and put Lucy in a new kennel for 5 days.  My husband and I picked her up on Monday and have had her at our house with our 5 month old Saint Brutus.  Our problem is we went to take her home tonight and when we let her out of the truck she saw a little white dog across the street and bolted and attacked it! And she was not playing! She wanted to kill it and was trying her best! Our puppy came bounding in and took a couple nips at the dog too. We figure he was copying Lucy as he's not aggressive.  The thing is, either is Lucy! We have never had an issue with her going after people or dogs! And you would think by now at 7 years old she would have been aggressive.  Has anyone had experience with this and what do we do?  I think the dog is ok (I'll check in with the owner's tomorrow) but Lucy did accidently (?) bite the owner (a 12 year old girl) on the hand and drew blood.  This happened when the girl was trying to get her dog away from Lucy.  What do we do??  We are in total shock that a dog we have trusted around our son (age 2.5) has suddenly turned viscious.  And we are also worried about what our Saint has learned from this attack!

[mixedupdog]

I work at a kennel and it is very possible that the stay at the kennel is what triggered this. You can try and find out if there were any incidents there, but they may not be aware of any, or be reluctant to admit to any.  What's the set up at the kennel? Chain link runs? Does the fence go to the ground or is there a solid barrier? Some dogs develop territory aggression from having to see and hear and interact with the dog on the other side of the fence 24/7 maybe having a similar dog for a neighbor at the kennel set your Rottie off.  Some obnoxious little white thing may have tortured her during her stay.
It's also possible that the little dog set off a prey response. One of my big dogs does not always recognize little ones as dogs, he sees them as similar to rabbits, especially if they squeal, he'll back off when I call him, but he definitely approaches them with murderous intent. I've had quite a few big dogs with this issue, it's not at all uncommon. More than trying to eradicate the prey drive it's important to work on Lucy's recall, so she'll break off no matter what. (If your dad had been there and called her off would she have stopped?) Pack instinct is a powerful thing, and prey drive is a primary motivator. My other dog will join in when Phyfe kicks in to prey mode, Earnest doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body, he's just responding to the hunting instinct triggers, I'm sure that's all your St. was doing.
I wouldn't label either one "vicious" or "aggressive".

[BrutusMummy]

Thanks for the advice.  When I picked up Lucy from the kennel he said she was fine.   The kennel had cement barriers inbetween and chain link fence as the front gate.  I will be calling the kennel tomorrow to ask who her neighbors were though.  I'm not sure if she would have listned if my dad had been there to call her off.  My husband showed up at the end of the attack and had to pull her off the other dog.  I still don't understand why after 7 years this would happen.

[pndlake]

Yup, I have had the same problem with my rotweiller mix dog.  She never has shown any aggression problem and with small children, other dogs and everything - no problem ever.  I agree with mixedupup there is a hunting instinct that shows its viscious face.  When our dog was younger, I taught her that she was not to kill chickens, ducks, or any livestock at all.  She understood that after a few mistakes and for many years we had no problem.  The mistake we made was we let her chase squirells and rabbits in the field while we were there and watching her.   Once in the country, a neighbor had her very little chawawa without a leash running in the field and our dog went for the kill. She thought it was a squirrel.

 The thing is that if you teach a dog to protect your home then watch out for the UPS man or you might get sued.  We were not sued but we paid for the damages to the chawawa who survived.  Even though the dog was not leashed, we felt an obligation.

But I have seen the change in a regularly docile dog, never a problem, always the perfect pet, smiles, licks and all then turn into this monster.  Scarey but way down deep there is this natural hunting instinct that needs to be addressed.  My husband feels I turn them into whooses but I feel it needs to be done for them to survive in our society.  hmm

Peggy

[Tulsas' Dad]

Our furry kids revert to their roots. Working Dogs.
But you were not familiar with the dogs behavior, and shouldn't have let it off leash.
I know that sounds judgemental, but you have to live with a dog to know it well. The fact that she was in a kennel, and stressed, away from home and her comfort, added to her reaction. She was home! And look out! I've got some territory issues to re-establish right now! The fact that your Pup followed and tried to get her 2 cents in shows that she was 'following the leader'. 
I wouldn't worry about the St. pup learning bad behavior from this experience.
And if the Rott hasn't exhibited this behavior before, there's not a lot to worry about.
In a stressful situation, our dogs can become monsters, we have to pay more attention to their needs when they have been stressed.
"They look to us for guidance, we look to them for unconditional love."
You did the right thing by taking care of the little white dogs medical issues, but I'm afraid that whatever you did, its' owner will have nothing good to say about our "Big Dogs"!
We have to be the Ambasadores for the big dogs.
The dog world is 'downsizing', smaller is better!
We have to make our "Big Dogs" the exception!
John

[moonlitcroatia]

Most people who meet Greta would assume she is sweet toward everyone and everything.  If they took her out in public off-leash they would find out different.  She would go for a kill.  I know this because I know her very well, but I think many people could live with her for an extended period of time and, not having encountered the right circumstances, be unaware that she will kill other dogs.

My suggestion is to NEVER, EVER let a dog off-leash on a street, in an unfenced area, or even in one's own unfenced front yard...not even while out in the so-called wilderness where one believes he/she to be the only living soul within miles....UNLES S the dog is so perfectly trained as to be unfaltering under ANY circumstance.. .except to save his/her human from harm.

[BrutusMummy]

This was a case where it was not my dog but I did know her very well.  I lived with her and was her primary caregiver for 5 of her 7 years.  She is normally leashed unless at a dog park.  It was just one of those fluke things where I opened the back of the truck to put her leash on and take her in the house (like I've done thousands of times no problem) and she bolted.  It was totally out of character.  She knows commands very well and is normally %100 under control.  Even the neighbours that came to our aid were shocked to see it was Lucy attacking.

[Nina]

Wow scary stuff! My dogs bolt if they see a dog too, but I know that they won't go for the kill, but they do scare the crap out of the dog they run towards. Ony happened once and I felt soo bad. Now I make sure I have a hold on they leash when I get out of they car. But those little buggers can be fast when they want to! 

[Tulsas' Dad]

This is to BrutusMommy.
Could you rotate your avatar?
I'm getting dizzy(er)
Turning my head to look at your handsome dog!
Thanks,
Tulsa

[Nina]

This is to BrutusMommy.
Could you rotate your avatar?
I'm getting dizzy(er)
Turning my head to look at your handsome dog!
Thanks,
Tulsa

LOL It messes me up to  not that it takes much.. hehehe

[sarnewfie]

i disagree the kennel was the cause.
ROtts have high prey drive, if the wrong owners encourage that without knowlege on this prey drive,  they will do this. They must not be encouraged in any way when showing this type of behavior even in play, also the dog waited until your gaurd was down, never ever ever let your gaurd down around a working dog.
i cant tell you how many rotts i have run across that have done this.
my own emmett and i were stalked by two rotts in the country, and it was not pretty, they had the body language that any experienced dog trainer knows that we were in dire trouble, luckily we had a lady pick us up in her car, and when i got into town i called animal countrol.
rotts can be lethal, no if and or but about it.
Nards also have been known to be territorial.
how awful for you to have this happen, but...
always always have them on leash, letting them run out of a vehicle is not safe and irresponsible off leash.
they always should be on leash.