My rottweiler is doing alot of growling

Question
we adopted a 11 month old rotti a little over a month ago when he came here everything was great he got along and fit in well. Until last week we got Dezel fixed and now hes growling at my husband and snapped at him we learned different places he doesnt like pet and he growles when he has a bone we have kids and i need to know what to do we need him to be part of our family we love him but i cant be worried about his growling I understand he also needs his space hes a great dog but why all of a sudden all of this growling

Answer
Dear Victoria,

Thank you for writing to me.  I feel strongly that you need an aggression specialist to deal with this situation.  This is a volatile situation and it needs to be addressed in person by a trainer who uses positive reinforcement, much like the Animal Planet program, "It's Me Or The Dog" with trainer Victoria Stillwell.

You can ask your vet for referrals or call the nearest vet teaching college for a referral.  Your local SPCA might also have referrals for a trainer.  Make sure that the person doesn't use heavy handed old fashioned techniques.

In the meantime, if your dog isn't neutered, this need to be done.  Your dog is in adolescence, a time when testesterone is surging and the dog is trying to figure out his place in the pecking order...and trying to work his way to the top. Neutering will remove the hormonal drive and calm things down to an extent.

Your Rottie will also need a great deal of exercise.  A tired dog is a good dog.

Until you can get a trainer to come to your home, do not challenge the dog, do not push him in any way.  Try to do as much basic training as possible, using positive reinforcement.

If your dog is growling over a bone, do not give him any..remove all triggers.  Prevention is a key factor in all sitations.

I wish you the best of luck.  What you have described can be remedied with a knowledgable trainer and the willingness of the family to create a safe and positive environment.  This problem will involve all the family members working together.

Regards,
Shelley Davis