Let's talk about Rotties!

[Buddy'sParents]

I've mentioned a few times (to my hubby) that I would like to one day, have a rottie.

Awhile back, I was doing my hopeless searching on one of my favorite rescues and they had this gorgeous rottie. I mean, it was an "awwwww" rottie. I had mentioned it to hubby (fully knowing that we would not adopt her, but wanting to touch bases to see how he felt about a rottie to begin with) and he felt really unsure about adopting an adult rottie.

I guess it can sort or be related to adopting an adult pit, which he also wouldn't feel entirely comfortable of. Not to say that we would never own a pit or a rottie, but there are concerns about adopting them when they are adults.. their histories may be unknown, etc..

I've not heard of rotties being dog agressive or human agressive unless trained to do so, am I correct?

And, we do plan on having our own rescue one day (years down the road of course, because, well I'm going to spend so much money on Grad school.. might as well do something with my degrees) and I can't imagine turning away any animals, regardless of their breed.

Ibelieve, with determination and hard work, any breed can be "rescued" but I was hoping people could share some stories or experiences with rotties....

 

[RedyreRottweilers]

As anyone well knows, I love Rottweilers.

I have owned and loved this breed since the late 80s.

EXPECT dog aggression. SOMEtimes you won't have it, but same sex dog aggression is the rule rather than the exception.

Invest in a really good vacuuum. These things shed year round like you would not believe. I tell my husband every week, LOOK at this bag full of hair? How on EARTH they have a hair left on their bodies I have no idea. I'm serious THEY SHED.

A LOT.

Say goodbye to your nice lawn too. What they don't dig up and shred, they will pound into the dirt with those darling little paws that turn into giant ones. LOL

Get used to a wet lap. One of the Rottweiler Rules of life is drink, then wipe in the nearest person's lap. I swear I can hear them giggle when they do it.

Make sure you enjoy training, and that you can and will be able to give ORDERS to a dog. This breed is a joy, but they can be pushy and overbearing, esp when young. They need early and continuing obedience training and a person who can be in charge.

Fencing is also very important. It is the rare Rottweiler who when of age does not feel the inherent drive to protect what s/he feels is the hearth and home of their owner. Rottweilers WILL threaten an intruder or trespasser, and most will back it up with deadly force if pressed. ANYONE considering this breed should well understand this aspect of it. These dogs have been bred for over a hundred years to be couragous and fearless under a threat. The VAST majority of them still are. Of course with proper training and socialization, almost every Rottweiler can be a joy to take about, and really enjoy mixing and mingling with people of all kinds. To a large degree this is dependent on early socialization and training by responsible owners. The liability that goes with owning a dog such as this should be carefully considered before one makes the decision to own one.

Home owners insurance can be an issue.

Another sad fact is that due to Breed Specific Legislation, ownership of this breed is illegal or restricted in more areas than you might think. This should be carefully researched before any purchase.

Health issues are also of concern in this breed. Responsible breeders will be carefully screening all stock for hip, elbow, eye, and heart issues. Even with careful screening and the MOST responsible breeding, problems can happen. Being aware is advisable.

On the plus side, these are some of the most loving, playful fun strong wonderful dogs I've ever been around.

If you can deal with the responsibility, training, and shedding (!!), they are just awesome dogs.

When properly bred, socialized, trained, and confined, there is no better companion dog out there, as far as I'm concerned.



Further reading and information can be found at http://www.amrottclub.org

 

[Snark]

I, too, would love one day to have a rottie and I don't have a problem with adopting an adult. (Most of my foundlings have been adults anyway, I actually prefer an adult dog - don't have to *usually* worry about housebreaking, chewing, the zoomies at 10pm, etc.)
Most rescue organizations are pretty careful about the temperament of the dogs they rescue and will note any problems the dog might have (that they know about), such as: would be better as an only dog, doesn't like cats, etc. I figure my biggest problem will be 'qualifying' to adopt one, given some of the requirements. (I've got about three acres fenced for the dogs, but it's not a six foot fence so they might turn me down for that. Then, too, I do have to work all day and while my neighbor very nicely checks on my dogs for me, the rescue people might decide that's not good enough, either.)
My younger sister rescued a Rottie from the pound, they were actually taking the dog back to put her to sleep but let Sis have her. (Sis volunteered at the shelter to walk dogs, so they knew her.) It took a little bit to get Maddie used to the cats and vice versa, but she's been a joy to have for the past ten years. She loves people, especially babies, and has the sweetest temperament - even the UPS guys will stop to pet her.
Maddie at the beach:

 

[Buddy'sParents]

Oh, she's sweet, Snark.

Thanks for the info, Red. I had no idea they shed that much!!! I'll need a better vacuum if we ever have one.

So, we would need to worry about dog agression if we were to have one in our home, that worries me a bit, but with proper training and control of a dog, it can be handled.

Red, how many rotties have you owned? do you ever keep any from your litters?

 

[RedyreRottweilers]

Oh gosh, BP, I've owned quite a few over the years.

I have only had surviving puppies from one litter.

I had planned to keep two puppies from that litter, a dog and a bitch.

The bitch came up lame in the forehand at about 6 mos. Before I EVER got to show her.

She had a serious inherited elbow problem called Fragmented Coronoid Process. This was combined with an osteochondritis dessicans lesion on the medial humeral condyle, where the elbow bones meet in the joint.

It required surgery if she were to have ANY sort of normal lifespan without lameness. Thankfully, the surgery went well, and she walked out of the vet's office better than she walked in the day before. She was given to a loving pet home who already had another pet dog I had placed with them.

The young male I kept earned several points towards his CH title as a puppy shown in the Bred By Exhibitor class. He also had elbow abnormalities when I had him screened as a young dog. He was also placed in a pet home subsequently.

I hope to keep at least one if not two puppies from the breeding I am planning now.

Dog aggression varies from dog to dog, and is influenced by the pedigree as well as the socialization and upbringing. If you get a dog who is the opposite sex from your current dog, chances of issues would be greatly minimized.

I recommend bitches for first time owners almost always, as they are smaller, and in my personal experience, less likely to challenge owners, and slightly less dominant.

 

[RedyreRottweilers]

Snark, what a lovely photo.

Such a sweet faced old girl, I'm a sucker for the oldies.

 

[Buddy'sParents]

I'm sorry, Red. At least you found loving homes for them. How often do you breed, err, or have litters, because obviously *you* aren't breeding, lol...

I have no idea what kind of dog(s) we will have if we get a rottie. A fila is planned for sometime next year and really, we'd like to have no more than 3 dogs at a time. (We'll see how that goes).

 

[RedyreRottweilers]

I attempted another litter in 2003.

There were no surviving puppies.

I'm planning to breed Penny later this year, and praying for better luck.

 

[Buddy'sParents]

There were no surviving puppies.

Oh no!

I just read that on your website about Penny. Good luck! She's gorgeous.

 

[Bella's Mom]

I am on my third adult rescue and they have all been very sweet, they did need some work on doggie manners I'm still trying to break my current rotten one from jumping on people to greet them, they all seem to think they are pocket poodles One issue you must consider are the health issues and there can be many I havent had one live past 8 years old due to arthritis and bad hips or other health problems. Having owned and been loved by a rottie there is no other breed I think, that can beat them for there love and devotion and the personalty that they have. They make perfect family pets

 

[corsomom]

 

[corsomom]

 

[Roxy's CD]

Before I got Roxy, she's a mix as many of you know rott/dobe, I read up on Rotts. In my little book, LOL, it says that Rotts can be very stubborn. I've found this out first hand.

As Red said, THEY SHED! A lot! At least three times a week I swear I sweep up a whole other dog! I groom her once a day too!

I read in my book that Rott's are very quick to protect but not quick to actually bite. They would rather corner the intruder until the master comes home. I don't know about the latter, but from personal experience I KNOW that the previous statement is very true, they are VERY protective.

I got Roxy at 6 weeks. She had never been inside a house. I had her not even for 10 minutes inside my apartment at the time. Where my door was, you had to go down 2 sets of small stairs. Someone was coming down the stairs, Roxy immediately headed for cover underneath the coffee table and began growling. I hadn't even had her inteh house for 10 minutes!!!! Of course she could've been scared in a new place, but in the many months to come it would become very prevolent that Roxy was protective, and still is.

IMO Rott's a big teddy bears. Loving, kind, gentle giants, but if push comes to shove they WILL protect.

I took some pics of Roxy yesterday... I love to show off my beautiful princess

Roxy protecting the house from the evil next door neighbors cat!

Neighbors, drunken yelling across the street. LOL

 

[RedyreRottweilers]

HANDSOME photos of Bruno and Roxy.

 

[bubbatd]

I've always admired this breed, but wonder if they are now going the way of the pitts with wrong intentions and bad breeding. My neighbor ( 3 doors down ) got a pup about 2 years ago. He's an inside/ outside dog and walked daily. As a pup he played with Chip .... today I wouldn't allow Chip within 3 feet. The owner is a big man and can hardly handle the dog !! He had had a Boxer and thought he could train his Rottie the same way ( when I recommended puppy class and then obedience school. )It's sad as basically this dog was a " Carl " ( love those books ! ) How can a sweet Rottie end up this way when the owner cares and loves him ?? I really think he should have had more socialization , but until a year old he seemed fine.... and yes, I've recommended neutering.!

 

[corsomom]

Thanks Red. We lucked out with Bruno. My husband picked him up from a byb 5 years ago on his way home from a fishing trip, put him in my arms and said "happy birthday" He is a great family dog, likes meeting new people, very stable. And also protective. I am home alone at night, I feel very safe with this boy.

 

[RedyreRottweilers]

Your CC is nice looking too, CM.

Boy do I ever know that feeling of security. I've slept with 1 to 6 Rottweilers lying in my floor since 1988.

 

[Zoom]

I too am looking at getting a Rottie sometime in the next two years. My biggest concern is the potential for same sex dog aggression. Is it less when the dogs have grown up with the same sex or is just sort of a crap shoot at maturity? I'd like to get a female for the reasons Red listed. But I am concerned as to how the Rott and Aubrey would get along. Aubrey plays well with both males and females, but if things work out like they're supposed to in the next year or so, I'll be having the puppy live with me and Sawyer while Daniel and Aubrey are up at K-State finishing his degree. How much of a problem do you think that would pose when they move back home? More than likely the puppy would be visiting Aubrey every weekend, and I'm sure that I could arrange it so that Aubrey was living with me for at least a few months when we first get the puppy. Thoughts?

 

[Gempress]

My uncle has a big country house with six rottweilers. A female rottie showed up at his home one day, and the family decided to keep her. Imagine their surprise to find out she was pregnant! And an even bigger surprise.....all the puppies were purebred. He couldn't find good homes for them all (my uncle was such a stickler for only selling them to good homes). So he ended up keeping five of the pups.

It's funny; Sushi (the mother) is an oversized rottie, but is very friendly. Certainly not very protective, although she does have her moments. Her children inherited the same temperament. It is rather intimidating, though. As soon as your car stops in the driveway, it's swarmed by a pack of enormous, barking rotties. We always tell my uncle that he shouldn't bother locking his doors, LoL.

 

[RedyreRottweilers]

It's hard to say, zoom.

The only dog fight I ever had was between 2 bitches, the younger of which grew up with the older one. They were 4 years apart. The fight happened with they were about 4 and 8 years old.

The 4YO jumped the older girl in the dog yard with zero notice under normal conditions.

After this fight they hated each other with such a bloody passion I was afraid one would dive through a window to get the other one outside.

When switching dogs, I would put one bitch inside a room in a double locked crate, close the door, and put the other bitch in another room in a double locked crate, and close the door, check the door to make SURE it's closed, and then let the other girl out.

It was a completely UNTENABLE situation, and I ended up rehoming the younger bitch.

Some people have same sex pairs that live together with a minimum of issues for their lifetime.

But if and when that fight does happen, it can be serious, even fatal, in minutes, and can also cause serious injury to the people who try to stop it.

It is just one more thing to be aware of when considering this breed.