Another large dog question, Rottweilers~

[FairyMom]

I think we've narrowed on a breed or breed mix. For those of you who have owned Rotts, how are they around kids? I've read a lot of positives for those who train their dogs and spend time with them. I've only known one and she was a sweetie, but I've never had one in my family.

 

We are, obviously, a homeschool family. We are home a lot, though. Someone is usually always home. Even when we have extracurricular activities, dh is at home (works at home on computer). The dog would have a companion pretty much all the time. We live on a farm with a lot of room for him/her to run. We are looking for an inside dog, though, except for when we go outside together. Lap dog that likes the country.

 

Thanks! :)

[BrookValley.]

My mother has a rottie--it's her second (her first passed away several years ago). Both were/are very tolerant and sweet dogs and great with kids. Her current rottie, a female, is an absolute sweetheart and is very, very obedient. Even though my mother does not spend time working with/training her dogs. Ever. The dog is just in constant people-pleasing mode!

 

Anyway, my experience with the breed has been very positive. You do have to be careful of hip issues with them, though. Both of my mom's had hip problems.

[astrid]

GREAT GREAT GREAT breed....but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE find a reputable breeder!!!

Talk to breeders, do your homework, research and research some more. Do NOT buy over the internet, and do not answer an ad in a newspaper!

 

Poorly bred Rottweilers can be a nightmare.

 

astrid

[ma23peas]

I would not call Rottweilers 'lap dogs'..although I will share my lap experience...the one and only 'up close' experience with a Rott...

 

My aunt lives on a lake, most lots are about 2-4 acres. I went down to the lake to take the boat out (just a small fishing boat)...I jumped in the boat to get some of the leaves out before setting off the shore...as I was bending over, it looked like a small bear jumped in the boat with me..I was stunned and turned around to see a Rottweiler getting ready to jump on me. He knocked me down and I landed on the boat seat..the dog proceeded to place its paws on my shoulders and 'stand' on me....when I tried to call out to my aunt (about 200 yards from me inside her house) the dog would growl...if I tried to move, the dog would growl..(we've grown up with all kinds of dogs...Irish Setter, Old English Sheep Dogs, Lhasa Apso, Maltese, Black Lab, Golden Retriever, mutts...I could make friends with any kind of breed...I was the only grandchild that my grandfather's chihuahua would let pet him)...I knew the best thing was to sit there, it would let me pet it, but if I tried to get its paws off me, it would growl..and not a pretty growl...an "I'm going to eat you growl"...

 

Those were the LONGEST 15 minutes of my life!!! My aunt had FINALLY looked out her window and realized I had never left the shore and could not see the dog in front of me, she just saw me sitting there in a boat on the shore...so she came out and was making fun of me thinking I did not know how to put the boat in the water...as she got closer, she realized the dog 'had' me...she had to run to her neighbor's house and in about 5 minutes he came..he called out to his dog and she jumped right down..he apologized profusely and said his dog had never behaved like that before...I'm sure some are wonderful, but not one of the dogs we had ever grown up with had EVER done something like that...with kids I would not risk it.

[astrid]

I wouldn't be so quick to judge an entire breed based on one encounter.

 

astrid

[Puma Mom]

My brother has a Rottweiler, and he spent a good amount of time training him when he was a puppy. He made extra sure that Bandit knew who the alpha male was.

 

Bandit has never even looked crosswise at me or my dc. Dd would get frustrated when she was tiny (4-5yo) because Bandit likes to lean and he would trap her against the wall, just leaning. She had to learn to use her 'strong voice', and then he would listen and let her loose.

 

OTOH, Bandit is very protective of the house when men are around. He will bark like he's going to eat them, and occasionally nip them if one of us he knows isn't right there.

 

He also thinks he's lapdog. Awkward since he weighs as much as my 18yo ds.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

My mother in law had a Rott. It was the best dog ever! Ds 7 was a baby and that dog would let ds crawl all over it, tug on it, pull on it- whatever and never did anything. The rott was very protective of ds! He would always follow him, wouldn't let him near the stairs :lol: it was awesome! He was never agresssive with us though when protecting ds but I have no doubt in my mind if anybody ever tried hurting him and the dog was there the dog would not allow it. (not punishment- we did that just fine lol) I would not have any problems with one if we had it since it was a puppy (so you know it was never mis-treated!) Dh has talked about getting a rott sometime but we have enough (a golden retriever, a pug and a bull mastiff)

 

 

Her rott died of cancer at 10 years old :( It was sad. We were there one night and we called him to come over to go outside and he couldn't stand up. We tried and tried but he just couldn't. Then we realized he had messed all over himself. Took him to the vet the next day and had to put him down. He was a very sick dog :crying::crying::crying:

Edited January 16, 2012 by wy_kid_wrangler04

[ma23peas]

I wouldn't be so quick to judge an entire breed based on one encounter.

 

astrid

 

You had to be there...I struggle deeply with those that love this breed or that, but there is a reason that Rottweilers, Akitas, Staffordshire, Chow, Wolf hybrids, and others are on the insurance will go up list...I say, do it if you are an adult, but when you are responsible for children and you 'know' there is a perceived risk with these breeds...

Those that love a certain breed, will often say that Golden Retrievers give more bites per year than other breeds...the big difference here is that death and Retriever is not common, death with these breeds while not common are statistically much greater than other breeds...

 

It only takes one bad encounter, I'm not willing to risk that with my children or others...most people have friends come to play...

[clarkacademy]

I wouldn't be so quick to judge an entire breed based on one encounter.

 

astrid

 

:iagree:My parents raised them growing up. She was my bestest friend and saved my life literally twice. Like any dog they can be good or bad. It does not matter. A nice friendly small dog almost took a chunk out of my face growing up. Rots are wonderful beautiful dogs. Saying anything about what one dog did is comparing that all men are etc......

[Carrie12345]

Mine are "only" mixes (one with lab, one with GSD), but they're fabulous. :D We adopted them as pups when my oldest 3 were 7, 3, and 2, and we have had 2 more babies since then. Since they both have long tails, they're prone to hitting the kids in the face with them when they're just the right height :glare:, and they've accidentally knocked a few toddlers on their tushes (by brushing past, not jumping!), but that's about it.

 

They ARE protective, and will bark at anything/one that goes near the kids, bark when any of the kids are upset, and urinate on strangers if I'm not careful to make sure they do their business first!

 

FWIW, my 4yo tends to crate the cats in with the dogs when I'm not looking, and they don't even care. Well, the CATS do! But the dogs are pretty laid back.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

I struggle deeply with those that love this breed or that, but there is a reason that Rottweilers, Akitas, Staffordshire, Chow, Wolf hybrids, and others are on the insurance will go up list..

 

 

We had a chow chow also- again the biggest baby you ever met! Sweetest most gentle dog in the world. I was a kid when we had her. She was my black teddy bear!!!! I cried for weeks when she died :crying:

 

From my experience I whole heartedly believe its all in the breeding and raising of these dogs that make them mean or gentle. I may be wrong but that absolutely has been our experience!

[FairyMom]

I did not mean for this to be a debate about Rotts, which is why I asked the question about people who have owned them. I'm a truly sorry this happened to you and I can only imagine how scary it was, ma23peas.

 

But.... I agree with Astrid, that was one encounter, albeit scary, with a territorial dog who should not have been left to roam free. He/she was doing his job, you innocently entered his territory.

[FairyMom]

Here is some good info on the breed:

http://www.milehighrotties.org/buyrott.html

 

Amazing website! I've been on there since you posted the link. Very, very informative pros and cons. Thank you.

 

Thank you all for your stories about your four-legged family members. I have a very dear friend who had Rotts for years and we are planning on getting a mix from a local rescue shelter here, Happy Endings. Is that what you meant by reputable, Astrid? I don't know if we want a registered dog, maybe even a mix would be great.

[clarkacademy]

I also wanted to add the beautiful rot mix we had. Mixed with a lab if memory serves. We only had him 4 months but he was a great dog. My daughter was only a year old and still crawled at the time, she named him puppy. We were all playing in the front yard when someone screamed the baby. She had gotten out of the playpen and crawled down the porch under the back bumper of my car.

 

She was headed straight for the road and a camaro was flying. I ran as fast as I could even though I would never had made it. That dog came barging out the screen door came right through it. He got her by the diaper and drug her back. It was the most amazing thing I ever saw. Sadly a neighbor brought her dog over my yard not knowing it had parvo and Puppy didn't make it.

 

He died laying next to my little girl. I will never forget that. It is the love and the home and the raising. A rot can be a kids best friend.

[astrid]

You had to be there...I struggle deeply with those that love this breed or that, but there is a reason that Rottweilers, Akitas, Staffordshire, Chow, Wolf hybrids, and others are on the insurance will go up list...I say, do it if you are an adult, but when you are responsible for children and you 'know' there is a perceived risk with these breeds...

Those that love a certain breed, will often say that Golden Retrievers give more bites per year than other breeds...the big difference here is that death and Retriever is not common, death with these breeds while not common are statistically much greater than other breeds...

 

It only takes one bad encounter, I'm not willing to risk that with my children or others...most people have friends come to play...

 

Oh I believe your account. What I'm saying is that it was ONE Rottweiler.

There are lots of men who commit crimes against women. But it doesn't make all men bad.

 

All I'm saying is that you had ONE experience with ONE sample of the breed. The Rottweiler is a solid working dog. Unfortunately, it's big and muscular, and some time ago, thugs noticed this. It was the pit bull of a couple of decades ago. Irresponsible breeding led to lots of issues in the breed, not the least of which were temperament issues. The breed fancy has worked long and hard to correct this, which is why I cautioned pretty strongly about doing ones homework and finding a very reputable breeder.

 

astrid

[FairyMom]

I also wanted to add the beautiful rot mix we had. Mixed with a lab if memory serves. We only had him 4 months but he was a great dog. My daughter was only a year old and still crawled at the time, she named him puppy. We were all playing in the front yard when someone screamed the baby. She had gotten out of the playpen and crawled down the porch under the back bumper of my car.

 

She was headed straight for the road and a camaro was flying. I ran as fast as I could even though I would never had made it. That dog came barging out the screen door came right through it. He got her by the diaper and drug her back. It was the most amazing thing I ever saw. Sadly a neighbor brought her dog over my yard not knowing it had parvo and Puppy didn't make it.

 

He died laying next to my little girl. I will never forget that. It is the love and the home and the raising. A rot can be a kids best friend.

 

:( I'm so sorry. What an amazing story. Thank you for sharing it! :grouphug:

[Sasharowan]

My mom had a rottie and she was great with the kids!! Only issue we ever had was she CONSTANTLY wanted to play ball!!! Of course the kids never minded that!

[jar7709]

We have a rott mix (probably mixed with black lab) we adoped from a shelter when he was less than a year old. He is 3 now and is SO GREAT with the kids. Photo evidence:

 

 

Blurry because it was an action shot, this is my two kids piling him up with pillows. He is a big strong dog, but we went through a rigorous training program with him (from a local guy who also trains german shepherd for police work) and although he has a very loud bark for strangers, he is a pure sweetie. The training was expensive, but worth every penny IMO, since we also have livestock and wildlife around besides the kids and when we say "drop it" that needs to mean NOW.

 

He is at my feet right now, follows us around like a shadow and *would* be a lapdog if we let him. We have another dog too, lab/husky, who is lovely but very different, and it is our rott mix that is the family companion.

[FairyMom]

Jessica, thanks for sharing this picture! We want a 5th family member, but with four legs. Do you remember what the obedience training was called or the website you used so I can research it? :)

[jar7709]

You are probably a little far to attend his classes in person, but this was the place. :001_smile: If/when we ever get another large dog, we'll go here again.

 

http://www.canyoncrestk9.com/

 

Good luck on your doggie search!

[FairyMom]

You are probably a little far to attend his classes in person, but this was the place. :001_smile: If/when we ever get another large dog, we'll go here again.

 

http://www.canyoncrestk9.com/

 

Good luck on your doggie search!

 

I thought so, but I figured there would be a lot of info on his website. Thanks for the link. :)

[CanaryMelody]

I volunteered many many years with a couple of Rottweiler rescue groups including Southern States Rottweiler Rescue. The vast majority of rescued Rotties are able to be successfully rehomed into proper loving family homes. While rescuing in Hawaii with Aloha State Rottweiler Rescue, we only had 2 aggressive cases. One was unable to be rehabilitated and had to be euthanized. The other was never to be a family dog, but he found a productive place in society as a customs dog at Oahu's airport.

 

These dogs are very much misunderstood and a victim of such irresponsible breeding. A good breeder will ask YOU more questions about owning this breed than you will ask of them. Be sure to really research each breeder and each individual dog. If you go the rescued route, I'd suggest a breed rescue group versus an animal shelter. At SSRR, we rescued Rotties (pure and mixes) from animal shelters, off the street, and from people unable to continue care for their dogs. Each dog is vetted and fostered for a period of time before being placed up for adoption. When I was volunteering (I fostered, transported, and handled adoption paperwork and home visits for my local area), we knew which dogs were best suited for a particular kind of family (i.e. with or without kids, young kids, older kids only, cats/no cats, etc.) and would only adopt a dog to a potential family that fit. We grilled potential adopters pretty thoroughly because this is a breed that has such a bad rap. ;)

 

As much as I adore the breed, I do believe it is not for everyone. If you have no time or desire to train, don't get one. They need a firm but loving hand. Rottweiler owners need to be willing and able to be the alpha leader. Rottie owners know that cute puppy behavior can turn into dangerous adult behavior. An adult Rottie is much too large and powerful to be not trained properly.

 

I used to own a rescued Rottweiler who was sweet, patient, and gentle with DD1 (then she was a baby) and the kids I babysat. Dakota had been kept on a chain for the first 9 months of his life, living on concrete in a dog house. He never had attention and rarely had food. When I adopted him, he was extremely underweight. He had some food aggression when I first brought him home as a result of his treatment. But Rottweilers are smart and it took about 60 days of constantly handling him to end the food aggression. After that, his sweet gentle self showed itself everyday. DD1 learned to stand by pulling herself up using Dakota. He knew, too. He'd stand or sit there patiently as she held on to the fur on his back to get into a standing position. :D It was 5 years later I had to give him up because I was a single mom looking for a place to live and every place had that "dangerous breed" ban. It was either keep him and be homeless or give him up. I've never forgotten about him, though. :crying:

[Miss Peregrine]

We've had two. Sweet and friendly, but gosh if they weren't the dumbest dogs ever.

Edited January 16, 2012 by Miss Peregrine

[BMW]

#1 Only get one from a HIGHLY reputable breeder. (That's my opinion, of course.)

 

#2 Get the dog as a wee little pup and spend LOTS (and I mean LOTS) of time with the dog... as in, LOTS of time day after day to train. The dog learns his role in the family and how to respond to guests and company. The dog can learn and retain for a lifetime how to respond to guests. That is very important.

 

#3 Do your homework first. Find out about your home insurance policies ahead of time to know if you are covered by having that breed. Be prepared.

 

#4 If it's still your choice, do #1 to #3 and enjoy! Be present. Be aware.

 

I have had two of them. They are high energy. They love their families very much. They need a LOT of time. If you do not do #1 or #2, just DON'T get one of these dear dogs. Ours were raised with our babies and would never hurt anyone without first thinking that their own "pack" (meaning our family) was in danger. But, they required a LOT of energy and time. They were NOT my first choice in a dog because I needed to spend a lot of time homeschooling, cleaning and cooking!

 

Please think it through carefully. I fully believe that well-bred rotts can be a blessing to families and society. I also believe that not-well-bred and neglected or untrained rotts can be a risk to children as well as adults.

[Liz CA]

We also had a rottie. Gentle animal, great with ds. Protective of their family in a good way. I know they have acquired a bad reputation and I am sad that the whole breed is being judged by incidents that could have happened with other dog breeds as well. I often think if a dog has a somewhat "menacing" look, like rotties, mastiffs, some boxers, people are faster to condemn them.

[Carrie12345]

We also had a rottie. Gentle animal, great with ds. Protective of their family in a good way. I know they have acquired a bad reputation and I am sad that the whole breed is being judged by incidents that could have happened with other dog breeds as well. I often think if a dog has a somewhat "menacing" look, like rotties, mastiffs, some boxers, people are faster to condemn them.

 

Frankly, this is why I chose my boys. ;)

[Live2Ride]

I would not call Rottweilers 'lap dogs'..although I will share my lap experience...the one and only 'up close' experience with a Rott...

 

My aunt lives on a lake, most lots are about 2-4 acres. I went down to the lake to take the boat out (just a small fishing boat)...I jumped in the boat to get some of the leaves out before setting off the shore...as I was bending over, it looked like a small bear jumped in the boat with me..I was stunned and turned around to see a Rottweiler getting ready to jump on me. He knocked me down and I landed on the boat seat..the dog proceeded to place its paws on my shoulders and 'stand' on me....when I tried to call out to my aunt (about 200 yards from me inside her house) the dog would growl...if I tried to move, the dog would growl..(we've grown up with all kinds of dogs...Irish Setter, Old English Sheep Dogs, Lhasa Apso, Maltese, Black Lab, Golden Retriever, mutts...I could make friends with any kind of breed...I was the only grandchild that my grandfather's chihuahua would let pet him)...I knew the best thing was to sit there, it would let me pet it, but if I tried to get its paws off me, it would growl..and not a pretty growl...an "I'm going to eat you growl"...

 

Those were the LONGEST 15 minutes of my life!!! My aunt had FINALLY looked out her window and realized I had never left the shore and could not see the dog in front of me, she just saw me sitting there in a boat on the shore...so she came out and was making fun of me thinking I did not know how to put the boat in the water...as she got closer, she realized the dog 'had' me...she had to run to her neighbor's house and in about 5 minutes he came..he called out to his dog and she jumped right down..he apologized profusely and said his dog had never behaved like that before...I'm sure some are wonderful, but not one of the dogs we had ever grown up with had EVER done something like that...with kids I would not risk it.

 

You never know, that dog may have been keeping you from being bit by a snake or something...many dogs have an innate sense like that.

 

I agree with Astrid...research, research, research. Ask questions, visit breeders, and then visit some more.

[FairyMom]

#1 Only get one from a HIGHLY reputable breeder. (That's my opinion, of course.)

 

#2 Get the dog as a wee little pup and spend LOTS (and I mean LOTS) of time with the dog... as in, LOTS of time day after day to train. The dog learns his role in the family and how to respond to guests and company. The dog can learn and retain for a lifetime how to respond to guests. That is very important.

 

#3 Do your homework first. Find out about your home insurance policies ahead of time to know if you are covered by having that breed. Be prepared.

 

#4 If it's still your choice, do #1 to #3 and enjoy! Be present. Be aware.

 

I have had two of them. They are high energy. They love their families very much. They need a LOT of time. If you do not do #1 or #2, just DON'T get one of these dear dogs. Ours were raised with our babies and would never hurt anyone without first thinking that their own "pack" (meaning our family) was in danger. But, they required a LOT of energy and time. They were NOT my first choice in a dog because I needed to spend a lot of time homeschooling, cleaning and cooking!

 

Please think it through carefully. I fully believe that well-bred rotts can be a blessing to families and society. I also believe that not-well-bred and neglected or untrained rotts can be a risk to children as well as adults.

 

Thank you for this, very helpful.

 

Several people have mentioned reputable breeder and the #1 thing to do when getting a Rott. Please let me know what exactly you mean by this. How do I go about finding one? Is there a certification or is this just a word of mouth thing?

[astrid]

My mother in law had a Rott. It was the best dog ever! Ds 7 was a baby and that dog would let ds crawl all over it, tug on it, pull on it- whatever and never did anything. The rott was very protective of ds! He would always follow him, wouldn't let him near the stairs it was awesome!

 

Three words: Good Dog, Carl!

 

astrid

[BrookValley.]

You never know, that dog may have been keeping you from being bit by a snake or something...many dogs have an innate sense like that.

 

I agree with Astrid...research, research, research. Ask questions, visit breeders, and then visit some more.

 

I have a friend who used to breed collies...she tells the most amazing story of one of her collies intentionally taking a snake bite (from a copperhead) to protect her. Dogs can be so very cool.

 

(FYI, the dog did need to be rushed to the vet for treatment after the bite, but all ended well and the dog was just fine!)

[BMW]

As far as a highly reputable breeder... I'd visit the breeder. Check out everything. Ask if you can contact previous purchasers of their dogs. How do they keep their dogs kenneled? How do they interact with them when you show up? Ask them a lot of questions and for tips. Why do they breed? If they are out in the country, yelling at their dogs in small kennels, the conditions are dirty and they tell you to roll the dog onto his back and yell at him so he knows you are in charge... RUN! How long have the sellers had their breeding experience? Which vet do they use? It's more than about "papers", it's about their personalities and commitment to fine, well adjusted dogs.

 

Does anyone else have tips for what to look for in a breeder??

[FairyMom]

Thanks for the advice.

 

What on earth is this.

and they tell you to roll the dog onto his back and yell at him so he knows you are in charge... RUN!

[Splash]

We had a lab/rot mix before kids. She was a great dog. I will say her energy level for the first two years was amazing and exhausting. She needed to swim or retrieve a ball for hours per day to be able to sleep at night. People would comment with amazment about how well and how long she'd swim. She was also a very, very, very dog dominant dog, the dog trainers would always comment on it when we'd join a class. People she loved. She was very patient with kids and seemed to be drawn to them.

[HSmomNY]

We have a Rottweiler and a two year old son with autism. The dog is wonderful with him. My son sits on the dog, pulls his ears, tail and anything else he can grab. The dog just puts up with it.

He is also very protective of my son. When he was crying because he did not like what his ABA teacher wanted him to do, the dog came upstairs and growled at the teacher. He was fine when I came and told him the teacher was okay and so was my son.

NOTE: we took our son with us when we checked out he dog. So we could see if the dog would be okay around him. Great dog, wonderful with our son.

[FairyMom]

We have a Rottweiler and a two year old son with autism. The dog is wonderful with him. My son sits on the dog, pulls his ears, tail and anything else he can grab. The dog just puts up with it.

He is also very protective of my son. When he was crying because he did not like what his ABA teacher wanted him to do, the dog came upstairs and growled at the teacher. He was fine when I came and told him the teacher was okay and so was my son.

NOTE: we took our son with us when we checked out he dog. So we could see if the dog would be okay around him. Great dog, wonderful with our son.

 

:) So sweet! We plan to take the girls so they can help pick out our newest family member.

[bbkaren]

A well_trained Rottie is (almost) as good a family companion as a well-trained pitbull.

 

Need a firm, consistent demeanor (allow NO "just this once" slipups) and he/she will be a doll.

 

It's important with large dogs that they know their place.

 

No, their place is NOT on the sofa; that's a huge dominance nono.

[bbkaren]

Thanks for the advice.

 

[and they tell you to roll the dog onto his back and yell at him so he knows you are in charge... RUN!]

 

What on earth is this.

 

It's an outdated theory on establishing dominance. It's gotten a lot of people hurt.

 

We find that just rolling over and belly scratching is a modified version...and the dog seems to enjoy it so much they inadvertantly do it on their own over and over.

 

They don't like to do it with another dog present, for obvious reasons.

 

Rolling over and exposing the belly is submissive behavior.

 

eta:

 

Here's good info on dominance. Important stuff, esp. with a large dog.

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/articles/dominatebehaviorsdogs.htm

Edited January 16, 2012 by bbkaren

[BMW]

Fairymom.... the roll them on their back and yell at them was one breeders attempt at telling me how to train them to know their place. It IS very important for them to know their place and to grow up knowing their place. I forget now which training book I used... it's been many years. Look up more information on training them.

 

Another sweet rottie story... one of our daughters is legally blind without her glasses on. The dog somehow knew this and always watched after her in particular while outside playing (we had a large big of property). We had a pond on the property and when the kids would splash in it, he would circle the pond, watching this dd specifically and if she was in deeper water, he would go in after her. That was not trained... he just did that as part of the family... It was so sweet.

[Carrie12345]

Things to look for in a breeder:

 

http://www.inch.com/~dogs/breeders.html

[elise1mds]

My MIL adopted two Rotties a few years ago. One of them has a few screws loose, but she's never mean... she's just obnoxious and over the top and has a hard time settling down... canine ADHD, I guess. The other is a lover. He and my DD bonded the first day they met, even though he was about twice her size. She begs to go over to my MIL's house just to see 'her' dog. She will be devastated when his time comes, and it's getting close. He's got arthritis that's gotten quite advanced and is generally fairly miserable.

[aggie96]

Jessica, thanks for sharing this picture! We want a 5th family member, but with four legs. Do you remember what the obedience training was called or the website you used so I can research it? :)

 

I'm not sure where you located in Texas, but http://www.k-9basic.com is GREAT! Christine will help you out with any questions or concerns. She has also flown dogs in for training. I had two Rotts and a German Shepard mix. Their training is top notch.

 

My Rotts were perfect family members with adults and kids. I lost the first one at about 9 yrs old to acute liver failure and the second one to bone cancer at 10 years old. I would not hesitate to have another one again. :) HTH

 

ETA that Christine offers a puppy finding service I *think* is free? Her husband is ex-military K-9 and is local PD now. They eat, sleep, and breathe dogs, and Hilton has been training them most of his life and all of his career. They feel passionately about finding good dogs for homes which is why I *think* it's free. I did not use this service because I had already rescued 3 dogs on my own.

Edited January 16, 2012 by aggie96

[elegantlion]

Oh I believe your account. What I'm saying is that it was ONE Rottweiler.

There are lots of men who commit crimes against women. But it doesn't make all men bad.

 

All I'm saying is that you had ONE experience with ONE sample of the breed. The Rottweiler is a solid working dog. Unfortunately, it's big and muscular, and some time ago, thugs noticed this. It was the pit bull of a couple of decades ago. Irresponsible breeding led to lots of issues in the breed, not the least of which were temperament issues. The breed fancy has worked long and hard to correct this, which is why I cautioned pretty strongly about doing ones homework and finding a very reputable breeder.

 

astrid

 

:iagree: I worked for a vet for 5 years (in the early 90s). We had a lot of Rottweilers come in. Some were good, some were not. Some were only aggressive in the vet's office, my own dog (lab/German Shorthair) gets snippy in the vet and has to be muzzled. Otherwise she's a baby). You need to know how to handle a large breed dog that is all muscle. Purebreds have a huge jaw and head, some can be bigger than a humans. You need to know how to handle a breed like this properly.

 

We had a few bad situations in the vet's office where I realized I was close to getting my arm bitten off. The dog's jaw was about the width of my forearm. This is not a breed for everyone.

 

Any breed can be misbreed and end up dilute with bad dogs. Siberian Huskies are like that. They've become so popular that the good nature has been bred out and you see more aggressive huskies than you did in years past.

[LostSurprise]

I like Rotts. They can be very sweet dogs.

 

~if not raised with children can be skittish around little ones

~stubborn, can be difficult to train (from house-training to basic commands)

~leaners, for some its a dominance issue for others its pure affection

~health problems (hips, etc) mean death before 10 is not unusual

~strong, needs to be walked/trained by someone in total control

~not always very active after the first 3-4 years

[TranquilMind]

Many insurance policies list Rotties as verboten dogs, along with Akitas, Pits, etc. You might want to check. If you rent, many landlords will not allow a Rottie. Whether that's right or wrong, you don't want to get caught in a bind!

Yes, check your insurance policy. Many breeds will not be covered by some companies and any resulting incident will be on you.

[FeFe]

We had two different experiences with them growing up.

 

The first one, Candy. We got her as a pup and she lived up to her name. Sweetest dog ever. Obedient and never aggressive.

 

The second one, Duke, my dad got from a a man who had a car repo company. Duke would ride along with the man. I'm not sure how old he was but he was older. He was protective. One night my parents left (I was a teen) I have no idea why but Duke wouldn't let me off the couch. He laid on the floor and growled a mean growl anytime I moved. It was very scary. We ended up finding another home for him. I'm not sure if he would've hurt anyone but he sure was scary. But, look how he was probably raised.

 

If I ever got one, I'd use a good breeder and raise it from a puppy. Good luck with your search!

[FairyMom]

Thank you, again, for your thoughts and experiences. I really appreciate all the links included. I'll post a picture in the next few weeks when we actually get our puppy. :)

[sixpence1978]

I will echo basically everybody before me.

 

Find a good breeder and train your dog.

 

I grew up with Rotties and love them to pieces. We got our first Rottie when I was about 7 or 8 years old. She was very sweet and intelligent. Very easy to train. We bred her and kept one of her puppies.

 

Later in life, when I was in high school, we adopted another Rottie. This one was sick when we got her and very obviously from an abusive home. She had scars on her muzzle and one of her ears was broken. It healed in the flipped back position and there it stuck. This dog turned out to be very absolute nicest, sweetest love bug I have ever met (and I have met a good share of dogs). It was almost as if she knew what we had saved her from and was grateful.

 

Know that if you do go this route, people will be scared of your dog. It comes with the territory and you have to learn to let it roll off of you. Rotties do require responsible owners. They do well with children, if your children know the dog's boundaries (they are different for each dog). The same could be said for just about any breed though.

 

They do tend to have health problems, particularly when they are older. Hip problems are very common, but I would venture a guess that most Rotties die from cancer. At least all 3 of ours did. Our first Rottie had cancer early on too, that my dad had treated with chemo. She relapsed again later in life.

 

I hope that helped.