OK, anybody know anything about Rottweilers? Fair is fair.

mogambo

mogambo

Cathlete
I am adopting a 3 1/2 year old female, 90 lbs. She is in foster care and I am visiting her once a week for long walks and some training until spring when I can bring her home after she is spayed and my cat can spend the night outside. She is smart and affectionate but stubborn and hates all other dogs. She is great with people unless she doesn't know them. Any advice?
 
Hi Mogambo! In my lifetime I've owned 2 of them. They're just wonderful! Very affectionate and very easy to train. I just had to tell my dogs once not to do something and they never did it again. The female (Mercedes) never liked other dogs either but it was a case of her never socializing w/other dogs. My dog was just curious about other dogs; I don't really think she'd hurt any of them but I always kept her on a short lead and she did listen to my commands. You must be able to control her at all times as they're extremely strong. Never let your dog know that she has the upper hand. Not good. My dogs were also very leery of anybody who would come to my house; let alone walk up to my fence. These dogs are very territorial and will not let anyone onto your property. If your very friendly with the person that comes to your door; someone you know; then you shouldn't have a problem. My dogs didn't like strangers. They pick up vibes from you; how your reacting to the other person. They're extremely loyal and their isn't anything these dogs wouldn't do for their owners. Good luck! Kathy
 
I've never owned one but my neighbor does. They have a 2 year old Rottweiler. She is adorable and sweet. My 2 children can just run right up to her and she just loves them up! I have no fear how she'll treat them. From what I understand it is all in how they are raised. My neighbors dog has never shown any aggression towards anyone.
My brother in law has a 1/2 Rott. 1/2 German Shephard and she too is a lovable one.
What type of up bringing did the one you're looking into adopting have? How does she react to strangers?
I had a Choc. Lab who hated strangers and was aggressive towards them at first sight. As long as I held her the first minute or so (til she sniffed "em out) then she was a big baby.
She too hated other dogs with a passion. When we went for walks I had to walk on the opposite side of the road from other dogs. If a dog approached us, she gave them one chance to walk away then she'd try to fight. As she got older she got better but was always protective of me.
Good Luck! Susan
 
Hi - First, congratulations on your new baby! I have three canine kids myself.
Just a word of caution: one of my girls, a very submissive but big golden retriever, and I were attacked by a rotty/lab mix that was "aggressive" against male dogs. I guess the beast thought Agnes was a boy because she's very big for a female golden (90 pounds and tall). Anyway, the beast bit me three times on my calf when I was trying to get him off of Agnes. The injury was bad and took three months to heal.
The beast on on a leash and he was so strong he pulled his "dad" across the road to get to Agnes (we humans ended up with bad road burn---I have nasty scars on my legs/knees from this). The dog had a normal collar on and was NOT muzzled, despite having a history of aggression against other dogs.
I don't blame the dog as much as I blame the owners. They knew this dog's history but were careless about ensuring it was under control when it was out of their yard.
My advice to you is to be sure you keep your baby away from other dogs until she's trained or PLEASE muzzle her. Big dogs are quite strong and they can get away from you very easily.
Again, congrats. Suzanne
 
I don't mean to scare you off....

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jan-02-03 AT 09:08PM (Est)[/font][p]Some homeowners insurances will not insure you if they learn you have one. You may want to check.

Also, if he already shows signs of not being friendly to people he doesn't know, this could be a warning sign. Remember this baby is in foster care for a reason. What is his background? Be very careful. If you really want a Rottie, I say get a puppy.

I'm ready to take the next step! http://www.smilies-world.de/Smilies/Smilies_klein_1/a_smil09.gif
 
RE: I don't mean to scare you off....

Thank you all for so much advice and personal stories. This dog was rescued as an older puppy from people who were going to use it to train pit bulls. They let pit bulls run towards her on a treadmill, getting them all fired up. Ultimately, they would have let a pit bull kill her so it would have an easy kill and be what they call "blooded". The people who rescued her kept her as their family dog, but mostly outside. Then, they set up a huge rescue operation for exotics and put the Rottie in a large cage intended for a medium-sized cat, like a serval or caracal. They can't let her run loose because there are feral dogs around and there are highways.

She doesn't get much attention. Sometimes neighborhood kids walk her. Since I have spent years working with exotic cats, I feel attracted to helping the dog. Let the new volunteers get seduced by the cats. But, since I live in an apartment with a cat, I can't bring her home, except for visits after it's warm enough to leave the cat out all night. I'll bring Rosie home, put the cat out. Take her for a walk, let her sleep inside, go back to the compound in the morning. I give her attention, training, treats, food. It's like a sponsorship. I may bring her home more and more if things go well. I don't really want a Rottie puppy, I don't want to deal with puppies, I was trying to help this individual.
 
RE: I don't mean to scare you off....

I forgot to mention that I am rather concerned about the possibilities of working with the dog. I hope to train her well enough to have her be a wonderful pet for someone. It probably won't be me. Maybe if I move to a larger place after I win a lottery.

Thank you all for the warnings. I would love it if I could take her running off leash and not worry about death and mayhem, but I don't think that's possible.
 
You've got to get the "Good Dog, Carl" books! They're absolutely charming children's picture books about Rottweilers. So sweet! And they're a great weapon against the Rottweiler's negative reputation.
 
RE: I don't mean to scare you off....

Oh, mogambo, that is one of the saddest things I've ever heard--both for the Rottweiler and for the pit bulls. Sadly, we human beings are the true beasts sometimes. I teach elementary school in a deprived area, and I am reminded of the situations some of my students come from (or have escaped from). It just tears at my heart. I hope you can help that poor thing, gentle her up with love and kindness so she will make a good pet for someone someday. It is very brave of you to even consider it. Still, with a background like that, I would be very, very careful. I would imagine she could be a bit unstable and unpredictable, even if it isn't her fault. Thank you for caring for those who can't take care of themselves.
 
RE: I don't mean to scare you off....

Thank you for the support. It is my "avocation", taking care of animals, nature and such. It is truly astounding the horrific cruelty that some people are capable of, and more surprising, the amount of denial that most people use to ignore it. Both for people and for animals.
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jan-05-03 AT 06:39PM (Est)[/font][p]Double post!
 
We have owned rotties since 1989 and even though I'm biased, I have to say that this breed is extremely loyal, smart and loving. All of our dogs have been raised with cats and there has never been any aggression towards them or humans.

Any breed can be aggressive towards other dogs, cats and humans. It all depends on how they are raised.

The last two male rotties that we've owned have been rescued from very bad situations. Initially, we were a bit comprehensive with both dogs since they were older and we really didn't know much about their backgrounds except that desperately needed new homes. Both of these dogs were so happy and appreciative to finally live in a home where they were paid attention to and loved. The bonding with us, the cats and the three other dogs was very quick.

Good luck with your new baby. I have the upmost respect for anyone who is willing to give an animal a chance and rescue them.
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jan-05-03 AT 07:12PM (Est)[/font][p]Okay, I'm a dog lover!!! I have had several dogs, even a doberman pincher. I agree that part of a dogs behavior is in the way it was raised, BUT please remember it's also breeding. These dogs instincts have been bred into them. yes they are loyal, yes they are sweet, but they have been bred over several years to instinctively to be guard dogs.

For instance, I have a beagle, german shorthair mix, I have NEVER trained him to trail a scent(the beagle in him) or point at birds(the pointer in him). He does both through instincts that were bred in him.

I say this because I had a doberman pincher and he attacked me and my sister, he was adopted from a older lady. He was very sweet and loving, but was very teritorial(probably spelled it wrong) which was partly breeding and partly the way it was raised.

I learned from the Vet that Dob's and Rot's are better as a one person dog, not a family dog (although there are probably exceptions.)

Please speak to a local vetrinarian they will give you good advice on there dispostions and what they have experienced because they work with them everyday.

Nikki
P.s. Check www.akc.org (american kennel club) and the rotweiler asssociation(find it on the akc website) which will give you further information if that type of dog is good for you or the people that wants to adopt him/her.
 
Thank you all so much. I bought one of those head-collars that help teach them to walk without pulling. I am going to be working with her nice and steady, giving her lots of love and attention. I'll let you all wonderful people know how it goes in a few months. Thank you for your advice.
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jan-05-03 AT 10:06PM (Est)[/font][p]Hi Mogambo,
I own a Rottie. He is 9 years old. He was my sister's dog, but I adopted him from her a year ago permanently. Prior to that he lived with my sister in NYC, lived with my parents in the suburbs, and lived with me sporadically in the country (while my sister moved all over the world for her job). So, he has not had "one owner" and he has been fine with that. He does not like cats, but that is because he used to live in an apartment where the neighbors cats would come into his backyard. He would probably harm one if I ever let him that close.

However, he loves other dogs. I find that if I just let him meet another dog without his leash on, he feels safer and more friendly toward the other dog. If I keep him on a leash, he is like "why can't I go?" It's the same when he meets people. I tell him "FRIENDS" and he just goes and meets the person and he is fine. He loves his leash for walking, but not when there are others around to be played with.

He loves to have his belly rubbed, and loves squeaky toys more than any other type of toys. My friends' Rottie loves squeaky toys too.

I have another dog, and they get along fine, but are jealous of each other when the other is getting attention.

He does have a mean bark when strangers or people he doesn't know come to the door, which I like, but it scares some people. Fine by me--we were burgularized three years ago when we didn't have any dogs. As soon as he recognizes the person at the door, he is fine.

Anyway, you will do fine with the Rottie. They are sweet and loving animals. Good luck.

P.S. I have NEVER been afraid that he would "turn" on me like some dogs do. He is too loyal and gentle.
 
hi mogambo - first of all - i want to thank you for taking the time to get involved with a dog who so badly needs a loving home. i volunteer in dog rescue and animal cruelty investigation, and i have three of my own. one of whom is a 3 year old female rottie named daisy. i adopted her from a local rottweiler rescue when she was 8 months old. since she spent the first part of her life in a rescue, she learned to love other dogs, but is still somewhat fearful of people - especially men. i have a lab mix and a border collie mix and i have to say, my rottie is the biggest lapdog i've ever known. her greatest joy is to cuddle on the sofa with me and just be loved.

i think you are going about this the right way. i would suggest taking her to an obedience class where the instructor knows ahead of time that she has issues with other dogs. given her horrible history, it's something she may never get over. but it will most likely be able to be controlled. if you could eventually work up to a class with other dogs, that would help her get over her fear. but i'd suggest finding an instructor you trust first and being honest about the possible issues. you may even find someone to help you work one on one with her.

my lab is very dog aggressive to those who are "not in our pack" and terrified of children (thanks to a stay with a former friend and her children). and at the age of 11, there is not much i can do but to be super careful when we go out for walks. make sure it's early in the morning or late at night so there won't be children running up to him.

it does my heart good to hear there are people like you out there. :)
 
Yes, I have a Rotti mix. He is 110 lbs and thinks he's a lap dog. However, they can be very territorial and it sounds like the one you are getting has some problems because she hates other dogs. Do you know how she'll be with your cat? Because of their size they need to be very well disciplined. My dog bit a child when he was a puppy so I took him to an obedience school so they could help me determine if he was always going to be a problem. They broke him like a horse but couldn't get him to try to bite them so they felt the behavior can be corrected. However, I still can't trust him around children. You didn't say if you had children but I'd be careful. I usually will put a muzel on Balto when children are around just to be safe. However, he listens very, very well and can be trusted in the front yard, even when people are walking by with their animals, as long as we say "No" he won't go anywhere near them. So, they want your approval and care deeply about their family's.

Good luck and I hope it goes well,

JL
 
Last spring my husband and I were sitting in the front yard with our dog, a Beagle mix. A woman was walking 2 Rottweilers down the road. She was all happy and smiley and her dogs started pulling her up through our yard with "kill" written all over their faces. I've been around dogs all my life and never saw anything like it. I know we were paralyzed with fear. None of us moved. These dogs attacked our dog. All I remember was our boy being dragged down the hill on his back with a scared look on his face. It was almost like he knew he didn't have a chance with 2 of them. Finally my husband jumped into the mess yelling and screaming and scared those dogs off. He's lucky they didn't attack him. Our dog is still with us but he had lots of healing to do. We all did. If your dog "hates all other dogs" please be careful. We were sitting in our yard minding our own business. Because of two Rottweilers we no longer feel safe in our own yard. I can no longer sit outside and read. I carry a 12 pound bodybar to walk my dog. I used to love dogs.
 
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