[otis]

First off, I would like to make it perfectly clear that I know very little about breeding Rottweilers. But I have trained them for over 30 years and would like to give you some info that may help you throughout your journey. I will start with the breed itself.
The Rottweiler is a magnificent dog. If and I do mean if, it fits the breed standard of all the good things it should have, it is an all around dog capable of doing amazing things.

The two main problems that the average owner makes(notice I say their problems, not his), is that they try to change the breed into something it is not, and they do not spend enough time with him.

Your Rottweiler is genetically programed to be a Rottweiler. You can't change him into a Golden Retriever.
Every breed is programmed by genes that give him certain behaviors. You can enhance, or possibly redirect some of these behaviors, but you CAN'T eliminate them. Trying to do so will give you a very dangerous and unpredictable animal.

Some Rottweilers have a higher "tracking" ability, or "herding ability" etc. But the standard of the breed is always there. He WILL be protective, he Will be wary of strangers, he WILL want to be with you every minute. ITS HIM.

The breed is what it is!

Have you ever seen a jaguar, cheetah, leopard in a circus act? NO. It is because it isn't in their genetic makeup. They are unpredictable. Ever give a cat orders and have it obey? No, because they are solitary animals and not pack animals. You can't change what nature has imprinted in your breeds DNA. But people are always trying to make their Rottweiler into Lassie, or whatever. It won't work! Ever!

Rottweilers LOVE their families and giving them lots of attention is important. You have to cement that bond between you. Rottweilers NEED that closeness with you and your family. I can't stress this concept enough. Some dogs can be left alone with little social contact. A Rottweiler can not. If you feel that he shouldn't be a member of the family, he is not the dog for you.

Your Rottweiler considers himself/herself as part of your household. If you make him an outsider, you will have pro lems. Bonding is an important need for him.

Now lets look at the breed. (from MY perspective).
We hear lots of things about Rottweilers,-medium size, intelligent-powerful, etc. But what does that really mean?
Is powerful the same for an elderly 98lb woman as it is for a 240lb athlete. EVERYTHING is relative.

POWERFUL-Hands down, this is the strongest dog that I have ever encountered. Pound for pound I don't think they have an equal. Low center of gravity,very thick bones, massive muscle (and in the right places). One can easily run over a 250lb man like a freight train.
(my wife went to visit her sister and took Otis with her. She tied him to the children's swing set because of her sisters beagle. Twenty minutes later Otis was standing at the back door with the swing set in tow. He pulled it out of the ground, concrete posts and all, and dragged it 50ft to the door.).

INTELLIGENT- They are thinkers and problem solvers. Although they can't reason, their brains tend to work like a computer. They add on to the things they learn.If he learns how to open the fridge door he sees hot dogs. Hot dogs are in a compartment, so he figures out how to open the compartment. Then he gets the hot dogs. So to get the hot dogs- he has to open the frig, open the compartment, and then he gets the hot dogs. DON"T underestimate their intelligence. They are very quick learners.

TEMPERAMENT-This trait greatly depends on you. This is the one trait that you can have a great impact on. He can be a lover or a fighter. Some Rottweilers are extremely protective and unless tempered can cause major problems. Keep in mind that this dog is easily capable of crushing bones with ease. And if he ever get an individual off his feet-the guy is toast. Socialization at an early age is a must. More about that in a later post.

Since this post is getting too long, let me sum it all up.

If you want a "whatever" dog, please get THAT one. Rottweilers are what they are. People put them in situations that they are not able to grasp.
Before getting a Rottweiler, read everything you can find about the breed. It might not be the dog for you.

I get physically ill when I think of all the Rottweilers destroyed because of bad "people" choices. Wonderful dogs that had the bad luck of being owned by the wrong individuals.
Now I'm not saying that these people are "bad" people. For whatever reason, they got the wrong breed and then proceeded to change its nature. IT DOESN'T WORK.