[Rocmistro]

Hi fellow Rotti-lovers.

I've been doing a lot of research on the breed and want to get your thoughts and advice on my particular situation.

I love dogs; I love big dogs in particular and Rottweilers especially. Something about them gets me fired up. Big, massive, noble, courageous. Despite all the bad press I read about and hear about, I don’t think I have ever personally met or witnessed an ill-behaved Rott. So it makes me very sad to hear, as my research has shown me, all the bad that there is surrounding these dogs and the misperception. I am buying a new house soon, hope to be closing within a month, and the first addition to my new home will be, you guessed it, a dog, and hopefully a Rottweiler. This is where I want your advice, because I’m determined to not be an owner who will fail this wonderful breed and all you other good Rotti owners as well.

So about me: I’m a big confident guy, 8 years in the Marine Corps and I don’t think I’ll have any problems physically with the dog or establishing basic dominance. I’m financially secure and shouldn’t have any problems with basic care unless something tragic happens that ends up costing me thousands of dollars in surgery.

I am adopting my mother’s cat. He’s a good guy, a little on the old side. He doesn’t act like “prey”; he’s been socialized to other dogs and is content to sleep on their backs and snuggle with them. My mom’s Shar-pei and the cat play together, and I’ve seen the Shar-pei take ½ the cat’s body into his mouth to lick him and nuzzle him. It’s kind of cute actually.

Issue 1:
Anyway, a Shar-pei is not a Rotti and I’d like to know if in general that means there will be problems socializing a Rott to a cat. Any suggestions how to go about this?

Issue 2:
I work 9 to 6. I have no kids and no wife, so there will be no one home during the day. Does modern dog owning philosophy consider it fair to have a home alone all day, crated or otherwise? There is a part of me that feels horrible doing this, although I’ve seen other people do it successfully. I don’t know if Rottis are a good breed for this. Once I get home, however: playtime. Walks, running around. I’m an active guy and I plan on taking my dog with my just about everywhere.

Issue 3:
In light of issue 2, one of my possible solutions was to get 2 Rottis so they would have each other for companionship while I’m away. Is this a good idea? If I get pups at the same time (littermates) can I expect them to get along for most of their lives? If I decide to adopt/rescue 2 Rottis (this is actually what I would prefer to do) can I expect 2 non-litter mates to get along with each other? Should I try to get a specific combination of sexes?

So I guess those are my major concerns and I look forward to hearing your advice on these issues. Again, I’m committed to having Rottis brought up correctly, so any other advice or ideas you have, I’m game to hear.

Thanks!