Advice needed on a new puppy.

[Johnser]

Hi everyone,

I am so glad that Ive found this forum, what an eye opener (in a good way). I was hoping that I could ask the advice of people who know Rottweilers about picking a puppy.

This will be my first Rottweiler but not my first dog, and I have done quite a bit of research on the breed, with quite a bit more to do, I suspect. I have to confess, that some of the advice found in these forums is far superior to what is written in any of the books I've read.

Back to my reason for posting, I am looking to get a female Rott, in maybe 3 months or so (as I'm moving at the moment, and want to be settled in before we have the new puppy), and I need some advice on what to look for when picking a puppy/breeder.

I know its been hit on before, but I thought I needed some help a little more to my specific needs. The last thing i want to do is ruin my life or my dogs, because I thought that I knew what I was doing.

The type of dog I suppose I want to end up with is a well mannered dog, with a good temperment (dont we all), not scared, but also not agressive. I'm fully understand the need for proper socialisation with the puppy, along with correct nutrition and training.

Both my self and my girlfriend work, so that dog will be left alone durning the day, but usually for no longer 4 hours max(I do go home for lunch, and can take 2 hours). We will also be getting another dog around the same time (but only after the Rott has had all her shots).

I know that they have guarding instincts, but I'm looking for a total pet. Someone to come with me on my walks/jogs, and can give me piece of mind when my better half is alone in the house.

But I suppose, where I'm not that experienced is looking at a litter and agreeing with the breeder, that, that paticular pup is for me. I dont want to be handed a hyperactive dog etc. I plan on getting an 8 week old puppy, and starting its socialising straight away (injections permitting).

I reation to picking a breeder, that bit is a little easier (no BYB, or puppy farms, see the dam with the pups etc), but what if I've to pick the puppy myself (in a perfect world it wouldnt happen, but what if?)

Anyway, sorry the long post and keep up the good work.

John

[Patty1231]

Just a couple points I see: if you have chosen a reputable breeder, be honest with them and they will pick the best puppy for you - trust their opinion, they know. Also, if you want protection for your family, buy a gun - don't depend on a dog. A rottweiler can be a good deterrent because of it's appearance and reputation but don't put that kind of responsibility on a dog, you should be seeing to it's protection. A rottweiler puppy takes a lot of work and training, I'd be hesitant to take on another dog at the same time - may I ask what the story is behind that? I'm sure many others with much more experience will enter in here. Good luck in finding the perfect puppy if a rottweiler is truly the dog for you - and welcome to the forum - it's the best place for gaining knowledge on this breed, in my humble opinion.

[Johnser]

Hi Patty1231.

Thanks for your reply to my post. To be honest, I'm not looking for a guard dog, my comment on piece of mind, was purely due to the look and bark of the dog. As with all my previous dogs, my Rott will be living in the house with us, as I'd prefer to have my dog as a member of my family, and not just a dog in the yard.

Thank you for the welcome to the forums, I have been looking for a resource like this for a while, and plan on doing quite a bit more research before I buy my new puppy. There is no end to the value of a forum like this for the new or prospective owner.

John

[Ilovemypuppy]

HI and welcome to this forum apart from the regular suggestions regarding getting a new puppy, we have a member here from Ireland who owns two incredible Rotties..perhaps he (Joe Walsh) will crime in and help direct you to a great breeder in your area. If you look back through the Picture section and look for his name, you'll be able to see his dogs and get information to PM him from there.

One recommendation I might make, in the very beginning is to try to get your new puppy at a time when one or both of you can be off work for the first week or so. Eight week old puppies need to be taken outside to potty about every two hours during the day and possibly a couple of times during the night.


Your pup will need to go potty after eating, after playing, after sleeping and they should have lots of social interaction with you during that first very impressionable stage.

Your pup will have come from spending all it's time with it's littermates and mother and the isolation associated with being taken away from that is hard on a little pup, but with you there, you can ease that.

It's also an incredible time to create the bond between you and your puppy.

Being there and getting the pup outside often enough will also make house training go much better and faster

[Diane Heller-Vaccaro]

You seem like you are heading down the right path. Have you choosen a breeder yet? You want to make sure the parents have all health clearances and I like to see titles. I want to see proven dogs being bred not just hit and miss breedings. Breeders who research lines and match dogs for health, temperment, conformation, etc. That is where you go for a quality puppy, a good puppy is not cheap.

I highly recommend NOT getting another puppy for at least a year. It is very hard to raise to 2 pups together. Not only is it extra expense, extra mess etc. You will need to socialize the pups together and seperately, being very careful that they don't bond more closely with one another then with you. Raising a Rottweiler is unlike raising any other type of dog, they are a very demanding breed, it can be the best experience of your life or the worst. When your dog is at the right place and your confident that by adding other puppy to your home it will not cause any set backs, you'll find it a much easier time on you both.

Look around here and you will find all the info you need and more.

Good Luck.

[Johnser]

Thank you all for the advise. When I get the puppy, I plan on taking three weeks holidays to help the pup 'move in'. She wont be left alone for too long at any time when she moves in.

I havent picked a breeder yet, as it will probably be around October before I plan on getting the puppy. Thanks for the link to the Irish owner. I will PM him to see if he can give me some pointers as to questions I can ask or more important what I should look for with breeders. I also plan on consulting the Rottweiler Club of Ireland before purchase.

I'm asking these questions now, as I feel this is not a light decision when bringing a new life into your home. I have however been talking with trainers, about what to do, and what not to do. I dont what to pamper the dog so much that it gets seperation problems when we leave for work etc.

Thats interesting about the second dog. Let me explain more. The reason for the second dog, was we were originally going to get two rescue dogs, and as I have always wanted a Rottweiler, we decided to get one Rott and a rescue dog.

As we are missing for parts of the day, I just thought that it would be fair for any dog we get to have company. I understand that you cant just put two dogs together and expect it to work, also the second dog we get wont be a puppy, but will still be quite young, and probaly along the lines of a lab x. So I'll be relying on the people at the pound for their recommendations.

What age would you recommend adding a new dog to the mix. I dont want to wait too long, as that in itself can cause problems, and on the other hand I dont want to add one too early, as I'm sure that also have its problems.

I'm entirely at your mercy.

By the way we both come from homes where we have had multiple dogs.

Thanks again for all you help.

I look forward to sharing all my experiences with my puppy with every one on the forum.

John

[Canadianrotti]

Doing research on the breeder is important, and knowing the right questions to ask the breeder is valuable as well. Make sure you tell the breeder what it is you want in a dog, basically the info you have given here. This will do 2 things for you.
1) how they respond will tell you what kind of person the breeder is. ie if they really want to get you the right dog, they offer guarantees etc, you have found a good person and a rotti lover. or are they just trying to get you to buy a dog and get your money.
2) it will allow them to help you in picking a pup that is suited to you. they have been there from day 1 and should have a good idea as to the temperment of each of the pups.

There are a few things you can do like watch the pups before you pick any of them up and see how the interact with eachother. When we saw the litter we picked from there was one male sitting in the middle of the group with no one arround. I commented and the breeder said that one dog was the devil, he was always pushing the other pups around, hoging the food and toys. needless to say we steered clear of him, we were not up for the challenge.

Another thing I have heard of is to GENTLY roll the pup onto their side and see how they react. If they instantly fight and struggle to get up, it shows they are more assertive (i hate saying agressive). if they let you pet them and stay in that position for a bit then they are more submissive. I dont know how much weight you can put into this, I am sure others will comment on this method.

I would say that your gut will tell you a lot when picking a pup form the litter. You are the one that know what will be best for your home.

BTW, why a female? Our pup is a female and she is awesome, just the right amount of rotti asertiveness and that female caring attitude.

Good luck and contrats!!!

For training, check out NILIF (nothing in life is free) it will explaing everything.

[Patty1231]

I had planned on waiting until Rocco was closer to 3 before adding an older rescue female to the family. However, when he was 18 months, I found the perfect 4-year-old at the local shelter and things have worked out fine. Rocco has been in training most of the time since he was 4 months old and she was already an adult and much more settled than he is. She keeps him in line.

[Diane Heller-Vaccaro]

I'm all for rescue what a wonderful way to add another family member. Again, you are asking the right questions and doing your homework everything should turn out right. Join clubs, do obedience either with individual trainer or group, I like groups and the pup gets to interact, but obedience is very important with this breed. Just take your time before adding another dog, each time you add another dog it changes the dynamics of the pack, humans being pack leaders and dogs ranking themselves amongst dogs. Don't overwhelm yourself this is your first Rottie learn everything you can, I think a female is a good choice for a first time Rottie owner not as dominant, let me add usually, just the right amount of Rottweiler attitude. Some breeders may be reluctant to sell you a puppy if your planning on adding another dog so soon, I would personally be concerned with you becoming overwhelmed and/or the puppy not receiving the necessary individual time and increasing the possibility of the puppy coming back to me.

Again, I'm all for rescue but I would go to a reputable rescue group, since in most shelters they don't screen well enough to make sure that the dog will be a good fit for your family. At least here, maybe, hopefully, it's done differently in Ireland.

[Johnser]

Hi,

Thanks again for all your advice. You've made some things really clear for me, especially with adding a second dog to the mix.

I suppose I just wanted reassurance that if I get another dog, I'm not making a mistake by adding it to the mix too early or too late. I feel that I shouldnt have a problem getting a second dog, when my Rotty is about 12 months or so. I'll just have too spend loads of time socialising the puppy. And making sure that I get the right rescue dog.

My sister has two horses, three kids, two cats and a border collie, and the border collie has loads of friends who hang around my sisters house because she feeds then, so they will be playing a big part of my socialisation program, after my puppy has all her shots of course.

Why am i gettiing a female. I suppose because its going to be my first Rottweiler, and I feel that it will be just a little easier living with a female. Everyone who I spoken to has advised getting a female. I'm not looking to breed, and will get her spayed.

Its a big relief that I've found this forum, as I'm a firm believer that you can never get enough advise.

[Bucky's Mom]

Originally Posted by Johnser

I feel that it will be just a little easier living with a female. .

So you are NOT married??

Seriously - I admire that you are asking all these questions ahead of time - and I strongly suggest using the fine search features on this board to look up ALL the different aspects of responsible Rottweiler ownership.

Welcome to the forum - and happy learning :)

[AngelBunny]

Originally Posted by Johnser

Why am i gettiing a female. I suppose because its going to be my first Rottweiler, and I feel that it will be just a little easier living with a female. Everyone who I spoken to has advised getting a female.

The toughest, most challenging Rottie I owned was a female; one of the easiest was a male.

You really can't generalize because everyone is unique--I suggest you concentrate on temperament and not be so concerned about the sex of your dog.

You mentioned getting a rescue dog--are there not Rottie rescue groups in Ireland?? In this country, Rotties are far too popular for their own good and rescue groups are AWASH with dogs of both sexes and all ages (from puppies up to senior citizens) looking for loving, permanent homes.

I strongly encourage you to only acquire one dog at a time. It's better to do a stellar job in socializing and training one dog than a mediocre job with two.

[Judi W]

Pups are not usually waiting on the shelf until you are ready to get one. Breedings are planned in advance, and sometimes the pups are spoken for in advance. I really suggest you get prepared and select a breeder as soon as possible to see if and when they might have planned a breeding or can refer you to one.

[Raksha]

welcome to the forums. It's a great place to research about the breed. You should probably start looking for your breeder now. Good luck with finding your puppy

[Johnser]

Ok, you've convinced me to start looking for a good breeder.

In relation to the Rescue Dogs. There are rescues in Ireland, but not breed specific. It really breaks my heart to say this, but with a Rottweiler, I'd perfer to get one as a puppy, so I would have control of the puppies upbringing and socialisation. I know its not fair, as the perfect dog for me may be sitting in the kennels. But I feel with a dog of this breed and power, and as it will be my first, I just think that it be fairer on the dog and myself, if we bonded from as early as possible in the dogs life.

BTW three of our last dogs were resues (Malamute x, Lab x and a Pom / King Charles, but the jury is still out on that the last one as to its breeding). They came from really bad back grounds, and one didnt even have any teeth it was so mal nurished. I suppose this is where my love and understanding comes from with dogs. Rescues are wonderfull places, but yet so heart breaking.

I did laugh with at your Female comment, no I'm not married, but as good as :-). I figured that with a female I might have a better chance of getting an easier going dog, than with a male. Then again, we all know nature can be unpredictable!

I feel much better now that I've been given all this great information. I was worried with some of the decisions I was going to have to make, but now I can, and have changed my mind on some things. I will start looking for a good breeder, and I'll keep you all informed on my progress. I hope that some day, it will be me giving the advise to a new Rott owner!

BTW where are the images stored on the web site? I know you have to be a full member to post pictures, but do you also have to be a full member to view?

Thanks again.