Info needed Re:Pups

[NJDad]

My kids (4 yrs and 2 yrs) would love a puppy. My wife and I have talked about getting a Rottweiller but we decided not to spend the money on a dog, rather wait until the kids are a little older.

Now I have been offered a Rottweiler puppy for free. The fact of the matter is that these puppies come from two junkyard Rottweilers. This is the mom's second litter and from what I understand, the fist set of puppies are doing very well with the families they ended up with.

I am afraid that the "owners" are going to try to make a fast buck with this litter (including the one they promised my cousin to give to me) because the first litter took a lot of work and they don't want to go through it again.

My questions to all of you are: 1) In general, are Rottweilers good with children, 2) what are your feelings on getting a "junkyard" puppy, 3) how old should they be before leaving their mother?

Any information/feelings/opinions on this situation would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Roscoe's dad]

You would be better off buying a pup from a breeder who is breeding to meet the standard in both temprement and looks. I imagine no health checks were done prior to the breeding, so you could be looking at significant vet bills if the dog develops HD, elbow problems, eye problems or even heart problems

[whitney greenway]

Well, I am going to chime in.

RUN, RUN, RUN away as fast as you can.

There are so many good breeders out there.

If money is an issue, then there are many good rescue organizations out there.

[Alaskan]

I wouldn't take a pup from junkyard dos because there could be health and temperment problems that may not show up until the dog is a year or so old. If there offerring them for free then my guess is that they haven't had any puppy shots, wormings yet either and that alone could cost you quite a bit to get caught up on along with vet visit costs.

[Sharon Marples]

I'm with everyone else.....RUN from these people!

First they had one litter and now because of the work, they want to get rid of this litter fast? It sounds as if they are trying to get away without vaccinating them, without socializing them, without any care in the world who gets them. Have you spoke with any of the owners of the puppies from the first litter? Did they sell or give them away making sure that they would be spayed or neutered?

You have children......you need a puppy with a guarantee of good temperament!

As everyone else says, if you can't see documented evidence of all health certifications (hips, eyes, heart and elbows), then don't purchase from this person. A free puppy with lots of health and temperament issues will end up costing you a lot more than if you purchased a pet from a good reliable breeder for $500 - $750.

Don't be taken in by what appears to be a "good deal," you will only be sorry in the long run.

Sharon

[tilerspop]

Run far, Run fast, very far and very fast.

A junkyard dog has a reputation for a reason, and that reason is likely to show up in your puppy when he reaches adulthood. Dogs, especiallt rotts, that have not been properly cared for as puppies take alot of attention and funding as adults to correct the problems, if they can be corrected.

If financial consoderations are stopping your acquisition of a Rottie, either wait for the right opportunity, or contact a rescue organization.

[angrygenius]

If no one takes the pups, (free in this case) what happens to them? More rescues, more Rotts put down, more "junkyard" dogs born, more bad press. I've got one of those "junkyard" dogs, and his temperment is reasonably sound, although the health issues are still in the jury room. All these pups are going to end up somewhere, right? If you can examine the litter, the stud and bitch, and have a good idea what you're looking at, AND are willing to take the time and responsibility to do the vet checks, training and the possibility of having to have the dog put down yourself, then go ahead and get a pup. My opinion. JG

[tilerspop]

angrygenius -

I must admit, you have a point.

[Carol Burke]

First of all, if you want a puppy great, but don't think for one minute that a 2 yr old and a 4 yr old are going to care for this puppy. You need to think about who will take care of the puppy, who will train the puppy and what do you know about Rottweilers? Forget the junkyard puppies unless you are ready to invest time, research, money and training into a dog thats health and temperament may not be what you expect. Next, think about how fast Rottie puppies grow and how you will handle a puppy jumping on your two year old and knocking the baby down, because this would be typical Rottie play. I, personally, will not sell to someone with children as young as yours unless I know the family personally and they are used to Rottweilers.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade, but Rottweilers are strong, independent and need lots of training and socialization. For a puppy to be raised properly it would be similar to having another child in your household.

[Roscoe's dad]

The children come first, I would recomend you wait 2 or 3 years and than reconsider. If you did not have children, its a gamble that I would probably try out.
Your answer to question 3, at least 9 wks old. The pups have to learn alot from the bitch and siblings when they are young, and the best teacher is the mother. Any younger and that adds more burden on you.

[Judi W]

If the puppies are in a place where no one wants to take care of them prior to their going to a new home, this is not good at all. Much of great importance takes place in the whelping box.

[whitney greenway]

This whole situation is so sad, because as someone pointed out, if nobody will take these puppies.

What will become of them?

I really have a problem with the so called owners.

Just add more unwanted ones into this mixed up mess.

[babydungeon]

it seems like all of your initial questions have been answered so...do these people call themselves breeders? in your situation with children at such a young age i would wait. i assume you have not owned a rottie before, again i would wait until your kids are a little older. by the time the pup is one year old he will probably outweigh your children by close to 30 or 40 pounds. without knowing the temperment, of generations which only the owners would know, it again would be a bad idea. the best advise i think i can give you my friend is to advise these people to have their dogs spayed and neutered. good luck! -kevin

[angrygenius]

My point exactly, what happens to the litter? I DID state that to take a "giveaway" pup you MUST see the parents, to get an idea of their temperment, you MUST examine the pups in the litter,and have a damn good idea of how to judge a pup, you MUST accept the cost, training, time, and emotional involvment in a pup that might HAVE to be put down for one reason or another. Carol, it never occured to me that that might be the case, and you are right, no child that young is going to care for ANY dog. If you're looking for a way to teach responsibility, get'em a goldfish. JG

[NJDad]

Thanks to all of you for your information. I never expected so many responses so quickly.

My concern when I heard about these pups is where they were going to end up or who they were going to end up with. The area that this junkyard is in is not the most desirable and it is where people walk around with rotties and pits like they are some sort of "badge of honer". It would kill me to hear that one of these little ones ended up in the wrong hands. I don't know the owners of the dogs, they are friends of my cousin and all of these pups could very well end up in great homes.

One of the guys I work with has had two rotties in his life, along with several other breeds. He said he know how to select the pick of the litter so I would not be going into the selection totally blind. I've seen the mother and father. The father is tall, slender yet solid and did not becomes aggresive when we approached his yard. The mother seemed shorter but also solid (it was hard to tell since she was nursing). She did let out a constant low protective growl when we approached but did not show any teeth or bark. This probably means nothing beause she was locked in her yard and knew we were not coming in.

I know this pup would be my responsibility and know it would not be easy. I grew up with golden retrievers all my life. I know their personalities go well with children and families but both of my retrievers developed cancer and I don't think I want to go that route again.

I know I have blabbered on here but I wanted to give all of you all of the information so you can help me make an infomed decision, not a snap decision. Thanks again.