Wondering if I made a mistake...

[LeannK]

Hi everyone~

This is my first post - I've just joined!

I just adopted a 1 1/2 year old rottie from the SPCA. I never would have even asked to see her, but my friend did, and I fell in love! She's a beautiful dog, and has just been wonderful (I immediately saw how trainable and intelligent she is), but as I'm telling friends and family about her, I'm getting negative reaction. Like, "don't you love your kids?" (I have three, ages 1, 3, and 5). Two people have had horror stories about rottweilers. I started reading as much as I can about them, and her first training class is today, but suddenly, I'm unsure...

She has shown no aggressiveness, but geez, I'd hate to have her first bout of aggressiveness targeted at my baby! She has mouthed my hand and my daughter's (the 3 year-old) elbow. She allows us to take things out of her mouth, food from her (she doesn't like it, but she doesn't make a move or growl), and kids' toys as well as her own.

She loves playing with the kids - tug of war, and she loves teasing them with the tug of war toy. She responds well to "no" and has learned "sit" right away. I do not strike her, but have tapped her (which maybe isn't necessary?) and am thinking about leaving the leash on her at all times until she learns what behavior is acceptable around here.

Most of the time, I'm feeling very lucky, but I have this nagging doubt. Can you help ease my mind? Or tell me to get out before it's too late...

Thanks!

Leann

[Gretta]

Hi there,
Congrats and welcome to the board- I'm sure you'll get some very useful advice here...

I don't have time to post much right now, but just one thing... please Do NOT let your kids play tug with a new dog! not knowing her history I would be incredibly hesitant to encourage competive games where her size could easily take down a young child- not a behavioral pattern you want to establish IMHO.

Like I said, I'm sure you'll get plenty more advice as well- good luck!

Cori

[sparklemom]

Welcome to the board!

NO you did NOT make a mistake. You adopted one of the best, most intelligent, sweetest breeds of dog there is! But along with the high level of intelligence and sheer body strength, comes a high level of responsibilty which falls on YOU to properaly train and raise your dog. Which it looks like you're off to a good start.

Rottweilers, like many other strong-bodied, strong-willed dogs, have gotten a terrible reputation thanks to worhtless owners and overexposure in the press. EVERY person on this board has a story about the comments they receive. You get used to it.

Rottweilers are incredibly charming and caring dogs. They love their people and want to be around them all the time. They need to be taught manners in no uncertain terms, but not through violence.

Please read through all the threads on here about training and temprament as well as the threads about comments from loved ones and strangers. You'll soon realize you are part of a wonderful group of people and their amazing dogs!

[RJS30]

I think you have made a great decision to adopt. A rott requires a lot of attention and training and someone else probably wasn't up to it. The mouthing that she is doing is just a "grip" so to speak. Although she plays well with the kids, I wouldn't leave her unattended with the kids NO MATTER WHAT! You are doing the right thing by immediately going into training. You will find out that you have the best breed dog known to man. Good luck and always remember, it is your job to learn the dog as well as the dog learn its place in the family.

[Judy Chrusch]

Welcome Leann! How much do you know about the girl you adopted? Do you have any history at all and do you plan on taking her to classes? Sorry for all the questions but I'm alittle skeptical about the three very young children you have. Under NO circumstances can you EVER leave your dog with the children w/o supervision but then I'm sure you already know that. What has the shelter been able to tell you about her and why was she given up? Gosh I find myself having so many questions. I'm happy she gets along well with your children but at the same time it concerns me, not saying it can't work out just fine.

As far as family and friends, they're just looking out for you wellbeing and you must do lots of reading on the breed and observe her every move.

Tell us what, if anything you know about her?

Judy

[TrishB]

No, you have not made a mistake. Yes, you have taken on a very big, and rewarding, responsibility! :)

I would agree that you shouldn't allow the kids to play tug-of-war. Tug-of-war is a very specific game where as:
- the person must initiate (not the dog)
- the person must win (not the dog)
- the person must end the game (not the dog)

More advanced training will sometimes allow the dogs to win - but that's another thread. ;)

You are doing everything right. Enroll in obedience classes. Handle her, feet, tail, ears, lips - everything. While you're supervising, have your kids play with her.

Am I saying that you should supervise the dog with your kids because she'll hurt them? No! I am telling you to supervise your kids with your dog because it's the responsible thing to do. Kids are kids. They do strange things to pets while unattended. Dogs are dogs. They don't speak 'kid'. Teacup Poodle or Irish Wolfhound - they are all dogs and should be supervised when with children. Rottweilers are no different. Dogs aren't babysitters.

Rottweilers are a working breed. They would move mountains for thier owners if they could. For hundreds of years, they have been bred to be dedicated and driven to please. Sadly, there are people out there whom have taken that drive and warped it to suit their own, horrible needs. These are the dogs that your friends are talking about. :(

Be sure that you are comfortable with your trainer and enjoy your classes with your new dog. You have done a wonderful service by adopting. Your new dog will return your love 10 fold with love and dedication.

Welcome to the board! :D

[Wrath]

I'll probably be seconding a lot that's already being said

1) No tug games with the kids...it's too risky even with a dog you've raised from a puppy. Fetch, hide and seek, some basic obedience commands or tricks, any games that don't require direct physical contact are much better games for the children. Even a very nice dog can get really caught up in a fierce game of tug, misjudge the grab, and give a pretty hard bite. Fingers can get lacerated, crushed...kids start screaming and running away. Prey drives kick in...you see where this is going. That's a worst case scenario, but the type of thing that potentially could happen with any breed of dog.

2) Always supervise your children with the dog. Rotties are big, heavy, and often exuberant dogs. Even just playing they can really hurt a kid (and adults even) by knocking them down, or bumping them into furniture/walls, accidentally nipping a bit too hard. Kids also have a tendancey to play in inappropriate ways with dogs, such as grabbing them in a sudden hug from behind or trying to wrestle with them, ride them like ponies, etc etc. Kid play and dog play are often incompatible and can lead to confrontations.

3) Start working on training her to not put teeth or even mouths on people or or their clothes, ever. 1 1/2 is definitly old enough to have good manners.

4) Keeping the leash on her may not be a bad idea as it would give you a good deal more control if she DID get out of hand, but might consider getting a very short one. All you need is basically a handle you can grab in an emergency situation. She shouldn't be allowed to roam around unsupervised with it on. She's liable to get it caught on something and might freak out, which could have a lot of negative ramifications (hurt herself, hurt anyone trying to help her, develop a fear of leads, etc)

From your description, she sounds like a happy, playful, well-tempered dog...just a little sloppy on her house manners. It's great to hear you've got her in training, that is probably the single best thing you can do for both you're insecurity about her and her general behavior and manners. Make sure to talk to your trainer about any issues that bother you and they can offer ways for you to re-train or correct your dog.

[TrishB]

Thanks Skip and Wrath. That was my point. There are many other threads about tug-of-war as a training tool. But those don't apply to this particular situation. Which is why I said:

More advanced training will sometimes allow the dogs to win - but that's another thread. ;)

For this situation, the 'blanket' statement stands, with the caveat. :D

[sophie's-mom]

Just a quote from a post a while back.

My son, 11, was playing tug o war with her (which she loves) and he pulled her toy back to throw it and she lunged at him and bit his arm. She did break the skin, but let go once he dropped the toy and she saw that she had his arm instead.

ACCIDENTS CAN AND DO HAPPEN! Please be careful.

And good luck with your girl.......if approached correctly from the get go,.......this will be a WONDERFUL situation.

Never mind what your family says.......this is YOUR house and you know what decisions need and will be made.

:D

[tugger5000]

Originally posted by LeannK
and am thinking about leaving the leash on her at all times until she learns what behavior is acceptable around here.

I think this is a wise idea. Some folks almost mentioned supervised when with the kids, I think this is also a must.

She sounds like a sweet heart, our trainer mentioned that it would take the dog around 6 months to fully bond and I think it will take at least that long to figure out the ins and outs of her personality...

Don't think of it as making a mistake, think of it as you are needing to take extra precautions to prevent mistakes.

Welcome! Good Luck!

[KRISSIE]

Hi Congrats on your new addition, I think you made a wonderful choice. Getting the dog started in OB classes was a definate step in the right direction.
If it eases youre mind at all , I have 2 Rotts myself and 2 children, ages 3 yrs and 5 months . Both my dogs do wonderful with my kids, very gentle with them. I do always supervise my childrens interaction with the dogs, not bc they are Rotties but bc they are dogs (period!) . I personally do not allow my child to take food from my dogs or play tug of war. A game of catch with a ball can be just as much fun as Tug-of -war and less challengeing in my opinion.

As For those people and their horror stories, this advice to "Get rid of your Rott" usually comes from those who have never owned one . The people who know this breed are the ones who have them , not the ones who don't!

We all get slack about owning Rottweilers, it comes with the territory , everyone on this board can give you an example of someone who has made a remark to them bc they own a Rottweiler.

Here is one for ya,
I do Rottweiler Rescue and I was at my vets office giving them my card, well ...this woman overheard me talking to the Vet Tech about the rescue . She cuts into our conversation and say's to me

" You do Rottweiler Rescue, You must be suicidal? "

My response to her was " And You must be shallow minded !" ;)

Good luck with your girl, I wish you and your family the best of luck . Stick around the board, this is a great place for positve feeback and advice!

[LavenderRott]

Congratulations on your new girl! She sounds like a doll. I rescued my Chase from animal control several years ago and she is the best.

My children are 17, 15, and 5. Chase moved in when I was pregnant with the youngest. She has been a wonderful dog for our family.

My brother told me that he would not bring his children to my house unless I locked up my viscious dog. His family is not invited to my house.

Chase does however go to "Grandma's" with me and my children. Usually for family functions that include my brother, his wife and kids.

Out of 9 dogs, yes 9 when the whole family gets together, Chase is the best behaved. Doesn't knock the kids over, lays down in the living room at dinner time and doesn't try to steal food from the kids hands.

Take your dog to class. Be patient. Her good behavior will do more to turn their attitude around then anything you say or they read.

Welcome to the forum. You will find loads of great advice here and lots of people to talk to.

[Nels Ferré]

Hi,

It sounds like you made a wise move to get a Rottie. You won't regret it, they are the best dogs ever. Just train her and watch her around the children. I'd say that with any dog, big or small.

Before I got my first Rottie, I had been invited to my brother in law's house for a cookout. My brother in law had a Rottie named Chandler. My mother had been invited as well, and I had mentioned that I was thinking of getting a Rottie. Got the usual negative reaction...blah blah blah. Anyway, we were outside around the pool, and Chandler wandered up and put his head in my mother's lap. While she was petting him, she says, "You want a big dog? Don't get a Rottweiler, get one of these, he is a sweet dog."

"Uhhh, Mom? That is a Rottweiler!"

"Oh"

What I'm trying to say is that my experience has been that the people who offer this unsolicited negative advice are often clueless.

I ended up adopting Chandler when my brother in law got divorced. He was a great boy!

He passed away last fall. But I know this, I'll always have a Rottie! Now we have Madison, who is 7 months old. And when she is a bit older (around 2), I'll get another one.

I hope this helps,
Nels

[LeannK]

Thanks so much to all of you!

We had our first class today, and the trainers were impressed with her. I was afraid at first she'd be aggressive with the other dogs, but she was just curious. Her temperment is wonderful.

She did great in class (not surprising!), and will work with her every day. I told the kids today they could not play tug of war or chase games with her anymore (they were sad), but love the new game of hide and seek!

I think I got very lucky and will definitely keep her. I don't know a lot about her past, but her previous owner left a hand-written sheet about her (which I wasn't supposed to see) with information about some of her likes and dislikes. Needless to say, I was not allowed to keep that paper, or contact the owner. I have a feeling it was a divorce situation.

This may already be a thread somewhere, but I'm going to ask anyway: what's the best book about rotties (or dogs) to read?

Thanks again!

Leann

[LavenderRott]

Rottweilers for Dummies.

Rottweiler.net