first time owner questions

[homer simpson]

In the next year or so i am seriously considering gettin my first dog and am strongly leaning towards a rottweiler. I just stumbled cross this website today so if my questions are repetitive please forgive me, i havent had time to look at many posts. my questions tho are...

are rotts predisposed to certain ailments?

i read a few posts that denounce pet stopres. my goal isnt to have a rottweiler that is 100% pure breed for contests, breeding, and stuff, i just want it for companionship etc. why do pet stores get a bad rap? and why are breeders so much more coveted?

what should i look for and/or avoid when i start my hunt? i live in south florida.

is it possible to tell detect future behavior problems during my selection process?

on avaerage how much does a dog, bought as a puppy cost per month approximatly?

ill stop there for now. i really appreciate any help u can give me! thanks alot in advance! :)

[Mick Trainer]

Welcome Homer,

Yes Rottweilers can have many ailments including Hip and Elbow Dysplacia, Eye and mouth problems, blood problems and many others. Whilst you can never guarantee 100% that you will not get these problems purchasing your pup from a breeder who screens for these things gives you are vaslty better chance of avoiding such problems.

Why do pet shops get a bad wrap? Becuse generally they get their dogs from breeders (generally refered too as back yard breeders or BYB) who care nothing for breeding good quality dogs that further the quality of the breed but rather breed for the money without care for what happens too the pups or what health problems they have eyc. Very few BYB will screen for the health problems that I spoke about above and thus have a vastly higher percentage of getting these problems.

If you like a Rottweler then you like a dog that someone at some stage carfelly slected a criteria that this dog had to perfrom and selectively went on a bred dogs that could do this function and looked in a certain fashion that the dog should. The attributes that the Rottweiler posses were selectivly bred into the dog over many, many generations that they tested through many different critierias and processes. If we are to hold onto this quality and breed consistant dogs that posses the qualities that we have all fallen for within the Rottweiler dog then we must continue to selectivly breed to this criteria. It has taken almost 100 years to create the modern Rottweiler and this can be ruined in a single generation of selectig the wrong sire and dam.

So whilst you want a pet I am sure you want a healthy, confident happy dog. To achieve this takes far more work then simply throwing 2 Rottweilers together. In your case you are best to start to seek a good breedr in your area and purchase a pet quality dog. This will give you the best chance of getting a healthy, well adjusted dog.

Do a search into breeders. Non of us here will recommend a pet shop. We do not do this simply because we do not like pet shops or something. We do it becuase we see their influence upon the destruction of the breed we love.

Whilst you can see some future behavioral traits when selecting a puppy you as the owner will also have a massive influence on a pups upbringing. In the end to help select a pup with good genetic potential start loking for a good breeder (this will take you more time than you think) and make sure that the breeder does do early tests upon all the pups and will give you the results that the pups achieve which show the positives and negatives of the pup they slect for you. Any really good breeder will select the pup for you and not the other way around. They will know the pups better than you and will be better positioned to slect a pup that will better suit what you wish the pup too do and what you can and cannot handle.

Hope that this helps, D'OH

Mick.

[LavenderRott]

Pet Stores almost always get their puppies from puppy mills. That is the easiest way to get many different breeds of puppies for the least amount of cost.

Please look at the breed standard. A well bred rottweiler does not weigh 200 pounds. If a breeder brags about their huge dogs, run fast, run hard!

Go to local dog shows and meet rottweiler people. Do you just want a house dog or do you want to get into some kind of activity? If you just want a house dog, then you probably don't want a dog from working lines. These dogs tend to have higher drives and are less content to just lounge around the house. They need a job.

Have you considered rescue? There are some great rescue groups in Florida that can find you an excellent dog to fit what you want to do. It may not be a puppy, but that eleminates house breaking and puppy chewing.

Since you have started researching breeders now, you should start researching trainers in your area also. And start looking for a good vet. You want to find one of each that does not have a bias against the breed. They are out there. You do not want a trainer that tells you that all rottweilers are mean and viscious.

Good luck in your search! Welcome to the forums. Stick around, there is a lot to learn here.

[poohbearsmom]

The show season is about to start again.... it would also be a good idea to check out a few dog shows coming around your area...This will give you a chance to meet breeders up close and personal, even if you're not interested in showing. You can see the dogs, and get a feel for what you like in the dogs..It's a great learning ground.... Check out www.infodog.com for shows coming near you... it's pretty easy to navigate the site.

There are two ARC affiliated Rottweiler Clubs in Florida...
The Seminole Rottweiler Club, and the Gulfstream Rottweiler Club.... The American Rottweiler Verein, and the United States Rottweiler Club also have a local few clubs in the state... contacting these clubs is also a good way to meet breeders.

A few Red Flags you should look for:
Any breeder who will not devulge hereditary problems in their lines, and what they've done or are working on to improve them...

Any breeder who does not give health guarantees, or state in their written contract that they will assist you with concerns throughout the life of your new companion.

You'll also want to watch out for breeders that ALWAYS seem to have puppies available.

Websites are great, and can give you a good feel for what's out there... but beware...a fancy website does not necessarily denote a good breeder and can often cover up some not so good things that are going on behind the scenes. ;)

You'll want to question breeders about the socialization and rearing that takes place in the first 8 weeks of the puppies lives...this is probably one of the most critical periods in puppy development, and if done properly, can bring out the best in a dog. Learning how to develop a confident pup from 8 to 16 weeks is something you'll also want to educate yourself about, as this is the second most critical period in a pup's life, IMHO....

Glad you found this site! Check out the archives, take your time, and I'm sure that you'll find a really nice dog to love.

Thanks for taking the time to learn before you buy.... :)

I'll be happy to assist you further if necessary...

Regards,

[LavenderRott]

Oh, I forgot to mention...

Good breeders never advertise their puppies in the newspaper. They usually have waiting lists for their puppies.

[Carol Burke]

South Florida is a great area for Rottweilers. Lots of dog activities, a major club, dog shows, rescue group. Get in touch with Gulstream Rottweiler Club at www.gulfstreamrottweilerclub.org for lots of info and upcoming events.

Pet shops and ads in the local paper usually produce puppies that have not been carefully bred. No thought to inherited diseases or temperament. You should be prepared to pay a higher monthly cost with a pet store puppy then you normally would with a well bred puppy from a breeder.

As to monthly cost, there are a lot of variables depending on what you feed, what activities you become involved in, vet visits.
You can plan on obedience training ongoing at a cost of about $70 every eight weeks or so. Vet visits every six months at say $100. Food for one dog maybe $25 a month or so, toys, treats, etc. another $10. Leashes, collars, a crate, maybe an initial cost for these things of about $200.

Good luck, glad to see you are researching these things before jumping in.

[homer simpson]

thank you all for your posts. ive reall learned alot!!!!!!