First time Rott owner...

[MomsBirds]

Can anyone help me with info on Rotts? I have never owned and am getting a 7 year old female from someone I know. Are they good with other animals as I have 4 birds and a rabbit(Which Stays caged) PLease help me.. thank you.. Jackie

[Rott-Wiley]

Hi Jackie and welcome to the forum. Congrats on getting your new girl. A lot of how your new addition is going to ack is going to depend on her lifes prior experience. If she was raised to accept small animals, she'll be fine with yours. The rabbit in the cage shouldn't be a problem because she shouldn't be able to bother him or the cage. About the birds, I would introduce her to them with caution until you can see what she is going to make of them. Are their wings clipped? Do they fly around the house? Hope this helps, it's hard to say how she'll be unless you know her past.

[Judi W]

Since you are getting her from someone you know, they should be able to answer these questions about her. At seven years of age, she should be pretty predictable. Will you be able to return her if this doesn't work out?

What about a trial visit of a week or two?

[SABELLESMOM]

Welcome to the forum! Since your other pets are basicaly caged, a rottie should adjust. A good deal will depend on how she was allowed to act with other animals previously. You could ask her previous owner what he/she thinks and inlist his/her help.

Perhaps there is a way for the dog to visit while still under the old owners care. Could this person come visit your home with the dog on a leash and under control?

What will your new girl be called? You didn't mention a name.

:D

[MomsBirds]

Thank you all for your help.. yes the birds are clipped, the rabbitt stays in his cage. The owner she is coming from has taken very good care of her, and she is very used to children. She does have a cage in which she has spent some time in, and has been exposed to sparrows and whatever other birds have been around. She does not respond to, nor doesnt seem to show wanting to run after them. Name? Oh my god, never found out!! Just starting to go ahead with this.. finding out more this week.. Any info will help..Jackie

[Sharon Marples]

I've got to ask. What is the current owner's reason for placing a seven year old rottie? Was there some sort of problem with her at their home? ???

[Rott-Wiley]

We once adopted a 3 year old rottie that had a very strong prey drive and my wife showed cats in those days so we always had 4 or 5 of them running around the house. The rottie had to be kept on lead for about 3 months until we could convence her that cat was not on the menu. After spending all that time training her she did get to be one of the best dogs we ever had and when it came to the cats, if she saw one, she would look the other way because she was convenced we were setting her up for a fall. But I don't see that kind of problem with your new girl. Good luck with her.

[MomsBirds]

There is no problem with her at the home in which she is at right now. The reason for the needing to find a new home, is the daughter is invloved in so many sports now, they arent home enough to take proper care of her. They want to see with a family that will be there for her more than they can offer right now...

[Bucky's Mom]

I agree that a "trial" visit would be a good idea.

BTW - if my dog Bucky asks for your home address because he "really" wants to "visit" your bunny and birds DO NOT BE FOOLED.

His intentions would NOT be good:)

[Burnsway]

Originally posted by MomsBirds
the daughter is invloved in so many sports now, they arent home enough to take proper care of her. They want to see with a family that will be there for her more than they can offer right now...

This excuse doesn't wash with me. Although it is one of the number one excuses given to shelters. Before taking this dog I would dig a little deeper and see if there are other issues you have not been told about. Like others said make it a trial basis at first.

A 7 year old dog doesn't just all of a sudden become too bored to live with a too active family.

As far as the birds, I have seen dogs go a decade without hurting a feather on a birds body, or a hair on a cat or a single scratch on a rabbit and in seconds they all of a sudden say.........LUNCH!!!!! So If you decide on this dog I would never leave the other animals out with her.

Good Luck!

[sparklemom]

A 7 year old dog doesn't just all of a sudden become too bored to live with a too active active family.

No, but sometimes a too active family does all of a sudden become bored with their old dog...:(

As for the other critters, please use caution. I adopted Sparkle, a supposedly "cat friendly" dog. Yeah, until she killed a stray. Luckily, my cats want nothing to do with her and they stay upstairs, but I would never leave them together anyway.

[Burnsway]

Originally posted by sparklemom
No, but sometimes a too active family does all of a sudden become bored with their old dog...:(

True but this could also be because there are other issues they are not being honest about. Such as health cost going up. Maybe the daughter now more active is bringing team mates home and they don't like the way the dog is acting. Maybe he is sickly, or developing some late in life behaviors they don't want to deal with.......etc.

I would like Moms'Birds to understand that there may be some more issues that she wasn't told about. Most people do not, believe it or not, just wake up one day and say oh hes/shes bored lets rehome him/her. There are usually a ton of other reasons that go along with it.

[spidey]

they arent home enough to take proper care of her. They want to see with a family that will be there for her more than they can offer right now...

While I agree that it's good of you to take her in, and while I commend people who find good homes for pets that they can no longer care for because of life events, seven years is getting up there for a Rottie, and I'm a bit suspicious of why they'd decide after seven years to get rid of the dog, when it doesn't sound as if anything has really changed in their lives beyond the fact that the dog has become inconvenient. It's not like they have another decade to look forward to with this dog, they have at most another few years, so without knowing more about their situation, I have to say that I find it sad that they don't consider that this dog has bonded to them, and can't see their way clear to keeping her for the rest of her life. It's unfortunate that some people view animals as disposable to this degree - on the one hand it's good that they're looking for a good home for her rather than abandoning her or surrendering her to a shelter, on the other hand, this dog is seven years old and if it's true that she has no major problems, then she has in all likelihood been a good and loyal companion to these people for all that time, and she deserves more loyalty in return from them than this. I agree with Burnsway, I'd look a bit deeper into this situation, it smells a bit suspicious. There are some life changes which truly do mean that you cannot keep a pet, a child who's "involved with sports" isn't one of them as far as I'm concerned, you can MAKE time, you owe it to the dog (or you shouldn't have taken on the responsibility for that dog in the first place). I'd be suspicious that there's either more to this than they're telling you, or that they haven't really considered what this kind of upheaval will do to the dog. Some breeds are happy with anyone, and rehome and rebond easily, Rotties bond closely to their owners and are often very upset by rehoming, especially after sven years, which is an enormously long time to a dog. IMO these owners are either not telling you the whole truth, or haven't considered what's really best for this dog.

Good luck to you, and I'm glad to know that this girl is going to what sounds like a responsible and loving home (the fact that you're doing your research is an excellent indicator of that) - keep in mind that there will probably be an adjustment period, which may last quite a while, as this girl gets accustomed to her new home and new owners. Patience and consistency are your friends, and enrolling in an obedience class would probably be advisable, it will help you learn how to work with the dog consistently and fairly, and will be a good bonding opportunity for the two of you.

[MomsBirds]

this a family that I have known for 5 years now and I know how active they are.. they have had sitters come in and to keep having different people come in is just too much of a hassle.. I know the owner and how she has been treated.. this is not an abused dog or one who came from a shelter.. Anyway~.........

[MomsBirds]

this is a decision that has lasted a couple of years.. tried to do all they could for the dog to keep her int he home, but the sports that this girl is in take them away from the home 2 or more days of the week sometimes.. they feel it is not fair to her to leave her alone for those days.. different people coming in all the time to fed, water, play with, etc... with her.. they just done see it fair.. they arent happy that they have to do this thats why they are making sure she goes to someone who will care for her and love her. I am not being lied to, will be getting all her records and shots records, and whatever doctor records there are, which I know arent many.. she is very healthy and active. Thank you for the concern of health issues, but I do know who I am dealing with and I trust him...