Almost Ready

[tcrott]

My dog is me best friend. I've got a Shih Tzu (no laughing :D ). I also have three children, 12, 4, and newborn. Kasey loves everyone. However, I've ALWAYS wanted a rott and have been doing my research for some time now. I've read soooo many different things about them and just want really want to know two things:

1st - are they really that much different from every other breed of dog?? There is such a stigma about them everyone that I mention it to (the thought of getting one) flips out and says I'm stupid because he'll kill the family one night while were all sleeping . I'm sick of hearing this stuff. I know several people that have rotts and they're really great compansions/family pets.

2nd - and very important - how many of you have rotts that live with toy breeds?? Will this work if I get him as a puppy and raise/socialize him with Kasey and the family?? Kasey is the happiest dog I've ever seen and I think he'd be great with a large breed. Every large dog he meets he love playing with.

I don't mean to bore anyone with the same old questions, but I've been a "lurker" on this site for a while and I really value the opinions that I've seen here and would like some shots from y'all on my particular situation and concerns..

Opinions?

Thanks!!

[godfreyc]

No, they won't kill you in your sleep but the do need obedience training. And my rotties live with a chihuahua that I got after they were grown and while I don't leave him alone with them I also don't have any problems. Good luck and don't worry about what others say.

[tcrott]

The "killing in your sleep" thing was sarcasm of course. Obedience training is a must for ANY dog. But are Rotts really that different??

And an interesting point - they're never left alone together? Kasey is not crated and free roam if the upstairs. My wife stays home and can supervise - but when the whole family is gone we shouldn't let them "hang out" once the pup is potty trained? :(

Thanks...

[Patty1231]

My Rottie is 15 months old and does fine with my four cats. He enjoyed chasing them, at first, but has gotten a little mellower now. They have learned how to stay out of the way - but I'm sure cats are much different than small dogs. I've never had a dog other than a Rottweiler but I don't think I ever will, now, either. Study this forum carefully, it can save you a lot of grief later (particularly when it comes to BYB's). Very knowledgable people here that I have already learned a lot from. I wish I had known about this forum a lot sooner - would not have felt so much like I was flying by the seat of my pants! No one I know has or has ever had a Rottweiler. Most of my friends have small dogs and those with large dogs are Labs - totally different than Rotts.

[godfreyc]

Personally no I wouldn't let them hang out during the day. I would continue to let the little dog of free reign and crate the rottie. The thing you have to remember IMO is that rotties can still be very destructive (not all but most) up until 4 or more years of age if left to their own devises. Some can never be trusted. After losing a whole living room suit to a rottie I thought I could trust during the day (we're talking backs torn out of couches with stuffing thrown everywhere and pillows shredded) I haven't made that mistake again. She was 2 when she did that damage. Too, little dogs can easily be seriously hurt. A fight over a toy or a treat could end up with a minimum of serious injury and a maximum of death. Just my thoughts on the subject.

[rotts and roses]

This is just my opinion of course, but if you have a newborn, I would hold off a while on getting a rottweiler. Simply because they are twice as " needy" as a new born baby. I'm sure your wife has her hands full now as it is with 3 children. Puppies of any kind demand lots and lots of attention. There is potty training just for starters. Not to mention the diligent task of keeping EVERYTHING off the floor and out of a puppy's reach. Then there is training , obedience classes ( which is a must for rottties.)
Some things to think about:)

[tcrott]

...until spring. That way the baby will be somewhat manageable, and we won't have to potty train in 8 feet of snow. I also have a very unique business that allows me to be home for extended periods of time and requires little time outside the house which should help tremendously. I'm just concerned about the times that business takes me out of town.

Thanks for the great replies!!

[samanthac]

Originally posted by tcrott
But are Rotts really that different??

Actually, yes, they are. They are extremely intelligent animals. They are easily trained and learn quickly. With that said, they require lifelong training, and a fair CONSISTENT leader. They are one of the few independent thinking breeds which means that if you do not provide consistent leadership, guidance and rules, then they will take over the leadership roles and decide what is appropriate behavior and rules and I can guarantee you will not like that. Give them an inch and they will take 10 miles. An unchecked Rottweiler is not a fun animal to deal with. You do not want a 90+-lb animal doling out discipline on their terms for infracted rules that you do not understand, especially with an infant and eventually toddler in the home. They can be extremely stubborn, which is a source of frustration for many new owners.

Rottweiler need a 'strong' owner who is fair, but is not going to take any crap from them either, as they can quickly identify a soft or weak owner and will use that to their advantage to establish their role in the scheme of things. While these dogs are not vicious killers, nor are they humans in black and tan suits, nor are they 'pwecious wittle furbabies'. They are big, smart, strong powerful dogs that can be a serious danger if not trained and handled properly and need to be treated as such...with respect, leadership and gudiance.

From a legal and moral standpoint there is a huge amount of liability and moral responsibility in owning one of these animals. These dogs are not Scooby Doo and you must operate on the principal that these dogs are/can be dangerous. You must exercise great caution in handling these dogs in every situation. You can never be too cautious and must think about all of the what ifs and could happens. A viliglant and cautious owner is a safe owner!

From an insurance standpoint you very well may lose or not be able to get homeowners insurance. These dogs are consistently on insurance company refuse to insure lists. Every day groups are fighting proposals by towns, cities and states to outright ban this breed.

You will face breed prejudice. People will be afraid and make comments. There may be people who are not comfortable with the dog in the neighborhood and they may try to make your life very difficult because of it...i.e.reports for every little infraction. I am not saying that this is a guarantee, but warning you of the possibility.

These dogs can be plague with health, structure and temperament problems if not procured from a reputable breeder. These dogs can suffer from hip, elbow, eye, thyroid and heart issues, not to mention a form of doggie hemophilia if not properly bred. This is why it is crucial to find a breeder that breeds carefully for health, structure and temperament.

If you are going to do this and do it properly, it can be a very rewarding expereince. They are a very smart, loyal and devoted breed of dog, quite different than any other breed I have every owned. A word of advice to is learn, learn, learn and never stop learning about this breed if you want to be a successful owner.

My advice would be to start out with a female. A male is a little too much for a novice Rottweiler owner even if you have previous experience with other males or large breeds. Trust me, they are different. You should get your feet wet with a female and then, if that works out maybe down the line you would consider a male.

I hope this info helps and I hope Judi W will chime in because she is a fount of info and I am sure that she will have some valuable input on this topic.

[tcrott]

How do they find out you have a Rott? I'm surely not calling my insurance company and informing them.

My main reason for joining this group was to find a reputable Rott breeder AND trainer for my neck of the woods (Traverse City, MI). I can't find ANYTHING.

...and I'm looking forward to advice from Judi W!

[samanthac]

I can think of about five reputable breeders in MI who can all lead you to decent trainers/clubs...lots of good Rott people in MI. My current pup came from a breeder and good friend in MI.

Since you don't have the PM function yet, you'll have to go to the American Rottweiler Verein website and look up my e-mail under Kennels.

http://www.arv.org/

Well technically you should inform your insurance company and I won't tell you not to because that's dishonest. But many people do not. If you purchse the dog after you purchase the policy, legally they cannot drop you, but will try if they find out later. Bear in mind that if you have a bite incident or accident, your company will drop you for non-disclosure. If they come out to do an inspection of any kind and they see the dog and you have not disclosed it, they will drop you for non-disclosure. And if you need to go get new insurance they WILL ask you if you have a dog of that nature.Its up to you what to do, but I would not advise you to be dishonest, because that would be dishonest on my part.

[Cassandra]

But are Rotts really that different??

I have had many different breed of dogs throughout my lifetime. Since I have owned rottweilers, I will never live without one. They are wonderful animals. Their loyalty, intelligence, beauty, attitude, and playfulness are beyond compare.

They do need active companions. Owners that take an active part in their lives. They are not for a family that only wants a dog to pet and play with now and then. My dog is a real part of my family's life just like any other member of my household. Play time for my rott is as important as volleyball is for my teenager.

[ILoveRotts]

As far as insurance goes...

I don't offer information. I can't see how it would be non-disclosure when my insurance company has never asked me nor sent me their policy regarding Rotts. I can see if you receive policy info requiring it but.....

I don't lie about my Rotts but no one has ever asked me either. And I figure whether I tell them or not they will drop me anyway if there is a bite incident. I just do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen.


I agree with the prejudice issue. Think hard about that one with your children. I realize that some day my daughter will come home crying because "Amy" isn't allowed to come to play at our house because of the Rotts. I'm prepared to deal with that because I absolutely adore the breed. But you need to make sure you & your family can handle it.

Great that you came here for advice! Whatever breed you decide on - it's great that you are doing your research!

PS I have both dogs and child - puppies are definitely easier that babies!:D Atleast you can crate a puppy!:D

[tcrott]

Thanks for the insight ILOVEROTTS. Excellent points and here's how I feel:

I don't even let my ShihTzu around people without my supervision. Ever. I could care less if my kids friends don't come over because of the dogs. And I could care less about what my neighbors think. I'm not interested in getting a Rott so my neighbors and my kids friends will like to come over. Quite the opposite.

I'm a business owner that's out in the community "selling" daily. When I come home I lead a PRIVATE life and spend every minute of my free time with my family (which includes my dog). We'll be moving to a several acre spot soon (I'm on 1 acre now) so I think a few fenced in acres will be great for our playtime. Plenty of room for full bore sprints, fetch, romps, etc. ;)

[fbkeays]

I had a Shih Tzu when I was in Jr. high/high school. I made myself a promise when I had a place of my own, I would get a real dog. That dog was a rottweiler. Maybe because we got the Shih Tzu as a second hand dog (he was about 3 when we got him), but he was completely useless. He couldn't be walked more then a block and if left to his own devices, he wouldn't move from under the chest in the family room unless it was his dinner time. He insisted on being let out in the rain and he would nap IN the rain. I also made my self a promise that I would not get a long haired breed when I got my dog. For only 9 pounds, it took 3 hours to bath and groom him.
Bottom line is that I don't really care for Shih Tzu.
Rottweilers are different. They are a real people dog. They want to be with their owners constantly (including the bathroom)unless trained otherwise. They are a working dog with a keen mind. They need a job that involves some thinking or they will make up their own "jobs" (re: distruction).
I have three rottweilers. An 8 year old spayed bitch, a 6 1/2 year old neutered male and a 2 1/2 intact male. I keep the young boy seperated from the other two by a 30" high baby gate when no one is home. I do this because the older girl and boy has some structure problems and one of these days the younger one is going to go for the top male dog spot. They did all run together until the young one was about 18 months old. That was when the strains and soft tissue injuries started to occur in all of the dogs.

[tcrott]

My ShihTzu is AWESOME.

He's good enough, smart enough, and doggone it, people like him (Stuart Smalley?)!! Good thing he can't read, that post would have crushed his ego.

He's the opposite of the dog you described - he refuses to go potty outside if it's raining, I have to drag him out on his leash. He follows me EVERYWHERE - even the bathroom, and he's lively as all get out. I keep his hair about an inch long year round - I can't stand the long hair either - and it's hard on his eyes anyway. He's a handsome, proud young man who thinks he's a true guard dog:D !!

I get more slams for owning a shihtzu than I think I will owning a Rott.

B