About to get my first Rotti pup

[bigcb37]

Hi, I'm a new member of the forum but I have been researching and reading this forum for a bit...lots of great info here! I read Rottweilers for Dummies as well. I do have a couple of questions for you experienced rottweiler owners...

I am moving to a new home soon and one of the main benefits of this is the new ability to own a dog! My old apartment did not allow big pets :( My new place is a townhouse with a good amount of inside space for the dog to roam (I know, they shouldnt have free reign at first) but my main problem is no yard...there is an old deck that takes up the whole backyard. I am considering ripping it down and installing a small deck and have the rest just fenced in. Even still, the whole thing would only be about 20' by 15' less the size of the stairs.

Do you think it makes sense to invest in this change? Is it worth it to be able to just let the dog out to the small yard to go to the bathroom? Or should I just deal with always walking him?

Also, I have read alot and it always says to be consistent with dicipline and to always be in control with the dog. I will not hit the dog or anything like that so my question is what is the best way to dicipline the dog when he is being bad. Just a stern "no"? Is that all it takes? I have heard a water gun is a good trick too. But what do you guys think is the best way to get your point across to let this little guy know what is acceptable?

Thanks for the help and I can't wait until my new family member arrives!!!

CB

[Mavides]

Congratulations on your soon-to-be new addition CB!!! Where will you be getting the pup from, how old will it be, male or female, and what are you going to call it? :)

My thoughts on the yard thing - my first Rottie lived in my apartment with me for the first 8 months of his life and then we moved into a townhouse. The apartment was actually great - HAVING to walk him was a good bonding experience for us, good socialization, and great for housebreaking...but boy was it nice to move into the townhouse and have the option of having him go out to potty by himself! I had a decent sized "yard", but it was all cement except for a small planter area of dirt on each side - I first had him pottying in those, but it was such a small amount of dirt that it got stinky quick from the urine - as did the cement, even with me rinsing it off daily (plus the HOA wasn't pleased with my daily hosing)...what I finally did was built a LARGE doggie litter box outside - I surrounded an area that was covered (if you don't have a covered area, you'll want to build a cover as well) with bricks to make a square about 3' x 4'....I would then by the super generic cat litter (about 2-3 50lb bags per month) and fill my area with that. I would scoop it out daily and pick up the poop - it stopped the odor and worked great for the 6 years I lived there. Just a suggestion - maybe it will work for you as well!!! In any case, best of luck with your new pup and please keep us posted on his/her arrival and progress!!!

Oh, for the training issues, I would start searching now for a local trainer with Rottweiler experience - it's so much more helpful to have that hands on advice rather than try to learn everything by books and/or the internet!

[danyp1]

Originally Posted by Mavides

My thoughts on the yard thing - my first Rottie lived in my apartment with me for the first 8 months of his life and then we moved into a townhouse. The apartment was actually great - HAVING to walk him was a good bonding experience for us, good socialization, and great for housebreaking...but boy was it nice to move into the townhouse and have the option of having him go out to potty by himself! I had a decent sized "yard", but it was all cement except for a small planter area of dirt on each side - I first had him pottying in those, but it was such a small amount of dirt that it got stinky quick from the urine - as did the cement, even with me rinsing it off daily (plus the HOA wasn't pleased with my daily hosing)...what I finally did was built a LARGE doggie litter box outside - I surrounded an area that was covered (if you don't have a covered area, you'll want to build a cover as well) with bricks to make a square about 3' x 4'....I would then by the super generic cat litter (about 2-3 50lb bags per month) and fill my area with that. I would scoop it out daily and pick up the poop - it stopped the odor and worked great for the 6 years I lived there. Just a suggestion - maybe it will work for you as well!!! In any case, best of luck with your new pup and please keep us posted on his/her arrival and progress!!!

What a great idea. My ex boyfriends lived in an appartment and he had a male not neutered rott. Potty training was not that easy but once he knew the routine it was not that bad and he did most of the training ( I more or less watched). The 5 years I was with him he never had a house and only lived in apartments. As far as I know it never bothered him and he enjoyed going for walks with him be it rain or shine or snow...

Now that I have my own rottweiler pup I`m so happy I have a house with a yard. I do not know what I would do without it. The zoomies in the house are just too destructive :D It`s nice to have a yard especially at midnight or 5 in the moring when you potty train..

[Brooke&Ryan]

Well when we first got Julius we didn't have a fence up & didn't have a fence for about the first year of his life & he survived. Now that we have a fence up (& actually just added onto it this week :D) it's nice being able to have Julius romp around & be outside to munch on his raw bones.

BUT, I agree with Mavides. It's a nice bonding experience being out with the dog going on walks. Although when it's 16 degrees out........ :p

When we didn't have the fenced in area, & even now if we want a bit more room to romp we'll go to a park that allows dogs & take Julius onto the tennis courts (of course when no one is there :p) to romp around or even on the baseball field. It's a great place where we've practiced our down-stays from a big distance.

You're off to a great start reading "Rottweilers For Dummies." It's a great book & also I would suggest "Culture Clash" by Jean Donaldson. A wonderful book on dog behavior that I think (& just about everyone on the board) is a MUST to read if you are a dog owner. :)

Welcome & stick around. You'll learn bunches everyday!

:)
Brooke

[bigcb37]

Thanks for the responses...

I will definitely be walking my new pup a lot regardless of the yard, but it would be nice to have...

I have a friend that is a Rott breeder, she is a serious breeder and has all the documentation etc...

I havent decided if I'm going to get a boy or girl yet, I'm open ot either, I may be leaning towards a girl since they usually are less agressive. The pup will be around 10 weeks...and I have decided on a name...I like Ty. Yeah its a Caddyshack reference...I'm an idiot... :D

[Brooke&Ryan]

Do the parents have any titles?? Have they had their hips, elbows, eyes & heart checked & certified??

Just wondering....

:)
Brooke

[bigcb37]

The parents are certified ...however, I am debating getting the pup from the person I know, but it will be a little while before her pups are ready. If I want to get one now she will go with me to check out the other breeder...

Not sure of the titles tho...

[SABELLESMOM]

That bonding experience walking is great. It is, however, none the less wondeful to have a "safe" area for your dog. You can make the 6' high fenced area a bonding experience as well.

You can play ball toss or frisbee (don't throw too hard) or hide -n- seek, or just lay out in the yard with your pet. You can set up a kiddie swim pool for him/her to cool off in the summer, while you weed the garden, etc. You don't have to do it right away. Still it might be nice to have someday.

[LavenderRott]

Do the parents have any titles?? Have they had their hips, elbows, eyes & heart checked & certified??

Make good and sure that you are given copies of both parents certificates. Don't take anyone's word for anything.

Surgery for bad hips or elbows is very expensive. I believe that one of the other new members is going through this right now.

SAS is just plain scary, one minute you are playing with your dog, the next the dog is dead.

Believe it or not, titles are important too. With so many indescriminate breeders out there, it is important the the serious ones breed to better the breed. This means adhereing to the breed standard for size, conformation, and temperment. The only true way to know if your dog really fits the standard is for someone who knows the breed to compare him to other dogs.

[Skip]

Originally Posted by bigcb37

The parents are certified ...however, I am debating getting the pup from the person I know, but it will be a little while before her pups are ready. If I want to get one now she will go with me to check out the other breeder...

Not sure of the titles tho...

What do you mean by certified? Make sure you see copies of all the test results given (as mentioned above..hips, eyes, elbows, heart,..etc). It's very important to research your breeder a LOT (and then research it some more). In my opinion (and you'll find a lot of people here will agree) it's very important for both parents to have working and conformation titles, along with all the above mentioned health clearances. Ask for proof of all of these before looking at any pups.