Thinking of buying a chiuaua.....

[beledi]

Originally Posted by Anne

I would not consider giving any breed of dog to this OP due to the history.

When the dogs escaped the first time would have been a wake up call to me that my property was not secure. Yet this continued to happen until the dogs were lost. As for putting a dog on the back of a truck without making sure it was totally secure. Your history shows a total lack of care and responsibility for the animals who rely on you to keep them safe.

A 6 yo child is not capable of looking after a chihuahua as they are fragile and can be snappy. How is this child to learn responsibility for animals if the adults have shown themselves to be irresponsible. Children learn by example and the example already set is that of animals being disposable. You lose them through your own fault and you just replace them with others?.

A certain celebrity has a lot to answer for with starting a trend for handbag dogs, amongst other things. Little kids aspire to be like this air head.

My opinion is not to get another dog until you can show some responsibility for the one you already have. Hopefully you have attended to your fencing problem and hopefully you are taking your remaining dog to obedience classes.

Anne, I think you have put this very succinctly so I will not add my two cents except to say ditto to what you have written.

Beledi/Erda's mom

[DonTac790]

Hi all. I have been reading this site for months now and wanted to say that it is without a doubt the foremost rottweiler forum out there. Many of you really do know your *shtuff*.

That said, I lost my rottie, Killian, last March to bone cancer. He is greatly missed and I was and always will be devastated. With regard to this thread, I think I may be able to offer some insight. First, some background;

I got Killian, my first Rottie, as a senior in HS, and therefore lived with my parents. Over the next 5 years, we lived there as I attended college. I devoted myself to training him and, more importantly, training myself to train him. I went through great lengths to edify myself with this breed specifically, and was devoted to the betterment of my boy. Through years of training and hard work, Killian turned out to be one of the finest examples of what this breed can be.

When I moved out of my parent’s house, Killian was 5 years old. My family was so attached to him that we had to do a "shared custody". They would get him for a week here and a few days there, but almost every time, I was there with him.

Now, when Killian was 7, my sister, still living with my parents, wanted a Chihuahua. I was okay with it for 2 reasons;

1. I was educated in the training process and could "coach" her as she progressed. I also knew she would not take it lightly and would devote the necessary time to learn and teach respectively.

2. Killian was so well trained and had spent his life with such purpose as he trained (and yes, it is a life-long commitment), that I knew if there was difficulty with the transition, it would not be coming from him.

Over the years that followed, the Chi (Nikko) got on great with both family and his "brother" Killian, but it was anything but easy. Now familiar with the Chihuahua breed, I can honestly say that there are many similarities with the 2 breeds, and through dedication and hard work, we were able to reach the point where they could be left alone without any fear of incident. Again, no small feat.

My advice to you is to devote yourself to your Rottie; make him the best he can be through educating yourself FIRST, then transferring that knowledge through action. The simple fact is, with the *MAJOR* mishaps in your past, it is indicative of lack of responsibility. I do not mean any insult, especially as this is my first posting in this forum, but I am only commenting on fact. The example I'll use is with regards to your dogs jumping the fence MULTIPLE times... "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me". Simply stated, it shouldn't have happened the first time, let alone repeating the same mistake twice more. Moreover, properly training a dog enlists many facets of training knowledge. In other words, there are countless details to not only be aware of, but to either avoid or incorporate, and getting the best results often means eliminating many small bad handling traits and replacing them with good or "correct" ones.

I don't mean to harp on you, and if I give that impression, I apologize. I just feel that people make a callus decision all too often and wind up taking on more than they can handle. Many times, the end result is the perception that Rotties are dangerous. I do not, nor have I ever, believed that there is a single Rottie on this earth beyond educated training. When I hear of a Rottie, or any breed of dog, for that matter, that bites or has bitten, all I see is someone that should never have purchased/adopted/attained any dog, let alone this magnificent breed. In other words, it gives Rotties a bad name that they do not deserve.

Just my $.02

BTW, after many months of research, interviewing breeders, and meeting countless dams and sires, we put down a deposit on a liter of Rottie pups expected sometime next week. My parents and I agreed that Killian was too great a dog to share, so we're each getting one:) I feel compelled to mention the lengths you should go in order to find the puppy that's right not only for you, but for the breed, i.e. no puppy mills, byb, pet store pups. If you choose to ignore everything else I've said, please please please DO YOUR RESEARCH before you buy, both on the breeder and the parents. A 10-15 year commitment should not be made with haste.

Thanks all.
Don

[lovemypuppies]

I am so excited for you! Raised separately but together sounds like a lot of extra fun (and work!) Have a ball and please send pictures!