Is my puppy normal?

[NickyBoy]

I have a little question about my new puppy Meo.

I bought him from Canada, St-Hyacinthe, the girls told me he was purebred but didn't have any paper or tatoo, I saw the two parents and the whole family.

They all looked pretty much like what I see on the web.

But as I am reading more and more about the breed, they often describe it with a straight back, but when I'm looking at my 5month old male rott he has a rounded back and he doesn't have the standing position I see in all those rott picture, is it because I must show him how to stand or is it a fault?

He is also not fearless like they describe it, he's calm (not to say lazy :D) but sometimes I can see fear reaction to new thing happening (noise, (he has a lot of socialization going on so he see lot of thing in a day) Is this a problem?

I do got some courses with my dog, but I want to continue it by myself, is there a book that you recommend that is good for training my little baby?

Anyway he's my little baby, I love him whatsoever :) just to know

ps. sorry for my english I'm a french canadian.

[StephanieandToby]

Five months old is still pretty young to be "fearless." Your dog is still a baby! Good for you for getting him in obedience class...the more you work with him and take him into new and different situations, the better!He sounds like a pretty normal puppy to me....
As for his "curved" back...my dog Toby also had a slight curve to his back. I believe they call it a "roach" back or "camel" back....but to me, he was perfect!!

Congratulations on your new puppy!

[poohbearsmom]

Originally Posted by NickyBoy

I have a little question about my new puppy Meo.

I bought him from Canada, St-Hyacinthe, the girls told me he was purebred but didn't have any paper or tatoo, I saw the two parents and the whole family.

They all looked pretty much like what I see on the web.

But as I am reading more and more about the breed, they often describe it with a straight back, but when I'm looking at my 5month old male rott he has a rounded back and he doesn't have the standing position I see in all those rott picture, is it because I must show him how to stand or is it a fault?

He is also not fearless like they describe it, he's calm (not to say lazy :D) but sometimes I can see fear reaction to new thing happening (noise, (he has a lot of socialization going on so he see lot of thing in a day) Is this a problem?

I do got some courses with my dog, but I want to continue it by myself, is there a book that you recommend that is good for training my little baby?

Anyway he's my little baby, I love him whatsoever :) just to know

ps. sorry for my english I'm a french canadian.

He may well be purebred... not all specimens are created equal. That goes for conformation as well as mental stability. This is why homework prior to bringing home that cute pup is essential.

You still have a young dog on your hands. Rotties are notoriously known to be slow maturers - not reaching their full mental or physical maturity until the age of 3 much of the time.

Training is an ongoing responsibility throughout your dog's lifetime. One or two classes at a young age is usually not sufficient in teaching you how to communicate with your dog effectively.

Most pups go through several fear periods during their development and maturation process... how you handle your dog when he 'spooks' is of utmost importance. Do not baby or coddle him, as this will inevitably reinforce his feeling of fear. Do approach the offending object and let your pup know there's nothing to fear but fear itself.

There's quite a lot of information available on this forum to guide you, but I also encourage you to pursue higher levels of training with your boy to ensure that you're on the right track. A qualified instructor will take you to much farther heights in molding the good dog you'll be living with for the next 8-12 years of your life.

Good luck, and welcome to the Forums!