A lot of newbie puppy questions

[Lazarus]

I brought a Rottie last summer from a terrible, terrible place here in NJ. Long story short the dog got sick and we took her back but even then I some questions. We're driving to PA Saturday and more than likely picking up a new 8 week old pup. My first set of questions has to do with regards to making sure the dog is good and healthy. Are their any questions I should ask the breeder? Any signs I should look for in the mother? Etc?

The next set of questions has to do with the diet, toys, and snacks. My daughter is 2 going on 3 and evertime she's over my friend's house (they have a cocker) she wants to feed it snacks 1 after another. How many treats/snacks should the pup get per day? What is a good brand to get? Are there any I should avoid? What do you feed a Rottie puppy? I think we brought Pedigree dry puppy food last time and mixed it with some water. How do you prepare the food? Does it matter what toys to get the puppy?

My last couple of questions has to do with playing, training and just overall puppy care. The last dog had some toys that you could play tug of war with. I would let the dog bite one end and tug and wiggle the other end, not hard just lightly. Is this good? Will this lead to biting problems or anything? How do you train the dog to go potty outside? Is there anything I should watch out for if the puppy is outside? Like eating grass or anything? Grass helps their stomach right?

With everything that happened to our last dog I want to do things right with this one.

[Brooke&Ryan]

Check out this thread that Gretchen wrote regarding finding a puppy. In it there are many questions that you should ask & questions you should be prepared to answer from the breeder.

Finding a Puppy

Would this kennel be in Kimberton, by chance???

[Canadianrotti]

I would like start by saying WAIT!!! Wait untill you have your questions answered, wait untill you know what to look for in a breeder, and wait untill you find one!!

Picking out a dog is best left to those who know how to do it, which is a good breeder. They will know the pups best, and where to place them.

As lots of questions here, and check the archives for info. As for books, Rottweilers for dummies is a great place to start (don't let the name fool you).

I would seriously wait a little longer untill you have a crate, a good vet, a training facility lined up etc, etc. You obviously want to do this right, that is why you came here. You are going to have this dog for the next 10 years, so what is another few weeks???

Good luck, and let us know how things are going.

[Lazarus]

Originally Posted by Brooke&Ryan

Check out this thread that Gretchen wrote regarding finding a puppy. In it there are many questions that you should ask & questions you should be prepared to answer from the breeder.

Finding a Puppy

Would this kennel be in Kimberton, by chance???

No. I dont think its a big breeder, just a guy in Ephrata that has 2 pups. They are suppose to be AKC with papers.

[Brooke&Ryan]

Originally Posted by Lazarus

No. I dont think its a big breeder, just a guy in Ephrata that has 2 pups. They are suppose to be AKC with papers.

Hmmm, if he's "just a guy", I would probably pass.

Here are some of the important parts of the article I linked above....Please ask him:

No matter what you plan to do with your pup, you should strongly consider health and temperament, for without health, your pup will have little enjoyment of life, and without good temperament, no one will want to be around your dog.

You should ask breeders about screening for hips, elbows and hearts. All 3 of these are certified via OFA (http://www.offa.org) and you can verify a breeder's claims of screened animals by doing a search of the OFA database on their website. You can also ask about eye clearances, verified via CERF.

Realize that some breeders will not allow "picks" of puppies. The breeders spend 8 weeks with their litter, they know them better than anyone, and deeper than any 5-10 minute puppy test, and should be able to say "Based on your lifestyle, household and expectations, Puppy Q will be best for you."

Find someone you can establish a long-term trusting relationship with, someone who is willing and able to answer any question at any hour, or if they can't, is willing to ferret out resources for you. You should expect a good breeder to pry into your life as much as you are prying into their breeding plans. They may want to see your house, know if your yard is fenced, know your previous experience with either the breed, or dogs in general. Don't lie to them, and don't think that because you don't have any experience, that you will be automatically ruled out.

You said that you purchased a pup from a terrible place last summer. Just because these dogs have their AKC papers does not mean that they have had all of the health tests listed above...or that the breeder has spent lots of time properly socializing these puppies. I would pass on this litter. It seems like all questions should have been answered by now & that the breeder should have been asking YOU questions about your home/lifestyle/etc.... Doesn't sound too good to me.....

Keep on reading in the "Breeding" section. There are tons of threads re: finding the right puppy for you. It sometimes takes quite awhile to find the right fit...but when you get that dog from a RESPONSIBLE breeder & you get a HEALTHY, WELL-SOCIALIZED pup....it's all worth it.

[Brooke&Ryan]

Here are a few more threads to read/consider.

Here are a few important quotes from this thread: How to choose my first puppy?

No real "breeder" should allow you to just go in and pick what puppy you want. They should be interviewing you, learning about your lifestyle, your personality and then watching their pups over the first 8 weeks to determine which pup fits your household the best in terms of temperament, personality, etc.

Make sure that you see and get copies of the sire and dam's:
1. AKC registration papers
2. OFA certifications for hips, elbows and hearts
3. CERF certificate for eyes

Also make sure that they are providing a WRITTEN contract that provides you with some sort of a health and temperament guarantee. If they do not want to provide all of the above, then run, don't walk away from them and find yourself another breeder. Are you purchasing the pup as a show pup or a pet companion? They should have a different contract for each, if you are purchasing a pet, then your contract should state that the puppy is required to be spayed or neutered by a certain age.

Were the sire and dam ever shown? Do they have any titles?

Also, the pup should never be taken away from it's mother prior to 7 weeks of age. Do not let them tell you otherwise.

Agreed, the breeder shouldn't allow you to choose your puppy, you don't know their personalities, you don't know who is rambunctious, who is not; who will be dominant (and a PITA to train) and who will be more biddable.

You should be able to describe to the breeder what kind of a lifestyle you lead (lots of outdoor activity? Long hikes in the mountains? City life? Tons of people? Small kids/animals?). Tell the breeder what you would like to do with your pup (house pet, competition dog, therapy dog). All of these things should factor in to the breeder choosing your puppy for you.

I have to say...........if the breeder hasn't already gone over all of this with you, and you're getting the puppy in 5-6 weeks, then I think your breeder is not doing a good job educating you, and you should definitely consider another breeder. What kind of screening questions did this breeder ask you? Do they know what your house/land layout is? Do they know how many people are in your household? Do they have the name of your local vet / ACO for references?

Has the breeder shown you health certificates on the parents (OFA certificates)? Have you seen any title certificates for either CH or working titles? What are the plans for this litter, why was it bred? What does the breeder hope to acheive in breeding this litter?

Also this thread: Advice on picking out puppy....

One suggestion is that you purchase the book "Rottweilers for Dummies" and have the entire family read it. It will provide you with lots of valuable information on how to raise your pup.

Be sure to get the puppy enrolled into formal obedience classes when it is young and continue them for a few years. Letting her receive guests into your home is something that she will need to be trained to do, it does not always come naturally. You will need to crate train her, have a secure fence to secure her outside areas and be prepared to have her "test" you for the alpha role in your home. Rottweilers are very smart, they will try to run the home instead of letting you do it! :-)

Be sure to purchase from a breeder that will provide you with a contract that covers health and temperament issues. You can do a search of the archives here on the forums and find tons of valuable information for you to use in selecting your pup. If you are not purchasing a show puppy, you should think about spaying her before her first heat cycle.

One more thing, you should be prepared to have a breeder tell you that they will have a hand in choosing the correct pup for your lifestyle and for what you want to do with the dog. Make sure that the parents of your puppy have been tested for hips, hearts, eyes and elbows prior to breeding. You can ask to see their OFA certificates in order to prove that this health testing has been done. Have the parents of the puppy been shown? Do they have breed or working titles?

I have just touched on some of the basics, you will get lots of answers with additional information......

Good luck and have fun anticipating your first rottie!

[Canadianrotti]

Originally Posted by Lazarus

No. I dont think its a big breeder, just a guy in Ephrata that has 2 pups. They are suppose to be AKC with papers.

I hate to say this, but that really means very little. It is not too hard to get "papers" for a dog that has troubles.

What you need to look for is the testing that has been done to the parents! Have they had their hips x-rayed? what blood lines do they come from? What temperment does the lineage have? What records of the lineage of BOTH parents do they have? Soooooo many questions.

It doesn't matter the size of the breeder (number of dogs), there are many excellent "small" breeders, and even some really good "big" ones.

I have heard many stories about puppies that get sent home, and they spend thousands on vet bills because of a dog with poor health. And by knowing the dogs lineage, it is the BEST chance you have to guarantee your dogs health.

Like the fram people say "You can pay me no, or you can pay me later".

[Patty1231]

I would only like to add here - PLEASE heed the advice given to you above. Do not let your heart rule this decision - please use your brain. I know how anxious and eager one can be to get "your" puppy but you could be facing so many problems (as you already know) that it really is worth taking the time to investigate everything closely. I'm really glad you came here for advice first.

One piece of advice: CALL the breeder and ask the questions provided to you. If you wait until you actually go SEE the puppies, your heart will take over. If your questions are not answered to your complete satisfaction, pass without ever going to visit; you can (and should) visit AFTER the call if you are satisfied with the answers you receive. Don't accept excuses for anything that doesn't meet standards (such as health clearances, etc., and follow-up with proof). Taking the time to find a reputable breeder is worth the effort. If you don't, you could just get lucky and end up with a good dog - but you could also end up with a lot of problems and heartache. Good luck and let us know what you find.