An Introduction, and some questions...

[aldelgreco]

Hey everyone, I have been lurking on this board for some time while mulling over the decision to get a new rot puppy, and even more so since I brought home Miss Precious, a beautiful 7-week old female that I picked up out of pure serendipity from a crappy house with a "Rotweiller Puppies" sign that i subsequently called in and reported for having the worst conditions I have ever seen. The mother and the father were both chained to trees and unapproachable, the litter was staying a shanty of a doghouse and looked to have fleas, etc.

I know that the worst thing you can do is buy from one of these guys, and I went in thinking..."OK, Alex...don't get a dog here. Just look at them and get some experience with actually checking these dogs out." Of course, I saw Miss Precious and all I wanted to do was get her out of there and go to Animal Trustees immediately to make sure everything was cool with her health. So, that is how I ended up with my baby Rot.

I am a musician and I "work" from home. lol. By "work" I mean, spend some time writing music, but mainly observing and working with my dogs. My girlfriend and I have a nice-sized place with a total of 4 dogs now. Of the three males 2 are very small breeds (dachshund and chiuhaha) one is an akita-chow mix. the akita choow mix is getting on in age, and I wanted to be able to have a "guardian dog" to succeed him once he passes on for protection of the house and girlfriend when I am on tour, and decided on a female rot since he is not good at all with other large males. I thought now would be the best time since who knows how long I will be in a situation like now where going into work is not a part of my life.

Anyway...I feel like Miss Precious is doing a great job so far, and I love her little personality. she is at about 8 weeks now, and it took a while for her to warm up to us, but now is most definitely part of the clan. Here are my questions:

1) Her best friend is her brother, Charles (1-y.o.dachshund) they play and play and play and play and play. sometimes until she just drops. Am I right in thinking that I am fortunate in having another guy to kind of "help me" with all her energy? I feel like stopping them from just playing like pups would be unnatural but maybe I am wrong.

2) Food: she gets 1/2 cup of Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy 3 times daily. Any thoughts on this food/ration would be appreciated. she seems like a hungry girl.

3) Crate: she has gotten to where she sleeps through the night in the crate next to me with one potty break around 2AM and needs to get up when the others do around 730AM. Should I wait until she can make it through the whole night until I move her crate downstairs with the others?

4) Training: (IMPORTANT) what sort of training is even feasible right now for this little girl? She seems so intelligent (only one accident in over a week and sometimes she puts her paw on the door and whines. I was flabbergasted) but, her attention span is so damn short. I feel like she isn't really learning when I am playing the games with her. Like the recall game- all she really wants to do is chew on the leash, lol. Sit and Stay are like a joke. I have no experience with puppies this young, and was wondering whether it is just a matter of time when maybe things will start to click as long as you're consistent with the brief little stints of training throughout the day every day.

5) Last one, sorry.
Socialization: she has only had her backyard breeder shots and does not get her first round until Saturday 4/19 by vet instructions. I cannot let her leave our property for fear of her catching anything. She has 3 other dogs here and many humans, including interesting smelling bandmates : ) and friends to help her with socialization, but how soon can I get her out into the "real world" after that first roud of shots? I would like to start obedience as soon as possible, but if I have to wait until after the 2nd round of shots, and i cant get the first round until this weekend, would that make it too late?


I TRULY APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S FEEDBACK. Hopefully, one day, I can be a veteran advisor on these forums like some of you.

peace and love
alex

[AngelBunny]

Originally Posted by aldelgreco

...I know that the worst thing you can do is buy from one of these guys...

Yet you bought a puppy from "one of those guys." Clearly, you didn't lurk for nearly enough time on RDN.

I wish you hadn't brought Miss Precious and taken her home.

I fully understand your desire to remove her from the situation. I've been involved in Rottie rescue going on 10 years and have seen plenty.

However, what you did--buying a puppy form a puppy producer is completely wrong.

Doubtless you gave Miss Precious' breeder money for her.

To you, it may not have been alot, but to Miss Precious' breeder it was enough to reward them for breeding their dogs. You buying Miss Precious--and the other soft hearted, compassionate people who will do just what you did--just stop to look at the puppies--only to end up buying one (or two) may well encourage them to breed the bitch again. That's how puppy producers like Miss Precious' operate--they keep breeding until they can no longer sell their product.

Over the years, my rescue group has been contacted by people who bred a litter of puppies to make money who then found out they can't sell the puppies. They want us to take the puppies.

We'll do that--on the condition they let us pay for spaying their bitch. If they have a male, we pay for his neutering, too.

I can only hope that other lurkers are more rationale than you.

In answer to your questions:

1. Puppies playing together is fine, but you are going to have to take Miss Precious to class and get her focused on you and your GF. Dogs are inherently more interesting to each other than people are to do dogs. If you let Charles and Miss Precious play morning, noon, and night, Miss Precious is going to grow up focused on her dog buddy and will care two pins about you.

I suggest taking Charles to class, too.

2. The food you're feeding is inferior. Read thru the postings in Nutrition and Grooming to learn about what foods we like and why we like them.

3. Yes, her crate needs to be where you can hear her when she fusses. The rule of thumb is puppies have bladder and bowel control for 1 hour/4 weeks of age + 1 hour.

4 & 5. Your puppy is seven weeks old. Puppies have the attention span of a gnat.

My kennel club holds puppy K classes for puppies between 8-16 weeks of age.

[Zumie05]

The mom and dad of this litter were unapproachable, meaning aggressive dogs?

A while back there was a very long ongoing thread about someone who ended up putting their dog down because of aggression...and that dog had come from the exact same situation as your new girl did. Sometimes genetics are just too strong in some dogs and even socializing them well when young isn't enough, and it is a very sad thing.

I don't want you to think I am bashing on you or anything, I just think you have the right to know some of the possible outcomes that can happen when you have a dog from a byb like this.

I am going through hip problems with my young 7.5 month old, who was also purchased from a byb (little did I know until after joining this forum ). Luckily I was able to meet both parents and they were very nice looking and friendly dogs.

I hope you and your puppy the best of luck. Continue reading on this forum and elsewhere and educating yourself.