This weeks reputation spolier

[princessmom]

Originally Posted by MarcosAnya

"poor thing"? are you for real?!! he was drinking blood and eating human flesh! after he snaped her bones from sholder down.... just to remind you! JUST WHAT KIND OF NURTURE DOS IT TAKES! Feeding it human flesh and bones???? don't be silly....
Are you saying that this dog shouldn't be killed? if yes... keep him alive for what?? his folt or not, he has to be put down- give me a brake will you.......

P.S. a Dog is considered to be a domesticated animal, it is stupid to compare it to "bears, lions, elephants, crocodiles, sharks"

Yes I do feel sorry for the "poor thing". It is an ANIMAL as I stated in my post and can you imagine what kind of life it had to live to get to the point where it did this horrific thing???
No the dog should not live!!! I'm not an idiot. I'm not like these PETA people that think animals have more rights than humans. But I do think that since PEOPLE bred the ANIMAL and were responsible for it's being here in the first place, then PEOPLE are responsible for either raising this animal or putting it down if it is THAT messed up. It is certainly not the ANIMAL'S fault!!! As far as it being "stupid" to compare dogs to other ANIMALS that is just your humble opinion. We can domesticate an animal but they will still be animals.

[mishmash]

exactly!!!

i have just returned from our 2nd walk of the day and had another experience, a woman with a border collie at the top of a hill we were walkin froze in horror as i approached. . .WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE!!!! if i had any other breed of dog that was a puppy like willow, people would be rushing to pet it and letting their kids have a stroke, not ushering children out the way or crossing the road.

[soon to be mom]

I'm a very happy new Mom of a 11 week old Rott. My husband and I always liked this breed and finally had the opportunity to get one, now we have had several people tell us they would not come over because of the bad rep. of this breed. I have a friend that worked for an attorney that said these dogs will just turn, it's part of the breed. I'm having a very hard time believing this and anyone who can calm my fears a bit more please do. I am going to be taking "Zita" to dog obedience early April, and taking her out to socialize weekly.


And here goes the question, nature or nurture?

Thanks,
Marie

[kerry grant]

Originally Posted by mishmash

exactly!!!

i have just returned from our 2nd walk of the day and had another experience, a woman with a border collie at the top of a hill we were walkin froze in horror as i approached. . .WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE!!!! if i had any other breed of dog that was a puppy like willow, people would be rushing to pet it and letting their kids have a stroke, not ushering children out the way or crossing the road.

Dont let them get to you, i used to get really upset when people hurled abuse at me and Bailey, but now i just hold my head up and feel really proud of who is by my side.Half of the twats you come across can just about spell tabloid press let alone read the trash that gets printed [Devil Dogs and so on].Just let it go over your head and walk away with one of the best breads by your side xx

[TrinaJ]

Originally Posted by princessmom

Yes I do feel sorry for the "poor thing". It is an ANIMAL as I stated in my post and can you imagine what kind of life it had to live to get to the point where it did this horrific thing???
No the dog should not live!!! I'm not an idiot. I'm not like these PETA people that think animals have more rights than humans. But I do think that since PEOPLE bred the ANIMAL and were responsible for it's being here in the first place, then PEOPLE are responsible for either raising this animal or putting it down if it is THAT messed up. It is certainly not the ANIMAL'S fault!!! As far as it being "stupid" to compare dogs to other ANIMALS that is just your humble opinion. We can domesticate an animal but they will still be animals.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[mishmash]

thanks kerry, i do,do that. walk past with pride but it does get to me sometimes thats all, especially when it happens on both of willows walks in one day. he thinks its strange when people dont pet him, as he is a pub dog and all the customers love him to bits so he is used to attention from everyone

[themaster]

Originally Posted by soon to be mom

we have had several people tell us they would not come over because of the bad rep of this breed.

Well that's their loss, but all it means is that for you to keep in touch with some of your friends you have to go to their place instead

Originally Posted by soon to be mom

I have a friend that worked for an attorney that said these dogs will just turn, it's part of the breed.

And an attorney is a dog expert because? what utter nonsense. maybe due to serious illness you may see a dog "turn" but that is any breed from gthe smallest to the largest.

Originally Posted by soon to be mom

I am going to be taking "Zita" to dog obedience early April, and taking her out to socialize weekly.

Excellent plan with the training and keep it up, but you can socialize her every day when you go out for a walk... not just with other dogs and people but with all the smells, sounds and sights you come across.

Originally Posted by soon to be mom

And here goes the question, nature or nurture?

Nurture, obviously there are certain things that it is natural for any animal to do, but pretty much all of those behaviours can be modified or controlled through the appropriate training

[soon to be mom]

Thanks for all the great advice. I'm going to be very honest here and I hope you don't beat me up for it. Honestly my husband and I live on 3 acres with another dog, horses and a barn cat. We don't do regular exercise with our dog, we will play fetch and toss a ball, but we're not really dog walkers. Do you feel Zita will get enough exercise just being in the yard with us? Right now we just think she's the best, but we need to be honest about her physical activity level as we don't want her to get bored and get into trouble.

Another one of our fears is that we do not have a fenced yard and our neighbor has a toddler. We have invisible fence and can control where our dog goes, but what about small children and other animals.

I know you're all thinking, "why didn't you think of this before?", but this puppy just needed a home and we took her and now we're considering all the negatives we're receiving. Please help! Thanks in advance.

[princessmom]

Uh Oh. Yeah. it's kind of hard to think of everything when you're looking at a little puppy face that needs a home. But everything you said spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E. I'm sorry, and I'm NOT bashing you at all. I know how this can happen, but I think you already know the "right" answers here. I don't think you're going to hear anything different than what you already expect. Sorry.

[princessmom]

I just edited that last post and it didn't go through so I'm trying again here. I read your earlier post where you asked about nature vs nurture. Well it's both. The nature of a Rottweiler is loyal, pack-oriented and curious. They need strong leadership and lots of exercise (especially as a pup). They are very powerful and store up tons of energy that needs to be released on a regular basis. IE: walking, hiking, pulling you when you are biking, rollerblading etc... Walks are essential! It's THE easiest thing you can do to ensure a healthy dog in both mind and body. That is part of the nurture. What happens to their nature though if they are with the wrong people is VERY bad. Particularly BECAUSE they are so powerful and have such stores of energy. The rottweiler breed is not one for everybody. It is not one to be taken on by someone who is not devoted to being a responsible dog owner. Please know that I am not lecturing you here, I am answering your question and hoping that you will be able to work things out and have a happy healthy dog for life.

[soon to be mom]

Thanks for your prompt reply Princess...................we have a lot of thinking to do.........

[Shelby427]

Originally Posted by soon to be mom

Thanks for all the great advice. I'm going to be very honest here and I hope you don't beat me up for it. Honestly my husband and I live on 3 acres with another dog, horses and a barn cat. We don't do regular exercise with our dog, we will play fetch and toss a ball, but we're not really dog walkers. Do you feel Zita will get enough exercise just being in the yard with us? Right now we just think she's the best, but we need to be honest about her physical activity level as we don't want her to get bored and get into trouble.

Another one of our fears is that we do not have a fenced yard and our neighbor has a toddler. We have invisible fence and can control where our dog goes, but what about small children and other animals.

I know you're all thinking, "why didn't you think of this before?", but this puppy just needed a home and we took her and now we're considering all the negatives we're receiving. Please help! Thanks in advance.

Your Zita will not have enough mental and physical stimulation if she's out in the yard with you. Rotties are a WORKING BREED, so she'll need something to do. Yes, you'll have to walk her - maybe 2-3 times per day. Maybe only once per day, it depends on the dog. A tired dog is a good dog. If you don't have time to walk her, get her into classes for at least 2 years, then no, you are not the right owner for a rottie.

Don't think that Invisible Fence will give you control over where your dog goes. Rotties have prey drive, if something small and fast runs by, you better bet your dog will go after it. IF is NOT RELIABLE. Like in the other thread you started, either get a physical fence up, build a run, or something. You will have to go outside with your dog each and every time. The reason we are so passionate about this is because of BSL. Uneducated owners are the reason why there is BSL all over this country.

[princessmom]

Shelby, what is BSL? I've tried to figure out what it stands for and I can't/ thanks.

[Shelby427]

Originally Posted by princessmom

Shelby, what is BSL? I've tried to figure out what it stands for and I can't/ thanks.

Breed Specific Legislation - meaning if a town/county/state deems a certain breed of dog dangerous, they can get laws voted on to restrict or BAN certain breeds, which is NOT fair for us responsible owners.

The OP needs to seriously think about this. It's the uneducated owners that tie up their dogs outside, then wonder why the dog is aggressive. It's the uneducated owners who think rotties are for "protection" and don't socialize them like they should. It's all over the place so new rottie owners should know that if they are not responsible, BSL may be coming to a town near you.