What's a dog from working lines really like to live with?

[BostonRott]

11mos old, 104F fever w/ bronchitis, tonsilitis, and tracheitis..........in my backyard doing teeters and weave poles, trying her damndest to work. All I wanted was for her to go pee.

I couldn't imagine living without a working-line dog, they are pure joy! :D

[Mattweiser]

Originally posted by Muckdogs
BUT the difference is that most Rotts will be able to gear back if you indicate that you are not interested. Not so with some other breeds, like Mals. They would drive me crazy in the house.

WHOA!!!! LOL

that is not true.. ;).. I happen to have a house Mal, and a house Rott.... they are both equally lazy!!!

[MARYDVM]

Reality check. Yes, working temperaments
are wonderful, but the high energy level will provide more problem coping opportunities for you than the more mellow types. I am "mending" 4 holes in the computer room carpet this weekend. Four month old Bliss will be lying quietly, chewing on her bone, then notice a slight irregularity in the carpet weave and quietly transfer from bone to yarn pulling - all while I'm right there in the room. The other night she was "zooming" through the living room and suddenly decided to showcase her agility skills by a cavalry charge up a chair a friend was sitting in. She made it to the top of the chair back, and the top of seated friend's head, only sticking one foot in the person's glass of ice tea on the way up. Never saw anything like that before (or since) and she didn't get corrected for it, because I was laughing too hard. She will undoubtedly have other similar adventures on her way to maturity.

[Brooke&Ryan]

Originally posted by MARYDVM
Reality check. Yes, working temperaments
are wonderful, but the high energy level will provide more problem coping opportunities for you than the more mellow types. I am "mending" 4 holes in the computer room carpet this weekend. Four month old Bliss will be lying quietly, chewing on her bone, then notice a slight irregularity in the carpet weave and quietly transfer from bone to yarn pulling - all while I'm right there in the room. The other night she was "zooming" through the living room and suddenly decided to showcase her agility skills by a cavalry charge up a chair a friend was sitting in. She made it to the top of the chair back, and the top of seated friend's head, only sticking one foot in the person's glass of ice tea on the way up. Never saw anything like that before (or since) and she didn't get corrected for it, because I was laughing too hard. She will undoubtedly have other similar adventures on her way to maturity.

HAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh my! Too funny. Sounds like you're having fun with Bliss. The part about finding a slight irregularity in the carpet weave sounds EXACTLY like Julius. They certainly are curious little buggers!

Brooke

[BostonRott]

Too funny!!!! :) Banja has a similar trick, the flying couch leap, usually ending up on the top back of the couch, sometimes to be assaulted by the A/C air vent...........which then becomes a game of "bite the air." Gotta love youth. O, and we'll be replacing our cheap-o rug in the family room when she's a bit older........she and her 8 littermates did some really nice work on it, which she tries to continue at times. :D

[Grendl]

I also have one of these dogs right now, and I can see where, in a less disciplined and structured environment, these dogs could become behavior problems. Mine is more challenging than any of my previous Rotties, but I love her to death.

[Leader]

:) Well, mine is FINALLY a year old;)

She used to be like that, and I thought I'd probably kill her or get rid of her before she became adult. (not for real, but I did sometimes wonder) But crate and kennel helped me out and now she's just fine.

At a year old, almost constant chewing, ready for anything, anytime, still gets the zoomies every once in a while and is FINALLY learning NOT to go chasing after my cats for fun.

And she's become very endearing, too. No couch potatoes for me;) A working rottie or rott is such great pleasure!


Leader

[BostonRott]

It doesn't get better when they're adults...........

Spayed, molar removed, stoned on morphine, trying her damndest to leap into the back of my Expedition.........despite me trying to lift her. Open the crate door at home, we try to lift her down, she jumps, we catch. Walking like a parallelogram about the house, all spots must be checked for the presence of cats. None are found.

Frol was allowed to come home the day of surgery, we brought her upstairs with us to be able to monitor her for any complications. Woke up with Frol sleeping on the king sized bed at my feet...........she needed to be closer for better monitoring. Guess after a c-section, a spay just ain't that painful.

Working dogs never stop working, and what one must truly realize is that as they age, their inability to work/be active may kill them faster than any disease you are currently contending with. It's all about mental attitude.

[Judi W]

Well, I know I am relieved! We all thought there was a serious question as to whether this bitch would be allowed to live to reach her one year birthday!!!!!!!!!!! I don't like to disturb you, but it's not over. I have lying at my feet a 9 1/2 year old who was very similar and just when I'd think she had settled down a bit...... baboom, she'd go off like a rocket. She loved (and still does) to work, considered each opportunity a chance to show the world what she could do and never once faded when there was work to be done. Even retired now, she is quite a lady and thankfully, most of the time, I forget the trials she was as a youngster. My badest dog ever......

[Leader]

Judi,
Thanks for the laugh! It felt sooooo GOOD:D

Blaze does still go after ANYTHING with wheels inside the fence around my place, garden tools, running cats, odd balls and kongs and things, anything that moves on the floor, anything on the dining table (not fair game but if she's not looking I'll take a chance-says Blaze)

goes trotting off to the kennel with pure joy when I say Kennel or into her crate when I say Place! And she still steals any laundry lying around, but will bring it straight to me when I say Fetch, will sit and give it to me (thank god for small miracles and a little training:D ). She enjoys working, sometimes on her terms. We get into minor arguments over that, but I manage to win (I don't know how;) ). Anyway she's become a pure joy, even if she is lazier than lazy in bite work to my great dismay and distress. But as my breeder says, she's still a pup (12 months). For that matter so is Leader, almost 8 who has more prey drive than any other animal I have ever seen. Or maybe I should say play drive:D :D :D

Leader

[Judi W]

Well, it doesn't ALL clean up. The only thing my old girl still steals is she takes at least one of my "dog" shoes outside. Doesn't do anything with it, just takes it outside. My son said she is trying to find 4 that match so she can go someplace. I'll look at her and say "I'd take you for a walk, but I can only find one shoe, holding up that 'one' shoe", She looks at me and says "hey, I think you left one of them outside, I remember seeing it there, just a minute and I'll be right back"...... She then bolts out the dog door and comes back with the shoe...... What a hoot she is. and yes, I will admit that she does the best to work on her terms but always saved that revelation for trials.......

[Leader]

Well, I must say Leader seems to have been a tot easier to handle, maybe because I like he's better'n she's;)

I just hope I get the chance to see Blaze work in trials. I'll be really disappointed if I don't.

Leader is lying on his back, as usual as I write this...just cooling out in this French heat wave. There's something of the crocodile about him in this position...maybe the smile

Leader

[Judi W]

In a spate of honesty, I will admit that I have always preferred the boys both to work and to live with. They have a sense of humor and I believe a bit more concern about whether you are happy with them or not. So, yes, I understand and agree. About the only reason I have a bitch now and then is that I will not have two males unless one is way older. The interaction between the bitches and dogs makes for an easier household.

As far as living with working dogs, it is not for the lazy but then I wish the lazy wouldn't own our breed at all regardless of the individual dog's character.

[Leader]

Same here on both counts. I wouldn't bring another male into the home until Leader is much older because I want to avoid that same sex thing. It's great fun having pups and that's a great pleasure with a female, but then all the rest is much more fun with a boy.:D

Leader

[alexav]

Oh, I just had to chime in here...

We made a little video of our girls a couple of weeks ago and it really fits the topic here. It illustrates that the difference can show up in almost any activity. ;)
Alexa has always "worked" but her personality is very laid back most of the time and she has really been an "easy dog".
Breezy, on the other hand....

Well, here's the video so you can see the difference for yourself....
(Hubby's been experimenting with a new editing program so please indulge us a bit...we had a lot of fun making it. Turn your speakers on!:D I hope you like it.):)

High BW
http://???????????????????????/public/darswim_high.wmv

Low BW
http://???????????????????????/public/darswim_low.wmv