Just starting out...

[nickqvh]

There cannot be enough said about the value of writing your goals down. The chances you accomplish them, just by taking a look at them every day, increases exponentially. I will do just that.

Now if I can only teach Qayla how to read and write-we can get some goals put down on paper for her as well. Although they would probably read something like:

1. Eat by 6 am (followed by quick trip outside)
2. Zoom around the house for an hour by 8.
3. Torcher Buster several times by 10.
4. Nap at noon

(i guess she also knows how to tell time)

Thanks again Lauren!

[TrinityRun]

Sounds to me like you've got an Agility prospect in the making. This might be an avenue you should seriously look into.

[nickqvh]

she could run the course and man the stopwatch!!!

[Elijah's Mom]

Try Agility!!!!!!:) We need more Rotties!!!!:)

[nickqvh]

in you experience how doi Rotti's typically fair in agility trials. My pup starts her first comepetitive obedience class next month. After that I 'm hoping to get started some alternate fun types of training that could lead to competition.

I'd love to get some input on your experiences.

[alexav]

Agility is a blast. I only wish I could keep up with my dog!
My little Rottie, Breezy, has beaten the Border Collies a time or two!
TRY it, you'll LIKE it! :D
Besides being fun and great exercise, Agility builds trust and handler attentiveness, IMO.

BTW, I do PSA (ringsport) with my Rotties too.

[samanthac]

I had the opportunity to speak to Bernhard in person. Why he indicates that the tapes are good and can be helpful, he said that there are some things wrong in them. He is not involved in the making of the tapes. Basically the person who makes them has hours of tape of Bernhard's training sessions. They edit those sessions and put their own narration to them. Bernhard gets a copy after the fact. He was not downing the tapes. He said they are very useful and informative, but there are some things that are changed or not completely correct. He said he would not use them as your sole training advice.

Look, we all know that Rottweilers are never going to compete at the leve of GSDs and Mali's. So why do we keep trying to compare or expressing disappointment when they do not? I see people go through dog after dog trying to find the GS-Rott-inois. With super rare exceptions, it just is not going to happen with Rotts. How many Rotts other than Pascha can we name that ever got a perfect 300 on the field? There are some Rotts that get into the 290's, but most I see are in the 280's. And to me personally, ther eis nothing wrong with that. Hey, at least these people are out there doing something with these dogs.

There is something beyond high scores that is driving us to these dogs and that is why we have them. I like Rottweilers and I don't care if they get a 300 or not. To me, the sport is about going out and having FUN with my dog!!! Its not about a perfect 300, its about building a bond and having a fun time. I don't want a clingy, neurotic GSD that will work for me all day until it falls over. Nor do I want a drivey Mali that I cannot even keep in my house because it would make me crazy inside a NY minute! :) I like that my dog has a brain in his head. He may be slower, but he is accurate. And personally I think a Rott is more imposing on the field. I enjoy watching the helpers try to drive a Rott because IMO they give a little more fight and I kind of like that. To me, it just is not as impressive watching a helper throw around a Mali or GSD...although I do have to admit that their speed is impressive. :) But I also think a Rottweilers bark and hold is more impressive, too. Its all about what you like.

Would I like to compete at the National level? I really don't know. I guess if I ever have a dog that merits it, then I suppose I'd try it. But I am not going to spend my life searching for that dog. I am going to what I can with the dogs that I have and just have a good time!!! Who knows how I may feel as I progress in the sport. But for now, this is my mindset!

At the end of the day its about having fun with your dog and the rest is just cake! :)

[alexav]

Samantha,
I LOVED this entire post. I think I will print it out and give it to all those people pushing me to get a Mal. :p ;)
This is my favorite part...

Originally posted by samanthac
At the end of the day its about having fun with your dog and the rest is just cake! :)

I know alot of folks that have trouble understanding this but I feel the same way...:)

[Elijah's Mom]

Hi nickqvh,

Rotties are capable of doing very well in agility. Unfortunately there are not very many Rotties out there competing...........maybe because everyone thinks agility is mainly for Border Collies.

Elijah was 10 months old when we started training for agility at the suggestion of our obedience instructor. We trained for a year and then entered our first competition in UKC. My classmates had suggested UKC to start with as it is more obedience oriented and slower paced. Elijah earned his UACHX in just shy of a year of competing. We began AKC 7 months into our UKC competition and have been competing for a year and a half...now working towards our MX and MXJ.

I post on this board alot about our accomplishments in the hope that I can lure other Rottie owners into agility. :) I was totally "green" when I took Elijah to our first UKC competition. I had never watched agility on tv, had never gone to any competition to observe...just took classes. The good part about this: I had no qualms about going out on a course with a Rottie...it never occurred to me that they weren't supposed to be agility dogs.:)

When we went to the UKC Premier (Nationals) last June, Trail Creek Agility from LaPorte, In. was the host club. They held their own agility the day before the Premier and Elijah took High in Trial over 196 dogs...Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, Malanois, Tervs, GSD's, Dobes, right down to Pekinese!:D I am not saying this to brag but just want you to see that it can be done:D The bonding between dog and handler in agility is incredible:)

My suggestion to you if you think you might want to start training for agility in the future: Start using hand and shoulder motion with your dog so she can read what you want....throw a ball ahead and say "go, go, go"....later on you can use this to send her ahead to jumps, etc.

Agility is the best thing I have ever gotten involved in.:) The challenges on the courses can be incredible...never a moment have I been bored watching or competing. We really need to have more Rotties out there. According to my AKC book, only 37 Rotties earned a Novice Agility title last year, 40 earned a Novice Agility Jumpers title....the numbers go down on the other agility titles. Our Rotties are so highly intelligent and love to work....I just wish we could see more out there:)

If I can answer any specific questions please ask. :)

[Mr. AlexaV]

Bree loves agility. She goes faster than Mrs. AlexaV.

Here she is making sure she touches that contact area!

(Sorry DW, had to post this pic, I just love it)

And jumping through a tire jump!

She's going so fast, shes almost a blur.;)

Oh Ya, I almost forgot...She really like to bite things too!!!

[Brooke&Ryan]

Originally posted by Mr. AlexaV
Bree loves agility. She goes faster than Mrs. AlexaV.

Here she is making sure she touches that contact area!

(Sorry DW, had to post this pic, I just love it![/url]

I love that picture. It looks like she is stretching her leg out to make sure that she touches. Too cute. Julius also loooooves agility!

:)
Brooke

[poohbearsmom]

Originally posted by nickqvh
Hi guys. I just wanted to see if anyone had any recommendations for me.

I have a 8 month old female (my first Rotty). I have, to this point, avoided any real exercise, just trying to err on the side of caution when it comes to her quickly growing and setting bones. I do feel, however, that i need to start stimulating her desire to work at some point in the near future. We do quite a bit of basic obedience. We do some light tugging and fetching-all within the constraints of basic obedience. She will be starting a beginner's competition obedience class in january.

My question is what should my guidelines be as far as introducing her to significant physical and mental stimulation? What age is ideal? What types of activities and games have your dogs responded well to? What sort of activities would be good precursors to possible schtuzhund training down the road?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Foundation work (imprinting bitework, building prey drive, tracking) can be started when a pup is quite young (7weeks or so)....

It is also good to see if folks at the club near you are familiar with rotties, and working them. As Mattweiser said, there are differences in the handling of rotties and GSD/mals. Mental maturity is a big factor here.

Good luck!

[Storm]

Originally posted by nickqvh
My question is what should my guidelines be as far as introducing her to significant physical and mental stimulation? What age is ideal? What types of activities and games have your dogs responded well to? What sort of activities would be good precursors to possible schtuzhund training down the road?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

It's good that you consider all this at such an early age. First you must decide on what type of aproach you are going to follow when it comes to obedience?? Compulsion, the odd toy or food reward or the initial development of drives, bond between you and your dog which done correctly can lead to a very positive, rewarding form of training. With the development of drives and channeling of these drives into fixed behaviors one is able to get a dog that is very willing and responsive, done correrctly you will definately get the most out of your dog considering genetically what it has to offer. Also bearing in mind that a dog can not be left to its own resouces and allowed to do every behavior it feels like, when it feels like and then respond positively when it comes "performing". In relation to the dog's age it is a long process, developing the drives, using these desires from the dog to offer positions, then put verbal assoications to the commands etc. it is dificult to explain here.