A few words about rottweilers (Rottweiler)

Member Name: i_am_joy

Product:	Rottweiler
Date:	29/03/08 (193 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Rottweilers are loyal and well behaved if you train them properly, they are friendly and happy

Disadvantages: They can suffer joint problems, it can be tough to train them

I have kept rottweillers for over 40 years so I thought I would pass on some of the knowledge and tips I have learned over the years to try and help you with what can be a difficult breed to look after.

To start with, I have to say that if you are looking to buy a rottweiler puppy then do not be deceived by the cute bundle of black fluff that will jump on you to be fussed. This sweet little thing that you can pick up with one hand will grow into a powerful 10 stone animal. If you have anyone in your household who is frightened of dogs then I would think again about whether a rottweiler is right for you as they have an intimidating appearance once fully grown and any nerves people, especially children, have will only get worse.

I have always brought my rottweilers from recommended breeders where I can see both the mother and father and read references. I have walked out without a dog in the past because the breeders home did not look like a dog lovers house and I felt he was using his bitch to breed and make money. Ask any questions, go home and think about the answers and then if you still want the puppy then go back and get him. A good breeder will want you to make the best decision for you and your prospective puppy so will not mind if you want to spend some time thinking about it, after all he has a good litter of rottweiler puppies so he will sell them whether you buy it or not so he should not rush you.

Unfortunately a lot of rottweilers end up in rescue centres and this is another way of getting your dog. Go to a reputable rescue centre and ask about the dogs history, they are not allowed to rehome aggressive dogs and many have simply been abandoned because the owner did not realise how big their dog was going to get.

Rottweilers have a very bad press at the moment and have had for some years for I have owned 5 rottweilers from cradle to grave and none of them have had a vicious bone in their bodies. Yes, they are very loyal and make extremely good guard dogs but they have a good understanding about people who you have invited into your home and people who are up to no good.

It is important to socialise your rottweiler as early as possible because a dog who only gets to see you and people in your household can quickly become territorial and this may pose a problem should you decide later in the dogs life that you want to introduce it to more people. In my experience, a rottweiler that has been properly socialised from a puppy will grow up to be a well balanced dog and will not find people generally as threatening as a dog who has not met a wide selection of people.

The thing that most worries people about owning a rottweiler is that adults will panic if there are children around. I have 2 children and had the same rottweiler as a pet when they were both born. Cassius was just 11 months old when my oldest daughter was born and he instantly bonded with her as soon as she came home with me from the hospital, 5 years later when my second daughter was born he was equally loving towards her even though he was an older dog then. If you have children then you really have to decide what is best for yourself as you have to with any breed of dog. Another rottweiler I owned was not fond of children at all and when I found myself getting wary of the dogs behaviour I knew I had to do something or else I would have to rehome her. My husband took her to behaviour training and using a combination of food treats and attention we made big improvements in her temperament and I was proud of that. I always was on my guard still with this particular dog when children were around and unfortunately had to use a muzzle when we went to the park but I was confident with her around my own daughters who were teenagers by then.

Rottweilers have a very strong character and you have to really be the boss with them. I always made sure that I was as strict with our dogs' as my husband was and when he died I successfully brought up the rottweiler pup we had at the time who was about 6 months old. It is important you set boundaries for your rottweiler from a very early age because I have found that the sooner you start to discipline them the easier they will be to handle in the long run. When you have set your rules for your rottweiler then you have to stick to them rigidly because if your dog sees that you are wavering then they turn into the embodiment of the saying 'give them an inch and they'll take a mile'. Let a rottweiler on the sofa once and he will think of it as his bed from then on and it will take 3 months to make up for this one lapse.

Having said all that it is very important to give your rottweiler lots of affection and set aside some play time as much as possible. You can see the difference between a rottweiler that has lots of stimulation and one that is not given a lot of attention, and dogs who are secure will behave much better and have a calmer temperament in general. I have always found rottweilers to be loving and gentle dogs who love to be played with and fussed. I had my first rottweiler in the 1960s and at that time the way to train a dog was basically to beat it into them, people thought I was mad because I am 5 feet and had this huge dog and trained it like it was nothing more than a poodle. People were not familiar with this breed of dog at all and a lot of people were frightened of him but he soon became a favourite on my road and I enjoyed being the only person in my circle - hell, in my town! - to own a rottweiler.

I have been lucky with my rottweilers as all have died in relative good health of old age except for Cassius who I mentioned earlier. He suffered with a hip condition that is very common in rottweilers and is called canine hip dysphasia. This is a disease that my vet told me begins when the dog is a pup and becomes obvious with age although can also effect very young dogs. Cassius first started to show symptoms and suffer pain in his joints when he was about 7 years old and he could not run properly, these days there are effective treatments if the dysphasia is caught in time but then there was not a lot we could do other than control the pain if he had over done things. His illness progressed very quickly and he got osteoarthritis so badly within a matter of months that we very sadly had to have him put to sleep. As with any breed of animal it is very important to do some research into health issues that may affect a rottweiler and take precautions against problems that can be avoided.

A rottweiler will eat anything within reason. I have always fed my rottweilers with a mainly red meat and pasta diet for no other reason than my first dog thrived on eating this and I have stuck with it through five generations of rottweiler. It is recommended that you use a Eukanuba type complete diet of the appropriate variety and there is nothing wrong with this but I like to see my dog eat a proper meal than a bowl of dried food. My attitude towards feeding may not impress a vet. A dog of this size obviously needs a good balance of protein and fat, but rottweilers can easily gain weight so it is important to balance their meals. Your rottweiler should not get fat as long as you are prepared to give him the exercise he needs because they burn a lot of energy when they run and go on long walks although they do slow down with age and that is when they start to get a bit podgy if you don't watch their diet.

I think you can tell now that I am a rottweiler fan and cannot recommend the breed highly enough. Rottweilers are proud and loving, they do not deserve the bad press they are getting because it is bad owners that cause bad dogs. I think they were bred originally to be guard dogs, not fighting dogs like many people think, and guard dogs are bred to be big and intimidating rather than wanting to bite for the sake of it like a pit bull or certain strain of mastiff. Rottweilers have made the news many times when they have been involved in an attack and I am not making excuses for the breed, but when you read more than just the headlines it usually becomes clear that had the owner not shown some stupidity then most of the attacks would not have happened. It's not just rottweilers that can turn, all dogs are capable of it. But you do not leave a huge dog in the living room with a toddler, you do not let the dog sleep anywhere near a newborn baby and you should use your common sense at all times. I think there probably should be some restrictions on who can own certain dogs including rottweilers because the wrong people buy this dog for the wrong reason so they can look tough. I have seen a man by me who deliberately makes his rottweiler growl at people and needless to say he wears an Adidas tracksuit, burberry cap and answers to the name of Chav - my grandaughter taught me that word and she pointed him out as she said it.

Unfortunately I am writing this with a tear in my eye because my rottweiler days are over. I am 61 now and cannot look after a rottweiler properly because of my health, the main problem is I cannot walk very far without my mobility scooter and only have a very small insecure garden. I had a rottweiler until last year but sadly had to part with her because she craved exercise and I was not able to give it to her. Jet would escape from my garden and even though I knew she had not got a vicious bone in her body I was aware of how frightening it is to have a rottweiler lose, however sweet her temperament was. I rehomed her with a lovely couple who had also kept rottweilers for years and they bring her to see me every now and again. She has turned into a beautiful dog now she has the attention and exercise she needs.

I hope this helped and don't ever expect such a long review from me again because this has taken me all day to write but I have enjoyed it and it has been nice to remember some memories of absent friends.

Summary: Rottweilers make a better pet than you think