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ROTTWEILER INFORMATION
WITH PROPER training and socializing, the Rottweiler can be a great
family pet, companion, herding dog, tracking dog, obedience dog, etc.
They are very loyal, dedicated, loving, beautiful and intelligent.
As a rule they do not bark a lot unnecessarily and they are generally
good watch dogs who will let you know when something's up.
With proper training and socializing they will enjoy and participate in
nearly any outdoor activity you desire. At the same time, WHEN
MATURE, a WELL EXERCISED Rottweiler is a very sedate house dog that
wants nothing more than to sleep on the bed or chew on a Nylabone.
However, they are not perfect and do have their down sides.
They are not mature until after 2 years of age and the average life
expectancy is only 8 - 10 years.
They are very susceptible to a wide range of cancers and they have a
poor immune system (particularly when young) and need a more
specialized vaccination schedule as a puppy in order to develop proper
immunity. They are also prone to contracting more viruses than
the average dog, especially when fed improperly.
They are susceptible to hip dysplasia, tearing cruciate ligaments and
heart problems as well as cancer.
They are strong willed and need LOTS of PROPER training and socializing
when young. IF you fail in your duties to select, train and
socialize them properly, they can be dangerous (sometimes
inadvertently) as adults. They are mouthy as puppies until
properly taught bite inhibition. Puppies also tend to have temper
tantrums. Similar to baby Grizzly bears!
Young dogs require a lot of very good food (poor quality food can cause
health problems) SOME young males CAN require as much as 8 - 10 cups of
excellent quality food per day, that's 2 - 2 1/2 lbs!
When shedding they leave black "mouse balls" everywhere.
Young dogs require a lot of exercise and need some form of work
(obedience, agility, herding, etc). They can be destructive if
bored or improperly housed.
They CAN be very dog aggressive especially if not spayed/neutered or if
not properly socialized.
They play hard and can easily injure someone unintentionally.
They also herd children and other animals and can bump, or nip them
while doing so without meaning harm.
It CAN be difficult to obtain homeowner's or renters insurance if you
own a Rottweiler.
If you are still interested in owning a Rottweiler, please read some of
these excellent books:
Rottweiler puppies are adorable little black
bear look
alikes! They are fuzzy, clumsy and just so cute!
However Rottweiler puppies are not for everyone, and
just because
you've had a puppy of another breed or mix breed does not mean you are
cut out for a Rottweiler puppy. This does not mean you are a
failure as a puppy parent, it just means you are smart enough to admit
that perhaps you should choose a young adult or an adult rottweiler as
your companion.
I have spoken to A LOT of people who desire a puppy
for their
home. Some of the problems that have become major issues for new
Rottweiler puppy owners (and things you SHOULD give serious thought to)
are:
1) Eight to sixteen week old puppies have very
little bowel and bladder
control. What this means is that the new baby will most likely
have to be taken outside to potty at least once in the night, 2 am
seems to be a popular time. (If your pup is not used to being
crated then it will likely howl for 20 minutes to 2 hours before
falling asleep!) These pups also cannot "hold it" while you are
gone all day at work (there are exceptions but we are speaking in
general terms here). Ideally a human is home at least part of the
day to take the little one out every 2 to 3 hours. If this is not
possible then a room should be made puppy proof and a crate with the
door off in one corner and newspapers on the floor. Baby pups
need to potty after waking up, before being put in the crate, after
coming out of the crate, drinking, eating and playing. What
usually causes the most problems is the playing because they are
distracted and then all of a sudden HAVE to go now! When playing
with a baby you must take them out every 30 to 45 minutes to avoid
accidents. ANY TIME you take the puppy out to potty You MUST wait
for them to go both pee and poop even if it takes 30 minutes for them
to find just the right spot. They have to go out even during a
thunder storm or in bitter winter wind..
2) Biting. Rottweiler puppies are VERY mouthy!
They are very
bitey and growly until they learn otherwise. They can act very
aggressive with certain toys and things like rawhide and pigs ears
should be avoided because they just cause unnecessary problems.
They also chase down kids and bite their hands and legs and toes, they
grab the cats, they bite the older dogs face, they bite your hands
etc... Many pups can learn to inhibit their biting by you
hollering OWW! really loud every time they bite. Other pups need
to be lightly clipped under the chin with an open hand while you say
"no bite". REMEMBER if what you are doing does not seem to be
sinking in after 4 or 5 times then stop! It just is not working
and you need to try something else. Some of them are good all day
and become biting monsters after 7 pm. Some of them become little
sharks if they don't get enough exercise or people time. Some
just need to be taken out to potty and then calmly put in their crate
for a nap. This is a perfectly normal stage for a Rottweiler
puppy and if handled properly will be mastered by 6 months of
age. (then they move on to jumping on people and chewing on your
furniture!) It is a VERY frustrating and annoying time and this
is one of the things that turn perfectly normal people and even some
not very rottweiler knowledgable trainers totally off of rottweilers or
to label them as aggressive/dominant etc.. which is certainly not the
case! This stage requires TONS of persistence and patience.
3) Rottweiler pups are very smart and this gets them
into lots of
trouble! They are into anything and everything not tied
down. Average puppy proofing of your home will not be
sufficient! Anything your puppy should not be into should be
protected or placed above 3 feet. Remember if anything gets broke
or chewed it IS NOT the puppies fault! It is yours because you
did not pick it up or protect it enough. Pups should never be
left alone in a room, ever! You can not use the phrase "he should
have known better" until he is OVER 2 YEARS OLD!!
4) Rottweilers mature VERY slowly! The
housebreaking, crate
training and chewing may be over with by 12 months old. But the
rottweiler is a puppy til it is 2 years of age! They require AT
LEAST every other day training sessions from puppyhood on. They
also require alot of exercise. Though rottweilers under 2 should
never be jogged or biked they should get lots of play time every day
and walking is fine as long as you know the distance your pup can
easily walk without getting exhausted. Over tired pups easily
injure their joints and ligaments. If your young rottweiler is
being especially wild and naughty then it needs more exercise and
training sessions. Boredom and underplaying are the two biggest
causes of bad behavior!!
5) Rottweilers also mature very slowly
physically. This means
that they should be kept lean. If they don't have a visible waist
or you cannot easily feel their ribs the dog is way too fat!
Rottweilers do not finish filling out width wise til 3 or 5 years old!
Overfeeding WILL NOT make them fill out faster but will make them more
susceptible to hip dysplasia, shoulder ailments and torn knee
ligaments.
IF after reading all of the above you still want a
puppy then by all
means get one. But remember the commitment you are making to this
dog. You are promising to properly care, train , feed and
exercise it while keeping in mind all the above things that make this
dog a Rottweiler!
Being a breeder, owner, trainer and a boarding
kennel manager I
get to see or hear about all the problems teenage Rottweilers can bring
to a home and all the love and joy as well.
Before adding a teenage or preteen (6 months to 2
years of age)
rottweiler to your home Please do alot of research. Not only on
the Rottweiler as a breed but also into your own lifestyle and
expectations for a dog.
Teenage and preteen Rottweilers are full of
themselves and then
some! At about 6 months of age they stop being bitey little fuzz
balls and start to really get into trouble! This is the age when
they start jumping up on people, getting into the trash and chewing on
your furniture. If not trained , played with and exercised enough
and if not confined properly when unsupervised they can destroy a home
or apt in one day!!
I generally recommend that Rottweilers up to 2 years
of age (and
sometimes beyond) be crated when not supervised to keep them out of
mischief. Some of the naughty things teenage rottweilers have
done to other people's homes when left loose and unsupervised
are: Chewed the corners off 100 phonographs; Chewed up not one
but 2 new pairs of shoes; Chewed up every single pair of dirty
underwear in the laundry basket; torn the linoleum up from the entire
kitchen floor; chewed the legs off the dining room table; dug up and
chewed in half the satellite dish cable; taken the vinyl siding off the
back side of the house and chewed the wood molding off several places
in the home. Amazing isn't it? EVERY SINGLE one of these
incidences could have been avoided by simply crating or supervising the
young rottweiler.
Teenage rottweilers are very intelligent. So
much so that it is
sometimes a huge burden for the owner! These pups can and do get
bored very easily and bored dogs are destructive dogs. The more
intelligent the dog (of any breed) the more easily bored and then
destructive they become. So if you want a dog that will just
patiently lie around your home or yard until you invite it to do
something; then perhaps an older well trained rottweiler or a dog of
another breed is for you!
Teenage rottweilers also like to see just how far
they can push the
rules and still get away with the behavior! If one day they
experiment with a tiny growl when they are eating and people back away,
then this encourages them to greater extremes. If they shove you
out of the way to get out of the car and you say nothing then they will
continue to do that! They learn bad things way quicker than the
things you want them to learn!! Going to obedience classes or
training the dog yourself consistently and often keeps life in
order. Rules are not made for your dog to break. Rules must
be set and enforced. Physical force is not required as a rule BUT
consistency, fairness and firmness are musts! If you are a really
laid back, non confrontational or soft natured person then a Rottweiler
ESPECIALLY a teenager is NOT the dog for you!
Rottweilers mature mentally very slowly! The
housebreaking, crate
training and chewing may be over with by 12 months old. But the
rottweiler is a puppy til it is 2 years of age! They require AT
LEAST every other day training sessions. They also require alot
of exercise and mental stimulation. Though rottweilers under 2
should never be jogged or biked they should get lots of play time every
day and walking or swimming is fine as long as you know the distance
your teenager can easily walk or amount of swimming he can do without
getting exhausted. Over tired pups and teenagers can easily
injure their joints and ligaments. If your young rottweiler is
being especially wild and naughty then it needs more exercise and
training sessions. Boredom and underplaying and lack of mental
stimulation are the three biggest causes of bad behavior!!
Rottweilers also mature very slowly
physically. This means that
they should be kept lean. If they don't have a visible waist or
you cannot easily feel their ribs the dog is way too fat!
Rottweilers do not finish filling out width wise til 3 or 5 years
old! Overfeeding WILL NOT make them fill out faster but will make
them more susceptible to hip dysplasia, shoulder ailments and torn knee
ligaments.
IF after reading all of the above you still want a
teenage or preteen
rottweiler then by all means get one. But remember the commitment
you are making to this dog. You are promising to properly care,
train, feed and exercise it for it's entire life (8 to 12 years) while
keeping in mind all the above things that make this dog a Rottweiler!
If you have a Rottweiler and find that you can not
keep it for whatever
reason, DO NOT take it to the animal shelter except as a last
resort. FIRST call the dog's breeder, ethical breeders will take
back dogs that they have bred. If the breeder for some reason can
not or will not take back the dog- call a Rottweiler Rescue.
See Rottweiler Links for more information
sites.
Regardless
of if you want a
pet, a dog for some working venue or a show dog the selection of the
breeder will be the most important step in your puppy buying purchase
I will NOT address titles of the parent
dogs, other than to say
that the parents should hold a title in the venue YOU wish to
participate in (ie if you want to show in conformation, at least 1
parent should be pointed or hold some show rating or title, if you want
to compete in obedience at least 1 parent should be obedience titled,
if you want a working ranch dog then at least 1 parent should either be
one or hold herding titles etc...)
FIRST
the breeder themselves should seem
trustworthy to you. They should be
willing to answer your questions and no question should be deemed
stupid. They should be a person that you will want a friendship with
for the life of the dog AND they should be commited to remaining in
contact with buyers for the life of the dog.
SECOND
they should be MORE than willing to
give you email and/or phone
contacts of previous purchasers as references
THIRD
If you go to their home, it should
be fairly clean (though may be
cluttered) and the dog areas should not be covered with feces (1 or 2
piles fine but not days worth). Dog crates should be clean. Dogs should
not smell of urine or feces. Dogs and pups should not be afraid of
their owner nor trying to kill visitors
FOURTH (and even if "all" you want is a pet this
MUST still be
done)
ALL dogs (Rottweilers) used for
breeding (talking dogs LIVING in the US
or Canada) should AT MINIMUM have OFA certified hips and a CARDIOLOGIST
(or specialist) OFA cardiac clearance (NOT a practitioner one- look at
the number C=cardiologist, S=specialist, P=practitioner) . Elbows
should be OFA evaluated as well and should not have UAP, FCP or OCD.
and DJD rating should not be higher than a 1.
Imported dogs that are LIVING and
being bred in the US and Canada
should have been redone using OFA (hips/elbows) and this is a
REQUIREMENT if the breeder is an ARC member.
FIFTH
all pups should be no less then 7
weeks old when purchased, preferably
8+ weeks old (and in some states 8 weeks is the legal minimum) and
should come with a veterinarian issued health certificate (even if this
is not a State requirement)
SIXTH
DO NOT ever buy from a pet store or
broker of any kind. Even if their
pups do not come from a traditional "puppy mill" they will not have
been produced by an ethical breeder because ethical breeders do not
sell to brokers or pet stores (and they also do NOT sell them at flea
markets etc)
SEVENTH
IF the breeder does not ask you a
list of questions and seem to screen
buyers, walk away. Screening buyers is just 1 indication of caring
about their pups for life.
ALL purchase conditions and
requirements (including what happens to the
dog if you can no longer keep it)should be laid out in a purchase
contract which you must READ before signing and if it contains anything
you do not agree with do not sign it.
EIGHTH
websites are for browsing and
information purposes only and should NOT
be a PRIMARY factor into your decision process
NINTH
be aware that well bred pups in the
US average $900 - 1500 and if the
selling price is significantly above that for an 8-12 week old
pup, you should probably walk away under MOST circumstances
TENTH
NON refundable deposits are also a
warning flag. While keeping a
portion of a deposit if you bail on a pup you committed to is fine,
keeping an entire deposit is not (although keeping the deposit until
that pup is resold is normal)
Long
Coated, Wire coated/Bearded, Red Coated and Vitiligo Affected
Rottweilers
UPDATED!!
(2014)
REMEMBER
these are just variations of the breed. They are NOT rare or more
valuable. They are just DIFFERENT!
Long
coated and wire coated/bearded/furnished are both common coat
variations in
the breed.
Long Coats
Dogs with long coats
tend to be very soft which is an incorrect coat texture (short coat
dogs can also be soft and many -though not all- of these are found to
carry the long coat gene).
The coat length can vary between barely heavier than average (and
discernable ONLY by DNA test!) to Show
Golden Retriever or even Newfoundland length.
The length of a dog's
breeches/pants, neck ruff or belly hair is not a good indicator of
carrier status because many lines of normal heavier coated dogs that
are clear of the long coat gene entirely can have longer hair in these
areas.
There is a DNA test
for this coat and the
results will be clear, carrier or affected. Two clears cannot produce a
long coat and as this is a pure uncomplicated recessive gene it takes
two dogs with
the gene (either carrier or affected) to produce it.
Normal coated dogs
have 2 normal length coat genes, Carrier dogs will have 1 normal length
coat gene and 1 long coat gene, Affected dogs will have 2 long coat
genes.
Long coat is a TOTALLY
separate gene from the wire and a dog CAN have BOTH genes!
Wire Coated, Bearded/furnished Dogs click here to open the page dedicated to this coat variation
The proper
Rottweiler coat is coarse/hard (as described from the very first breed
standard) and the wire coat gene plays a very
important role in this. Many dogs carry this gene and the more shed out
a dog is the easier this is to feel in the BODY coat. The BODY coat
gene is related to the face/chest/leg/foot furnishing gene but appears
to be separate- meaning a dog can have a proper hard coat and no
furnishing gene OR can have a soft incorrect coat and the furnishing
gene OR have both a proper hard coat and the furnishing gene!
Historically, the
presence of a slight beard, and/or "wire coat" at the brow, mouth line
or mouth corner has been thought to be an indicator of proper hard coat
and MANY famous historic Rottweilers either actually had a slight beard
(Ives v Eulenspeigel for just one example) or were known to throw them
(Dack vd Meirei is one). This can in fact be true as
both the proper hard, wire like but flat, body coat and the
face/chest/leg/foot wire coat ("furnishings") are quite often combined
together. Sometimes too though the "furnishings" are so very light that
they are visually unseen or the dog simply does not visually have them.
There is also a very
uncommon "full" or "extreme" wire coated Rottweiler. This dog has the
hard, coarse coat but it is not a proper flat coat. It stands off the
body (a little or a lot). It may or may not have grey (salt)
hairs scattered. This is accompanied by full furnishings (furnishings appear in one or more of these locations: beard,
mouth line/mouth corners, near canines, above eyes at brows, nose
bridge near eye corners, under eye, cheeks, chest, feet, toes, backs of
legs), although they may vary in length with some full wires having quite long
furnishings and in some other's the furnishings are longer in some
areas of the body while
barely
seen in other areas.
IF a dog will
be
bearded or have other visible furnishings, it usually does not appear until 5-6 months of age. The wire furnishing
gene can be all but invisible, Or the
dog can have a slight , moderate or heavy furnishings in 1 or more locations.
See the wirecoat page for full details, information and modes of inheritance as well as info on using DNA testing.
Red
(and other color) Coats
In general the "theory" that red/tan (and maybe blue/tan) Rottweilers
"could" exist is valid. because Rottweilers and Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are very
closely related and blue/tan and red/tan occurs with frequency in some
lines of GSMD. HOWEVER the reality is that since the mid 1900's the
Rottweiler has been bred solely for black/tan discarding all other base
colors including sable. That said it is "possible" that some older
lines "could" harbor the recessive blue/tan or red/tan (but NOT sable
as that is a dominant) and I have in fact seen red/tan dogs out of both
import and domestic parents.
HOWEVER unless there is DNA proof of both
the parentage of the litter AND the parent's parents, I am inclined to
believe the pups are more likely mixes between GSMD, Doberman or other
breed where those recessive colors are far, far, far more common.
In almost 30
years in the breed dealing with both US and Euro/import lines I can
tell you that I have seen/heard of exactly FOUR verified purebred red/tan,
ONE blue/tan and one black pigmented white. That is it!
In verified Rottweiler parantage occurances, these less
common recessive genes only occurs in a few lines. Both parents
have to carry the gene for it to appear. Off color coated dogs should never
be bred as these colors were removed (as best as possible) from the breed towards the beginning of the breed history.
Vitiligo
affected
Dogs affected with Vitiligo are NOT blue merle.
NO merle
gene exists in the breed, nor EVER did.
Dogs with vitiligo (as in humans) have an
autoimmune disorder that affecteds the pigment cells.
click
on the below image for a full size reproducible poster
Rottweiler Purr/Grumble.
What it is and is
not!
Rottweilers
are capable of many different vocalizations and some of them are very
similar except the body posture/attitude defines what each is in many
cases. As an owner of a Rottweiler you MUST learn what your dog is
saying both vocally AND body language wise in order to interpret
exactly what the vocalization means. EVERY dog is an individual and has
different tolerences and likes
Some of the sounds these dogs make are
a Whooo (like a howl and a grumble combined in a happy rising tone and
body), singing (a lilting rising grumble also in a VERY happy tone and
body), grumble, growl, assorted barks etc
ALL of these can be expressed by both
a happy, aggressive, stressed and upset dog except the whoo and singing
which are almost singularly happy noises.
Right off I'll say Rottweilers do NOT
purr. NO DOG does. They are physically incapable of purring.
What they can do is grumble which can
sound like a purr. The trouble here is that the grumble TYPE is DEFINED
by the dog's body language (eyes, ears, muscles etc). a grumble
technically IS a growl but used in a more social communicative fashion,
call it a step below a real growl (not in volume but in intent)
SOME Rottweilers DO grumble when happy
but this would be accompanied by soft relaxed muscles, relaxed ears,
squinted happy eyes and possibly a wagging tail. I've had Rottweilers
more than 27 years and I will flat out say that Rotts who grumble when
relaxed and happy are a minority. I've had one yes but they are not at
all common (although many Rotts DO grumble in happiness when rolling on
their backs etc I'm not talking about that-almost all do that- I am
talking about happy grumbles while standing/sitting and being patted,
hugged etc)
Rottweilers also grumble in
conversation to tell the person touching them that they don't feel like
doing this right now, or they are in a pissy mood or the person is
approaching a limit line. Some Rottweilers are just grumpy about
everything and "discuss" it the entire time you are doing whatever -
these dogs are called talkers. The body language in these cases is
slightly different. The eyes might be staring straight ahead but open,
the head may be turned away, the body may be slightly (or more) stiff,
the ears may be back.
Talkers, talk for various reasons:
because they feel you are taking liberties, or because you are applying
too much social pressure are the main reasons
If you cross the limit line the
grumble may continue and the dog may stare AT you, OR more often the
dog will switch to a quick growl and head toss where they hit you (or
try to) with the side of their slightly open mouth. If you continue on
in a clueless fashion the dog may then bite you with restraint (or not
depending on the dog and it's level of stress) to make you quit
YOU MUST NEVER punish a grumble (or a
growl) because they are an important bit of communication. If you
punish them they go away and then you end up with a dog that "bit for
no reason" which is not accurate, you simply deleted the dogs step 1
and 2 in communication to you
I am not saying back off and let your
dog do anything if they grumble because then you create a monster who
grumbles/growls to make you go away and let them do anything
I am saying you must know your dog and
their body language and know what they enjoy and what they dislike or
find stressful. Some dogs LOVE hugs, cuddles and laying with their
owners head on their sides while others find that to be far too much
social pressure and it stresses them to the point of snapping and still
others think such things are way over what they consider acceptable
liberties.
YOU need to learn through watching the
dog's body language (eyes, ears, muscles etc) to determine if the dog
enjoys this activity, tolerates it well or dislikes it but is letting
you do it as long as they can stand it through respect... until they
can't take it anymore
If you
need to do something you know your dog will not like and they will
"talk" through the whole thing (nails etc) keep one hand on their head
so you have warning if they start to whip their head around. If your
dog has extremely low tolerence for such things teach them to wear a
muzzle. Vets are not fond of talking/grumbling dogs and will be more
relaxed treating such a dog if it is muzzled. They live in dread of the
words "oh he's just talking" because talking can lead to a head smack
or a bite if the vet crosses that invisible line
Book
Recommendations
Rottweiler books:
The
Rottweiler Experience: From the Golden Age to Predictions for the 21st
Century
Training
Your Rottweiler (Training Your Dog Series)
The
Essential Rottweiler (The Essential Guides)
The
New Rottweiler: Essential Reading for Owners, Breeders and Judges
The
Complete Idiot's Guide to Rottweilers
Dr.
Ackerman's Book of the Rottweiler (BB Dog)
Training, Raising, Behavior and Fun:
Before
and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy,
Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog
Puppies:
Why They Do What They Do
The
Culture Clash: A Revolutionary New Way to Understanding the
Relationship Between Humans and Domestic Dogs
Mine!
A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs
Clicking
With Your Dog: Step-By-Step in Pictures (Karen Pryor Clicker Books)
Getting
Started: Clicker Training for Dogs
Train
Your Dog, Change Your Life: Interactive Training Program about
awareness, education, relationship and well-being-- For Dogs and their
Humans~
Enjoying
Dog Agility (Kennel Club Pro)
A
Guide to Backpacking With Your Dog
The
Simple Guide to Getting Active With Your Dog (Simple Guide to...)
Aggression
in Dogs: Practical Management, Prevention & Behaviour Modification
Enthusiastic
Tracking, The Step-by-Step Training Manual
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Diane Richardson
Unity, NH 03743
603-542-7344
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Last updated 6/11/14
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