Any other Rottweiler owners

[Gail]

I have 2 Rottweilers - a male who is almost 2 years old and a female who is almost 6 months old
Rottweilers are amazing dogs
They are extremely loyal and protective
They require very little in the way of grooming
They are smart and eager to please
They are also large and therefore eat a lot of food
They are big bundles of love

[Sarah]

I love Rottweilers. It's my breed of choice and I agree with you. My last Rottweiler grew up thinking that rabbits, skunks, horses cows were all big puppies. He was an excellent herder and loved horses. We lived in the country and the neighbour had horses, and he and the neighbours dog would be with the horses all the time. If a horse was stubborn and wouldn't move, Buddy would literally jump up and kick the horse in the rear of the hind leg. He loved his job.

Grooming was easy with Buddy, he got in the habit of knowing when he saw the brush and toothpaste, he knew he was going out. He would sit and get groomed in the morning no problem. He loved being brushed and tolerated his teeth being cleaned. He was a joy

Unfortunately, my Buddy passed 4 years ago, and I haven't let go totally yet, but I do plan on getting a few more lol more than likely next spring.

[Gail]

I'm happy to find another Rottie fan and from Canada too
I got my male Rottie when he was a year old and fully grown
If you can adopt a dog who is that old and was a kennel dog rather than a house dog without problems, it says a lot about the breed
He is my "little" baby
They are so cute and cuddly
Once you've owned one you are converted forever.

[Sarah]

I totally agree with you. I can't find any negative about the breed.

I do know they can be temperamental as they get older, but if you are a good Alpha with them, there shouldn't be any problems at all. They love structure.

I got Buddy when he was a year old, which made it nice that I missed the teething. lol I would give Buddy beef bones and he would hide them in my bed, under the covers. yuk He was super easy to train and a natural for telling me about people. He was awesome. He loved stuffed animals for toys.

[Gail]

Both my Rotties have stuffed animals too
They learned very quickly not to chew them up and pull the stuffing out
I know someone with a Golden Retriever who only buys the unstuffed toys so she doesn't have the stuffing all over the house
chewed up doggy bones in the bed - icky
What we won't put up with for our babies
I've just joined a club for protection training and my big guy loves it
As the trainer says he really wants to work
He really seems to love any training sessions
He's a smart boy

[Sarah]

Buddy was one who would tear the toy up and pull the stuffing out of them. I don't mind. I use to buy him the squeaky toys but he'd pull those out of the toys too, I stopped buying them because I was afraid he'd swallow the them.

I still have a boxy of stuffed animals, he didn't get to play with, that I'm saving for the next dog.

They love training. It's their chance to show off their intelligence and please you. Buddy liked agility also. Buddy use to like to go down the slides and ride the merry go round with the kids. He was funny.

Buddy loved his vet, and his vet loved him. Every time we went, he would jump on his hind legs with his front legs on the counter to say hello, then quickly run around the desk to the refrigerator because he knew that's where the treats were.

Sounds like your male is going to have a great time, with his new job in protection service. enjoy

[Gail]

I have wondered about Agility for Rotties because of their weight
Did you let your guy do the jumps?
I would think it might be hard on their joints

[Sarah]

If they don't have joint problems they won't have problems doing the jumps. Did you get their hips xrayed? It's not really recommended unless you are going to breed them. If they have joint problems they will have a difficult time with simple exercises like walking, and running..

Here's something fun for you to do with them. When they are in obedient training, with every command you do, also use sign it with your hand. This way they will also understand just hand commands. Pretty soon, you won't need to use your voice, just sign to them what you want, and they will do it.

[Gail]

My big guy just turned 2 last weekend
I can have his hips checked any time but I haven't got around to it yet
At this point neither appears to have hip problems I just don't want to aggravate anything
when I had my previous Rottie there wasn't all this talk about hip problems and joint problems
She walked, ran and jumped when she felt like it
She didn't have any problems
There are people writing that you should hardly even walk a dog until it's 2 and all their bones and joints are fully formed
It's like everything you hear about what we should eat
If you believe everything you hear you would starve to death

[Sarah]

If you believe everything you hear you would starve to death . [ That's funny]

When I got my first Rottie, my first Vet told me I had to carry him into the vet, because their immune system was so vulnerable. That went fine until he got 6 months old. This vet gave them a lot of shots.

My 2nd Rottie, I decided to take him to another vet, and he examined her and then gave the puppies shot, and then the rabbies, I said ok, when do you want to see me again.. The Vet said "next year". I said your kidding, and proceeded to tell him all the about the first vet. The Vet said that was overkill.

I have a wonderful vet now, that loved Buddy, and Buddy loved him. They had a great relationship. It was amazing. My Buddy died of cancer, and I blame myself for it. I didn't know all this information about dog food, or feeding raw, or anything. The Next Rotties I get, I will feed them kibble from the Vet, as well as raw meat, fruits and veges, with their beef bones, or treats that I personally make and know what's in them. I will certainly pay more attention to what they eat. I personally will not give them olive oil or any oil, but flax seed oil. It's healthier for them, and they have a beautiful coat.