nowthen

Hello all,

First of all, mods, I wasnt quite sure where this topic should go, so if you think it would be better elsewhere, just shift... but you dont need my permission to that of course!

Ok, here we go. My wife and I both really want a dog, or a couple of dogs. My heart is set on a rottweiler. We live in the Republic of Panama, and I am very worried about someone breaking in to our house - been a foreigner over here can make you a target, I believe it is fair to say.

I feel a Rottweiler, while I would not want to train him specifically as a guard dog, would be excellent protection for my wife and for my home.

Here are the plus points that I have considered:

1) Our house is within its own compound, with no immediate neighbours, and the whole garden is surrounded by a 7 foot fence - there is plenty of room for a dog to run around to his hearts content without worry of him escaping or disturbing the neighbours.

2) I work from home, so would be able to actively be training the dog and I would be around with him all day - he will not be locked up each day for 8 hours alone.

Here are some negatives, or rather issues that need some clarification:

1) My wife would like a labrador really... if we buy a Lab pup and a Rott pup together, will they live happily ever after together?

2) We may well have children over the next few years, in fact I would think it will be within the year... we are practicing a lot at the moment ;o) could there be problems with a teenage Rottweiler and a new baby?

In conclusion, for the moment, I want the dog to be part of the family, and he will be loved by me no doubt about that - I had a terrier for many years that never ever left my side, I love dogs so much! Just, is a Rottweiler really what I am looking for?

Many thks for any help or advice you can give me,

nowthen

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kurty[B]

I have a rottweiler/blue heeler mix pup. He's extremely protective, but returns the love to anyone who gives him love. Just that rottweiler coloring, and his initial bark often scares people. In my case I guess I'd say I'm the alpha male, and he'll listen to anything I say, so I can tell him to stop, or give him directions, or simple eye contact can control him. His bark scares any thieves/vandals away. He's one of the greatest dogs though!

As far as how well he'd handle children... He hasn't been around too many, if they don't start crying when they first meet him he'll start licking their face.

Schwan

These dogs are evry dangerous. Sure, not EVERY rottweiler, but I have EXTREMELY bad experiences.

1) When I was 12, my aunts rottweiler grabbed my leg when I was running next to it. No clue if it attacked me or if it was just playing, however I ended up with half of my leg split open. It required something like ten stitches to fix, and berly missed some crucial muscles.

2) I remeber that a girl from my elementary school class what almost mauled to death by her very own rottweiler. Even though the dog knew her forever, he still attacked her and ripped most of her skin of her head. They even wrote about this in our papers. Needless to say, ater spending six months in hospital, she never grew long hair again.

3) A few years ago a furious rottweiler chased me, when I passed on a bicycle. The owner, despite the fact that he was a big guy, just couldnt hold the damn thing. It was the fastest I ever went on a bike, too, but if the dog had gotten to me, I'm not sure if I would be writing any of this now.

So there you go. Perhaps extremely bad luck, perhaps not a coincidence at all.

Rottweiler + baby? I'd NEVER.

onetime2

I've got a Rottweiler/hound mix. She's not the brightest dog in the world. Rottys can be unpredictable (as all dogs can but I've heard it quite a bit more about Rottweilers). I have had no bad experiences with mine but ours is exceptionally timid.

We also have a German Shepherd which is the route I would suggest. She is extremely protective, scary looking enough to be a deterrent, is predictable, is extremely intelligent, and is great around children. There are very real reasons why they are used so extensively by police forces and all of the above are examples.

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Rodney

Used to work in an office building -- a fourplex with a central staircase open to the outside -- and the guy in the office opposite liked to bring his rottweiler to work. Thing damn near rammed through the glass doors to get at me a time or two as I came up the stairs. I'm uncertain about the combination of Rottweilers and kids. Like somebody else said, it may depend on the individual dog, but I would play it safe and get a breed which, while protective, has more of a rep for being kid-friendly.

In your case, the dog is more of a deterrent than anything else. So you might be just as well off with a noisy, barking dog (or two or three) who's moderately tough rather than the toughest dog possible. If they make enough noise, nobody'll ever go over the wall and they'll never have to fight anybody. Labs are good, German shepherds are good with kids that they know as most K-9 cops will tell you.

With any large dog, of course, proper training is a must. Be sure that they get it.

lurkette

It sounds like you might be a good candidate for a Rottie - you have time to train one, and if you can be a strong owner, so that the dog has NO question who's in charge, you should be all right.

My only concern would be that a baby who is introduced later might not be seen by a Rottweiler as part of the family. They're very loyal and very protective, and anybody you accept as part of your family, the dog should accept.

However, you might want to consider a slightly less um...aggressive breed. Australian Cattle Dogs (blue heelers) are also very loyal, but are more likely to bark than attack. They also require a lot of attention and a strong trainer, but aren't as likely to be a problem with children. They're also very solidly-built, and are quite intimidating-looking.

As far as getting along with a lab, it totally depends on the temperament of the two dogs involved. A good breeder should be able to help you assess the temperament of the existing dog, and help you pick out a puppy with a compatible temperament. I'm not sure if Rottweilers have a strong prey instinct, but that's always something to consider when introducing a puppy to an adult dog. One of my dog trainer friends told me about a greyhound who nearly killed a lab puppy because it triggered the greyhound's prey instinct and it just snapped at it before anyone could do anything. Cats can also be triggers.

You might look at selectsmart.com's dog breed selector or at dogbreedinfo.com for good info on what breed might be good for you. Good luck!

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CinnamonGirl

Labs are pretty darn protective--my mom has three, and if they sense something isn't right, they definitely let you know. And they sound vicious; I certainly wouldn't mess with one of them if I didn't know `em.

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guthmund

I've never had a very intelligent lab. Lovable and loyal to be sure, but never very smart and therefore, for me at least, very difficult to train. They were very active as well.

The two rotts I've had were both very destructive. They were fiercely protective and excellent guard dogs, however, they are very aggressive and might not be such a good idea with other animals or children. These two were of average intelligence and very stubborn which made them very difficult to train. Maybe this is indicative of the whole breed; I cannot say.

I can however, highly recommend the German Shepherd. I have had excellent experiences with this breed. Very intelligent. The males were easier to train than the females. I also noticed that the males were more protective over the area and the females seemed more concerned with the family.

You specifically mention training....It is important that the dog be trained. Especially if you decide to go with a bigger, more aggressive breed. Especially if you choose to throw another puppy or a child into the mix. I would also re-consider getting two puppies. It is difficult enough to train one; 10x harder to train two in the same household.

Whatever choice you make, raising and training a dog is difficult and requires a strong owner. I would like to emphasize what Lurkette said about the dog understanding it's place in the household. It is imperative that the dog understand who is in charge, in this case both you and your wife. It's difficult to get male dogs to understand this (he will see your wife more as an object to protect rather than an authority figure.) The more aggressive the dog is the more difficult it will be.

There are a lot of things to consider when deciding to get a dog. A lot of perspective owners just don't do their homework. Fortunately, there is a lot of information out there available.

Good luck


{edit:} Ahhhh. Another thread killed. There are so many threads to kill, but it's really a labor of love, so I don't mind. I get a gold star sticker.....tee hee....

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PayUp

Go for the Rott AND Lab. They will be great together and great for the both of you. Any dog can be abused and trained to do almost anything. My wife is a nurse, she has a book about animal bites, believe it or not cockerspaniel bites cause more tissue damage than some of the larger breeds, they tend to bite like a set of those chattering teeth. Ive raised several Rotts from birth and they have been the best dogs ever. You have the time to spend with them so train them as you see fit. Just remember treat them the way you would expect to be treated, sounds corny I know but trust me you will be happ with the results for years to come. AS far as kids, when my son was 11/2 years old he would try to feed the dog cheerios, dog wouldnt eat them unless he set the cheerio on the cofee table. Then the dog would sorta lick it off the table. My son loves "his" dog more than life itself. Feel free to pm me, maybe I can share a few of the things that have worked for me while training pups.

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Jennteel

1) My wife would like a labrador really... if we buy a Lab pup and a Rott pup together, will they live happily ever after together?

Get them both as puppies. Rotties are dominant but okay growing together from puppy stage.

2) We may well have children over the next few years, in fact I would think it will be within the year... we are practicing a lot at the moment ;o) could there be problems with a teenage Rottweiler and a new baby?

Not quite sure, my children are pre-teen and teen.

Mine is Rotty and German Shepard. She is very protective of her family and our other small dog. They are very smart as well. However in my experience they are not the most socialable dog. Ever thought about a German Shepard? They are a great breed all around. Only one downfall I have had is when they get old they hip displacement alot. The purebreds anyways.

krwlz

Ive always found rottweilers to be some of the nicest (if lazy) dogs around. Lab/Rotty mixes are really nice. Sizes the dog down just a bit, and labs are always so happy. In reality, part of a dogs temperment is based just on the dog, not the breed. ANd a loving home helps this a lot.

The baby situation poses almost no threat to the baby, but female rottweilers have a habit of becoming very maternal and protective. A protective dog will not take kindly to the baby playing rough with freinds as it grows up.

Bout all the advice I can give.

Also, German sheperds are worse then Rottweilers as to being Maternal and protective of children. I know so many shepards and rottys both put down for snapping at a playmate.

All dogs are predictable, you just have to know what to predict.

I have a very good book on dog behavior and training, when I find it ill get you the title.

Bossnass

How's the weather? I don't know what your elevation is, but when I think Panama, I think of warmer weather.

Labs are great dogs, but they don't do well in hot weather. They were actually initally bred to hop into freezing cold north Atlantic water. Friends/neighbors of my grandparents had a great Lab dog who they took with them as they retired to Arizona. Granted, it was hot and very dry, not just hot. The lab came back to Alberta to spend the rest of his days with my grandparents because he was having such a hard time in the heat.

I agree with German Shepards. I grew up with six of them and I've never seen smarter or more loyal dogs. I have a picture of me when I was a few years old riding a shepard, using his ears to hold on. I think any very well trained smart dog will be fine with kids, as long as the trainer and parent knows where to draw the line. Ideally you would have the baby for a few months before you get the puppy. (No idea on hot weather and shepards, but they seem inclined to colder weather)

Rotts are pretty good too. I don't think they are as smart as Shepards or Labs, but from my limited experience they are a good option. My best friend's familiy has always had one or two as long as I can remember.

As far as getting one of each, it's pretty debateable. Get one of each sex. Two males will fight with each other, two females with try to kill each other, and the worst thing that will happen with one of each is some ugly ass puppies. If you get a Rotty and something else, get the something else first. The Rotty is a natural bully, and if they start on equal ground, the other dog will become henpecked-useless as a guard.

shakran

First off, dumb dogs are easier to train than smart dogs. Smart dogs are harder to train because they actually think about your command and whether they want to do it or not. It's amazing how people see a dog capable of independant thought and automatically assumes the dog is stupid because the dog won't be a mindless automaton.

Second off, breed is somewhat less important than where you get it from as far as whether the dog is safe or not. Basset Hounds are famous for being nearly perfect with children, but Bassets bought from pet stores may well attack a kid.

Long story short, you need to get whatever dog you decide to get from a reputable breeder. Pet stores rarely if ever do that, btw, they get them from puppy mills. Look the term up on google to see why you don't want a dog from one.

You do not want one from some backyard breeder who forces his dog to spit out puppies every damn year so he can sell them. That's not a reputable breeder. Your best bet is to find a mailing list dealing with the breed you choose, and join it for awhile. You'll get contacts to GOOD breeders. Sure, they're more expensive, but they don't abuse their dogs, they work to keep genetic abnormalities out of their lines (backyard breeders generally give you a blank look when you ask them about this - they'll breed their dog to anything that comes along), and they know what to do with the puppies so that the puppies will start their development properly.

If your breeder does not INSIST that you sign a contract saying that if you ever for any reason decide to get rid of the dog, you must give it back to the breeder, look elsewhere, because the breeder isn't reputable.

If your breeder tries to get you to take the puppy before it is at LEAST 8 weeks old, look elsewhere. Puppies taken earlier often have many problems down the road. They need that much time to socialize with the other dogs.

Insist on touring the kennels at your breeders. They should be relatively clean (but keep in mind these ARE puppies and they don't know to go outside yet. You'll be able to tell if they keep it clean enough), warm, and generally comfortable looking. If the dogs are all in wire cages with nothing on the bottom, 3 or 4 dogs to a cage, you've found yourself a puppy mill. Try not to kill the breeder as you're leaving, no matter how tempting it may be.

AKC registered puppies means precisely dick. It's kind of like drivers licenses. Just because someone is licensed to drive doesn't mean he can actually drive. And just because a dog is AKC registered doesn't mean it meets the breed standard or has come from a line of dogs that has been carefully screened for genetic problems.



Basically, you need to do a LOT more research than asking a general discussion forum if you want to give yourself a good chance of having a healthy dog who does not display behavior abnormalities. And above all, NO backyard breeder, puppy mill, or pet store dogs. They're generally nothing but trouble, and even if you get lucky, your money is going to support one of the cruelest industries in this country.

Oh, and BTW, a good breeder should ALWAYS want to come to your home and check it out. Good breeders care about where their puppies end up. If the breeder doesn't care to inspect his puppy's future home, that's a warning sign.

Also, breeders who do it right NEVER make money on the dogs - in fact, they lose money. They're not doing it for profit, they're doing it because they love the breed and want to ensure that it continues.