This 10-week old cute little Rottweiler has the potential to be a well trained obedient family dog - or a lean mean killing machine!
The difference lies not in the genes, but in the character of the owner and the environment it is brought up in (bad dog, bad owner!)
Apart from the occasional psycho dog, dogs are only as aggressive as their owners want them to be and are taught - if at all!- to guard the wrong way.
The Rottweiler
Having owned and successfully trained a Rottweiler before I came to Spain, I am very impressed by their intelligence and speed of learning.
Rottweilers, contrarily to popular belief, are very friendly, loving, loyal, reliable family dogs (very good with children!) and natural guard dogs, ready to protect their home and family and defend any time.
I have now settled down here in Spain and decided to get this lovely little bitch (picture below) as I already have a male dog of a smaller breed.
However, Rottweilers are not suitable for a first time owner as they have a strong character and attitude so the owner must also have a strong will and experience in handling such dogs.
In the UK and Germany, over the years, I have trained many dogs of various breeds (my own and other people s). I have passed advanced obedience exams and won competitions, but it was not until I moved to Germany that I encountered Rottweilers for the first time, as it is quite popular there, being a German breed from the town of Rottweil (in the Black Forest).
Many myths abound about this breed both, good and bad, true and false!
Many Germans with Rottweilers' experience tried to dissuade me from buying one mainly, I think, because I am a woman and they doubted my physical strength and my ability to control such a dog.
I then bought a 12-week old male Rottweiler from a reputable breeder who warned me that it was a pack leader so I would have to show him my will was stronger than his which proved to be true!
He in fact challenged my leadership, with deliberate disobedience rather that aggression, on two occasions when reaching maturity (around one year old). Luckily, I soon showed him who the boss was!
After this episode, he was a very willing learner, eager to please, and I passed the first obedience exam (much is required and needs a lot of work but is encouraged by German Authorities). Then later, advanced training and protection work exams.
Choosing the dog
A dog is not a fashion accessory and should not be chosen to match the colour of your hair, nor the clothes you wear! A large dog requires a great deal of your time in its early life (18 months to 2 years) to train it well and have it under complete control. Also readily available space for training and exercise is needed and there is the potentially great expense in food, vet bills etc.
For example, an elderly or unfit person, or a heavy drinker who lives in a small flat and works all day should not consider having a dog, let alone a large dog such as a Great Dane, Rottweiler, Dobermann etc.
A cat would be more suited!
It is also worth noting that a dog such as Siberian Husky is bred for temperatures of around -30C and enjoys running in the snow not life on the Costas!
If you think you have time and space for a dog but have no previous experience with dogs, it would be advisable to consult your local vet before you purchase, as different breeds have vastly different requirements.
And for those kind-hearted who are considering rescuing a mongrel or a cross-breed, the dog will have different characteristics and needs according to the mixture of breeds, which is sometimes difficult to ascertain.
A very important factor is the size and energy output when the dog is mature! Here again a vet should be consulted before rescuing such a dog.
My new pup Orca
1st July - I have just come home with my new pup who is sleeping on the floor with her head on my foot while I am writing this story. She just showed her first guarding instinct by growling and rushing to the door to defend me from a rather vicious butterfly that was flying in. So I praised her for it!
9th July Orca has now settled in quite well and has had her first jab.
She is into everything, but understands the word NO (she s heard it often enough!), but will test it to see if I really mean it!
She will come when called (in the garden) and sits when told but that is maybe coincidental!
She has a good retrieving instinct which I encourage by throwing toys and saying bring , and so she does, so I can throw it again.
As for house training, we ve had a couple of puddles which she soon found out were not acceptable. So I praise her whenever she goes out in the garden to do it.
Training
The training of a dog should start as soon as you bring the pup home, and not when the dog is a-year old and has already got into bad habits.
For example, you may think that having a little pup sleeping on your bed is sweet , but how do you fancy a 70kg- dog (or heavier!) that has just come home from his walk, covered in muck, doing the same? What about your settee, chairs, swimming-pool etc.? Are they for the dog, yourself, or both?
The boss makes the rules, but who is the boss?
To be continued&
Ann O' 'Nymo