Are you SURE you want a Rottweiler?
With proper training and socializing, the Rottweiler can be a great family pet, companion, herding dog, tracking dog,obedience dog, etc.
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They are very loyal, dedicated, loving, beautiful and intelligent.
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As a rule they do not bark a lot unnecessarily and they are generally good watch dogs who will let you knowwhen something's up.
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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 wantsnothing 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 whenyoung) and need a more specialized vaccination schedule as a puppy in order to develop proper immunity. They arealso 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. Veterinary bills are generally higher for Rottweilers than for many other breeds.They are strong willed and need LOTS of PROPER training and socializing when young. If you fail in your dutiesto select, train and socialize them properly, they can be dangerous (sometimes inadvertently) as adults. They aremouthy as puppies until properly taught bite inhibition. Puppies also tend to have temper tantrums. Teenagerottweilers are a handful and sometimes require a good deal of physical strength to handle them.Young dogs require a lot of very good food (poor quality food can cause or worsen health problems) SOME youngmales CAN require as much as 8 - 10 cups of excellent quality food per day, that's 2 - 2 1/2 lbs! The better foods are$40-50 per 40-lb bag.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 bedestructive 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, or worse, you could LOSEyour existing coverage if you get a Rottie.If you are still interested in owning a Rottweiler, please read some of these excellent books:The Rottweiler by: Jim PettengellThe Complete Rottweiler by: Muriel FreemanRottweilers by: Les PriceDr. Ackerman's Book of the Rottweiler Proper care of Rottweilers by: Joan Klem and Susan Rademacher Pet Owner's Guide to the Rottweiler by: Mary MacPhail
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