Contact
I am always willing to answer emails and other correspondence from those with questions or concerns about their Rottweilers, whether they were adopted from my kennel or not. You can contact me via email at bob@fallhammerrotts.com and I will do my best to help you, or guide you to the right place for your answers.
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hi i would like to purchase a Rottweiler puppy sometime next year, but i am doing a lot of research on them. Your article was the best I read on socialization. I am a single mother it would be nice to have a big dog around the house. my question is i have a 4pound yorkie 2 year old male would that be a problem? and also i wanted to know for protection purposes would a male or female be better? i do plan on obedience training.
Hi Jeanean,
Thank you for taking a look at the article – glad I could help. The Yorkie will probably not be a problem – you will need to get the two dogs used to each other a bit every day, but I wouldn’t leave them alone together for long periods of time until the Rottie has bonded to you and your kids and has had a bit of training. This has nothing to do with the Rottie hurting the Yorkie – it is more of an obedience and bonding issue. You can use the crate to keep them separated when you are out. Otherwise, you can get into a situation where the pup is learning bad habits from the Yorkie and the pup will also start bonding to the Yorkie more than the people = obedience issues. Dogs always prefer the company of other dogs over humans. If you want to raise a dog that will not listen to you , then just leave it with another dog! The real friend the Rottie pup needs during its puppy stages is you, as opposed to another dog.
As far as male or female, unless you are going to train the dog for police work, a female and male are about the same in a home situation. Anyone telling you a male or female is better or worse is missing the point. It is the individual dog more than the gender. I’ve had females that are better at guarding than males. I have written an article or two on this subject as well.
Obedience training is a must for this breed, as well as socialization.
Hi there, I have a male German Shephard puppy born Jan 1, 2012
I was reading your comments about Exceed Chicken and Rice Performance dog food. I was wondering what brand you now recommend for him as a puppy and as an adult, and when do I switch.
Thanks for your time.
Mel
Hi Mel,
I would recommend using a high kcal, good quality kibble such as Diamond Puppy for up to seven or eight months of age, then switch to something like Purina Pro Plan Performance Chicken and Rice (for all life stages). Just look for kibble with high kcals (between 430 and up to 550 per cup). The caloric content you choose will depend on how much energy he burns. If he ‘outgrows’ the Diamond Puppy before seven months and you cannot keep weight on him, get him onto something with higher kcals, like the Pro Plan I mentioned. As a note, I just found another good food, Sportmix Energy Plus, which is available at Tractor Supply stores. It has 552 kcals per cup. I am now using it on all of my GSDs, ages one through nine, and they are doing very well.
I read your blog titled “How To Keep Your Dog From Looking Like Sally Field” and I wonder at what age is your dog too old for this?
From personal experience, the best time to correct the ear set is between three months and a year old, prior to the growth plates setting. Since I haven’t dealt with this situation in older dogs, I couldn’t say for sure if you can correct this in a dog over a year and a half old. You are dealing with cartilage, so the older the dog gets, the more difficult it will be to break that tissue down or get the ear to drop. If anything, it would take more massaging or correction on a daily basis until the fold corrects. That being said, anything is possible.