Should i get a Rottweiler for my 3 year old ?

[Guest Anonymous]

I have a 3 year old daughter and she wants a dog for christmas. I was wondering if it was a good idea to get a Rottweiler as a familly pet. Half the people i talked to say that if i get it as a puppy it will love my daughter and do no harm to her. The other 50 percent tell me that the dog could turn on her and bite her. Someone please let me know if it is just the characteristic of the dog to be mean or is it just the way you bring it up. Thanks!!! :agrue:

[Bensam]

You do not buy any one a puppy for Xmas, be it for a child or adult.
Buy a 3yo a toy, not a puppy of any sort.

Sorry if that sounds a bit rough but getting a dog is a big commitment not contained in the sentence "a 3 year old wants a dog for Xmas"!

Please wait until your daughter is older and then research the breeds AFTER making sure that YOU want a dog in the family as quite often the novelty will were off for the child and then it will be your responsibility to care for the dog.

[Guest Anonymous]

i dont think that she is old enough to take care of a dog. (duh) Of course the FAMILY OR ME would have to take care of it. I think you people are missing the question. I was questioning the bread of the dog. HELLO............NEVER MIND ... thanks for nothing!

[Guest Anonymous]

My 3 year old wants an elephant and a crocodile for Christmas, and of course he isn't getting either. I am not trying to be flip in any way here, my point is that a 3 year old is not old enough to comprehend the concept bringing a living being into the family. This has to be an informed conscious choice on the part of the parent....not one based on the emotion of "Awwww my baby wants a puppy for Christmas". As Mei-Mei said finding a reputable breeder is very important and you are not going to find a decent one who will sell you one at Christmas. But at this point researching the breed that is going to fit best into your family is far more important than finding a breeder. You say that you were questioning the breed of dog, but is only 13 days until Christmas and if you are just asking this question now......I think you have not put much thought past the desires of your child into this decision. I have people on waiting lists for puppies who wait several years....and that is something you will encounter with almost every reputable breeder out there.....this is not a choice to be made lightly.....this is a LIFE for heaven's sake.....treat it as such. And as Bensam said you need to make sure YOU want the dog, because ultimately care, training and socialization will be your responsibility. Non one here is trying to be harsh, we have the best interests of the puppy you might get and your child at heart, because please believe me, if you do not carefully research your decision, both of them will regret it!

Later,
Trinity
See my girls at [url]www.geocities.com/trinityess[/url]

[Bensam]

Rob, if my answer appeared a bit terse I'm sorry but I just assume that when people post on here for the first? time, they have had a bit of a look around the forum and can get the general feeling of other posters re a subject. You did ask about the suitability of Rottweilers as a pet which I did not address, firstly because I do not believe any dog is suitable for a 3 year old (and I've had both children and dogs, and my dogs were always protected FROM 3 year olds), secondly, I don't know enough about Rotties.

Whatever you decide, please think carefully and read the other posts about researching the different breeds and all ownership of a dog entails.

[Guest roo]

Any one who is considering getting a pet,
should, firstly look into the breed they are interested in.
If the dog is going to a family then it has to be a joint choice.
Why do you want a dog for the 3 year old?
Do all the family want a dog?
Are you prepared for house training,chewing,
general house recking that a pup can and usually do?

Rotties, have had a bad rap over the years, some are great, some
are loaded guns :lol: .
If after looking around and deciding that is the breed for you,
you then need to find a good breeder,
My knowledge of rotts is not too deep but i do know that
they need very firm but fair handling as they grow,
they need training, they are very intelligent.
Also between the age of 3-15 months many become lager louts,
they try it on, they push the issue, they see just how far they can go.
This is true of many many breeds too.
But a well bred, well trained, well brought up rottie can make a great pet.
Hope this helps a bit.
Roo

[deepseasnake]

actually guys I think we have been very rude to our new guest and I think we need to take these things a bit more seriously, I mean if that child dies from a dog bite [b]YOU [/b]are all very [b]RESPONSIBLE!!!![/b]

[deepseasnake]

so do you guys think its okay if I buy my 12 year old sister the Polar Bear she'd always wanted?
I mean I ran into alot of money after my Goldens mopped up the fights last week and I want to spread the christmas cheer, and besides I think she is ready for the commitment.

what do you think.......?

[Guest roo]

I think :o
Everyone needs to chill out a bit.

[size=1]Deep i willl be booking you in for that castration soon[/size]

Roo

[eggrolyn1223]

Well, my mom said I can have anything I want this Christmas, because I'm in Taiwan, and I asked her to buy me a tiger!! :roll:

[anne3149]

OK guys chill out a bit here.
I have had two Rottweilers and yes they are wonderful with children IF YOU TRAIN THEM. However if you have never owned a Rott or if this is to be your first dog then the answer is a definite NO.
A dog needs protection from a 3 year old child. Rottweilers are thinking dogs, very smart and very obedient. Rottweilers are less inclined to bite than most other dogs IF THEY ARE TRAINED correctly. Little dogs are the biters and unfortunately most are not obedience trained.
My advice is that with a 3 year old child you simply do not have the time to put into the initial intensive training a Rottweiler needs. Go to the website [url]www.rottweiler.net/[/url] There you will learn absolutely everything about Rottweilers and you will be advised not to get one at this stage. Research the breed before you embark on this.
I also agree with the other posters. Dogs are not toys and should not be given to a child for Christmas. Give your child a huge stuffed toy instead.
You can do the dog research when you have more time, that will take probably months to find a reputable breeder, gain information and become knowledgable about the breed you finally decide on. To buy a dog on impulse or a whim is a huge mistake and many dogs purchased this way end up unwanted and in shelters. Puppies are a lot of work.

[Mary's Mama]

Rob - While I understand the others positions regarding not getting puppies for christmas etc, I would like to assume you are genuinly looking for help and have made the decision to get a pup, regardless of the time of year.

I think you are doing breed research by asking us about the rotts and I must applaud you for putting at least some thought into this.

Have you heard of the puppy test?? All dogs or animals for that matter have potential and predispositions for certain behaviors. You can perform tests on the potential puppies to determine aggressive tendencies, submissiveness etc. I [b]always[/b] perform this when I select a new puppy.

Pick up the puppy, hold close to your face, see the puppies reaction. while holding in a standing position, turn puppy on its back, see its reaction. while puppy is on its back gently put pressure between its pads (dont pinch or squeeze too hard but enough that the puppy can feel it) check its reaction. grab its tail, its ears, check its teeth and gums as a vet would. continually checking for any negative reaction. make sure to let the pups play together for a while and watch their interaction, you will see which pups are more bold and/or aggressive. You can do a search for the puppy test on google and get more specific guidelines. The puppy should have no reaction to any of these events; snipping, bitting, yelping, pulling away are all negative indicators. Once you have choosen the pup you are comfortable with continue to perform these tasks daily. That way the pup will get used to it and have no reation when the 3 year old grabs it tail.

Incidently I have a good friend with 2 girls under the age of two who recently got a rott puppy and they are all having a smashing time. It is not necessarily the breed but the puppy. Choose a good puppy.

[corgilady]

Erin that is a really good post. Except I have to say, if you grabbed my Fella's tail he would freak out (when he was a pup) and if you had turned him on his back he would have panicked. He is not aggressive or anything, ,just look at my avatar :lol: but he would not have liked those 2 things.

I had rotties and when new people approached them, they ran to the person (invoking a heart attack I am sure) and then flopped right over on their backs for a belly rub. :lol:

[Mary's Mama]

Corgilady - you are indeed correct. It is not at all a definate science. Just because a dog reacts to those situations doesn't mean they will 100% have some sort of problem but if you can find a dog that doesn't, even better. And if the pup you pick does have trouble, going through those exercises daily will help the pup get used to them. Still with a 3 yr old around I would try to find a pup with as high of tolerance level as possible. I'm sure you would agree.

Thanks for your thoughts and compliments. :D

[Guest Anonymous]

My neighbors have a rottie who is 6. They also have a 6 yr old, 3 yr old, 20 mth old, and a 3 mth old (humans). Kaiser (the rottie) is a big pussy cat. The best dang dog. But MAN is he intimidating! I get the pleasure of puppy sitting him next week for 10 days! We will spoon on the floor.....ahhh....love....

[Guest roo]

Rotties are docked :-?

I must admit if anyone came to see one of my babies and grabbed the tail
etc, they would be shown the door :lol:

But then again thats me.

[Guest Anonymous]

I will say that a lot of people *touch* my dogs' tails, but who can blame them? They're cute and curly!

They do not GRAB them or PULL on them, though. OUT THE DOOR if they would. Grrrr......

[Mary's Mama]

Wow you guys. :o Surely you dont believe that I suggest everyone go around grabbing dogs tails, but you must be smart enough to know that a child will grab the dogs tail, and therefore you better be sure you get a dog that can handle it.

You can come over and grab Mary's tail anytime (its docked, btw), she'll just lick your hand. And no most jrt's wont tolerate it, I knew someday I would have children and she better know better!! For ppl who talk about how important it is to train your dog, surely you know that means more than sit.

[Guest Anonymous]

While your suggestions for puppy testing are excellent, most reputable breeders do not allow their puppy people to pick their own puppy. I have people fill out an extensive questionnaire, spend months to years talking to them, visit their home (when logistically possible) and have them bring the entire family visit my girls (mostly so I can see how their children interact and behave).....all before the puppy's are born. They are not allowed to visit the pups until they have had their shots (could track in anything) After the puppies are born I evaluate them constantly, observing, doing temperament tests, and having outside evaluators come in....if I feel I have a match for a particular family, when the pup is 7-8 weeks old they can come and spend time with "their" puppy. A set of guidelines are all well and good, but no substitute for the knowledge, experience and daily time spent with each puppy that any good breeder puts into their pups. For example, a family might want a laid back puppy, but each time they come to visit the most laid back puppy of the group is running around like a little maniac....now this is the best puppy for that family but they don't know that because they haven't spend the last 2 months with that pup, all they see is the few hours they are there. I have not once allowed a family to pick a puppy on their own, they get the one that I think will best fit into their family, or they don't get one from me. Every puppy parent has been thrilled with the pups they received and even the ones who were skeptical (Oh I've always gone and picked out my own puppy) now agree this is the best way to go.

Roo--it is not just you....anybody grabbing my babies tails better run for the door!

Later,
Trinity

[Guest roo]

I can see what point you are trying to get across here marys moma :lol:
But, a rottie has a short dock a jacks is longer.
I believe in educateing the child and the pup.
But if anyone came to see any on my babies, be they danes or frenchies
i would not be happy about any of the pulling tugging tweaking tests.
My first reaction when meeting new owners of my babies, before they even get to see them, is to check out how i feel about them first :lol:
Any children who have come to see the pups, are not allowed to grab or even pick up my babies before i have sussed out the situation,
Yes i know i may be over the top, and yes i have a child.
i remember years ago with a dane litter, the kids came to see the pups,
one child kept trying to pick a pup up to hug it. i said dont pick the pup up, sit down and then i will give you the pup, fine whilst doing this the other child picked up a pup, dropped it and it was lame for a week :x
i was soooooooooooooo happy about that.
Any responsible breeder would be very unhappy with a new owner mauling their pups.
trying to look in the mouth etc, especially by untrained hands can upset or hurt a pup big time.

the answer really is if you trust a breeder and it is a responsible breeder who is always there for you with any problems or quieries you have cant go far wrong.

Roo :evilbat:

[Guest Anonymous]

While this is a very nice, helpful, and informative board, coming to this board is not part of researching a breed, and because a 3 yr. old says they want a puppy for Christmas or any other time is not a reason for getting any dog, and as previously said above, no reputable breeder or shelter will let any dog go from now until after the new year.

There are temperment tests available for pups called the Volhard test which a lot of reputable breeders use. If people are offended by the information they are given on this board or any other, then it's proof they've not done any research. PERIOD. These are very nice and kind people on here, but the reason they are on here is for animal welfare and helpful information not to give people words they want to hear.

Many pups are taken to a shelter after a few weeks of ownership because it keeps biting the child and hanging off it's diapers, well, that's what pups do and you have to train them. They are unable to train themselves which a lot of people don't understand.

[Mary's Mama]

I would like to request that you review my post again. I would like to make sure you understand that I did not ever suggest pulling a tail, prying open a dogs mouth, letting children hold puppies, or any of the other extremes my comments got exaggerated too. Maybe grab was a bad choice of words, maybe I should have said touch or gently wrap hand around tail. I in no way intended to suggest that any one do mean, abusive, painful, or dangerous things to a puppy.

It is wonderful that as breeders you take the time to assist your clients in selecting their puppies. I applaud you for you work. In a perfect world everyone who sold a puppy would do as good of a job as you do. Unfortuately most people do not buy dogs from breeders. I am one of them, by choice.

Also, I would like to clarify that I do not believe it is a good idea to buy children puppies or buy puppies as christmas presents. I tried to see how I could help him, instead of shutting him out. I do believe that speaking to owners of a breed you are considereing purchasing is breed research and is a good idea. Of course it should be supplemented with literature research as well. An instance would be a jrt. Much of the literature is not entirely accurate. I have learned much more about jacks from owners than from literature.

So accepting that families with children do buy dogs all year round, please allow me to try to affect the situation positively. Their is a child that will end up with a puppy, I would much rather try to help make the inevitable situation better. While I do feel the opinions you gave were valid and very needed, I do not believe they would change his mind, therefore, more was needed.

Remember, things would be very boring if we all agreed all the time. Just because we do not agree does not mean either one of us is wrong.

[anne3149]

Trinity, I enjoyed reading your post and you are one of the very few good breeders. The breeder I got my Rott from (after much research) interrogated me twice by telephone and then when I eventually got to see the pups, she watched me interact with the puppies for a while as well as the mother and then told me "that is your pup". She was absolutley correct. I got the pup that was right for me. The breeders know more about the pup than any prospective purchaser and the breeder is certainly the one who should choose the pup.
I also agree with all who said they would not have a prospective purchaser try a do a temperament test on a pup. Temperament tests should be done only by the knowledgable. I would not have anyone handle my pups in the manner suggested.
I guess this is all academic in any case. If the original poster was going to a reputable breeder he would have done his research long before now, he wants a pup for Christmas - might I suggest he will probably buy from a pet store or puppy farm.