Our new puppy!

[SallyQZ]

On Valentines Day weekend, we picked up our new 9 wk old puppy. Her name is Jemma and she is a rottweiler. We've wanted one for years, but didn't feel that we had time to properly train and socialize one since the kids were little. One of our sweet doxies passed away last summer, so we finally decided that it was time to add another puppy to the family.

So we've had her for three weeks and I'm amazed at how well she has fit into our family. I take her everywhere with me so that she can meet as many people & dogs as possible. When I ride, I put her in a stall with my asst trainer's pup (who is two days older than Jemma) and they play & wrestle & sleep curled up together. There are also 2 golden labs, a golden retriever, a belgian malinois, two terriers, and a shih tzu at the barn, so she has plenty of dogs to socialize with during the day. Our senior citizen doxie, Bubba, has taught her to mind her manners when she's at home (he's a crabby old curmudgeon). And she loves people - thinks that everyone should pet her & tell her she's beautiful.

As for the birds, they gave her the ol' fish eye and a wide berth for the first week. But they've become used to her presence now & don't really pay attention. I make sure she is in her crate while they are out - or I have her on a leash sitting at my feet. She watches them playing on the floor, but hasn't lunged at them, or barked at them, or even gone to sniff them in their cages yet. Tonka is REALLY good at training puppies to leave the birds alone. He will lovingly call them by name and when they stick their nose in his cage, he nails them HARD with his beak. The doxies were slow learners - they got bit about 4 times before they learned.

It's funny how people perceive rotties as bloodthirsty killers. In our puppy kindergarten class, everyone looked apprehensive when we joined the group. But it turned out to be the 3 lb yorkie who was the worst in the class - he kept jumping into other pups faces & biting them, jumped all over the people, and generally tore the place up.

[expressmailtome]

Very cute puppy! Congratulations!

Matt

[kcleckler]

I know what you mean about everyone thinking they are bloodthirsty monsters. My best friend has a rotty that is about a year old. Everywhere we take him people do everything they can to avoid us which is so crazy because Bear (the dog) is the BIGGEST baby I know! Your puppy is very cute! I want one!

[SallyQZ]

thanks!

Unfortunately, when a rottie is untrained or unsocialized or the product of a backyard breeder, they can be a big threat. That makes it newsworthy - chihuahua's bite people all the time, but no one is going to be killed or maimed by one. And many people buy rotties for the wrong reason. They chain them up in the backyard, or leave them in the garage, and provide no training or socializing. Is it any wonder these dogs grow up to be aggressive and dangerous?

I'm determined that Jemma will be a good ambassador for the breed. I was a puppy raiser for Canine Companions (the wheelchair assistance dogs) and learned a lot about training a dog to be compliant & gentle. Jemma will continue her training indefinitely - I plan on doing obedience and possibility agility classes with her. She will learn that aggressive behavior is never acceptable, not towards people or other animals.

[mary313]

How adorable is she!!! Congrats

[KimM]

Awww! Wook at da wittle ting! I love puppies and puppy breath! She's adorable!

[charlieandmom]

She is beautiful. I have a female that just turned a year old. Her name is Starr. I didn't have alot of time when she was a puppy to socialize her. My father went in the hospital 3 days after I brought her home. After 3 months in the hospital my dad passed away. So now we are working on the socializing. She is scared of alot of things. Every time we go out I load up on treats to give people that want to pet her. She warms up really fast after that. It was really funny just before Christmas they were taking pet photos with Santa at the mall. She was scared of santa and he was scared of her. I thought the picture turned out pretty good considering. She lives with 4 Chihuahuas that give her
*(*#. She has never growled or tried to hurt any of them. She will lay on the floor and watch my birds walk around. Never once has she went after them. She found my hamster twice after he escaped from his cage. She didn't paw try to bite or nothing.
I could go on and on about her.

I know you are gonna enjoy. Rotties are awesome.

[SallyQZ]

thanks everyone!

Charlieandmom, sounds like you're doing the right thing with Starr's socializing. It takes longer when they are older, but it can be done. It's cool to hear that she's good with your birds and the hamster! My doxie would inhale that hamster in a nanosecond! He figures it's his job to eliminate all the rodents in the world and kills rats on a regular basis. But he's scared of the birds, thank goodness!

KimM, you wouldn't like her puppy breath! She gets salmon food and her breath reeks of fishy dog food.

[Ashling]

AWW! Little muppet! She is such a feminine looking little baby! You sound like you know exactly what your are doing for her training. It's unfortunate the prejudice against rotties. I have always loved them... they look so cuddly. My collie/ heeler Flea hates rotties though- there was one called Zeus in obedience class that would rear up and lunge at my boy, and Flea learned to zip in, bite a leg, and zip out before Zeus was back on the ground. Neither of them ever got along.

[red192]

just look at that face! i see TROUBLE! heheheh how adorable!