what makes a good rottie owner,

Hi guys, Im currently looking at my puppy stuff. Eg the questions asked, the paper work handed out with new pups,
and thought it would be a good idea to ask, What do you feel is a must for a good rottie owner, I guess it could apply to other breeds {large} or small,

look forward to hearing your views

someone who understands the breed and their needs


i looked at it from a collie owner - they have lots of needs - need lots of walks etc.... i dont know anything about the rottie (except they are realllly cute)! so i based it ona collie lol

lol suze you do make me smile,,, I agree though,, collies need a set sort of owner, they too are a specialised breed, theres so much commitment in them x

There is a commitment in any breed Shona, in Boxer's i think it help's if you have the energy and brain to know what there thinking, And to be able to keep up with them, also they will challenge and I find this is common around 14-20 week's old esp males but some people might be able to say diffrent.
Oh and put up with there terrible windy bum's.xx

this is so true, I look at the care and time taken to raise an IWH and think,,gawd you have to be so in a routine with feeding, exercise and so on,, I just couldnt do it, hence I will likely never have one,,,unless its an adult rescue,

Some questions asked when I got Madface were:
How much do you think a weim needs to be walked?

How long do you think appropriate to leave a weim alone for?

How much time are you prepared to put aside for training each day?

Some things I might ask if they were my pups are:

Have you researched into rotts and how? (If someone said looking at a website, that's not really good enough imo).

Especially in rotts i'd try to find out what kind of person they are in their home life because IMO a nervous or over anxious person isn't really the right type of owner for a rott (don't want to offend anyone, that's just my opinion).
Also this is a breed that i'd be asking what experience have they had in dogs before.

Musts for a good rottie owner, imo, confident with dogs of all breeds, no intention of using them for the wrong reasons, an active person, had dogs before, not only knows, but understands the importance of socialisation and training and the fact that, if they bu**er up their dog they are going to bu**er it up for rottie owners all over the UK, it only takes one incident as we all know. Let them know that is the responsibility they are taking on, not just for themselves but for all the current and future rotties out there. The HAVE to do a good job and they need to know just what they are responsible for by taking on a rottweiler.

Also that they know why they have chosen their preferred sex and why. In some breeds it doesn't matter but in rotts I feel it does matter as they are quite different.

And the best one for any breed really (IMO)
Why have you chosen a rott over all other breeds. Apparenty you can get some very interesting answers to that one!

I'm sure i'll think of more!

I think a Rotti owner firstly needs to love the breed, and all its traits, you need to understand you are taking on hopefully at least 10 yrs of commitment.

One needs to understand and take into account the current climate regarding Rottis... and be prepared for some negative repossesses towards the breed.

A Rotti owner needs to be a no nonsense owner, one who has set rules and sticks to them, one who is firm , but not harsh... one who needs to be committed to turning their dog/s into the best examples of the breed they can, regarding obedience.

They need to understand that as youngsters, they can be demanding to say the least... and in some cases (depending on the dog) will need to keep a one upmanship (never taking your eye of the ball) with the dog...

You need an owner who has a little understanding of "pray drive" and how to work with such dogs.... making it work for them not against them.

You also need an owner who has a sense of humor, as any Rotti owner will tell you, they are clowns wrapped up in the clothing of sheep.


To sum up, some one who is willing to dedicate their life to a animal that can weigh a ton, t and can jump around like the sugar plum fairy, but in reality is like a baby elephant.

A responsible dedicated owner willing to put in all the training one needs to show this breed of to its best.... one who has a passion for the breed.

All the above makes a good Rotti owner

thanks all for the posts very intresting,,,seeing what others feel is a must for a rottie owner x

particularly for rotties I think :

Not too soft - firm but fair. Some dogs you can get away with letting them rule the roost. imo a rottie must know who's boss. I guess the word I'm looking for is authoritive (or in your case Shona...bossy ( only joking))

be considerate of other people's (sometimes irrational) fear of the breed (but getting the balance right - e.g. not choosing isolated walks because people might not like the dogs, but just thinking about other people. I keep thinking back to when we met that lady with the CKCS who had been attached by a rottie. The wee dog gained confidence because Vinnie & Kaos were calm and under control and the lady was so, so grateful for your consideration.

think about protecting their dog. Owners of smaller dogs protect them in a different way (usually from the bigger dogs!). I know on a few occassions you have told stories which clearly show that you would never put your dog in a position where it could get in trouble (e.g. when that guy got violent and all you could think about was getting the dogs away so they didn't try and protect you and (was it Douggie, Stevie or someone else, sorry can't remember).

I was going to say a calm nature, but again from some of your posts, I can't say you have But would be interested to know whether you are careful not to 'go off on one' in front of the dogs, or whether they don't care?

Basically I'm going to make your head swell now, but if we could clone you as the typical rottie owner, I think the rotties bad reputation would disappear very quickly.

I would certainly ask them if they are aware of the size and weight these dogs have the potential to reach.

I don't think they are a breed that would be suitable for most first time dog owners either. This is because of the media hype that goes with them, there is the potential for them to end up in the wrong hands.

Unfortuantely, no matter what you ask, there will always be the odd person who is going to tell you what you want to hear rather than give the honest answer.

Heidi