NEW PUPPY

[Dee]

Just a word about "GERMAN"...if it was born in the U.S. it is an American Rott. All Rotts have German bloodlines and people think that the shape of them is what causes them to be one vs. the other. The fact is that in Germany they are more strict on what they breed. In the U.S. you get a lot of people that just breed and don't care if they have the best lineage. A true German Rott comes with a portfolio from the vet office in Germany. And all Rotts have a German heritage no matter what they look like.

I know some good Rottweiler breeders and their dogs look like they are straight from Germany, but they are American Rotts and have lineage for generations of American Rotts.

I also don't mean to be down on the whole ordeal, but I rescue Rottweilers and have done so for over ten years. Anyone that sells their pups on Craig's List, the side of the road, or the paper is NOT a good breeder. A good breeder has people lined up wanting their pups before they are born so that they have homes for all of them. They require a contract to be signed and require the dog be given back to them if you can't keep it. Unlike BYB's (back yard breeders), which is what you got your puppy from, they care about their dogs for their entire lives and do not want to see them end up in the shelters. Why would they when they spend thousands making sure the parents have certified hips, elbows, eyes, blood work to show any issues that both parents could potentially pass on to the pups.

Don't be surprised if this puppy grows up to look like the stereo typical "American" Rott. I'm glad this one was purchased by a wonderful family though...worried about what losers get some of the others ones. This breed means a lot to me, as do just about every other dog out there, and I am sorry if I offended anyone. It's just hard to not voice my thoughts when I can't sleep at night thinking about the ones I couldn't save, or the ones that died in my care from illnesses that could have been prevented. I have more urns in my house for my rescue dogs than personal dogs...I cremate every one of my rescues that I lose and either myself or my volunteer that may have cared for that dog, brings it home.

Dena

[Dee]

BTW, the puppies are absolutely adorable. There is nothing like puppy breath (yuck) LOL. Here's one of the boys I rescued 6mths ago that had parvo and then pneumonia for three months. Before and after pics. His owners picked up his parents from the shelter and left him. A friend drove him four hours to my vet. He's lucky to be alive and we are still paying off his $3,000 vet bill. The worst par is that my husband won't let me keep him...he thinks six dogs enough. What he doesn't realize is that two of them are 11 years old and Rotts don't usually live too long.

My girl just turned 11 and has three legs since last year when she was diagnosed with bone cancer. We amputated and did chemo...doing good, but age is catching up. And the other is a rescue that isn't adoptable...knee never fully recovered after we repaired his cruciate. His original owners said he was hit by a car and broke his hip, but they let it heal, so his back end keeps giving out on him. It's only a matter of time

[RaceRat]

Dee, I applaud your post! I have the same feelings about breeding that you do. We have two Shiba Inus, an Akita and a Heeler mix that we rescued.
The Akita's have been overbred in the US too. They are way too large and hip/bone problems are almost guaranteed. :(
The Shiba's are getting there, (the US Shiba is 8-15lbs heavier than the Japanese standard) but luckily they don't have much appeal to most folks so they're not plastered all over the classifieds yet.
I get so angry when people question why our purebred dogs are all fixed and suggest that we should have "bred them and made some money."

[Dee]

I didn't realize Akita's were getting so popular also. They go down the line...and it's usually the ones that are most protective.

Aside from the numbers killed, the other major issue are the genetic defects. I can't even count how many I've had to do some sort of hip surgery on. Just last year and the year before I had to work hard on fundraising for two total hip replacements. Cost over $2500 and I adopted them each out for $100. The recovery is hard...and then we get those that don't even make it out of surgery, which although I know wasn't my fault, it's hard to not second guess my decisions and keep thinking about "I shouldn't have gone through with it".

Everyone, take wonderful care of your animals or I'll hunt you down LOL.

Dena

[lv4paints]

Hello Dena it's melissa (got your frogs) Hey how is Thunder? I want him so bad. he is darling. Still wanting all the stuff. Just trying to work it out around the holiday to :(
I finally joined now I am wanting to get a saltwater BAD. How is all the other pups?

[Dee]

Hey there...funny how you found me in this thread! Glad to see you joined...you'll learn a lot on this forum. There are a lot of great people here that are dedicated to the hobby.

Thunder is doing great! I had to sit on him to take out his stitches...one of those grumpy little guys when I mess with his feet. My husband was worthless with holding him down for me. He's laying by my feet right now...usually is if I'm on the computer or on the sofa...all snoozed out.

If we can help by meeting somewhere for the reptile stuff, let me know.

Dee