Rottweiller- supplements?

I do agree that a dog needs a companion, in my early days of dog ownership I had a dog on his own but he was a very difficult rehomed rottie and then when my husband & I got our first dog she was on her own initially but after having friends dogs for a holiday and seeing how subdued she was when they left we got her a puppy and have always had multiple dogs since.

The last 2 pups we've had have come into the house of 1 or 2 adult dogs. We've found that the pups always learn off the adults so you would need to be careful when rehoming an adult dog - I'm sure it could work but I think you'd be making life difficult for yourself! You'd be bringing any issues that a "shelter" dog may have not only into your human lives but also into Poppy's young,impressionable life so I think you may end up with a few grey hairs!!

Have fun tonight, the recall is always more "interesting" with some canine distraction so you are certainly going in at the deep end!!
 
That's really interesting, would you suggest getting a puppy then instead of an older dog?

Again there are conflicting views on this as we have been advised 2 very different sides on this as to whether to get an older dog or pup. We have been advised to wait until she is 6 months old before getting another dog so she doesn't bond with him/her more than us as we may then have problems with discipline and training but I would like to start looking to get another as soon as she is 6 months as I see how happy she is with another dog in the house or out and about, we always said we would have two anyway eventually but she has definitely made me think sooner rather than later.
 
With regards to getting another dog I really don't know what the answer is, I've never brought an adult dog into a puppy's home so I have no idea what's the best route to take.

I can see problems both ways but there's always a way around these problems and if you're committed and sensible then things should work out whichever way you go.

I don't understand the significance of 6 months though, I also can't see why she would bond with a puppy more than you if you got a puppy before Poppy was that age. At about 10 months Poppy will be a juvenile and I've read that this is the age they really start to bond with the specific adult they choose, be it yourself or your husband so I doubt getting a puppy will change this. Of course you'll have a nightmare trying to train 2 puppies and get any sense out of them if you aren't firm etc but I guess you'd also have this issue if you rehome an adult dog with issues.

The answer is I just don't know, I can see mayhem with 2 puppies but nothing that can't be overcome as they mature but that's just me looking at it as a pet owner - there may be a real reason due to development that I don't know about.
 
Yes I can see what you mean. I do wonder if you're right about having 2 puppies being a bit of mayhem, but to be fair I have never met a puppy as opinionated or hyperactive as Poppy so adding another probably wont be too much more work lol! And I am sure they will have hours of fun making our lives even busier than they already are!

We are very animal orientated people with no children, so for us the hard work really isn't a problem. I would just feel much happier that she isn't home alone when we are out, and I didn't realize how much I would worry about it before we got her! Its probably me that is worried, she probably isn't in the slightest. I am trying to find the answer everywhere for this but to be honest I think it is personal opinion and if we feel it is right then that's that really.

What would you suggest with regards to sex? Should we go for same sex of opposite being that she is female? Baring in mind she wont be neutered until after her first season as advised by the vet.

I do apologize for wracking your brain about all of this!
 
Its absolutely fine but I'm only giving you my opinion, I'm in no way an expert about anything so I'm just working from experience of having had rotties.

What I can say with a reasonable sense of certainty is do not get 2 bitches!!! Rottie bitches can be quite temperamental and I think it would be the more difficult route to take especially as Poppy is full of character. We have found having had rottie girls and now an EBT bitch that they do tend to be more dominant than the boys so at some point 2 bitches will come to blows. Of course this may happen with a male too whilst they work out who's the boss but with a dominant female & a male we've found that discussion is over pretty quickly - I wouldn't chance it with 2 females. There will always be examples of where 2 females have worked out well but I personally would get a male if you already have a rottie bitch that is intelligent and boisterous.

If you get a male you'll have to be on your toes when Poppy comes into season regardless of whether he's a neutered adult or a young pup but it's not the end of the world to deal with.

We were always advised never to have 2 rottie males together but we rehomed one with already having a rottie bitch and male at home and it was fine, they all got on well. We would not have rehomed a bitch with a dominant bitch already in the house.
 
This was my thoughts, go for a male for the next dog so we can avoid any explosive arguments between the two. We were thinking of maybe going for a lab for the next dog so maybe this would be the best idea.

To be honest I think I am just going to have a chat with my partner with regards to how old Poppy will be when we get the next one as we know her best after all! She thrives on attention, and when its from other dogs you really see her face light up and her whole character completely changes so I think what you have said makes total sense.

Looking back I almost wish we had of gotten 2 puppies together at the same time, hard work but would have avoided the worry of one being on her own!

Don't worry, I think personal experience often outweighs professional techniques so I am happy to hear your experiences :)
 
Last year 2 of our rotties died, one in the summer after long term health issues and one very suddenly and totally unexpected in December. This left Scout or EBT bitch on her own and we decided to keep her on her own whilst we were coming to terms with Storm's death so didn't plan to get anything else for a while. I think it lasted 2 weeks, we got Bisto and the change in her was unbelievable - she had been grieving for the boys and we hadn't seen how much she was suffering until the pup arrived. Getting him was the best thing we could have done so it just cemented our thoughts that dogs do much better with doggy companions. Besides the house wasn't right without a rottie taking up all the space!

As you say you know your dog so you do whatever you feel is right regardless of what trainers tell you or what you read. I look forward to seeing pics of the lab puppy quote soon!
 
Just a thought - does Poppy's breeder have any of her litter left? That way you pretty much know what you're getting and it would be a pup the same age...... not that I'm encouraging you!!
 
Ahh bless Bisto, he is clearly very loved by you all!
Unfortunately she was the last one other than the one they kept, shame as that would have been a good idea!

Well she had her walk with the 2 other dogs, she was off of her lead the whole time and she was fantastic, didn't try and run off once! It has definitely made us realise we do want another and soon as she just absolutely loves being out with other dogs.

As you say, you know better your own dog than the trainer does and we really feel she will benefit from another.

We have also after a bit of testing found her 'sound' for no and it seems to be working so far, just need to keep it up!!
 
I just hope its the right decision lol I am sure it will be!

I think she has been fine on her own until now but now she is meeting new dogs all the time you can really see how she is at her happiest with others.
 
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