One of my all-time favorite Rottwei- lers loved to entertain people; he loved to make people laugh with his tricks and with his songs—how he loved to sing... on command yet! We would call people on their birthdays so that he could sing. He was dead serious about his singing, he was totally o ff ended when one of the other dogs tried to chime in. He would stop immediately and look at them as if to say, ‘Excuse me, I’m singing here!’ He had an entire repertoire of tricks from “Bang! You’re dead” to “prairie dogs” and “dancing bears” to actually saying, “I love you.” Most of the time you could literally hear him saying, “I love you.” What a dog he was! He knew exactly what he was doing, and loved the response he got from his audiences, be it in the ring or in the living room. He was quite the entertainer. I tell potential Rottweiler owners that you will get out of them exactly what you put into them. Th ey need a loving, structured environment. Th ey need to know what is expected of them and what is allowed and what isn’t. Th ey are loyal family members with a need to be part of a family, even if the family is just you and your dog. If you bring a Rottweiler into your home and raise them with your children or other animals, they excel. Just to be at your side and part of your family seems to bring out an inherent instinct.
It’s not anything that needs to be “taught”; it is the sense of loyalty and belonging. I have always said of my dogs that it’s like they become my ‘self-appointed guardians’. I remember being at a deso- late little show in Iowa, years ago, with my 13-month-old bitch. We had arrived late at night, and our hotel sat on the edge of town, next to a field. After get- ting checked in and settled, I took her out for her last walk. Naturally, the best “potty area” was this sprawling, vacant field. Walking along in the pitch black, waiting for her to potty, I was going over the next day’s schedule in my mind, not paying attention to my surroundings. All of the sudden, something caught the cor- ner of my eye. I looked up and a man had came out of no where, in the middle of this field, heading straight towards me! Th e hair on the back of my neck stood up, as the fear shot through me. Th is lit- tle 13-month-old puppy came out of the dark, guns-a-blazin’. She hit the end of that flexi lead and her raw strength almost drug me to my knees! She told that man in no uncertain terms, ‘Do not come one step further.’ And he didn’t, he turned tail and ran! I don’t think I have ever been that frightened or that grateful to have that brave little Rottweiler at my side. Th ey make their presence known and felt. It’s a warm, secure feeling to have the love of such a majestic dog. I’ve never doubted
that any one of my Rottweilers would lay their life down for me—just as I would for them. Th ese dogs are highly intelligent— they have almost a sixth sense; an intu- ition about things. I see this so often in dogs that need to be re-homed for any number of reasons (not “turning out” for show, people relocating, kids allergic, death in family, money problems, disas- ters; sadly, the list goes on and on). But no matter the reason, the bottom line is, there is a dog needing to be placed. Th ese dogs seem to “know” a change is coming. Of course, placements vary depending on the circumstances of why the dog is need- ing re-homed. One of the best feelings in the world, is having a person or a family waiting for that “just right” dog, when that dog becomes available. I love listen- ing to the stories of how the dog goes into a home and “just fits”. It’s like they know this is their chance at a new home, a new family, a new life—a forever home. Th ey seem to thank you from the moment they get there and every day there after. Most recently, I just re-homed a gen- tle 3-year-old male in a home with three children, who ranged in age from 3 to 8. Th e 3-year-old girl was quite unsure of big dogs, the other two kids couldn’t wait until he arrived! I was somewhat apprehensive about the little girl, and this big 135-lb. dog. I kept a watchful eye
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