I won’t lie to you and say that every puppy that gets adopted from the animal shelter or dog pound is going to grow up to be a nightmare. Just most of them. [And by puppy, I'm talking about a pup from 8 to 16 weeks of age]. Does this mean that you should not consider adopting a puppy from an animal shelter? Of course not. But you need to be very, very careful: The reason I take this position is because the first 16 weeks of a dog’s life are the most important in forming the dog’s personality Read more [...]

Making the right choice when choosing your next dog or puppy can predict 50 percent of the success you will have with your pet over the next eight to 15 years. Considering that proper socialization, training, and practice makes up the other 50 percent, the dog which you select as your next canine companion should not be a decision that is taken lightly, but rather one that is made with much forethought and preparation. There are several factors one must consider when deciding to adopt a new Read more [...]

Rottweiler training is different from training other breeds in some ways, yet similar in most ways. Rottweiler puppy training is really not any different than puppy training any other breed. Namely: Crate training, house training, teaching boundaries and limitations, controlled socialization and drive building.  I go into more detail about how to do each of these on our page about Rottweiler puppy training. Adult Rottweiler training, I start by teaching the dog a progression of exercises. Each Read more [...]

“What does his Rottweiler have, that ours doesn’t?” … she whispered to her husband, horrified that their dog was lunging and pulling at the end of the leash. I’ve heard it a thousand times, when I walk past other Rottie owners. Hi! My name is Adam G. Katz. I’ve personally owned six of these amazing dogs over the past 17 years and I’ve supervised the training of (literally) thousands. And that’s in addition to the hands-on training of more than 250 in-person clients who paid me to do one-on-one Read more [...]

Rottweiler rescue groups are non-profit adoption charities that cruise the local animal shelters, humane societies, and SPCAs looking for Rotties they can rescue and place in foster homes to rehabilitate. Or just to keep in a compassionate environment, until a more permanent home can be found. Frequently, this involves addressing some health issues and fixing behavior problems. Rottie rescue groups advertise the dogs they’ve rescued to adopters for a small fee. Usually between $80-$120. Which Read more [...]

According to Rottweiler history, lore, and breed historians — the Rottweiler is said to be one of the oldest of the herding breeds. Although one must question whether the dogs back then are really anything more than remotely related to the same dogs we love, today? While nobody can doubt that these dogs have herding instinct (and even perform in stock dog trials, today!) they are far from a real farmer’s first choice; being too large and heavy to work cattle, sheep or even goats out on the Read more [...]

Rottweiler Facts, from the original FCI-Standard N° 147 ORIGIN: Germany. DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD: 06.04.2000. UTILIZATION: Companion, service and working dog. CLASSIFICATION F.C.I.: Group 2 Pinscher and Schnauzer type, Molossian type, Swiss Mountain- and Cattle Dogs. Section 2.1 Molossian type, Mastiff type. With working trial.   Rottweiler Fact — BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY   The Rottweiler is considered to be one of the oldest dog breeds. Read more [...]

There are several things that you should do when you are looking at finding the right dog breed. It is very important that you find the right breed, because this is going to be the best way for you to be successful at dog breeding. First of all, when you are looking for the right dog breed, you want to be sure that you find out as much information about the breeds that you are considering as possible. This information will help you make a good decision when it comes to the type of dogs that you Read more [...]

In order to do a breeding plan in the correct manner, something that you are going to have to do is to develop an idea about the breed standards that you are looking at and how to apply them to your own dogs.   Looking at breeding standards is a very important way for you to make sure that you are having a responsible breeding program. All of the breeds that exist that are either UKC registered or AKC registered are going to have breed standards that have been developed. The standards have been Read more [...]

Most people looking for a new Golden Retriever don’t want a hunting dog or show dog, just a new best friend. The most common places they look are newspaper ads, friends, pet stores, hobby breeders, and rescue organizations. Out of these, the best choices for finding good dogs are hobby breeders and rescue groups. Hobby breeders are people who have made producing superb Golden Retrievers a main priority in their lives. Their dogs have usually proven themselves in some form of competition and hobby Read more [...]

You’ve asked a few friends and Chow Chow owners about the temperament and ease of looking after a pet of this breed, and you’ve received many encouraging replies. Now, you feel encouraged to look out only for a Chow Chow. So, where do you go looking for one and how do you go about it? Let’s find out. First, do not contemplate buying a pet from a pet store or wherever else you cannot easily see the parents of the pup before buying it. It would be in your interests to visit a good kennel where Read more [...]

  Socializing your pup isn’t something you do one fine day and then not again till you get the urge. It is an on-going process that begins when you bring your pup home and ends with his death. To begin the process, right from the time you take him home, encourage visitors to come over and visit you and your new Chow Chow. Ideally, these people must belong to different races and cultures, be in different age groups and to both sexes. Let him go forward and be friendly, and respond to your Read more [...]

Mackie writes: ”My good friend who is a dog trainer offered me his 5 year old Belgian Malinois for adoption. He is trained as a protection dog so he can guard his master, bite on command, release the bite on command, stay until released and others. He has a trophy as third placer in Level 1 protection in a protection dog competition. I have two dogs at present: A one year-old and a nine month-old Labrador… both are females, obedience trained and not neutered. I would like to adopt him and I Read more [...]

History and origin: The Curly-Coated Retriever is considered to be the oldest of the retrievers,  tracing his origins back to 16th century England, perhaps a result of the mixing of Irish Water Spaniel, Poodle, and setter bloodlines.  The outcome was a breed that would eagerly retrieve waterfowl from lakes or bays without being affected by the cold, thanks to his water-resistant coat. Description: The Curly-Coated Retriever stands approximately 22 to 25 inches at the shoulder and weighs between Read more [...]

Did you know that there are several hundred dog breeds? With that large number of breeds to choose from, how do people manage to decide which breed is right for them? Luckily, you can narrow down the choices and find the right dog breed by following a few simple steps. First, consider your available space. Do you live in an apartment? If so, you will want to rule out large dogs. Look for dogs in the Toy group, such as Yorkshire Terriers, or some of the smaller dogs in the Terrier group, like the Read more [...]

Have you ever purchased a car that was a lemon? Facing problem after problem robs you of the pleasure of enjoying your new car. Unfortunately, there are dogs that are lemons, too. A dog with health problems can lead to heartache and empty checkbooks. A good dog breeder will stand behind health guarantees and do everything possible to set things right if you end up with a dog that has a serious health defect. There are several types of dog breeders. The first type is a person who shows dogs and works Read more [...]

Almost every child wants to own Lassie, the wonder Collie. Unfortunately, if the child really expects one dog to be that incredible, a Collie puppy may be a bit of a disappointment. After all, in real life, Lassie is actually played by several hard working Collies. The Collie was originally bred to herd sheep and still has a strong protective instinct, which makes the breed an excellent choice for a family dog. Of course, not every Collie is a highly intelligent, diligent protector. Some of these Read more [...]

So, you read THE WATCHER a dozen times, you’ve seen Golden Retrievers working as guide dogs, and now you want to buy a Golden Retriever puppy of your own. However, before you bring one of these cuddly yellow fuzz balls home, you need to be sure a Golden Retriever is really the right dog for you and your family. The Golden Retriever is a big, muscular dog, weighing in at 55 to 75 pounds and standing 21 ½ to 24 inches tall at the shoulder. This dog breed has a broad skull, which may be why Golden Read more [...]

We adopted her from the age of 2-3 months, and she was fine in the beginning. Very loving and extremely hyperactive. The hyperactivity continues, and she still jumps up at anyone coming near the house. She seems to fear tall men, especially if they have anything in their hands, like a garden rake or spade, and she backs away from strangers, even small children. She is afraid. She gets aggressive with anyone she senses is afraid of dogs, and she has gone for them, making it worse for them, of course! Read more [...]