We have 2 females and a male. One of the females had pups and we have one female left. We have papers on the father and there are papers on the mother but my brother-in-law, who gave us the female, can't find them . I love Rottys! Ours are like lap dogs as well! :lol: Big overgrown lapdogs....... I think it is all in how you raise them. Of course dogs are going to fight with each other at times. No amount of training will change that. But if you raise them to be gentle, they will. If anyone is interested in the female puppy, pm me!
Will be looking for 2 "guard" dogs in about a year and one outside cat. I will be going to the shelters instead of a breeder.
Males, neutered before they are 6 months old, will seldom "mark" territory in undesireable places. As far as lifting a leg to potty, some males do, some males don't (they squat) some do a combination - it depends on the dog. Very dominant females will also lift a leg at times to potty - also I should mention that some long haired females have been known to lift a leg, even if passive as a matter of hygene. Males are just as east to teach as females - personally, I find them easier in most cases. Trivia time again: All of the dogs who played "Lassie" in the TV series and the movies were all MALES. They didn't take offence when being referred to as a 'girl' on camera :lol: Like Ken said in his first post, or one of the first - IF you get a Rottie, you must seek some form of obedience training when it is young and teach it who is Alpha. . .the last thing you need is a canine that weighs over 100 lbs. thinking that it is the boss of the humans in your home. For the safety of your family, visitors and any person or animal who may one day come in contact with your dog, a human with an Alpha role is a MUST when dealing with any dominant breed. If you are a pushover, or show any insecurities in dealing with dominant breeds, it can be a very dangerous situation just waiting to happen. You can love your dog and consider it as a family member and treat it like a human ( I do, that's for sure) BUT you can never forget, they ARE dogs. Any dog with teeth has the potential to bite. It's important that they respect you and every human living in your household - especially your child.
All well and good, but YOU need to take the dog through an obedience course, and possibly two - puppy manners (kindergarden) and follow it with at least a general obedience class. As someone who trains dogs, I gotta tell you that I've worked with dogs whose owners had a bit of trouble while working on a behavior and the second I took the leash, the dog did exactly what he/she was supposed to do. Just about anyone who has taken their dog to classes has seen this occur, if not with their own dog, with one who was in the class with them. It isn't 'magic' - it is simply because a dog can size people up. They can do it from the time they are young pups and can fine tune it as they get older. When someone experienced in training dogs comes in contact with them they sense that this person means business and they are much more likely to give in and do what is required. Same with dogs getting groomed - lots of dog owners can't brush their dog without it acting like a clown, but place it in the hands of a professional groomer and poof, the dog improves by a vast percentage. . .they know this person isn't going to give in. You mentioned that your Chow is old - are you sure that getting a puppy won't stress her out? It's one thing to like puppies, but another thing to live with them. Small doses might be A-ok and amusing to your dog, but a constant diet of a pup? Also the average female Chow goes what? 50 - 60 lbs? A Rottie female goes about 90 and a male a good 110 on average. . .When this puppy, which will pack on pounds before your eyes grows larger than your Chow and is still basically a puppy, with all the jumping and play-fighting and general rough-housing that healthy young dogs do, are you certain it won't be too much for your Chow, especially if she develops any arthritis problems? I understand you want to get a new puppy, just try to be sure to be as practical as possible in this decision. Getting a new puppy and then learning it isn't going to work out will be harder on your daughter, your Chow and yourself, than deciding that it may be better for everyone concerned to wait and enjoy they dog you have until it's time to say goodbye to her.
