new dog owner of 3 month old rottweiler

[nightbird47]

My dogs would either be dead or had gone to a shelter if I hadn't adopted them. My big part shepard boy was the son of a feral mom, and the man who rescued them finally found a rescue group to take the rest. When I took him he hadn't had any luck. But he's a tall, smart shepard mix who looks like a big tall shepard. My smaller girl was abandoned as a puppy first by people who moved and left her in the apartment. The managers daughter was trying to find a home and couldn't bring her home. She was standing by Walmart's door and couldn't stay long. I couldn't resist. She looks like a shepard but a small one, and is extremely smart. My beagle's dad enlisted, and had reinlisted, and his mom couldn't keep her anymore. But she was put in the yard with big farm dogs, and still sleeps in a corner with something protecting her.

I get saying get a dog from the shelter but my dogs would all have ended up there or except maybe the big one. Does it make a difference if you rescue them before they hit the shelter? All of my dogs have been rehomed except for one, which was on 'discount' at a pet shop since she was smaller than normal, but rehomed directly from their first family.

We gave the first families some comfort knowing the dog went to someone who really wanted them and gave them a forever home.

Some people say your dogs should not bark, but that's my boy's job especially. He sounds big, and makes a good doorbell and is an excellent someones by the fence warners. They can hear what I can't. I want them to bark. It's their job. They can be heard out the window so if you are you get the hint to leave.

I wish there was some sort of matching list where if you can't keep your pet you can work with a third party to make sure the new home is truely a home.

[purehuman]

Originally Posted by goochgirl

When I bought my rottweiler puppy from petland, they told me he was up to date with shots and that a vet that works with them had done a 20 point vet check on my dog. They told me that included in the price of my puppy was some health insurance incase he left pet store and got sick but in order to keep it they said I had to come back in 3 days for their vet to check him. When I went the puppy fought me to go in. Then They had told me when I first bought him that I could get him neutered through them for free, when I went back for vet check they said I had to find my own vet. It was weird.

not weird at all....something I'd expect....nothings for free...that was a lie.

[Regina14]

Originally Posted by TheotherMarie

I have a feeling you're about to be bombarded with "Never Breed or Buy While Shelter Pets Die" comments.
And rightfully so.
You'll learn a lot though.
There are so many rescue groups and shelters that are FULL of puppies and dogs of all ages.
Petfinder.com is a great place to look. There are other websites like it.

It sounds like you are on the right track with your pup. Youtube has lots of training videos. There are tons of books on how to train your dog. The ASPCA has ton of videos and instructions online.

I haven't had a puppy in many years, so I'm not much help with tips. The most recent two we adopted from shelters were 9 months old, and already house trained.

You might consider finding a vet NOW and getting your dog set up with them and have an initial exam. Puppies get into things and you want to know where to go in an emergency. A good vet can be a great source of information, too.

I wish you many happy years with your dog.

I believe that people who want a new puppy, or a dog, should have freedom of choice about getting the pet from either rescue/shelter situations or from a breeder. Hopefully they will do enough research to find a reputable shelter or a responsible breeder.

The problem with pet shops is that they are very deceptive. They tell the buyer that all their puppies come from breeders, or from some local breeders, etc; and show the buyer the adorable puppies, and don't quiz the buyer about their home life and how many hours they work, just take the money and put the puppy in the buyer's hands. Most of the time, the pet shop puppies are the lucky ones; they end up in loving homes and get to live out a decent life. Their parents are not so lucky. What the buyer doesn't always realize is that breeder is not some magic word that indicates great knowledge and responsibility and commitment. Anyone owning a pregnant ***** is, technically, a breeder. People who take the time and trouble to research and find responsible breeders get a puppy from someone who is committed to improving the breed, who shows their dogs (or works them) to prove their quality and who tests the prospective mother for illnesses that turn up in the breed (and breeds to studs who are also tested) and who gives the mother dog high-quality veterinary care, and raises the litter in the home with love and gentle handling. (responsible breeders will have a contract, verbal or written, stating that if the buyer cannot keep the puppy, at any time in its life, the dog must be returned to the breeder) People who get a puppy from a pet shop get a puppy bred by someone who sells a litter to strangers to be sold to other strangers and doesn't care where the puppy ends up.

So when someone buys a puppy from a pet shop, the puppy may be healthy (or grow up to be healthy) and nice-natured, but its mother is being bred too often and is almost certainly not living happily in a home (or even in a shaded and frequently cleaned kennel run) being walked and loved by its owners. Buying from pet stores is subsidizing irresponsible conditions and very likely puppy mills.

Getting a dog from a responsible breeder or a reputable rescue (one that fosters out the dogs to homes, where you can talk to a person who has fostered and observed the dog for a few weeks before you commit to taking him/her, would be the best option in my opinion) is a much better way to go.

That being said, I hope that the OP's new little Rottie has a long and happy life. It is a good idea, wherever you get a dog from, to have the dog checked out by the vet of your choice within 72 hours of the day you buy him/her...