Photo from: DogFit Dallas, Jairo Gonzalez

Rottweilers are Us

Yes, they are ALL ours,

No, we do not breed them,

Yes, yes there are a lot of them,

Nope, we do not sell them…

Y’all walking them together is a TRIP. People stop their cars to ask questions, take pictures and sometimes stare at us with the windows rolled up. J reminds me constantly; it really is a sight. Five Rottweilers strolling down the street in Dallas, TX, minding their manners.

The fifty-million-dollar question: How did you end up with ALL those DOGS?!?!

We rescue. More honestly we FAIL at fostering. If there is one thing in this world I do not mind failing at its fostering pups! We have been actively working with a great local DFW rescue, A Rottie Rescue Inc. for over three years. This is one of the only 501 (c) 3, Rottweiler breed specific rescues in Texas.

The next question, WHY ON EARTH did you guys select Rottweilers. That is maybe the easiest answer.

These big goofy, often mis-understood majestic animals are the most loyal and intuitive dogs I personally have ever known. A Rottie KNOWS it’s human. I mean really knows and understands commands, training and all your peccadilloes.

A well-trained Rottweiler is a sight to behold and something that we continuously strive for. Let’s be completely honest, any well-trained dog is amazing to watch. We are just partial to these larger than life beasts.

My first exposure to this breed was through a series of visits to a Houston, Texas breeder. I would watch their dogs and the handles train. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. Admittedly, although I had had my own dog before I am not sure I even understood the ability to train to the level these dogs were. It was inspiring.

When it was time to get my own Rottie pup, the search for the right breeder was a lengthy process. I had moved from Texas back to the North East and was pretty opposed to flying in a puppy. After a long 3-month process, I found my boy.

***Baby Ethos***

He legitimately looked like a bear cub. He had the sweetest eyes and was so happy to be home with his first brother, C.S. Lewis the pug who quickly become his best friend. When we were considering names only one seemed to fit: Ethos.

Ethos and I lived in Baltimore and regularly hiked and played in the woods and our family farm. He had the best of both worlds as he was growing exponentially. Here is the thing about Rotties, if you do not lead them, they WILL lead you.

As a novice Rottie owner we started down this road. I remember thinking, this is NOT what the Rotties in Houston are like… what are we doing?!?

This leads to the next most commonly asked question: Can I get one like yours? Sure, if you train them. I mean everyday through exercise, discipline and love. If you seek out experts to support you, as you grow you will need different levels of training. This is the secret sauce.

Big E turns nine in September of this year and if he could talk, he would tell you since the time I figured out that training was missing, around 2.5 years old to today, we train everyday…

This made us able to even consider fostering. If we did not trust Ethos implicitly, we would not have entrusted him to allow another dog, let alone a Rottie into his home or his heart.

And then there was Mags. When we met Mags, we had been supporting the local rescue with financial donations ONLY. Mags’ story got me. I mean REALLY tugged at my heart.

Some ‘human’ had thrown her out of a moving truck on a Farm Road in Texas, taken her puppies (she was still producing milk) and left her there. That was horrendous. Here is the part that made me stop, she paced that road for 2hrs, bruised and scrapped from the road rash hoping that they would return.

REALLY?!?!?

If you pushed me out of a moving truck in the middle of God’s country, stole my babies and left me I am not sure I would wait for you.

We did Mag’s transport to the owner of A Rottie Rescue INC. Mags took one look at me, climbed in my lap, rolled over and went to sleep as we drove back to Dallas. Maggie had to go for 10 days of treatment, that is rescue policy and she needed to be spayed.

I went to see her after her spay and the same behavior, she laid next to me on the exam room floor and fell asleep so hard she snored. That did it.

We picked her up for our foster trial the next week and she has never left. We made it official on March 15, 2017 the same day we celebrate J’s birthday is now Maggie’s.

It wasn’t all roses though and that is the important part, it is WORK. Rescuing requires work.

Maggie had never been in a home. She was not potty trained, and she did not like Ethos. In fact, I am not sure at the time Maggie liked any dogs.

She does now. You can see it in that huge smile of hers. That is the work.

When we got the urgent call In June from the rescue asking if we could please take some bottle baby rescue puppies WHO WERE TWO DAYS OLD... we said of course. Guess who the best big sister/little Momma was, Mags.

These two nuggets, not even 2lbs came home with us. Their Momma was not allowing them to nurse and most of the puppies were very sick.

We had NO idea what we were doing. One of them could not get any suction with the eye dropper and SCREAMED all night. We really thought we might have killed them.

Luckily, those two little munchkins are our Fern and Freya. Not only are they Rottie personality through and through, these two little ladies are fighters in every sense of the word.

There were numerous instances over the next several months as they grew that we were convinced we would lose them. I mean ER vet visit in the middle of the night, hoping we make it in time.

They were sickly Littles because they never nursed, because we were learning and most importantly because they came to our house at two days old!!!

Did you know at two days old puppies cannot do the following?

1. Eliminate waste by themselves: they rely on Momma dog to stimulate their elimination.

2. They can’t see.

3. They can hear muffled sounds, but their ears are forming as you speak. That is where Ferny got her name. J said her ears looked like mini Fern leaves.

Let’s take a moment to salute MOMMA DOGS, who knew?!?!?

These two kept us on our toes whether it was opening their eyes, transitioning to gruel (blended up dog food and formula) to walking on the leash the first time they were a riot! They are still our party girls but as they have aged, they have thankfully matured. It isn’t a rager every night more like only on the weekends!

With four it gave us a chance to establish rules in the pack and really think through what we wanted as behavior in our home and when we are exploring. That is key.

If you love to be social and your dog is not trained it is an awful situation!

We had a great thing going with all the help from our training group and their doggy daycare until on the day of our Christmas Party as I am setting up the cookie icing station, we get a call about a pup who needs help NOW.

This little bundle was barely 8 weeks old, for us a miracle because she can do ALL the things listed above for herself! It was literally hours before our guests arrived and she needed to be moved OUT of the shelter, where her ‘owner’ released her due to her inability to ‘get along with other dogs’. OKAY?!?

J sprung into action and went to pick her up. Mind you, Ferny and Freya weren’t home as they were having a sleep over due to the number of guests we had coming. J and Skeeter (original shelter name) arrived a few minutes before our guests.

He put her down in the back yard with E and Mags and she bounded toward them as if to say: I am HOME! She was an angel. The pack loved her immediately and so did we. Although we have vowed NO MORE ROTTIES, Skeeter is now Scarlet and sleeping peacefully at my feet as I write.

The truth, we couldn’t be happier. We love all of it. The training, interacting with other dog parents, learning new skills, helping the rescue it fills us up. Most importantly we love these five little Rottweilers, their quirky personalities and their overall LOVE for LIFE.

Yes, they are all ours. Yes, they truly enrich us.

How bout you… what is one thing you have to ‘work’ for that actual feeds your soul?

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