My adopted dog Bella is now 10 weeks and I was wondering if any Rotti owners out their have any tips to help me bring her up properly

I have owned 2 Rottie's and they respond exceptionally well to a low voice and lot's and lot's of praise. Even at age 7 I can teach Roxie a new trick very quickly with giving her lots of love and praise. We recently moved into a new home with a swimming pool and needed to teach her to swim. Contrary to popular thinking, older dogs who never swam do not know how to swim. They try to walk on their hind legs and drown. Back to teaching her, we held her belly and let her paddle, which is instinct until she got over her fear and would let her go a few feet at a time to the steps out of the pool. With lots of hooray's and clapping and good girl she got braver each try. Roxie loves to be praised and I recently read that this is especially true of Rotties and they respond better to a low voice then a yell.

You also will need to reinforce their training every few months such as stay, sit heel, even as an adult because they are very intelligent and want to be the leader. You must make sure because of thier size that you remain the alpha in the pack.
Bonnie

thanks for this we go to dog training classes tonight so I'll report back on how we do - she is such a delight

Thanks, I am anxious to hear the results.
Bonnie

Hi Bonnie,
I would have loved to have seen that!I think Rotties are one of the most cuddly dogs going and whenever I see one I want one!!I bet the water is great for them in this weather,
Hazel

The water has been wonderful for her. She it has tightened up her entire body and she looks like a much younger dog. Between the dietary supplements that I feed her that are anti-aging and her daily swimming I am hoping to keep her a very long time. She is my sunshine.
Bonnie

thanks for your help before - Bella is now 5 months and as I live by the sea I really appareciated your ideas to get her to swim . She is getting braver being on the beach and will now lie near the waves and paddle. I have carriedher out to sea a few times and she has tried to swim . She has met a collie that loves the sea and she like to play with and this is incrwaing her confience as he loves the sea .
thanks again
julia

I had a Rottie for 8 years... likely the best dog I've ever had. They are very, very sweet if raised properly with lots of love. I agree with the previous advice... lots of praise. One thing that my Barron loved to do was to stand up and put his feet up on your shoulders. This behavior was one that I recognized could pose a danger if the human was not expecting it, so early on he was taught that when you stood facing him and patted your chest, he was allowed to stand up against you. It worked well. With only gently scolding when he wasn't "called up" he quickly learned. The funny thing was that he would ask (stand and look up at me on his haunches as if to say "now, mom?")

Best of luck with you new baby. Keep in mind she will be a big girl when grown, so teach her the things now that you want her to do on her own later. Baths are very easy if you get your rottie to like them young. Barron would just step into the bathtub when it was bath time. (I lathered him with my hands and then rinsed with an attached, hand held, shower nozzle).

Something else Barron loved was having the area just above his tail nub rubbed and scratched. :)

Regards

hi
thank you all for your excellent advice and lovely tales of your Rotti's .The vet said that Bella is going to be the large end of the scale - massive paws and at 10 weeks already over 1 stone . But I love her dearly and really want her to be very social and well behaved as I think her size may intimidate people

Not a Rottie owner, but just to say that lots and lots of socialising really helps - take pup out in arms, (if not too heavy already!) and out and about, as much as possible. My dog is a Belgian Shepherd who tend to as a breed be reserved, but my girl loves people, and stands by the gate in the front garden wagging her tail at passers by and even their dogs!!! I am positive this happy attitude was due to the amount of socialisation i did. She even pulls me into the vets because she so loved the "puppy parties" there whereas my other dogs have all been rather more reluctant.

Good luck, it sounds as if you are in for a great time with your Rottie girl
Lindsay

everything went well at puppy training - she did the what me , close, sit and down really well and the trainer seemed really please with us - she was the youngest one there by months and this really helped her socialising.
I took her down to the beach yesterday and we practiced the tasks . I am trying really had to stop her from nipping at the moment and it seems to be working just growling at her .
thank you all again for your words of wisdow, tales and support