A friend of mine has decided that she wants to get a Rottie, unfortunately for all the wrong reasons. She's on income support and is always short of money yet she's decided she can afford a Rottie.

What I need to know is

a) How much will a puppy cost? average price for a bitch

b) What tests should a reputable breeder have done?

c) How much would an adult cost to feed?

d) How much exercise would the puppy need, and as an adult?

e) How much would insurance cost?

f) What size would the puppy be when fully grown?

g) Anything else you can think of that'll put her off getting a Rottie.

I've tried to convince her that getting a dog is a bad idea, especially a Rottie. Before all the Rottie lovers start shouting at me, I LOVE them but they're not the right dog for her for lots of reasons all of which are too involved to go into here.

I'm hoping that by presenting her with the financial breakdowns she'll come to her senses and realise that she shouldn't get a dog.

Thanks,

Fiona

the hips must of been scored, some kennels xray elbows too but its optional, the parents might of been temperament tested, it depends on the breeding and how sucessful a breeders stock have been as to a fair price, on an average you should expect to pay around £500. a young pup will not need or should have a lot of excersise. the youngsters hips should be scored at around a year and should of had sensible and moderate excersise until scores come back. it will cost depending on your vet ,around £60- £100 to have the dog hip scored, when these come back ok then the excersise should be built up slowly until at around 18mths you'd be able to take it on a good walk, you must supervise a baby rott to make sure it isnt allowed to jump onto or off anything as it can damage growing bones, and this will be very expensive to correct, also they are a very clever breed which need stimulation, not just left to get on with it,or you'd be heading for problems, the male rott -bless his cotton socks -has a tendency toward dominance, if you cant cope with a brick shit house going no thankyou not today, and know how to go around it you could be heading for major problems, id say they are not a first time breed, nor a novices, ive lived with and shown rotts most of my married life, theyre not an easy dog if you dont know dog talk and body language etc.in the right hands they are a fabulous and very loyal and obedient dog, in the wrong hands---well we all know that one, theyre also very protective of there family so if this person has small or even older children its likley the dog will take it upon itself to remove any of the kids freinds it see's as hurting his people, is she capable of safegaurding her kids visitors, id advise an easy family breed ,other than shes had money left her in a will, and shes had experience of the big boys-and girls!!!:(

Fiona take a look at our Rottweiler Breed Guide and our Tips For New Rottweiler Owners

Well your friend has certainly picked a large breed for someone that is short of money.
The puppy from a good breeder is going to cost around £500 - £ 800 much less than that will be a case of somebody just breeding for money and with that they may not be a good breeder and their dogs may have all sorts of problems.
The parents of the puppy should have been hip scored and heart tested which will show on the KC Regisration.
As for feeding the dog , it will vary depending on what it is fed. A good food will cost around 70p - 80p per day , this is for a good complete diet but the large bag of food to buy will cost around £30 and that will last an adult dog about 3 - 4 weeks.
Excerise for a large breed dog as a puppy should not be to extensive to start with , but you must remember this breed is quite athletic as they are guard dogs so as the pup grows the excercise will increase.
Insurance will cost around £15 per month.
The size of the dog when grown
Bitches around 22-24 inches tall
Dogs around 24-26 inches tall ,
but there are always exeption to the rule, my friend has 4 Rotties and one of them is 27 inches tall and weighs 13 stone.
Rotties love there family but can become a one person dog and very protective, hence that is why they make good guard dogs.
They can be quite dominant in nature therefore you need a good stong handler that has plenty of experiance and time to train the dog as if left to it's own devices can be distructive and that is why a lot of then end up in kennels , because people only get them as a status symbol and have no knowledge of the breed.
I would recomend that your friend goes to a Rottie show or a good breeder to discuss if they are suited for this type of dog.
And to find out everything that they can before taking the plunge.
Remember , the dog should come first not the owner.
Please don't let your friend just buy a dog for a status symbol.
Rottie Rescue take in over 150 dogs per year ( maybe more ) from people who did not know what they were doing.
Hope that this was some help

Deary

Hi again Fiona,

We have 2 Rotts, the 'brick 'comment was exceptionally true, Rotts are very stuborn and even more thick skinned, I love mine ( we ve had 3, one was a rescue dog who was so funny, she would be fine with anyone we met out walking until it went dusk, then boy did she change, everyone was a potential attacker to me and our cat who always came with us !!. My younger rottie guards my 6 year son, even from his Dad when he plays a little too rough so if he has friends round the dogs have to go out. They are not an easy dog and they also carry a penalty for insurance. Petplan for instance offered me a breeders policy on mine for £20.00 per month but would not insure once 5 years old.
Mine have all seemed to have a 'manic button' (could be caused by husband ??) they can play and get more and more wound up and then they go over the top if you let it get that far.
Hope this helps and you got my last email

LorraineB xxx

i wouldnt imagine anyone but the VERY TOP kennel thinking about charging £800 for a rottie, and i have to ask since when where they supposed to be heart checked, this is news to me and im still very much involved with the breed, im on the judging list and have owned 2 rotts that became champions. best in show winners at breed champ shows and group winners at all breed champ shows, also owned a male that was the sire of the top brood bitch ,himself being a champion, so feel i know what im talking about when i say to you that if your freinds rott stands at 27inches and is 13stone, how the hell do's it move!do they have to wheel it around, this is well out of the breed standard, and poor dog must be grossly overweight, theyre supposed to look well toned and fit, not fat. although i know a lot judge them by the pound,,pet folk that is

Where I used to work the security firm owned a rottie security dog who weighed in at 13 stone and wasnt the bit over weight. He was incredibly muscular and despite everyone else giving him a wide berth I just went straight up to him and gave him a cuddle he was adorable!

as i said, some folk judge them by the pound, there is a BREED standard and i doubt very much you'd ever see a 13stone rott in the ring,which after all is the place the quality is judged, its the same in any breed some folk just want a certain breed but BIGGER, but thats not a typical specimen of the breed then is it?

With the giant breeds weight is a big problem. I really dont know why anyone could allow a giant breed get to 13 stone it is not healthy, When my Alice a bullmastiff went up to eleven stone DUE to her hoovering of food. I had to do some drastic dieting to get it off in case she would get a heart attack. all giant breeds are prone to cardiac problems .bullmastiffs in general are heavier than rotts .so if eleven stone is too heavy for a bullmastiff then surely 13 stone is way way too heavy for a rottie .

Dogs are like people some can carry it and some cant. You must also remember that muscle is heavier than fat so if the dog is well muscled it can be surprisingly heavy without looking fat.

if you read the rottie guide above it gives a top and bottom -average weight.its MILES off 13stone, sorry but 13 stone smacks of donkey !!! no matter how well muscled a one,

Well you cant really comment on it Linda as you didnt see him but he was in no way overweight. Sorry that he doesnt conform to what you believe but thats the way it is.

its not a case of what i believe,--its the breed standard, taught in seminars etc,by which they are judged , the dog you're talking about is way overweight, to be the right weight hed probably need to be about 30inches instead of 27---im only telling it as it is, perhaps the kc would change the height and weight standards if you explained to them its all muscle and that they've got it wrong!

Breed standards are a guide to the 'perfect' specimen of a breed. Whether you like it or not that rottie was not overweight.

wrong again-breed standards are for TYPICAL specimans of the breed , ive never seen a perfect dog yet, perhaps you have?

I'm afraid not. The breed standard is there to describe the 'ideal' (perfect) specimen of any given breed. You only have to look at breeds to see what is typical of them that doesnt make them right.

ideal and perfect are not the same--again we're going to have to agree to differ----but please tell me you dont judge----at least rotties or you'd have all the donkeys coming under you, the typical correct ,toned and balanced dog might as well stay at home!

I dont know who the hell you think you are Linda to speak to me like that. I dont judge because I dont believe I have the knowledge to do so but as and when I do get to judge I will have got there on merit rather than favour.
Linda accept it I have seen a 13 stone rottie that was not overweight regardless of what you believe. A friend of mine as a body builder weighed some 14 stone but was only a size 10-12.

you've just answered the question yourself---you dont have the knowledge to judge, to do so you will of had to sit exams in your chosen breed ,,and pass these exams in written and verbal text, the exams are on the breed standard,and i cant imagine it going down too well at an exam stating that a dog that is about 5stone above the given weight for a breed is an ok representative, if you're suggesting i judge because of favours you're a mile off, ive owned and shown TOP winning dogs, bred them too and sat the breed exam and was top student with a distinction, ive had no favours given me, i did it the hard way,
sorry you feel the need to be swearing at me because we have a difference of opinion, perhaps we should call it the agree with everything board!

Firstly I never said he was an 'ok representative' I said he did not look overweight. Secondly there is no weight given for rotties in the breed standard so who are you to say he is the wrong weight. Thirdly, yes I dont have the knowledge to judge and am quite happy in admitting it but as there are many judges out there who also dont have the knowledge but seem to be 'capable' of judging that point is moot. And finally it has nothing to do with the fact that we have a difference of opinion it was your slur on my name and judging abilities that I have a problem with. I'm not critisising your ability to judge an animal.

this is my last posting on it,-if you go above to the link leigh provided about rotts it states the weight of a male should be between 40-50kg,
i rest my case,

The word standard is defined by Webster as: "3 : something established by authority, custom, or general consent as a model or example : CRITERION; 4 : something set up and established by authority as a rule for the measure of quantity, weight, extent, value, or quality".

Breed standards as I understand them are not set up as ideals, but as the general overall criteria that a dog of that particular breed should strive to be similar.

Any dog that is 182 pounds had better be more than 34 inches at the shoulder or he is not going to be balanced. If we look at what the Rottweiler was orginally bred for, we would see that a dog of that weight/height would be inappropriate as an example of the breed.

Just out of curiousity, what is the dog's height at the shoulder?

When I judge I look first at overall balance, secondly movement (which will be there if the dog is indeed balanced), thirdly at the purpose of the breed and whether the dog could do what it was originally devised to do, and then at the fine points of the breed, such as head type, ears, tail, etc.

A Rottie at the weight described could no more be an example of its breed than a Jack Russells weighing in at 60 pounds could get down a rat hole.

Well I'm afraid as none of you saw the dog and the old boy has gone to the kennel in the sky you are just going to have to believe me he was NOT overweight.
My Boxer weighs in at 5 stone yet if your saw him you'd consider him to be underweight. A friend of mine wouldnt have put him at more than 4 stone. He's ectremely well muscled. Muscle weight can be very deceptive.

It doesent matter if the giant breeds are muscular looking or not, 13 stone is too heavy for their heart, The fat has to be there in the first place and it is then turned into muscle . It is advised by all giant breed specialists to keep the weight DOWN ,as it shortens the life span drastically if it is not kept down. as you say also, muscle is heavier than fat exactly about 4 stone too heavy for the heart of a giant breed

Ladies please!! I posted my question expecting some helpful advise not a slanging match worthy of the school playground.

I'm sorry for stirring up such ill-feeling but you've really let yourselves down over this one. :(

Fiona

LINDA - thanks for the photo, the pup looks lovely

LEIGH - Thanks for the link, I'll have to get my friend over to read it.

Morning All

I have been watching this thread with interest. For a number of years I worked with Rottie Rescue and saw a number of very large dogs, one that ended up staying with me did in fact weigh in at 13 stone+ and was not "fat" I think it is very easy to get carried away with this "breed standard" thing. If we take another breed, for example the Labrador Retriever the dogs that excel at working trials do not always meet breed standard and many of the show champions would never be able to work. (I know this is not true for all and their are examples capable of achieving both) Many Rotties that we re-homed had been bred for size as that is the desirable trait in a working Rottweiler (used as guarding, protection or patrol dogs) A bitch at the smaller end of the breed standard would not have the same impact. So it is quite probable that the dog Bec talks about is one of these. There are many dogs and dog breeders that have no interest in showing and is it fair to be so critical of these people if we think back most of our dog breeds were bred with traits that enabled them to carry out job to assist mankind and showing is a by product of that.

As far as the original post issy I would recommend that your friend look at other breeds or if she is insistent look at one of the rottie rescues as they occasionally have older well trained dogs who have become homeless due to family changes or a death, she should also consider if she can really afford to keep any dog while on income support let alone one of the large breeds where feeding costs etc.. Can be higher.

And a final word, Dizzy it is a shame that you feel that you add weight to your argument by the number of shows and judging certificates you have won, many of us have no interest in these areas but simply have spent most of our lives loving and caring for and trying to understand our dogs this does not make us less knowledgeable.

Lucy

note: see dizzy's topic "theres boards & boards"

Continued here.