From: scott@borg.wyle.ingr.com (G. Scott Downey)
Subject: ATTN: "SARAH" and Rottie Fans
Reply-To: scott@borg.wyle.ingr.com
Organization: Intergraph Corp., Huntsville, Alabama
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 15:19:34 GMT

Sarah:

     I sent a letter to the poster yesterday and I'll send
you the same letter.  Rotties are wonderful dogs, but I do
not believe that a Rottweiler should be a first dog for any
person because of their size, strength and intelligence.  I
think you've got one more thing wrong:  trainability.  Rotts
are among the most trainable dogs on the planet.  Yes, they 
do test their owners for superiority, but once that is 
established, they are obedient and quick to learn.  They are 
bred for training, not hunting.

     I hope this letter helps you make your decision.  I 
would suggest that you bring home the Lab first and then
MAYBE a Rottie under supervision of a trainer.  Don't be
deceived.  Rotts are beautiful and gentle under the right
conditions, but they can also be deadly if improperly
handled.

				G. Scott Downey
				Moses' Daddy
				(RottMonster)

P.S.  I tried to reply directly to you but my mail bounced.
      Hope this helps and you get it okay this time.


===========================================================
           LETTER TO ORIGINAL POSTER FOLLOWS
===========================================================


     As the owner of my FOURTH Rottie this year, let me warn
you to be careful and suspicious of everyone until they prove
themselves worthy of your trust.  I have only one Rottie but,
as I said, he is my fourth this year.  Why?  Well, very simply
put, because of HIP DISPLASIA!  Be willing to put down some
bucks at a ******GOOD BREEDER****** and investigate thoroughly
before buying!!!  

     When I had to put down Jake, my first, it almost killed 
me.  I thought I'd change breeds until I met Tucker, my second.
Tucker and I had a wonderful time -- for five short months.  Then
CHD (Canine Hip Displasia) was discovered.  Next, I bought two 
brothers:  Moses and Elijah.  They were a great team.  Oh, what
a pair of outlaws!!  Then, one sad day about three weeks ago, I
discovered that Elijah had CHD.  Moses and I are holding up okay,
but we miss his brother.  They are wonderful dogs, but the recent
popularity of the breed has savaged their genetic soundness.

     Rottweilers are sometimes called "Italian Mastiffs."  They
are believed to have descended from the Old English Mastiffs in
part, but heritage is uncertain at best.  What we do know is that
the Romans used them before the Roman Empire spanned the known 
world.  They were primarily draft animals for munitions and other
heavy loads.  The Romans continued to use the breed to pull carts
full of sheilds and swords, tents and other necessary military
items.  As them Romans spread over the globe, they introduced the
Rottweiler into all parts of the world. 

     Because of the breed's exceptional ability to adapt, everyone
wanted a Rottweiler.  Shepherds wanted them to guard sheep -- and
the Rott answered the call.  Warriors wanted a companion into 
battle -- the Rott met the mark.  Farmers needed both a draft animal
and protection from rustlers and theives -- Rotts were the obvious
choice.  When you took your cattle or sheep to market, you'd better
have a Rottweiler with you to guard the money on the trip home.  Just
tie the money around the dogs neck and let the theives beware!  Of 
course, they were not called Rottweilers until years later when the 
breed was almost lost.

     You'll have to check my dates on this, but in about 1920, 
someone looked up and asked the question "Where is that breed that
everyone used to use for everything?"  None were to be found.  Most
had been crossed with other dogs and produced either a different
line of dog (Dobermans among them) or some mutts.  The great army 
dog of the Romans was nearly wiped out.  Only 7 pure animals 
remained -- all of them in the town of Rottweil, Germany.  They 
were being used as draft animals for dairy companies.  From these 
seven animals sprang the entire population of the modern Rott.  At 
that time, the survival of the breed seemed sure, but comercialization 
and irresponsible breeding would do almost as much damage in the 
coming years as did ignorance and lack of management in that era.

     Although the breed was growing, it didn't enjoy widespread
acceptance until the 1970s when the movie "The Omen" first put the
Rottweiler in the contemporary public eye.  Portrayed as "Satan
Dogs", the Rottweilers were soon sought after as both guardians and
fighters.  With this explosion of intrest in the breed came the
motivation to exploit them for money.  Everyone who had a Rottweiler
began breeding them for profit.  There was no concern taken for
temperment or soundness -- if it looked like a Rottweiler, it would
sell.  

     And sell they did.  These "production line" Rotts became 
headline news across the nation, as stories of children mauled to
death without provokation began to surface.  Please believe that
a Rottweiler has the tools to make its presence known.  With 2200 
pounds per square inch of biting pressure and a frame that will 
dead-pull half of a ton, the Rottweilers of two decades ago were 
more like killing machines than the magnificent animals that were
their ancestors.

     Although they are still one of the most popular breeds in
this country, the Rottweiler of the 90's has enjoyed a return to
the temperment and conformation of their noble past.  The breed
is still faced with a terrible problem -- how to overcome all of
the damage done in the 70's -- but now that attention has come
to their plight, their chances for a full recovery seem promising.

     A Rottweiler is by no means a "first dog" for anyone.  Even
people with exceptional experiences in other breeds need to 
research and experience Rottweilers cautiously.  They are massive
animals -- weighing in at 120-140+ pounds for a dog and only 
slightly less for a bitch.  And they understand the advantage of
such size early in life.  At about 6-8 months of age, a Rott will
begin directing your path with his body by leaning and pushing
you where he wants you to go.  They are a very intelligent breed,
which is great most of the time.  Some people, however, think "My,
how cute" when a puppy tries to overpower them and they let it pass.  
The problem is that a Rott never forgets that he won once and, 
consequently, never stops challenging you for the alpha role if 
you are wishy-washy in the beginning.  A firm hand from day one, 
however, will ensure a happy Rott with a good idea of where he
does and does not belong in the chain of command.

     They are extremely trainable dogs.  They love the challenge
of picking up new commands and glory in the praise derived from
a job well done.  Most of the time.  Moses, my Rott, will perform
a command 10,000 times without fail or hessitation.  Then one day,
he will decide that he doesn't have to if he doesn't want to.  It's
my job to show him that, in fact, he does have to whether he wants
to or not.  It's at a time like this that make you glad you worked
on commands like "Down" and "Still" when he was young enough that
you actually had the advantage of physical superiority.

     Rottweilers also have a very long and destructive adolescence.
It doesn't even pretend to end until the age of two years and, at
that time, slowly becomes a stable, reliable dog.  Before that
time, you will have a very large, very powerful, very playful puppy.
The casualties of my back yard include a rose lattice, a swing set,
a twenty year old elm tree, my dryer vent, a basketball goal, the
replacement dryer vent, two other young trees and finally, the third
dryer vent (I'm giving up on those. :> )  The list goes on, but so
does the love.  It takes stamina, patience, understanding and, most
of all, patience.  The reward is well worth the investment.

     You asked for a "Must Read" book, so try Muriel Freeman's "The 
Complete Rottweiler".  It's a good reference for selecting and 
raising the pup of your dreams.  Write back to me and let me know if
you have any other questions.  Again, be very selective when you
go looking, and best of luck in your adoption!!! :>  Oh, just one 
more thing.  PLEASE don't fall into the trap of considering someone
an expert on Rottweilers just because they don't call them "Rockweilers"
or "Rockwallers".  There is more to this breed than mastering the name.

				Stay in touch.
				G. Scott Downey
				Moses' Daddy
				(RottMonster)
				scott@borg.b30.ingr.com

-- 
___________________________________________________________

 "I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me."
			 	   Philippians 4:13  <><
___________________________________________________________



-- 
___________________________________________________________

 "I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me."
			 	   Philippians 4:13  <><
___________________________________________________________


-- 
___________________________________________________________

 "I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me."
			 	   Philippians 4:13  <><
___________________________________________________________