Posted: 8/10/2006 9:43:13 AM EDT
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Ok guys, Thinkin about going to the shelter and adopting a doogie. They have a 3 yr old female mastiff mix, a 2.5 yr old female Rottie, and a 1 yr old male choc. lab that I am interested in. I want this dog to be friendly and playful and protective of my children and wife and me. I want a dog that will be good, nice to friends that I bring in the house/yard, but alert me to strangers. Given that info, what would you recommend? Tnx in advance! Scott |
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Get the Rottie girl. Mastiffs are messy droolers and kinda clumsy, and the lab is going to chew garbage and be a hyper pup for a year or so more. No one will protect your kids like a Rottie girl. Brilliant dogs, this will be the easiest to train dog you have ever had. |
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The Lab would be the best choice for dealing with kids, IMO. The Mastiff & Rottie are most likely set in their ways & may not deal with kids too well. I adopted a Rottie when she was about 5 or so, she's not the best around kids if I'm not there. Get them from a pup stage, should be no problem, IMO. My .o2 |
The breed doesn't matter. Go and "talk" to each dog and see what kind of vibes you get. That said--------Go with the Rott... |
I'd go with the Lab. We have a chocolate lab going on nine years now. She's simply the best dog we've ever had. A great people dog. Very patient and affectionate with small kids. Simply put, I've never seen a mean one. Ever. Word to the wise: During the first 2-3 years of life, they will chew everything in your house to kindling, and they never run out of energy. We really had to walk the dog for at least an hour every night during those years. It was either that or replace the coffee table legs with cast iron struts. |
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I'm a Rottie guy (I have two). In this case, I'm going to recommend you pass on the Rottweiler in lockup. If you get to them before two, they are incredibly trainable. After that, they get a bit "set in their ways". Add in that it's a girl (female Rotts can give new meaning to the word "bitch"), and I'd be very leery...especially if you haven't owned the breed before and have young children. IF you are an experienced Rottie owner, and IF you've done some thorough research into her background, then go for it. If not, and you still want a Rottweiler, find a local rescue, alert them to the dog in the shelter, and ask if they have a Rottie for your specific situation (think neutered male in the 12-18 month old range). ETA: I'm not knocking the breed, just trying to prevent some headache, possibly some heartache, and the eventual "I once had a Rottweiler that snapped and bit my kid" post. |
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avoid...the choc at all cost.. my friends and i who are all pro retriever trainers are very careful about dealing with chocolate labs.. they can be good if from a good breeding or..they can be total psychos.. you have kids..beware of any dog that isnt 6 weeks old. |
I concur. We have a female Rott rescue. She is the BEST dog I ever had! 
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Take your wife and kids to meet the dogs in person. Have the dog shelter worker bring out the dogs one at a time and observe their behavior with you and your family. Are they friendly, fearful, shy, energetic, playful, vocal, etc???? Get as much info you can about each dog's history and how they ended up at the shelter. Their owners may have given them up for good reason. When you buy a used car you don't want to take on someone else's headaches. Same thing with dogs. Can't recommend one breed over another sight unseen. |
Listen to this man, he speaks the truth! My Rottie is now 7 & she can be the bitch from hell when she wants to be! 
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Thank you. <==Has a rescued male (turning 8 in October) and a rescued female (turned 7 in may). Volunteer for Wisconsin Rotteiler Rescue. Best breed ever, IF you know what yo're getting into. If not, well... there's a reason the rescue accepts 30+ new dogs a month, and refuses more than it accepts. 
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As with any living thing, they all have personalities and abilities. In general, the lab will be better with children and the mastiff will drool more. However, some of this depends on the dog's history, socialization, trainability and personality. I would take the kids to visit the dogs to see what kind of reaction you get to your kids. If the dog seems standoffish, I wouldn't get that one. You also have to decide how you are going to train and socialize the animal once you bring him/her into the family. Crate training is good and can help with chewing issues. Teach the dog what he can chew by providing appropriate chew items. This is very similar to housebreaking, just teach them what is right and what is not. All dogs need to chew for good gum health and it helps while teething. Personally, I have always had Dalmatians. They are very hyper, shed a lot, and very opinionated about strangers. I have trained a few mastiffs, one rottie, and a couple of labs. Most of it is personal preference and the intelligence of the dog. Other things come into play like health needs, but use your best judgement and visit them a few times. It's also a good idea to see if you can feed the dog to see how it reacts around food. Not every shelter will screen dogs for behavior so be careful and use a stick to try to take the bowl away from the dog. The lab will likely wag his tail and follow the bowl. If you're lucky, the other two will as well. But, the more protective a dogs instincts are, the more likely they are to protect their food as well. I mean, I can reach into my dog's mouth and take food out if I want, but there will be no help for someone who is unwanted in my home! Breed characteristics can only give you so much. It is training and socialization (and sometimes gender/hormonal differences) which will give you the dog you are looking to have. Sounds like any of them would work for you, pick the one you have the best connection with. Cam ~Excellence doesn't just happen, it's a choice one makes every day. |
