Dog Games — How I was Played by My Pup’s Bio-Parents
Meeting the Rottweiler Parents
The day you pick out your new dog, or she picks you, is one you never forget. As it turns out, meeting your dog’s parents can be equally memorable.
I got my first dog as an adult when I was in my mid-20s. After having fallen instantly in love with a Rottweiler in the park, I did my research and decided that was the type of dog for me. I found local ads, talked with breed clubs and rescue organizations, and contacted anyone I could find who was expecting a litter. ( I was young and wanted a puppy — now I understand the value of adopting an older dog in need of a home.)
The range of owners I talked to was extreme, from those who were clearly knowledgable and respected the breed to those in it for the money who when asked about their dogs could only grunt in monosyllables that theirs were big ones. It’s a given that Rottweilers are big dogs so when someone feels the need to share it, it tells me that they are breeding dogs that will be too big for their joints and bones, a selfish act without the dogs’ best interests at heart.
I didn’t care about show-quality dogs and at that stage of my life hadn’t done much thinking about the industry. I was most concerned with temperament and wanted to be as sure as possible that the dog would…
