ROTT N CHATTER, August 1992, Volume 1 Number 1

 

                     OUR HATS OFF TO RUTH L. & KAISER

 

   Ruth Lee Still went that 'extra' mile for her first Rottweiler, how many

of us would have done what she did?  But I'll let her tell you......

 

   "Like all of you, I stay continually outraged regarding irresponsible

owners and idiot macho owners.  Perhaps even more so since, after years of

extensive experience in dogs, I became a Rottie owner by default.

 

  Not that I need to say anything but ...stick to your rules on your

puppies!  I entered the Rottie world via one of the unfortunate puppies.

Some neighbors with 2 young childre, ages 3 & 5 came home one day with a 6

week old Rottie puppy.  The father thought that owning a Rottie was really

macho and when the puppy grew up he was going to ride in the back of his

pick-up truck.  The puppy was in good condition with a tremendous

personality.  Three weeks later, he was a disaster.....morose....'cowed

down' ..etc.  I watched the 5 year old boy throw the puppy off of

approximately 5 foot high steps.  I observed both children try to run him

down over and over in their driveway with a tricycle and trainer bike (to

this day, he hates a bicycle....the one thing he has never forgotten or

overcome).  I resuced the puppy out of the street so many times I lost

count.  I felt so sorry for the puppy that I tryed to buy him, even offering

them more than they had paid.  I was an emotional wreck and instead of

headlines of a 'Rottweiler Attack' we were near headlines of "Woman Attacks

Child to Protect Rottweiler!"  I had complained to the mother until she was

sick of me.  I knew if I reported it, either nothing would be done or the

puppy would be 'put down'.

 

   It all came to a head about 11:00 one night.  I heard the puppy

screaming.  In a few minutes there was a pounding on my door.  The

distraught mother was there wanting to know if I would give them what they

paid for the puppy right there and then.  I asked her if she had the AKC

registration papers on the puppy.  I told her to sign them over and bring

them with the puppy and I would give her a check.  In a few minutes she was

back and literally THREW the 9 week old totally terrified puppy into my

living room.  This was my introduction to the world of Rottweilers.  It

turned out that Kaiser's right rear leg was fractured where the father had

kicked him across the room.  The first veterinarian I took Kaiser to

informed me that the only solution to that Rottweiler puppy was for him to

be 'put down' right then and there!  That statement ended all discussion, I

told him we'd see while I stuck one 'snapping turtle' Rottie puppy under my

arm and marched out the door.  I then found another veterinarian.  Kaiser is

over 3 years old now and his right rear leg still has a funny little twist

when he walks.

 

   At present....Kaiser has his US Temperment Test Certificate scoring 94

out of 100 points, his AKC Canine Good Citizen Certificate, he is working on

his CD and will probably have his TD in December.

 

   Being Rottie people, you know how much work this took.  If he had been

any older, I'm not sure it could have been done.  This is truly a GREAT

breed of dog and I speak from many years of experience.  I can say without

hesitation, the greatest I've ever worked with....I'M SOLD!"