Considering adopting a lab/rott mix

[Guest Anonymous]

I am considering adopting a lab/rott mix. The shelter thinks that it is lab/germ. shep. mix but when I look at this dogs face, I see rottweiler. However, I have 4 children(13,12,8,5) of my own w/ their friends frequently visiting as well as 3 main coon cats. This dog seems to be very friendly and the shelter says about one year old. I am worried about years down the road--will this dog turn aggressive or ??? . There is not much good said around about rotties here as the aggressive ones are always in the news, etc. Any advice will be helpful. Thank you. The 8 year old child is the one who wants to care for the dog. There is also the possibility of adopting another dog in the future. Thanks again.

[behle]

I have a rottie who is a gentle soul. He is not around children often, but when he is, he is very careful. A few years ago, I took him to my 4th grade classroom to visit (before his arthritis flared up - my classroom is up two flights of stairs in a very old brick school building). All the kids petted him and he was a gentleman and I might add a real face-licker! He also loves to play ball which is good for kids too!

Cats....I have two...one which Max does not chase...and one that he does! But cats are excellent at getting away. The cat he does chase is an evil tempered beastie who believes that the rest of us are only here to serve her, so I guess you can't blame him for wanting to get her! :lol: She gives as good as she gets!

Rotties get so much bad press that people think they are vicious when in reality they are excellent family dogs. Loyal and loving. It's all in how you socialize and train them! Good luck with selecting your new dog!

[Sanvean]

One of the first dogs I ever knew was a rottie/lab mix (this was probably about 20 years ago). He used to steal my hair ribbon and run off with it :) His name was Bruno, and I adored him.

The vast majority of dogs do not turn aggressive for no reason. (In fact, I can't think of a single case where one has -- it's almost ALWAYS because the animal has been abused, is in acute pain, etc.) So if he is not that way now, I wouldn't be concerned about it happening later.

If you have met this dog and are comfortable with him, and he has been properly tested for any aggressive tendencies, I would give him a chance! He sounds like a sweet dog.