I am very concerned, about bringing any new dog into a home where there is a toddler.
What precautions should she take, to make my grandson safe, and to ease the new female rottie into a new environment, the right way?
Hi
As a mom myself I can totally understand your concerns, because bringing in any breed of dog to your family if you don’t know their history, especially if they’re an adult, is always going to be an unknown quantity.
However, if your daughter approaches this in the right way and always supervises any interaction between the new dog and her son, chances are good that they will become a happy little family given some time.
Obviously Rottweilers are large dogs, although this 14 month old girl is still a pup, she is a large pup! Rottie pups usually very affectionate and loving, but can be clumsy in the way that they express this. It’s all too easy for a small child, or a very slender or frail adult, to get knocked over by the force of a Rottie’s loving greeting. Your daughter will need to guard against this.
Also, at 14 months this pup should have been exposed to lots of different people, pets and places – including cats, children, cars and so on. Depending on what her background is, this may not have happened and socialization will be very important. If she’s not been raised around children up to this point I’d recommend being very vigilant in watching her attitude and reactions. Small children move quickly and erratically and have high-pitched voices. In any dog this can trigger their ‘prey drive’ and it can also make a dog who’s not familiar with this feel anxious or startled. Make sure that dog and toddler get to know each other slowly and always with supervision.
The first week or so with a new puppy is often quite subdued as the pup is anxious and may withdraw somewhat. Once they feel more confident in their new surroundings their personalities become more clear. This is even more pronounced with older pups and adults, and it can also take more time for them to settle in and adapt to their new situation.
I’d recommend taking everything very slowly and not overwhelming the new dog with too many people or experiences at first. Take it slowly and give her time to accept each new thing/person so that she doesn’t get over-anxious.
In my personal opinion it would also be a good idea to enroll this Rottie pup in a basic obedience class and have your daughter take her regularly. It will help them to bond, give the puppy regular socialization in a controlled environment, and also give your daughter some ‘hands-on’ professional help with any questions or problems that might arise.
Dogs and children generally make a wonderful combination, and Rottweilers are great family pets when bred and raised properly. It would be irresponsible not to proceed slowly and carefully in this situation because there’s always going to be an element of the unknown when adopting a new pup/dog. But with love, patience and guidance this pup should be able to fit into the family and find her place just fine.
This website has tons of tips, information and advice that will help you all understand this new family member and raise her in a way that will allow her to become the very best that she can be.
I wish you all the very best of luck and hope that your story has a happy ending.
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