I hope this is OK to put here, if not the moderators can email me at inline_k9@yahoo.com

http://rememberdiesel.webs.com/

This is a website we created to show the world about our poor rottweiler Diesel. He suffers multiple hereditary conditions due to BAD AND IGNORANT BREEDING.

We want to educate people about the consequences of poor breeding and buying a puppy from shonky backyard breeders and puppy farms.

We want people to go to experienced, registered breeders who screen their dogs and breed for quality not quantity to prevent suffering.

If people could please take the time to read and pass this on to people who need to read it.

Ed I would love if you had the time to write a blog article with your opinions, as I know you have such vast experience in breeding and training. I have contact from all over the world (the website opened yesterday) but most are too upset to have their story published as yet, some cannot even finish reading.

Thank you

Julie

I read the web page and will make a few comments which may upset you.

Bad hips are not all a breeder's fault. In fact I tend to believe they are less than 30% genetic. Over-exercise at a young age and not keeping a young dog thin cause 70% of the bad hips problems.

In my opinion the allergy problems you mention are almost all vaccination and food related and not genetic. It's a mistake to try and blame that on a breeder.

The fact that the dog does not conform to the standard is a breeder problem. The dog pounds are filled with poorly bred dogs with nice temperaments.

You may want to do a better job researching who you buy your dog from.

To be honest owners need to take some responsibility for mistakes made here too.

Ed

I rescued the dog at 3 months of age, I did not purchase from a breeder. He was found on the streets at 7-8 weeks if age. Being in the area we are, we are sure someone just put two 'big tough rottweilers' together to make some more. The rescuer, who was a registered rottweiler breeder for over 20 years thinks so as well.

He also has had the bare minimum vaccinations - two in his life as a puppy. His first x-ray was done at under 6 months as we thought he may have an intussusseption which then was confirmed by blood test to be Parvo virus after his intestines were clear. I saw right at the bottom he had barely any hip sockets then so it was from poor quality breeding stock in the first place. As for being thin, I have always kept him a thin dog, not allowed him to bounce around or over-exercise.

As for the food I know about a completely raw diet and he does not do well on it at all. He looses condition very quickly, trust me I am more on the side of less meds/artificial rubbish and more natural therapies and diets which I even recommend to my clients when I help train their dogs.

My other two dogs are pedigree purebreeds who I scrutinised the hip scores, elbows, eyes etc. They are problem free and healthy, both trained as security dogs.

The point is although I rescued and got the bad hand with Diesel, I want to show others what happens if they do not research. That although you may have to WAIT for a good puppy from a good breeder it's bloody worth it not to have the same problems as we have with D.

" we are sure someone just put two 'big tough rottweilers' together to make some more"

Boy....like that doesn't happen *all* the time.

Julie, thanks for taking the time and effort to rescue that dog and give him a better life!

I love my dog, I wouldnt give him up for the world.

I just feel so sorry watching him suffer, and for it to start at such a young age. His temperament is wonderful with children and animals, he became a registered therapy dog but we had to stop as walking is becoming more difficult. I even use him as a helper dog when I do training and behavior consultations as he is so unreactive.

I have worked as a vet nurse in this town and have seen the stream of ill bred backyard dogs. Someone even came up with breeding bob tail rottweilers from unpapered stock, the one we saw at the clinic had not only a misshapen spine near the pelvis but one kidney was sitting just under the skin near the belly button. They were encouraged by SEVERAL people to breed this dog! What the hell!? You just want to shake some people!

Sometimes it's not even for the money.

Friend of mine wound up rescuing a Rottie puppy that had been literally used as a pinata in East Cleveland.

Some guy was visiting friends in that 'part of town'. They took him to a party where part of the fun was stringing up the puppy and taking whacks at it. Fortunately he had enough street saavy to say, "Say that looks like fun. How much for that pup so my buddies can do that too?" Got him for mostly pocket change.

He had to go back to NY so he left the puppy at Jen's place. As expected, he was in really rough shape. Jen figured, "There's always room for one more. Reilly saw her other two Rotties sitting and waiting for a treat. He trotted round, sat between the two older dogs and looked up expectantly as if to say, "I'm home now?".

Took him awhile to get healed up and socialized.

Reilly wound up living with another friend and her Rotties. He's settled in well but still suffers from his early injuries. His back never quite straightend out and his ribs still hurt from time to time. He's pretty stoic and doesn't complain much. Reilly's pretty lucky -- he wound up with folks who understand the breed and had the patience to deal with his problems.

Yes. Experienced with rescued (seized in raids) dogs used as "bait" by dogfight gangs.

And other horrors that are unfathomable to normal people....

These sickening stories seem to be never-ending ...

Thank goodness there is the other side of humanity to focus our attention on, like Julie and like Charley's friends with the rescued pup.

I agree with Ed. I breed occasional litters (rottweilers). I have hip and elbow clearances up and down both sides of my pedigrees for generations. Yet my dream puppy (great drive, focus and trainability) was born with severe dysplasia in both hips. He had a TPO (triple pelvic osteotomy)on his left hip about 3.5 months ago and just had a full hip replacement on his right 2 weeks ago.
He is doing great and we hope to do agility and believe it or not, dock diving. I spent money i really didn't have to fix this dog so we could go out and have fun together. Sadly he will never be bred for obvious reasons.
This stuff is in the gene pool and you try your best to screen for it, but it is just that a screening. With OFA we are screening phenotype not genotype and currently there is no genetic marker for dysplasia.
Funny enough I may be facing the same surgery as Stryker (TPO) on my right hip. Except it is called a periarticular osteotomy and instead of cutting my pelvis in 3 places they would cut it in 5!! My parents were obviously never screened! :-)

Patti at least you are decent enough a person to help and rehabilitate your dogs, to give them a decent life and to not breed them. I'm sure if one of your puppy buyers came to you with one of your pups in that situation you would help them with your knowledge and experience.

This is about those who DONT. Yes it does happen even with good breeders but they are willing to stay in touch with their puppy buyers, give advice about treatments etc some I know even give a 12 month health guarentee against genetic conditions and if a pup cannot do the job it was purchased for they will give another in return or purchase price refund.

This is for those who dont care, who dont screen and who just randomly breed to line their pockets. There are few registered rottweiler breeders within a couple of hours drive of here and none have bred the time my boy was born. Also the area he was found in is full of tough guy backyard breeders who dont give a stuff.

Dont get me wrong I'm not having a bash at breeders who do the right thing. I am a geneticist/biochemist I know that we are only in our infancy in some things and we cannot guarentee that ever dog bred from screened parents will be perfect. But those that dont try at all are creating more problems, then those dogs go on to make more etc etc.

Thank you Julie. Yes backyard breeders are a bain to all of lives. I worked in veterinary medicine and we saw it all the time. People with their mixed breed Gawd only knows what dog and they want to breed her. The doctors would all say "Patti, go give them the talk". I would give them every breeding horror story I know to deter them from breeding.

I do have a 12 mo hip guarantee for severe dysplasia (such as Stryker's). I am very excited to see what this boy can accomplish with his life now. And what I can accomplish too once I get MY hip fixed!

Funny enough the surgeon said it was a good thing he was intact as it would improve his healing about 20-20%!! FYI for everone out there.