Rottweiler, a.k.a. Rottie or Rott, is a medium to large sized dog that originated in Rottweil, Germany and was mainly used for cattle herding. The Rottweiler is one of the top 10 smartest dogs, and has the strongest bite out of all domestic dogs. The average male weighs 110lbs and the average female weighs 93lbs. (Some of us are above average)

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Our visit to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival

Yesterday Squishy, my sister-in-law Sara, and I went to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival located east of Woodburn, Oregon. From Salem it was about 60 miles round-trip for us, and the three of us had the joy of riding in my 2-door sports coupe. Squishy did quite well in the back-seat considering his size, and Sara did quite well considering the amount of drool coming from Squishy's mouth.
The main reason for taking Squishy was to expose him to a crowded environment with a mixture of kids, adults and other dogs. He did very well. He could have cared less about all the people. The only thing that caught his eye on occasion were other dogs. However, the use of the halti (head collar) made the experience better for me because when he did pull I didn't follow. Here are some pictures of us at the Tulip Fest!


Saturday, April 10, 2010

The English Mastweiler

Have you ever heard of an English Mastweiler? It is a designer breed that mixes an English Mastiff with a Rottweiler. My husband and I have thought of one day breeding Squishy with an English Mastiff and keeping a pup. Little did we know, it's a concept that has already been in the works.
 (Left: English Mastiff with fawn coloring)

The Rottweiler's temperament is calm, confident, courageous and self-confident. They have an inherent desire to protect home and family, and is an intelligent dog of extreme hardness and adaptability with a strong willingness to work, which makes them especially suited as a companion, guardian and general all-purpose dog.
 (Right: Rottweiler)

The English Mastiff's temperament is characteristically innately good natured, calm, easygoing, and surprisingly gentle for its size. It is capable of protection, if the approaching person is perceived as a threat, the Mastiff may take immediate defensive action. They are typically an extremely loyal breed, exceptionally devoted to its family and good with children.
 (Left: English Mastiff with apricot-brindle coloring)



I think the mix creates a very attractive animal with a great temperament. Here's some pictures of what an English Mastweiler may look like. Aren't they pretty?

So the story continues... last Friday on my way to work, a house in the country was having a yard sale and also had a sign that said they were selling English Mastiff pups. I very much wanted to stop and look at the pups but knew I shouldn't, I mean I already have three dogs, what would I do with four? (...make English Mastweiler puppies of course!) When I got home I told my husband all about it and being my voice of reason told me no. However, a day or two later he did admit that if I had brought one home I could have kept it. So upon agreement, once we buy our next home (in the country) we'll get another dog. Except that won't be for another 3-5 years, and then once we get a pup we have to wait until she's two or three to breed her. I can't wait 8 years for my beautiful English Mastweiler! Squishy will be an old man by then! Therefore, if you or someone you know has a female English Mastiff and is interested in breeding her to a Rottweiler in the next few years let me know.

Monday, April 5, 2010

The Dog Powered Bicycle

One day I stumbled across the concept of a dog powered scooter on the internet. I was intrigued and I wanted one! Prior to my discovery of this great invention I was taking my dogs on long walks to burn their steam off. Well, waking the dog is great, but the dog and I never want to walk the same pace, they're always faster. So I entertained the thought of reclaiming my childhood banana seat bike from the shed at my parents house, and then I could ride my bike and walk the dog at the same time. However, laziness persisted and the weather turned bad, so not only did I not get my bike back, I stopped walking the dogs. But the idea of the dog powered scooter got me excited. They could pick the pace, and I wouldn't have to do any work! Also, Rottweilers are a working dog, so giving them a "job" helps to fulfill their needs. The idea was perfect! But one thing was in the way between me and the totally awesome dog powered scooter... money. These things are affordable, but if I spent that kind of money I'd feel obligated to use it everyday, which I couldn't see happening with Oregon's unpredictable weather.
Dreams were crushed... nearly. It just so happens I'm somewhat inventive myself, and I work at a machine shop. So I decided to make a dog powered banana seat bike! And for next to nothing, I did. I restored my bicycle and made a simple "L" shaped bracket to attach to the bike seat bracket to harness the dog. In addition, I added a headlight, taillight, and speedometer. To hook the dog to the bike, the dog just needs an everyday harness. The first test run was done with my cousin's German Shepard "Sasha". After some initial getting use to, she loved it. After some adjustments, my dog Cinderley was next. She does okay, but she doesn't really have the drive to pull the bike for very long. However, Thor does great. Our top speed was 13mph! Squishy, unfortunately is too tall for the set-up.


The before shot of the vintage banana seat bicycle.







The after shot of the bicycle with the added bracket to harness the dog on the right side of the bike.
Cinderley and me riding around the middle school's track that's a block from our house.












Thor and my dad riding around the middle school track.





***In Summary***

Safety rating: 5
Top Speed: 13 mph