timid behaviour in Rottweiler pup

I have just purchased a 6 month old female who seems to be timid of everything. Especially stairs. But most things in general.

She was living outside at a farm and now will be inside my house. I bought her from a breeder who said he was going to keep her but his wife is ill.

Have I been taken?

Hi
It depends what you mean by ‘taken’! If you think that you’ve bought a pup who is genetically unsound in temperament – then I think that’s a huge jump and probably not accurate.

However, if you didn’t research the breeder; see their other dogs; determine which health checks they do on their breeding dogs; didn’t buy a puppy who has a solid pedigree with both working and conformation titles and so on but were expecting a show quality dog who is well bred and well socialized – then that was also unrealistic I’m afraid.

BUT – if you are simply looking for a pet then there’s no reason to think that this puppy isn’t going to be a great companion given time, effort and lots of love.

If she was kept outdoors and not socialized around other people, pets, situations and environments then obviously it’s not surprising that she will be timid and anxious at first! She won’t know much about anything that wasn’t within her own back yard and at 6 months old it will take her longer than an 8 week old puppy to adjust. That’s perfectly normal.

It’s very important that you realize this and take it slowly with her. You definitely need to introduce her to new people, animals and places – but take it one step at a time and don’t force her into confronting things head-on in too much of a hurry. That will simply scare her more and make the whole socialization process much harder.

Let her set the pace, and start off observing things from a distance while talking to her in a happy, up-beat voice and petting or giving her treats. This will help her to learn to associate good things with new experiences.

Also, if you’ve only just brought her home then she’s also got to adjust to a new home environment, new family members, maybe new pets etc. etc. Just let her do this at her own pace too. Give her lots of love and attention but also space and time to explore on her own and in her own way. This is all scary for her and she’ll need support and love in order to feel at home. It could take several weeks, even a couple of months for her to fully adjust.

It’s difficult to tell from your question what exactly you were expecting from her or why you feel you’ve been ‘taken’. If you bought a Rottweiler because you want a big, brave guard dog then that’s the wrong reason to own this breed! Guarding comes naturally as the dog matures but should never be encouraged and aggressive or defensive behavior isn’t desirable in a puppy.

Rottweilers SHOULD be calm and confident though, and providing your puppy is good tempered this will develop as she feels safe and secure in her new home and gradually learns to feel confident around new people and in new places. Just be patient with her and I don’t see any reason why she won’t be the perfect and loyal companion she was bred to be.

I’d also recommend getting her enrolled in a basic obedience class as soon as she is feeling more comfortable, it will help you both. Best of luck!