[Dueller]

In his defense, stepson did not set out with a Rott in mind. He seems to have put some thought in the idea of a dog as pet companion, researching different breeds etc. He secured a rental house with yard before deciding on dog. I think with the death of his father this summer he was really longing for a companion. He talked about different breeds such as labs, goldens etc before coming up with the Rott finding much on their loyalty, intelligence, etc.

While he is not a "thug" kind of kid, he is very into martial arts, personal fitness, ultimate fight type of sports, boxing, etc...and that's where I have a bit of concern...the "macho" image of the Rott as a breed and the possibility that that is the attraction. He is 6'4" tall but very lanky (165#'s)...does a lot of weightlighting trying to bulk up.

Maybe I'm over-analyzing but I feel a need to remind him that he must not get into the habit of rewarding "cute" agressive behavior in the puppy stage in order to avoid problems down the road. Don't get me wrong...I'm not a breed basher. My brother had one of the most loveable pit bulls on the planet. But when the dog exhibited its first sign of agressive behavior despite its gentle upbringing, the dog was put down. I'd hated for stepson to have to make that choice down the road.