Hi Hot Tropical Babes - I'm a Rottie owner, and I can not tell you what a joy AND a handful these guys can be! I wouldn't trade him for the world though.
They're loving, loyal, fun and fiercely protective of "their" home & "their" people. The only downside I've found is that they shed entirely too much! lol
We adopted ours from a local shelter (six months ago) when he was only 10 months old. He was the "victim" of a divorce. Neither person could take them where they were moving to.
We were lucky, in that his previous owners had him neutered, housebroken, crate trained and had just begun obedience training with him, when he was placed in the shelter. Oh, and he's also AKC registered. They even gave all of his vet records, akc paperwork and even the original bill of sale from the breeder to the shelter for who ever adopted him. So, at least we know his "history".
I had never owned a Rottie before this, only shepards and dobermans. As a Rottie owner, I can safely say that it would be in your best interest to pick up the book "Rottweilers For Dummies" and to also check out
http://www.rottweiler.net. Both have proven to be invaluable resources for me when I was a newbie Rottie owner, and I still sometimes look things up in the Dummies book when he does something out of character.
Also, I hope you and your hubby have strong personalities, because the rottie WILL challenge your position in "the pack". Don't ever let them think they've got the upper hand on you in any situation - it will only lead to behavorial problems down the road.
Here's a pic of our "baby"
I wish you the best of luck in finding your new "baby". I'd love to hear how you make out, keep me posted please.
Deb