[Jess]

Hi Everyone! As we enter a new year and approach RottweilersOnline.com's fourth anniversary... I'd like to take the time to go over our site's purpose and responsibility as a respectable community.<?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />

RottweilersOnline.com is devoted to the love, appreciation, and care of rottweilers and their owners through education and community. We strive to dispel myths and provide support for healthy human-rottweiler relationships.

I think that the above statement best reflects what is in the heart ofour community. Please take a moment to remember the words "and their owners" within that statement. There is a very good reason why I included that.... I didn't want this site to become like all of the other rottweiler sites. Members of other sites bash one another and ridicule new members and less experienced rottweiler owners, which is why I created RottweilersOnline.com.

Something to think about: If a newbie posts something that a more experienced rottweiler owner knows to be wrong, then it is the duty of the experienced owner to try and help the newbie to understand why he/she is wrong and to offer help and guidance. Criticizing, attacking, or talking down tothe newbie will only drive him/her away, then nothing is learned and a rottweiler potentially suffers.

<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Disagreements:[/B] Not everyone is always going to agree on everything, and open discussions, debates, and disagreements are OKAY. It is how we all learn and grow. But personally attacking others or their beliefsis NOT OKAY. There is a way to disagree without being hurtful. We can respect one another regardless of our differences. If every member on this site did everything exactly the same way, and believed what they believe in the same exact wayÂ… there would be no discussions. We also need to keep in mind that if a member doesnÂ’t agree with another member here, that doesnÂ’t necessarily mean that the disagreement is a personal attack.

<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Taking sides: [/B]There has some friction on the site lately with two groups of members here on opposite sides. This has happened in the past, and we moved past it, and we can again. At the end of the day we have to remember we all here on this site for the same reasons. We are a community brought together by our love of rottweilers.

Feel free to reply with your thoughts.

 

[Kitty]

Jess,


I hope everyone takes the time to read this post. It will remind usALL why we are here at this site.It is like no other on the net. We are here to help educate members NOT scare them away. I hope with this New Year upon us this site will only get better then it is already.As with anything you will have a few bumps in the road here andthere as we grow in membership.Like you said we are all here because of the love of owning this breed.My onlyhope is that everyone keepsin mindwhat you have said inyour post before they put their fingers to the keyboard.

 

[AB9876]

Just stopping by to say hello and that I didn't want you to think that no one has read the rules. I think they are great.

 

[xarimylov]

Jess,


I want to give you personally a thank you for ROL. It is a great site and a wonderful source of information, a comfortable place for newbies as well as the fortunate older Rottie owners. I would hope that all of us read your post and think a long time before posting and remember we all do not look at things the same way and feel the same about all situations. Each and everyone of us should be mindful of one another's feelings and remember we are here to share and learn. If it were not for ROL and my friends with their knowledge I would have had to put my beautiful Xari to sleep in Oct. as I did not know what to do or where to turn when he sustained his neck injury. I am blessed by this site and the people here. Thank you again and I will do my best to help all I can and be here to listen to others.

 

[2bad]

Nice post Jess

I think what Jess said is that it is okay to disagree but sometimes we ALL need to lighten up on what we post at times. I've done it myself because I feel I'd rather say something to someone in public than pass around private messages behind someones back. Gets me in trouble somethime but there are times I feel it is something I have to do. I've been here a long time and been through some stuff as some of you know but I try my best to be fair with the people who are fair with me. This is a great site but stuff that hapens on other sites has no business being dragged over here or all the sites will turn out to be the same way.


Unlike some of the other sites we get NEW to the breed types here. I think that every question should be taken seriously because maybe whoever asking it really doesn't know the answer. Something may come out as a stupid question to some but it doesn't mean that the person posting it has a motive or agenda. I've seen a lot of posts where people tell someone that if they plan on owing this breed that they should get dogs that are tested for hips , etc and that nothing else will do. It may not seem that way but thats the way it comes out in some of the threads. I think it scares away people who may want to give a loving home to a rescue or shelter dog. Some people can't afford to spend the going price now days for a pup whos parents are completely health tested and that price today is around $1500. Some breeders are asking $1000 or more for a PET quality pup and that is just out of the reach of some people. I've written it in other threads and I stick to it ... you never know what you are getting when mother nature is involved no matter what you pay or what type of testing is done. I've seen rescues live 12 - 13 years and just die of old age but I've also seen some pretty expensive dogs 4 and 5 year old dogs die of cancer or have to be put down with othermedical problems. It's nice to be able to educate people about the problems in this breed but there are dogs and puppies out there that need a chance to live period and it isn't right to scare the crap out of people with stuff like you need to go to this type of breeder or buy a dog from these types of people. Believe it or not there ARE some very healthy dogs bred in peoples back yards. If you realy want to get technical this countries best breeders are back yard breeders compared to the breedings done in Germany for instance. Germany's dogs must prove themselves worthy of being bred and thats a LOT more than some result on an OFA site. We do have breeders here who preach one thing and do something else. Not just this site but in the dog world period. New people who come here should be able to hear the good the bad and the possibilities about this breed and the people breeding.


The moderators job is not an easy one and I found that out first hand. I wouldn't allow myself to " take sides " so it made it very difficult. I have to say this but it has been brought to my attention via private message and email that some members say it SEEMS as though there is some division here among members and moderators. I see a little of it myself but for the most part I feel as though I myself have been treated pretty fairly. I wish everyone felt the same way but the fact is some don't. We have lost some members here in the past who had something to offer over petty stuff but the fact is we ALL need to work together to keep the site alive and keep our breed alive.


I'll do my best in the future to be more thoughtful of everyone and I hope others can do the same. I'll do it for the breed if nothing else.

 

[Beartwo]

As a relatively new member here (1.5 years.. lol) I have to say I have found all of you very friendly and helpful.

I joined as an ex dog owner (6 in total) but I had no experience with rotties.
Previous dogs ranged from Beagle to Rhodesian Ridgeback.

We had some troubles with our sweety in the start but patince and good advice about the breed took care of that.

What we (my girlfriend, Laika and I) are left with is a place where I do feel we can ask "stupid" questions, and we can also make our own opinions/views known (albeit in a serious and factual manner).

There is plenty of room for friendly chatter, but even when I voiced my serious doubts about the AKC's Rottweilers standards noone got angry or otherwise unpleasant. My arguments (simple though they were) were adressed and we ended the discussion on a tone of "friendly disagreement".

Since my focus is on the Rottweiler as a family dog I am bound to get into trouble with Schutzhund fans and breeders, but I find my arguments are well recieved (or not commented).

This site is by far the best I have found on the web, the differences of opinion only makes it greater as long as members dont feel harrassed or targetted.

I have to admit I am impressed by certain people in here. They have strong views, but have been able to tone down the confrontational part in exchange for reasonable exchanges of thoughts. I admire that!

I do recommend this site to all Rottie owners I meet here in Norway, its full of insights, and thank <insert name of deity here> its available for all of us.. all over the world

 

[Jess]

I think what Jess said is that it is okay to disagree but sometimes we ALL need to lighten up on what we post at times. I've done it myself because I feel I'd rather say something to someone in public than pass around private messages behind someones back. Gets me in trouble somethime but there are times I feel it is something I have to do. I've been here a long time and been through some stuff as some of you know but I try my best to be fair with the people who are fair with me. This is a great site but stuff that hapens on other sites has no business being dragged over here or all the sites will turn out to be the same way.


Unlike some of the other sites we get NEW to the breed types here. I think that every question should be taken seriously because maybe whoever asking it really doesn't know the answer. Something may come out as a stupid question to some but it doesn't mean that the person posting it has a motive or agenda. I've seen a lot of posts where people tell someone that if they plan on owing this breed that they should get dogs that are tested for hips , etc and that nothing else will do. It may not seem that way but thats the way it comes out in some of the threads. I think it scares away people who may want to give a loving home to a rescue or shelter dog. Some people can't afford to spend the going price now days for a pup whos parents are completely health tested and that price today is around $1500. Some breeders are asking $1000 or more for a PET quality pup and that is just out of the reach of some people. I've written it in other threads and I stick to it ... you never know what you are getting when mother nature is involved no matter what you pay or what type of testing is done. I've seen rescues live 12 - 13 years and just die of old age but I've also seen some pretty expensive dogs 4 and 5 year old dogs die of cancer or have to be put down with othermedical problems. It's nice to be able to educate people about the problems in this breed but there are dogs and puppies out there that need a chance to live period and it isn't right to scare the crap out of people with stuff like you need to go to this type of breeder or buy a dog from these types of people. Believe it or not there ARE some very healthy dogs bred in peoples back yards. If you realy want to get technical this countries best breeders are back yard breeders compared to the breedings done in Germany for instance. Germany's dogs must prove themselves worthy of being bred and thats a LOT more than some result on an OFA site. We do have breeders here who preach one thing and do something else. Not just this site but in the dog world period. New people who come here should be able to hear the good the bad and the possibilities about this breed and the people breeding.


The moderators job is not an easy one and I found that out first hand. I wouldn't allow myself to " take sides " so it made it very difficult. I have to say this but it has been brought to my attention via private message and email that some members say it SEEMS as though there is some division here among members and moderators. I see a little of it myself but for the most part I feel as though I myself have been treated pretty fairly. I wish everyone felt the same way but the fact is some don't. We have lost some members here in the past who had something to offer over petty stuff but the fact is we ALL need to work together to keep the site alive and keep our breed alive.

I couldn't agree more, you made a lot of good points in that post 2bad. I think right now, everyone just needs to take a step back and chill out. Think before you post. Think about what you read in other posts, before you react and take offense to it. Think about what you post, and how it will be read, think about the tone. There doesn't need to be so much hostility.


On another note, as the site owner and administrator, I try to remain as neutral as possible. I don't like to take sides, and I hope that the rest of the staff here does the same. There should be no "US vs.THEM" mentality on this site, and I will not tolerate it.