ADOPTED

DUCHESS

Our Grande Diva Duchess will make Rottweiler lovers swoon! She is a gentle soul, who will relax by the fire next to her loving owner, and yet give a mighty roar to protect her beloved, if threatened.

Duchess' owner dumped this one and a half year old, shortly after she had her first litter of pups. She was a cast off momma, relegated to a grisly statistic, as she entered the unsympathetic shelter world. She moved through the system slowly, and made a positive impact on staff and volunteers, but was disqualified from the adoption program because of a perplexing skin condition that left Duchess with patches of dry, scaly skin and localized alopecia. The shelter vet tested for the usual culprits of mange, flea dermatitis and fungus, to no avail.

So we invited Duchess to join our rescue so that we could solve this skin mystery and give Duchess a chance at a forever home. She came to us in sad shape, with a big itch and a cold.

We began to suspect that poor diet and food sensitivity were at the root of Duchess' skin issue. As soon as we changed her diet to a quality grain free formulation with plentiful Omega fatty acids, the dry skin patches completely disappeared, and her coat regrew in the bald spots. The profound change occurred within a week. She had recovered before her vet appointment.

We can't emphasize enough the importance of diet in canine health and longevity. In Duchess' case, sensitivity to cheap grains, chemicals, dyes and fillers wreaked havoc on her coat and skin, which mimicked several uncomfortable skin maladies that are expensive to diagnose and treat.

Now Duchess is a happy girl, has trimmed 10 pounds off her physique, and is now a svelte 97 pounds. Duchess is a big, big girl. She is a magestic, powerful dog, who requires some physical strength to manage on leash. She has responded beautifully to the basic leadership and obedience techniques we have begun in foster care, and she is now nicely leash trained.

The powerful breeds do require a higher level of adopter responsibility to lead them toward Canine Good Citizenship. Duchess is a sweet, playful and loving girl, who would do well in the hands of seasoned Rottie owners who practice responsible dog ownership.

Although Duchess is a sweetie, she is too strong and powerful for small children, cats or small dogs. She could join a home with one other well behaved dog, who possesses a calm, submissive nature.

Duchess has a moderate activity level and requires a couple of brisk leash walks a day for proper exercise to maintain a health weight. She has great house manners, and is housetrained and crate trained.

Duchess is in excellent health and has been spayed. She has been vaccinated for rabies, parvo, distemper, bordatella and canine influenza. She has been microchipped and de-wormed and is negative for heartworm, lyme, earlichia and anaplasmosis. If you are interested in Duchess, please write to Denise@eskiesonline.com or call Denise at 720-903-0636 for more info.