Is the Rottweiler the right dog for me? FAQ

The Rottweiler is one of the best guard dogs. For four consecutive years, it was the second most popular breed recorded by the AKC.

Nevertheless, do not get carried away by the advertisements and / or the recommendations of your relatives and friends.

The Rottweiler is a large, powerful dog that carries many responsibilities for its owner. Rottweilers require extensive socialization from an early age. For example, you have to carry your puppy for several months (he should not walk in public places before being completely immune to 16-20 weeks), which exposes him to the images, sounds and people he will meet at adulthood. Because of their size and strength, obedience training for your Rottweiler is essential. Weekly group classes of 6 to 12 months are generally considered a minimum. Rottweilers are “human” dogs.

They want to be with their masters. As an active breed, the Rottweiler requires daily exercise, good fitness at least twice a day. If they remain alone or with insufficient exercise for long periods, they can become unruly and destructive.

A Rottweiler dog that receives adequate socialization and training generally gets along well with children, but tolerance varies from dog to dog. It must be taught early what is acceptable behavior and what is not, the same for the child.

Because of their large size and their inherent desire to “lead” Rottweilers should always be supervised around children. A minor “shock” can cause serious injury to a small child. In addition, some Rottweilers have a high degree of “chase” (the instinct to hunt moving objects), therefore, they should never be left alone with children, who will naturally want to run and play. Some breeders recommend waiting for children to be at least of school age before introducing a rottweiler at home.

The amount of space available in your home, the age of your children and the length of time the dog will be in contact with children should be part of your decision.

A properly raised, socialized and trained Rottweiler is not intrinsically vicious. The rapid increase in the popularity of the breed has attracted many irresponsible breeders who only want to make a profit, and make fun of the damage done to the breed.

Problems should be minimal when a Rottweiler is raised as a puppy with other pets. The introduction of a new pet when there is a Rottweiler adult in the household should be done slowly and carefully.

Dog to dog aggression is influenced by the early socialization of puppies, their lineages and their sex; males are less tolerant of other males than females.

Females may also be intolerant of other dogs. The Rottweiler is very smart and can be trained, and with perseverance, he should be able to learn to coexist peacefully with any pet that you wish to adopt.

The Rottweiler has been developed for his ability to work and often flourishes when he has the chance to work with his master, although there are occasional exceptions. It is very necessary to establish your control over the animal and obedience training is often the easiest and most rewarding way to do it.

Your breeder should be able to guide you in choosing a training course, but avoid the harsh trainer, regardless of the recommendation. Rottweilers can often be controlled only with verbal reprimands and, although they sometimes require strong physical corrections, some coaches tend to be much more brutal than necessary.

Females have been very successful with dogs in obedience training. The physical control of the dog is generally less important than the sensitive, patient and positive training methods. Patience is an important factor in training a Rottweiler.

The Rottweiler is a sensitive animal, intelligent and loyal and usually wants to please its owner. Sometimes he can be quite stubborn and needs more attention. It is imperative that the discipline be consistent and firm without being too brutal.

A hard word will often suffice, although neater corrections may be necessary. Having this type of dog is not recommended for shy or busy people who can not or will not watch their pet carefully.

The Rottweiler is generally not happy doing nothing all day. A large courtyard with a six foot high fence is ideal, but the adult Rottweilers have been successfully kept in large apartments. The yard is essential if you have a puppy or a young dog; this will help keep the dog in practice and reduce boredom, which can in turn prevent destructive behavior.

If you do not have room, consider a smaller or less active breed. The personal commitment of the owner is the most important thing. People wishing to walk their dog regularly will develop a more personal and more supportive relationship than to let them run alone in the yard.

Your Rottweiler requires at least two good walks each day (10 to 20 minutes each). Proper exercise is necessary to maintain the health of your Rottweiler, as it tends to gain weight without adequate physical exercise.

The Rottweiler is a double-coated breed, with an outer coat of medium length and a fluffy undercoat. They lose, more than one might think by looking at their appearance. The amount of loss varies depending on the weather conditions. They usually tend to “change” their undercoats twice a year, in the spring and in the fall.

Rottweilers bark to announce the arrival of people on the property, as well as against animals and birds in the yard, but they usually do not bark for no reason.

Opinions vary on this subject. Most breeders usually recommend a female, especially for new owners. Females are smaller and easier to control, a little less dominant and generally more affectionate. Males are stronger, more powerful and dominant, and are therefore a little more difficult to train and control.

You can buy a Rottweiler puppy in different places, but ONLY ONE place where you should – at a responsible breeder. Pet stores acquire puppies from puppy mills, brokers and backyard breeders. Their puppies are separated too soon from their mothers and litters, they are not properly socialized and may develop serious health problems.

Puppy mills, brokers and backyard breeders have only one priority: to make a profit. They are not interested in the welfare of the puppies they raise. Beware of pet shops that announce “we get our puppies from private breeders”. No responsible breeder would ever sell puppies to a pet store.

This is a difficult category to define, but there are certain minimum standards that are accepted as “responsible” by most people active in the field of dogs. Here are some of the things a responsible breeder will do:

• All breeders will be certified free from hip dysplasia by an orthopedic animal foundation. Elbows can also be certified free of elbow dysplasia; This trend is relatively new and some older dogs / famale dogs may not be certified.
• The breeder will be willing to provide you with copies of the certificates. No dogs or dogs will be raised until they are two years old (the minimum age required for certification).
• The breeding animals shall be certified free from hereditary eye disease each year by an approved veterinary ophthalmologist;
• Dogs and dogs used for breeding will have obtained certain titles (such as champion of a competition or an advanced title of obedience). Responsible breeders generally do not use dogs and dogs whose quality has not been proven in competition, although this may occur under certain circumstances (injuries that prevent competition).
• The breeder will belong to one or more Rottweiler clubs that require adherence to a “code of ethics” on the part of all members (adherence to a certain level of responsibility for ownership and genetic improvement) . There are many local Rottweiler clubs, some are “Code” clubs and others do not – inquire. Code of Ethics Clubs do not allow members to advertise puppy prices.
• The breeder will be active in the sport of dogs, participating in conformation, obedience, tracking or rally competitions.
• A responsible breeder will not give you a “hard sell” routine when you call to inquire about his dogs. Usually, he will try to do everything in his power to discourage you from buying a Rottweiler. The main concern of a reputable breeder is that his puppies are placed in responsible homes where they will receive the same kind of care and training that he / she gives to his / her own dogs. Expect to be asked a lot about why you want to own a Rottweiler and about your family and lifestyle. The reputable breeder will ask you more questions than you want.
• A responsible breeder will try to avoid you rushing to buy a puppy this week or this month, but he will not expect you to wait unreasonable time to buy one of his puppies. If he has no puppies available and no breeding is planned in the near future, he will recommend other breeders whose criteria are as high as his own.
• A responsible breeder will be happy to meet you with the parents of the litter (at least the mother, often the father will not belong to the breeder), as well as his other dogs. Dogs and puppies will be kept in a clean and healthy environment.
• A responsible breeder will only sell puppies with a written and signed contract. He / she will transmit accurate records of health, reproduction and registration and genealogies of at least three generations. They will require that all pups not purchased as being rendered incapable of breeding, as well as limited “blue slips” of registration, or that registration papers be retained until a veterinarian certificate is received as proof of sterilization.

High quality puppies usually sell for between $ 1,000 and $ 2,000.