Rottweilers are exclusive working dogs that require experienced owners. Their ancestry lies in the Mastiff dogs who had glorious Roman legionary records. He holds a solemn personality and is the happiest with a job at hand.
Within his family circle, he is a tremendous gentleman. But this dog would prefer aloofness when it comes to a stranger. They are fantastic personal protection dogs. Muscular presence happens to be perfect term for a Rottweiler description.
Rottweiler personality:
Rottweilers are confident pets. They do not look forward to your mental support. But their appearance must not be aggressive. Calmness and self assurance are the keys to determine a well socialized dog of this breed.
This does not mean that they are incapable of making fun. Their personality drive often varies to some extent. Some of them need a ton of impetus. On the other hand, you will also find a few Rotties who are fully content at sitting with you enjoying leisure time.
However, most of the Rottweilers will maintain a distance with a stranger. Their boiling energy always demands some useful tasks. This guardian dog will often follow you from a close quarter, even in your home, to protect you. But protective actions must be taught to him.
Otherwise, he might spend the whole time pondering in a situation of dire need. Once their natural guard instinct is perfectly honed, these are the best guard dogs. He is unlikely to bark in a normal situation.
Most importantly, Rottweiler love and affection seldom extends to people outside of family.
Measure Rottweiler smartness:
Rottweilers make it to the list of most smart dogs. They are one of the top intelligent dogs. Rottweilers prefer to be authoritarian and their temperament is built like this. Sound training can groom their mentality into proper shape.
If not confronted, they will not interfere with anyone. A unique guarding tendency places him on a revered position. His size and appearance often deters any ill motive. Rottie territorial protectiveness needs extensive training for positive use.
Not to forget, they earn public respect effortlessly with the help of their immense muscular physique. Contrary to the Border Collie and Australian Cattle Dog, Rottweiler show of strength does not last long. You have to keep him busy in exercise and other activities to stave off his mental boredom. It will keep him away from harmful pursuits.
What & how to feed:
A healthy and happy dog needs fresh diet. Rottweilers are high energy as well as big dogs. So, they need a fair amount of food for healthy living. Based on their age, activity and health issues you may supply them with 5-10 cups of dry food.
Adult Rottweilers need only two meals a day. You have to split up the whole amount into two portions. These dogs are susceptible to allergic effects which is often caused by food elements.
Vomiting, dry as well as itchy skin is sometimes an outcome of allergy. Their delicate stomach will have an immense usefulness in a hypoallergenic diet.
Moreover, if you notice some problems related to a specific subsistence, your vet can advise the perfect way out. Contrary to most other breeds, they have a high demand for protein elements.
So, Rottie meals should contain 22-26 percent of solid protein. Beef, chicken, fish, turkey, eggs, dairy items and lamb are excellent sources of proteins. Barley, cereals, vegetables and oats will give him some plant proteins.
But vegetable proteins are not proficient in amino acid which is vital for a dog. Drive away all the chemical preservatives from the vicinity of their food. Flaxseed oil, safflower oil, olive oil and fish oil are going to supply the dog with necessary fat.
Fat repels an injury by protecting the internal organs by creating a protective layer. Bone and joint strength also derives from it. Excessive calorie intake will rapidly result into obesity.
So, controlling the supply of innumerable treats is vital. You can use treats to achieve training goals and not to please or bribe him.
Overweight Rottweilers are no good for anything. A more important note is to ensure plenty of fresh water for him.
Escape a few health issues:
As a large breed, they are prone to some common health hazards. But health clearances from the breeders will steer clear your dog of some major concerns such as hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and ocular issues.
A timely X-ray can detect hip dysplasia while he is still young. As it is a hereditary disease, the puppy will bear some of its elements at its birth. You must ask for health certificates from Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).
Subaortic stenosis is a Rottweiler heart defect. It hinders blood supply to the body from the heart as the the aorta shrinks. It can lead your lovely dog to premature death even during its tender age. A heart murmuring or sudden fainting are some of the symptoms. It does not get under the radar before visible symptoms appear.
Again, this is a hereditary problem. So, regular check up of his heart is a good idea. Apart from these major issues, they are also susceptible to hypothyroidism, osteosarcoma, gastroenteritis, allergies and von Willebrund’s Disease.
Insightful care program:
Muscle and intelligence combines in Rottweilers. So, their care takes some efforts. Grooming is an important part of his care. They have a short medium size double coat. Shedding goes moderate with a Rottie and two shedding seasons spell a lot of hair here and there.
A weekly brush using a rubber hound mitt will keep his shedding at bay. You do not need to bathe him unless visible dirt appears or stinky smell hits your nose. Ear and tooth cleaning are really vital for this big dog. Cut his nails timely.
A rottweiler does not seek protection from you. Rather, you may concentrate on protecting the other pets and objects around him. Exercise is good way of reducing his destructive energy. They are people oriented dogs and demand closeness to you because of tremendous feeling of love. A good care program can further illuminate your relationship with the dog.
You may want to put a fence around your home. It will keep strangers safe which includes both humans and animals. Keep him on a leash if he goes in the streets. Patience is the key to managing a Rottweiler. They can show a streak of stubbornness and you have to deal with it tactfully. These smart dogs do not pay attention to a bully.
So, rude methods will bear no positive outcome. But they also need firm aggression guidance.
Proper exercise method:
Rottweilers are expert swimmer as well runner. You have many options open for his exercise. Take him out for at least 20 minutes a day to better shape up his psychological soundness. Athleticism is a trademark of this breed.
But their finest efforts come out when you accompany them. This robust dog needs a good amount of exercise. Otherwise, their ill temperament gets a chance to flash out.
This dog will likely not remind you of his outing schedule. Many of them will sit down with you whole day without moving a finger. So, you must remember it for his betterment. This is not a dog you can expect to be very active indoors.
So, when you take him out, make sure that he gets plenty of physical movement. He is good at tracking and herding. Have your dog do these if you have a chance
Rottweiler training cues:
A successful Rottweiler training requires patience on your side. This is a smart dog that easily grasps your command. But his full attention is mandatory in this respect.
So, at first we need to grab his concentration. You can use lures and his favorite toys for this. Early beginning is a key to fruitful outcome in the long run. Puppies are eager to learn new things. Your every move is a wonder to them.
So, the learning process gets faster. Dedicated consistency will soon yield amazing results at this age. Establish your firm control over everything he does. It will place you at the leadership position. When he grows up into a really large dog, he will never forget this lesson. Thus you can have an obedient robustly built dog. Use a crate to impart potty training rules. It will also help with separation issues.
Current time modification is vital for the dog. If you do this at a later time, it will mean nothing at all to the dog. Socialization is a core training part especially for such a large dog.
It helps him get along well with the other pets and humans. It serves two purposes. Your dog feels comfortable in the vicinity of other people and on the other hand, those people need not unnecessarily fear the Rottie.
Rottweiler origin:
This is another dog endowed with some contribution from the Romans. Like many other large guard dogs, Rottweilers are grateful to the Mastiff type dogs, specifically the Molossus, for their rich ancestry.
Those ancient dogs were extensively used for cattle protection which was the source of Roman meals in those far away lands. While conquering Germany, the Romans brought these ferocious canine supervisors.
To pinpoint Rottweiler origin, we must go back to the cattle region of Rottweil, Germany. Cross breeding of the Roman dogs with local breeds produced robustly built Rottweilers. Native cattle traders had a great use of this breed for proper management of their herd. Their capacity was not limited to this single function as they were good for home protection and pulling carts.
With the rise of trains and motor cars, this breed switched to the police and military service. Some German dog lovers also contributed tremendously to save Rotties from extinction. Its German breed standard was formed in 1901. The first AKC registration took place in 1931.
Nowadays, the Rottweilers enjoy the 8th position in the AKC breed popularity list. Their history reminds us of ultimate toil and efforts with grand achievements along the path of a long journey.
