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30 TIPS FOR RAISING ROTTWEILERS
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Feeding #1-6
Vaccines #7
Worms, Fleas & Illness #8-10
Crates #12
Exercise #15-17
Grooming #18-19
Training #20-25
Socializing #27
Chew toys #28
Loose dogs #29
1) If you must switch from one
brand or type of dog food to another. There are two ways to do it
properly and you need to choose the way that works best for your
situation and individual dog. Remember when changing food to feed by
calories not cups. Check the old food to see how many calories a day
you were feeding, and plan to feed that many calories (figure out how
mush that will be in measuring cups) once transition is over.
A)Mixing new and old gradually over one to two week's time,
gradually adding more and more of the new food.
B)Fast your dog one meal. For the next meal, feed 1/4 of your
dog's normal amount of just new food. The next meal feed 1/2 of the
normal amount using just the new food. Stay at this level for 2-4 more
meals, then gradually work up to the quantity he normally gets in a
meal over another day or two's time. Watch your dog for sloppy stools
or for weight gain. If either occur cut back 1/2 cup and observe again.
Every food has a different calorie level and you may need to feed more
or less of the new food to obtain the same weight management results.
Always observe your dog's weight and stool output when changing feeds
and adjust meal potions accordingly. Remember every food does not work
for every dog and just because your friend's dog does well on X brand
does not mean your dog will!
2) Keep your Rottweiler lean throughout his entire life. Condition, not
fat, creates health and vitality. You should be able to easily feel but
not see all of the ribs. If you can count the ribs by looking, he's too
thin. If you have to poke he is too fat. Carrying too much weight
contributes greatly to the development of joint and growth problems in
young dogs and causes joint and ligament trouble in adults.
In growing puppies, monitor the front wrists for excessive heat or
size, cut food back a little if the wrists are hot or suddenly bigger
than usual (wrists are an easily monitored growth plate location). Also
monitor puppy visual and "by feel" weight a couple times a week, don't
let them get too heavy or boney.
3) A GENERAL guide to feeding Rottweilers dry dog food (kibble) is as
follows
Frontier's Feeding Guidelines
FOR PUPPIES AND PREGNANT FEMALES: Aim for as close to 1:1 calcium: phosphorus as you can get but not higher than 1.7:1
ADDITIONALLY
the food must NOT exceed 4 grams calcium per 1000 calories. FEW foods
have this information on the bags or website. Use this calculator
to get the figures for the food you are interested in. I have compared
this calculator to both TUFT's and the mathematical formula and it is
accurate.
This will vary WIDELY depending upon the calories per cup and
nutrient density. This is a generic guide- ALWAYS adjust for YOUR dog's
needs less or more.
| Age of the dog |
type of food |
meals/day |
cups/day |
| 2-3 months |
growth |
2-3 |
2-3 |
| 3-4 months |
growth |
2-3 |
2 1/2-3 1/2 |
| 4-6 months |
growth |
2 |
3-5 |
| 6-8 months |
growth |
2 |
4-6 1/2 |
| 8-18 months |
growth |
2 |
4-6 |
| males-1 1/2-2 years |
growth |
2 |
5-6 |
| Adults |
adult |
2 |
2-6 |
| pregnant/nursing bitch |
growth |
2-3 |
2-12 go by condition |
"Growth" meaning a puppy/lactation formula OR an "All life stage" food of a high quality brand 26-30%
protein and 16-20% fat.
"Adult" meaning a normal maintenance formula of a
high quality brand 24-30% protein and 14-18% fat
If feeding a raw patty
style (meat mix) homemade diet: 1 cup of meat mix (8 oz) is the
approximate equivalent of 1 cup (4 oz) of high quality kibble so adjust
your volume according to dog's appearance more than by number of cups.
If feeding a raw meaty bones and pulped veggie diet then feed approx
2-3% of dog's body weight per day (puppies need more), and again ALWAYS
go by dog's appearance when deciding if you are feeding enough or too
much; and be sure to read Carina MacDonald, Lew Olson's and/or Ian
Billinghurst's
books or consult with an experienced raw feeding breeder before
beginning a raw diet. If feeding a prepackaged raw diet go by the
manufacturer's guidelines AND the dog's appearance
4) DO NOT try to grow your pup quickly! Slow but steady growth is best.
Rapid growth and/or fat puppies has been shown to aggravate genetically
predisposed problems such as Hip dysplasia, Elbow dysplasia, OCD,
panostitis, etc. Your dog will reach his genetic height and weight
regardless of whether he is pushed to attain it quickly or fed to grow
more slowly. The slower grown pup will be the healthier and sounder
though.
5) If feeding a kibble diet, Feed a good quality, all natural feed that
does not contain chemical preservatives (BHT,BHA, Ethoxyquin for
example) or dyes. If feeding a breeding dog, avoid legumes (peas, lentils, etc) and flax.
Alternatively, you can
feed your dog a completely raw and natural diet. For the particulars of
this diet see Carina MacDonald's book "Raw Dog Food, Make it easy for
you and your dog", Lew Olson's "Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs" and/or Dr Ian
Billinghurst's books "Give your dog a
bone", and "Grow your pup with bones" OR consult with
a
raw feeding breeder in your dog's breed before starting. You can make this diet yourself or
you can buy it premade and frozen from many companies.
6) If you live in an area where the water is treated, use bottled water
at first. Gradually introducing your local water. If YOU do not drink
your local water due to chemicals, metals, bacteria etc then DO NOT
give it to your Rottweiler!
7) The Rottweiler often has a
sensitive immune system that does not always respond as expected.
Progard and Continuum vaccines, made by Intervet (see important note
below vaccination chart below) were
developed and tested on Rottweilers and provide the most reliable
immune response to vaccinations. Additionally the prominent Veterinary
colleges are now advocating fewer vaccinations than previously. See 2011 American Animal Hospital Association's Canine
Vaccine Guidelines (pages
17-19 deal with titers if you are interested) and
for a Holistic viewpoint see Shirleys
Wellness Cafe.
It is preferable to not give the rabies
vaccines within 2-4 weeks of distemper or parvovirus vaccines.
Breeding
bitches should NEVER receive any boosters closer than 6 months prior to
being bred.
We Do NOT personally vaccinate our dogs against Lyme
disease or Leptospirosis (Additionally Lepto vaccines have a very
limited immune response/effective
time (4-12 months) and are responsible for many vaccine reactions)
Frontier's Vaccine Schedule
**SEE PROGARD NOTE BELOW
CHART
| age |
vaccine used |
| 7.5-9 weeks |
Progard puppy DPv (now called Nobivac puppy DPv see chart
at bottom of page)
|
| 12-14 weeks |
Progard puppy DPv (now called Nobivac puppy DPv see chart
at bottom of page) |
| 18-20 weeks |
Progard puppy DPv (now called Nobivac puppy DPv see chart
at bottom of page) |
| 24- 28 weeks |
OPTIONAL: Blood titers
drawn for Distemper & Parvovirus (send to
Cornell for Canine vaccine panel 1 is our preference)) + "kennel cough" (bordetella- give this bordetella ONLY if required for
classes or boarding. ) Rottweilers can be a breed that fail to
seroconvert either to distemper or parvo, by titering you will know if
this has happened to your dog. IF your dog has a zero or very low titer
then booster one more time with either another Progard puppy DPv
|
| 6-10 months |
Rabies (or as required by law but NOT in combination with
any other vaccines, give at least 2 weeks away from any other vaccine)
|
| 1 year |
Progard 5 or Progard DPv or run/re-run blood titers for
Distemper &
Parvovirus (Cornell Canine vaccine panel 1 is our preference)
|
| 4-8 weeks later |
Rabies ( plus "kennel cough" ONLY if required for classes,
boarding) |
Boosters (or blood titer levels tested) thereafter every three
years; and we do not vaccinate dogs over 7 years old for anything other
than Rabies
INTERVET
PROGARD NOTE! : since Intervet was bought by another
company, as of 2011 the
product name is changing and some items are being dropped. The ONLY
Progard/Continuum (same identical product just different label name - 1
year/3 year) products that will continue to be offered once warehouse
stock is sold off, will be:
Nobivac® Puppy-DPv
For the vaccination of healthy dogs against canine distemper virus
infection and canine parvovirus infection. Formerly known as Progard® Puppy-DPv.
Nobivac® Canine
3-DAPv
For the vaccination of healthy dogs against canine distemper virus,
adenovirus, and parvovirus. Formerly
known as Continuum® DAP.
Nobivac® Canine 3-DA
For the vaccination of healthy dogs against canine distemper virus and
canine adenovirus. Formerly known as
Continuum® DA.
Nobivac® Canine 3-Pv
For the vaccination of healthy dogs against canine parvovirus. Formerly known as Continuum® P.
Nobivac® Intra-Trac KC
For the vaccination of healthy, susceptible puppies and dogs for
prevention of canine infectious tracheobronchitis ("kennel cough") due
to canine parainfluenza virus and Bordetella bronchiseptica. Formerly known as Progard®-KC.
8) Have your
vet perform a fecal
(worm) check once or twice a year.
Have a heartworm /tick disease check and a
physical performed each April or May.
Remember to give the Heartworm
pills each month for the number of months your vet recommends. Our
personal preference is the Milbemax brand. We do not recommend giving
heartworm pills within a week of applying flea/tick products
9) When battling fleas always use the minimum chemicals possible. It IS
possible to be flea free with few or no chemicals. Our animals have
been flea free since 1990! Our personal routine is:
Once warm weather arrives we clean out all dog houses (if we have them) and spray them
with pyrethrum based spray or Farnam Equisect Botanical Fly Repellent, let them
completely dry and then re-fill with pine shavings.
Crates are cleaned monthly
Rooms are well vacuumed weekly (remember to seal and throw out vacuum
bags as fleas can reproduce in there!)
Dogs are bathed monthly with a high sudsing gentle shampoo and combed
while in the tub
IF HOWEVER, you in a heavy flea area or a location with more than the occasional ticks this
regime may not work well for you. You may need to do all of the above PLUS apply Frontline plus topical once a month. BE AWARE
that you are applying a chemical to your dog's skin and that brings
risks of it's own. These chemicals remain in your dog's hair follicles
and oil glands for at least a month
There are non chemical flea/tick
sprays but they need to be applied every trip outside to work and they do not work in high flea or high tick areas. The products
Flea Flicker, Tick Kicker; Ultrashield Green; and Wondercide
works moderately well for ticks. I personally am not at
all comfortable with the flea sterilization
pills (Program and Sentinal) as they are are placing flea sterilization
chemicals into your dog's body (again
just my own personal opinion)
REMEMBER, the least amount of chemicals in or on your dog's body the healthier he
will be!
WE ABSOLUTELY DO NOT recommend oral products for
ticks (Bravecto, Credelio, Nexguard, Simparica, Simparica trio etc).
These products require that the tick bite to receive the product and
they do not kill fast enough to avoid transmission of Anaplasmosis for
example. Additionally in many dogs they can cause serious seizures
10) Common signs of illness are: lack of appetite; constipation;
diarrhea; vomiting; constant discharge from the eyes, nose, penis or
vulva; depression; any swellings or lumps; excessive hair loss; foul
smelling ears or mouth; lameness; excessive thirst; or inability to
urinate.
If your dog has diarrhea or vomits more than once in a day: do
not feed him for 24 hours. After 24 hours you may give him cooked oatmeal, boiled chicken and canned pumpkin. Do not allow
him to drink
excessively but do not restrict this too much.
CALL your vet about the
POSSIBILITY (and dosage) of giving Slippery Elm (health food store
product) or Immodium in severe
cases. IF your dog is not improving after 48 hours or if the
diarrhea/vomiting is accompanied by depression, lethargy, blood or loss
of appetite get him to the vet AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
Some young bitches
may get vaginitis or urinary tract infections. Symptoms may include a
vaginal discharge, repeated licking, frequent urination or a sudden
loss of house breaking. See your vet for a urinalysis or a vaginal
smear for diagnosis.
NOTE: many Rottweiler puppies have urinary tract
infections that simply fail to culture. No idea why BUT if your puppy
is urinating frequently, having accidents, has struvite crystals in their urine
and/or white blood cells or high PH, ASSUME this is a UTI and have your
vet treat accordingly even failing a positive culture. Rottweiler puppy
UTI's can persist unless treated promptly and long enough (sometimes up
to 6 weeks!)
Some Rottweilers occasionally burp up food or
other things they have eaten. Sometimes just keeping them quiet 1/2
hour before and after eating helps. If this is a daily occurrence
please see your vet for evaluation, and/or try a different brand of food.
Some Rottweilers will vomit up yellow "hungry
stomach" bile, we strongly suggest two meals a day for life and a rare
few dogs may need three meals a day.
11) Some dogs eat feces. This is a disgusting (to humans!) but natural
occupation. If your dog does this even when you pick his feces up once
or twice a day you can TRY adding Prozyme; Papaya extract or pineapple
juice to his food. Sometimes this works but sometimes it does not. Keep
the feces picked up as many times a day as you can manage, scooping
immediately after the dog goes is ideal.
12) Buy a crate (preferably plastic
if you are housebreaking a puppy as they hold in liquid accidents
better) and train your puppy to stay in it at night or whenever you
cannot supervise him. For initial house training use a a little smaller
crate. HOWEVER, if you will be gone extensive hours a day you will need
to set up a covered ex pen ( pen, cover
secure cover to pen with snaps) with a potty area OR get a person to
take them out twice during the day so that the puppy is not forced to
lay in urine or feces. Rottweiler puppies vary widely in ability to
"hold it", with some needing to go out hourly and others 4-5 hours at a
time.
For house crates in a mostly/totally house trained
Rottweiler get the absolute largest you can fit in your home. I prefer
VariKennels for growing pups so that they do not injure jaws or leg
growth plates in the wire. (as well as contain unexpected accidents)
For vehicle crates remember if lying down the dog should touch three sides for accident safety.
Do not put a
bed in with puppies if they at all chew them or soil them. (Intestinal blockages are very expensive). For very
small pups you can put shredded newspaper or a heavy towel in to absorb
any accident as long as they don't chew it. I prefer these beds for the adults.
With small pups blocking off the rear portion of a large
crate helps with those that are over 12 weeks of age and are still
soiling the crate. To aid in the housebreaking be sure to set up a
feeding and elimination schedule and stick with it. Puppies are
physically unable to "hold it" for any great length of time until 3 1/2
to 4 months of age.
Do not ever leave a collar on any dog in any crate. Many dogs have died
when a part of their collar inexplicably got caught on the crate in
ways no one could have foreseen.
13) Do not pick the puppy up under the shoulders like a child. Always
support his rear. Very young children should not pick the puppy up as
they might drop and injure him. Rottweilers are a large boned, fast
growing breed whose joints and growth plates can be easily injured
through accident, improper handling and improper exercise. Try to not
carry the puppy ALL the time as they need the walking exercise and if
carried a lot it increases the jumping up on people.
14) Puppies should be carried down stairs and helped out of cars and
off the furniture until 4-5 months old to prevent joint and growth
plate injures. Leaping off of large rocks and furniture can also damage
growth plates.
15)Do not force exercise.
Especially in Rottweilers less than 18 months of age. If they are
tiring they must stop to rest. Tired muscles (in humans and dogs)
become weak and injuries are more likely to occur at that time.
Swimming imposes no impact and is not restricted except that tiredness
and water intake need to be monitored to prevent cramps and accidental
drowning. Be alert for water intoxication (Hyponatremia) Also watch for toxic blue-green algae.
The puppy should not be asked to pull weights in excess of
5-10 lbs before 14 months of age (and not at all under 7 months) and
not in excess of 15-20 lbs before 18 months of age to prevent skeletal
stress.
He should not carry (in backpacks etc.) more than 2-5% of his
body weight or 5 lbs whichever is less, between the ages of 6 to 14
months and should never carry more than 10% of his body weight until
beyond 18 months. As an adult he should never carry more than 20% of
his weight and that only after training with gradually increasing
weight over many week's time, and not on a steady basis.
16) Do not let the puppy play on slippery surfaces or with adult dogs
as these can cause muscle, joint and growth plate injuries. Try to not
allow him to jump up for a treat or a toy; or jump off or over objects
that are more than 1' high until beyond 1 year and then only on good
footing and with common sense.
You CANNOT CAUSE hip dysplasia with poor footing (dogs have to have the gene for that), but you can increase the expression of it.
17) DO allow the puppy to run and play on safe footing as much as he
wants of his own free will. Be sure he is in a safely enclosed area
when playing off a leash.
18) Keep your dog's toenails
short. Long nails can ruin his feet and can also cause joint and
lameness problems. Learn how to do them yourself if possible so that
you may trim a little of each week. Walking the puppy on pavement or
concrete can sometimes help also as can exercise in places where the
pup is able to dig in his feet when running. Remember to trim the
dewclaws as these can grow into the leg is forgotten and if sharp can
injure the dog's eyes when they rub their faces.
19) Brush your Rottweiler daily or at least once a week with a
rubber
brush or a fine tooth comb. This will greatly reduce the amount of
loose black hair around the house and on clothes. Wipe the ears out
with a cotton ball dampened with alcohol, peroxide or a commercial ear
cleaner once a week. Be sure that your dog has safe chew toys
(Nylabones, raw beef leg bones) and encourage him to chew
daily to help prevent tarter buildup. (AVOID rawhide, bully
sticks and all edible chews as many cause blockages or stomach upset.)
Bathe no more than twice monthly,
unless essential (showing, sprayed by skunk etc) Be sure the dog is dry
before allowing him outside in cold weather. Use a good quality dog
shampoo. Be sure to rinse very thoroughly!
20) An excellent book on raising and socializing your puppy
properly is Ian Dunbar's "After you get your puppy".
21) Right from the beginning teach your puppy to allow all parts of his
body to be examined and handled. ESPECIALLY teeth, mouth, feet and
testicles (obviously not an issue with neutered males) by both you and
strangers. Rottweilers are notorious for not allowing these
examinations to be performed if not trained to do so as a pup.
22) Teach your puppy to allow people to take food, toys etc away
without aggression. Start with toys the puppy is the least possessive
of and practice giving and taking using the command "leave it" or "drop
it" (be sure to end with you giving the pup the toy or a yummy treat!)
Gradually work up to items the puppy is more possessive of. Also work
with new people and the pup with this game. ALWAYS start new people
with the least possessive item and work up to the more possessive. Toys
that bring out possessiveness should not be given or should be allowed
only in the crate. Your puppy should not be encouraged to growl at
innocent, non threatening people or dogs. Your puppy should be
positively rewarded for greeting people nicely with a happy outlook and
all 4 feet on the ground.
If you allow inappropriate aggression in a puppy, you will have huge
problems when he's an adult! A GREAT book to read on dog problems is:
"Dogs Are From Neptune" by Jean Donaldson.
23) Train your dog in obedience so that he
will be a well mannered canine citizen when in public and so that you
may easily handle him. A well trained Rottweiler is excellent P.R. for
the breed. Discourage barking and lunging when in the car also. Try to
practice obedience once or twice a day for 5-15 minutes each time. Work on manners and self control too. BE
SURE to make training fun! Try to teach retrieving/fetch as this is a
great exercise game. Tug of War should only be played IF 2 rules are
followed. #1 if teeth touch ANY human skin the toy is put up and the
game ends. #2 the game begins and ends when the HUMAN , NOT the dog
says so.
24) Remember that it is easier to instill good habits than to break bad
ones!
25) Establish rules right from day #1. Be consistent and many problems
can be avoided. Two examples in particular are 1- no jumping on people
ever. 2-no biting or nipping. Teach bite inhibition right away as a
young puppy. To do this start out by hollering "Oww!" each time the
puppy bites too hard. After a week holler "Oww!" anytime any pressure
is applied with his teeth. After another week or two holler"Oww!" if
the teeth even touch human skin. IF at anytime after the first week you
have to say "Oww!" twice and are having no effect, walk away and
totally ignore the puppy for a couple minutes. You will begin to see
the puppy actually take their mouth off you when you say "Oww!" once
they have learned this well. I start all of our babies bite inhibition
training at 5 or 6 weeks of age and by the time they go to new homes
they have a firm grasp of the concept.(For more details see the Ian
Dunbar book listed above)
26) Learn how to massage and possibly tape/glue ears as some
puppies 3 months and older need to have their ears massaged and
possibly
taped/glued to encourage them to hang properly. If the ears show signs
of improper carriage and they are not at least massaged, they may never
hang properly. Ask your breeder for assistance.
27) Be sure to give your puppy LOTS of
attention and socializing! Take him everywhere and anywhere. Expose him
to anything that you will want him to be good around as an adult. (use
common sense while he is young with an immature immune system, and DO
NOT take him to places where ill dogs may have walked, peed or pooped
like dog parks, or the grass outside of vets and pet stores) Be sure to
include strange men, woman, people of a race
other than yours, children, handicapped people, livestock, other
healthy and mannerly dogs, cats, vehicles, strange places, strange
objects etc... Puppies need an absolute minimum of 3 hours of
socializing every single day. This includes time with the noisy family,
training, trips to other places etc.
28) Do not give your Rottweiler rawhide,
sterilized bones, smoked bones, or cooked bones. These can cause
intestinal impaction which can require surgery and sometimes even
death. Safe chew toys include any of the Nylabone brand and Kong brand
toys that your dog does not have a tendency to destroy. Real raw beef
and buffalo leg bones 8" or longer in length are safe also. Bones
should have all exterior fat removed as well as most of the marrow.
IF HOWEVER real bones (or other "used to be alive" items) bring out
aggressiveness or
protectiveness in your puppy try making them crate only items. If this
behavior persists at all then simply avoid these toys as, in my
opinion, they are just not worth that hassle! Pigs ears, cow ears,
etc.. should be avoided as they have been linked to serious illness and
health issues.
Remember to keep all socks, nylons, hair ties, bottlecaps,
golfballs, etc..
off of the floor. MANY dogs have died from eating non digestible items.
IMPORTANT! Remember that NOTHING gets chewed up if YOU keep it picked
up! It is NEVER the puppy's fault for chewing something up, it is yours!
29) NEVER allow your Rottweiler to run free.
Current "vicious dog" hysteria can cause people to panic at the mere
sight of what they think is a "vicious" breed. Many police officers
will also shoot loose Rottweilers thinking that they are a public
threat. Additionally your Rottweiler could get hit by a car. He could
get stolen. He might chase wildlife (which is illegal and very
unhealthy for the wild animals). He might harass livestock or pets. A
citizen might kill him for imagined (or real) reasons. He could get
into a dog fight. He could knock down, or God forbid bite someone. It
is also a violation of most purchase contracts to allow your Rottweiler
to be loose and not under direct control.
30) Lastly- Take good care of and enjoy your Rottweiler! He will be
your faithful companion for the next 8-12 years
ROTTWEILER
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Diane Richardson
Unity, NH 03743
603-542-7344
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Last updated 6/23/23
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