Rottweiler and Children - Take your kids when you go to training classes

Take your kids when you go to training classes, if they are old enough. You may even want to look into 4H or other classes for training children and dogs.

Rottweiler - Dog Lover

Rottweiler and Children - Have children help with the training

Have children help with the training. Your Rottweiler should sit on command whether a five year old kid or an adult asks him to. Teach your Rottweiler to take food gently from little hands.

Rottweiler - Dog Lover

Rottweiler and Children - Teach your children how to treat the dog

Teach your children how to treat the dog. Never allow them to tease any animal. If you have a Rottweiler puppy, do not allow roughousing or chasing games. It might be cute and safe now, but will not be safe when your dog is 100 lbs. Do not allow your puppy to do anything now that you don't want him doing as an adult. It is not fair to change the rules as he grows.

Rottweiler - Dog Lover

Rottweiler and Children - Rottweiler is an excellent family dog

With the right training, a Rottweiler is an excellent family dog. This is what the German breed standard says about the Rottweiler temperament: "He is descended from friendly and peaceable stock and by nature loves children, is affectionate, obedient, trainable and loves working." I have owned and trained Rottweilers since 1986 and every one of mine has been good with children.

There are two parts to ensuring any dog is safe with kids. First is training and socializing your Rottweiler. Second is properly managing the dog. Whether you have a puppy or an adult dog, I strongly recommend group obedience classes as well as daily training.

Rottweiler - Dog Lover

Selection guide - Get to know the puppy's parents

Get to know the puppy's parents. You can learn a lot about the personality of the puppy you are thinking of bringing into your home by interacting with its parents and observing how they act.

Rottweiler - Dog Lover

Selection guide - Look at the puppy's tail

Look at the puppy's tail. Rottweilers' tails are commonly docked or cut short to leave a small stub on their backside. While this practice does not improve the dog's health or well-being, it has become such a recognizable feature of the breed that the American Kennel Club requires Rottweilers to have docked tails to be eligible as show dogs. Docking a Rottweiler's tail too soon, however, can cause nerve damage. If you are considering purchasing a puppy whose tail has already been docked, find out when the surgery was performed and talk to a veterinarian to make sure it was done correctly and at a proper time.

Rottweiler - Dog Lover

Selection guide - Examine the puppy's legs and feet

Examine the puppy's legs and feet. A Rottweiler's legs should be straight and proportionate to the rest of their body. If they appear overly thin or the puppy appears bow-legged, this could be a sign of bone disease or poor nutrition.

Rottweiler - Dog Lover