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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Selection guide - Find a good breeder

Find a good breeder. The Rottweiler is prone to a degenerative bone disease called hip displasia due to its large size. The odds of a Rottweiler having this disease is greatly increased if it has come from an inbred bloodline. Some studies of the breed have also shown that inbred dogs are more prone to having violent personalities. Find a reputable breeder who breeds puppies responsibly to guarantee that your Rottweiler is healthy.

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Selection guide - Get the facts

Get the facts. Isolated incidents involving a small percentage of Rottweilers have unfortunately earned the whole breed a reputation as being unpredictable, violent and prone to unprovoked attacks. Keep in mind that how any dog behaves largely depends on how it is treated by its owner. Talk to breeders, trainers and veterinarians and learn the truth about the breed before making your final decision.

Rottweiler - Dog Lover

Selection guide - Rottweiler is not a breed that is right for every family or owner

Research the breed. The Rottweiler is a large breed that requires a lot of space to run. They are independent and intelligent but also very protective of their owners so they are not a breed that is right for every family or owner.

Rottweiler - Dog Lover

Grooming tip - Use shampoo that your vet recommended

When choosing a shampoo, do not use flea and tick shampoos or other medicated shampoos unless directed by your vet. These types of shampoo do not work well with a rottweiler's coat.

Rottweiler - Dog Lover

Grooming tip - Begin a regular grooming schedule early in their lives

With this breed in particular, it's important to to begin a regular grooming schedule early in their lives. Since rottweilers grow to become large and powerful dogs, you can have problems with grooming if they're not used to it.

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Grooming tip - Nourish coat

Let your dog air dry, then spray on a light coat of coat conditioner, coat gloss or mink oil to give his coat a beautiful sheen.

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Grooming tip - Wash with a regular dog shampoo

Wash with a regular dog shampoo. Ask your vet, breeder or pet store for any recommendations. During the bath, remove shedding hair with a rubber brush or natural bristle brush. Also take this time to remove any stray or long whiskers with grooming scissors.

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Grooming tip - Trim stray hairs

Trim stray hairs on his thighs, neck and back of his front legs with blending shears before bathing him.

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Grooming tip - Bathe your rottweiler once every two to three months

Bathe your rottweiler once every two to three months, unless he gets himself excessively dirty playing outdoors. This breed is one of the most odorless of all breeds, so baths are not a high priority.

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Grooming tip - Clean your dog's ears at least once a month

Clean your dog's ears at least once a month. Apply ear cleansing solution, found at any pet store, to a cotton pad and carefully clean the inside of his ears and the outer rim. Be careful not to insert the pad into any part of the ear canal you can't see.

Rottweiler - Dog Lover

Grooming tip - Clip your dog's nails once a month

Clip your dog's nails once a month. Using large nail clippers, cut just the tips of the nails. Be careful to avoid cutting the quick, the reddish inner part of the nail, because it's painful and results in bleeding.

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Grooming tip - Brush your rottweiler at least once a month

Brush your rottweiler at least once a month with a natural bristle brush. You should increase your frequency of brushing during their major shedding times which are fall and spring to avoid hair all over your house.

Rottweiler - Dog Lover

Grooming tip - Rottweiler is an easy breed to groom

Rottweilers coloring consists of a black coat with tan or rusty-brown markings on their chest, throat, lower legs, above the eyes and on the sides of the muzzle. With an undercoat only on their neck and thighs, rottweilers' outer coat is short, flat, coarse and dense. They are an easy breed to groom.

Rottweiler - Dog Lover