Getting a new puppy is so much fun, and Rottweiler puppies are so adorable that you’ll be tempted to pick the first puppy you pick up from your breeder’s home. Resist that urge and take a measured approach to selecting your Rottweiler puppy. After all, owning a dog is a big commitment. Rottweilers live for more than ten years, so you’re making a ten-year commitment when you choose a new puppy.
When looking at Rottweiler puppies, you want to make sure you select the right dog for you. You want healthy Rottweiler puppies, and you want dogs that are easily socialized and responsive to training. You will want to purchase your Rottweiler puppy directly from a breeder rather than a pet store so that you can see the Rottweiler puppy parents on the spot and get an idea of how big the puppies will be when they are adults.
When you go to select your Rottweiler puppies, ask the breeder if the parents of the puppies are OFA certified. OFA is the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. The OFA exists to decrease the occurrence of orthopedic and other genetic diseases in animals, and particularly in purebred dogs. Unfortunately, it is impossible to certify Rottweiler puppies until they are at least two years old, but preliminary examinations can be done when puppies are just four months old. If both parents of Rottweiler puppies are certified, there is a good chance that a puppy will also become certified by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.
Diseases to check for in Rottweilers include elbow dysplasia. The Rottweiler ranks second on the list of the hundred breeds most prone to elbow dysplasia. Heart problems and hip dysplasia are also common problems, with the Rottweiler ranking 30th on the list of breeds most likely to have heart disease or hip dysplasia. And Rottweiler puppies are ranked 55th most likely to suffer a patellar luxation, so the risk is relatively low, but it’s also best to get tested for this condition, just to be sure.
Once you’ve taken steps to ensure Rottweiler puppies have healthy parents with likable personalities, look at each pup in the litter one by one to see what each dog’s temperament is like.
Rottweilers are bred to be basically the same generation after generation; that’s why people like purebred dogs, because they know what to expect from a purebred. If you have a strong preference for a male over a female, or vice versa, that will help narrow down your choice of Rottweiler puppies. One puppy in the litter may be more shy or aggressive than another, and it’s up to you to decide what kind of personality you want your dog to have. Visit the litter several times before settling on a particular pup. Remember, this is a big decision. Observe Rottweiler puppies playing with each other and look for an alert pup that socializes well with his brothers and sisters.
Regardless of which Rottweiler puppy you choose from the litter, insist on getting a health guarantee from the breeder and take the puppy to your vet for a wellness exam as soon as you can.
