There are many canine breeds as recognized by several canine associations. However, they all do not have the same figures.
This is because some of them rule out certain breeds as dogs while others add them. If you are interested in knowing the views of one of the most internationally recognized associations on this subject, you can visit: http://www.fci.be/en/
Well, the thing is that almost every one of these canine associations agrees that Rottweilers are dogs. This is because this unique breed has met various requirements used to determine if a creature is a dog or not.
Now that you know this, you should also know that raising Rottweilers comes with some highs and lows. You need to understand them before you decide to raise them. This will either help you stay away from this dog or equip you with relevant information to make informed decisions per time.
Well, this is exactly what this article intends to do. While we cannot discuss all there is to raising Rottweilers, we will touch on some of the most important things about these unique creatures. So, just keep reading as we walk you through some very important facts about them.
Rottweilers can be Shades of Many Colors
When people consider getting a dog, they usually make their choice based on certain behavioral or other tendencies of the canine. For instance, they might want to know if the dog is great with children.
Well, it is pretty hard to choose Rottweilers based on these yardsticks. This is because there are many sides to these creatures. The thing is that they take the shape of (especially) their early life experiences and training.
So, Rottweilers can be many things. They can be very aggressive or gentle, social or hostile, disobedient or obedient… So, you need to instill the virtues you want from an early stage with the right kind of training.
Used for Many Reasons
We have stressed the fact that this animal can exhibit different kinds of behavioral traits above. Against this backdrop, you should know that Rottweilers are used for many purposes. This is because of their ability to play many roles.
Some of the roles this animal plays in society include police and military dogs, herder’s dogs, emotional support dogs, family dogs, and a few other roles. So, people in search of a breed that can fill in many vacant roles should think seriously about them.
Legal Concerns
Rottweilers have been generally perceived as dangerous in many places. This is even though this breed can also be gentle.
The reason is that some people have heard or experienced situations when a Rottweiler exhibited this tendency. The truth is that it could be quite scary. For more on this subject, you can read this.
As a result of this, raising this dog breed is considered a violation of the law in some places. This is because they consider them as dangerous and not meant to live anyhow with people. So, you need to ensure no laws restrict you from owning and raising this animal.
Social Concerns
The truth is that you not only have the law to deal with when Rottweilers are involved. This is because there are places where raising this animal is not a legal violation but there are societal concerns.
As a result, the homeowners association can insist that residents are not allowed to raise such an animal. Owning this dog can even make it very difficult to get accommodation in some places.
This is because many landlords have preconceived and incomplete notions about this animal. So, you have to consider every one of these challenges before deciding to raise a Rottweiler.
If having this animal amounts to you violating the law, we suggest that you stay away from this animal. However, you could still deal with the situation if it is about societal concerns.
For instance, you could have yours in a cage when you have visitors or people who do not entertain the idea of having one around them.
Better to Raise them from Puppyhood
We have stressed how training is very important for this dog breed and we still cannot overemphasize this point. You must instill the right virtues in this dog from early on. We suggest that the training process kicks off as early as between 5 – 6 weeks.
The training should center on things like being obedient to your commands. The truth is this dog likes to play the alpha dog role. As a result, they need some assertiveness from the owner or trainer to obey instructions.
However, you should not resort to physical abuse or yelling to do this. For instance, treats can be used to drive out your point and other reasonable methods.
Also, social skills should be taught during the training. This is so that your dog does not cause a terrible scene when you have visitors around or in the park. Your canine companion should be able to relate to other dogs and animals without getting violent.
You should also train your dog to accommodate other animals. This is especially important for those that have cats and/or livestock around. Without the right training, your dog can treat them as nothing more than prey. The right training will help avoid this.
Proper Feeding Is Essential
Naturally, Rottweilers are very active or what you might want to call hyper dogs. You need to keep them active to make them happy. Well, this is all part of the subject of training. However, there is something else to be done to keep them in the right shape.
They need to be fed properly. You should ensure that whatever goes into their mouth is right for them. This is especially considering how many pet parents do not resist the urge to feed them something off their table. This can be very dangerous as you should feed them what they need as opposed to what they want.
You should also feed them the right amount. Rottweilers are vulnerable to obesity and health complications associated with this condition. So, you need a good Rottweiler diet plan to make sure your dog does not end up with this health complication.
Conclusion
Raising a Rottweiler comes with some highs and lows. You need to understand them to make the right decision. This is why we have discussed certain things associated with raising this creature and hope that you make informed decisions going forward.