Watch Out For These Mistakes When Choosing A Rottweiler Puppy

Getting a dog is an important decision and not one that you should take lightly. Rottweiler puppies will live to be more than ten years old. During the next ten years you may experience a lot of life changes, and your Rottweiler will be with you during all of them. Don't choose a Rottweiler puppy in haste. Take your time and make sure you and the dog are a good match before you decide on a Rottweiler puppy.

You want to choose your dog from Rottweiler puppies that are healthy and well socialized. You should see both of the Rottweiler puppies' parents so you can see how big they are, ensure yourself that they are healthy, and see for yourself that they are socialized dogs with good temperaments. The ideal setting for choosing your Rottweiler puppies is at their breeder's kennel. A pet store simply can't give you the same opportunities to see the puppies and the sire and dam.
Everybody wants healthy Rottweiler puppies. Genetic diseases to check for in Rottweilers include elbow dysplasia. The Rottweiler is ranked second on the list of one hundred breeds that may suffer from elbow dysplasia. Cardiac problems and hip dysplasia are also common ailments. The Rottweiler is ranked number thirty on the rankings of breeds most likely to have cardiac disease or hip dysplasia. Unfortunately, Rottweiler puppies are ranked fifty-fifth most likely to have patellar luxation, so the risk is relatively low, but test for this disease too, just to be safe.

When you choose your Rottweiler puppies, ask the breeder whether the sire and dam are certified by the OFA, the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. The OFA acts to reduce the occurrence of orthopedic and other genetic diseases in animals, especially in purebred dogs.

Unfortunately, Rottweiler puppies cannot be Orthopedic Foundation for Animals certified until they are at least two years old, but preliminary examinations can be done when the puppies are just four months old. Furthermore, if both of the Rottweiler puppies' parents are certified, then chances are good that a puppy will also attain the OFA certification, so look for breeders who have Orthopedic Foundation for Animals certified dogs.
Once you have assured yourself that the Rottweiler puppies have parents that are healthy and of good temperament, watch each dog in the litter individually to see what each dog's personality is like. Rottweiler puppies are bred to be pretty much the same one generation after another – that's why people like purebred dogs, so they know what to expect – but one puppy may be more timid or aggressive than another, and it's up to you to decide what kind of personality you want your dog to have. If you have a strong preference for a male over a female, or vice versa, that will help narrow your choice of Rottweiler puppies. Visit the litter several times before you decide on one particular dog. Watch the Rottweiler puppies interacting with each other. Look for an alert puppy that socializes well with its brothers and sisters.

Whichever Rottweiler puppy you choose, make your purchase conditional on the puppy's passing a health examination and take the puppy to your veterinarian as soon as you can after you take possession of it.

Look for Rottweiler puppies whose parents are OFA certified against disease. It's easy to find out how to choose the right Rottweiler puppy when you know what to look for.