Raising Confident Puppies
By Margaret Metcalfe
We firmly believe that this begins with the Sire and Dam
of your litter. Selecting Suitable temperaments is a 'MUST"
and over the years we have seen many breeders make mistakes
in this selection process, simply because they fail to recognize
the temperament traits of their own dogs.
Choosing the stud dog is a hard decision as the dog is often
only seen in a show environment and the dogs true character
is not seen. Make an effort to meet the dog in his home environment
and/or watch his progeny.
Being honest about your bitch or dog's temperament and selecting
a breeding partner that is suitable is vital. Consider the
imprinting the Dam will have on her puppies early in their
development. If you have a Dam that is nervous or aggressive
towards unknown people, consider your reasons for breeding
and then if you decide to go ahead regardless, I would suggest
the less imprinting the dam has on the pups the better. Our
experiences raising puppies have always been within a busy
household.
Many claim their puppies are raised in a family but
when there are only two adults and they work full time.
This means that the puppies will often be left alone
with their Dam and without additional stimulation or
experiences. Some puppies are raised in outside sheds
away from the experiences of the household environment. |
|
[Top of Page]
|
We recommend raising your puppies in a busy part
of the house. When visitors arrive the puppies are handled
and household noises are an every day experience. Different
surfaces in the Whelping box are also stimulating. Wool,
Plastic, paper. and eventually grass as the pups are
old enough to explore.
Traveling is also important at an early age, short
trips to the local shop or school help the puppy develop
motion tolerance and balance. We bath our puppies from
2 weeks old in a baby shampoo in different depths and
temperatures of water. They are also alternately towel
or blow dried. |
At 4 - 5 weeks old the puppies have tunnels to explore, again
experiencing different surfaces, sand, plastic, metal canvas,
paper and straw. The traveling is increased, sometimes on
their own, other times as a litter. A visit to another home
at 5-6 weeks to play is a great confidence builder. Our puppies
often travel to school and get passed around a room full of
children. Meeting another breed of dog is also a new experience
that requires confidence. Carefully supervise this meeting
and make sure the new dog is sociable.
After the six week vaccination, our puppies go out
for an afternoon to visit their soon to be new home.
The puppy is fed and introduced to the family and any
other pets. We find that we have very few adjustment
problems when the puppies have had this opportunity.
|
|
At 7 weeks the Temperament Testing is carried out and this
confirms the breeders thoughts about each puppy, its personality
and drives. An experienced tester is vital and a new environment
gives the best result.
[Top of Page]
What Should You Look for When Buying a Rottweiler Puppy?
How did you find the breeder?
Word of mouth, Newspaper, Breed club or a for sale sign?
Consider the amount of time the breeder dedicates to the
breed and their own dogs. How many litters has the breeder
produced? Is the breeder happy for you to meet the Dam and
Sire? Avoid a pushy sale.
Hereditary Disease prevention:
Are the parents hip/elbow and eye and mouth certified? Make
sure you view this paper work. Are the puppies guaranteed
against hereditary faults?
Sire and Dam:
Do they look like pure bred Rottweilers? Do they have white
markings? Are you allowed to interact with the Dam and her
puppies or is the Dam put away? Where are the puppies raised?
Look for the quality puppies:
|
The Rottweiler can suffer from hereditary faults and
some of these faults are noticeable at a young age.
Puppies with white markings are Pet quality and should be
sold as such as this is a serious breed fault. This disqualifies
the puppy from breeding and showing as does a puppy with an
over shot bite/ undershot bite. Often this is visible at a
very young age. Puppies with these serious breed faults make
wonderful pets and suffer no complications. |
If you wish to buy a Puppy for breeding and showing I would
recommend that you not purchase a puppy with white on it's
chest as this puppy will carry the gene and is likely pass
it on to future generations. A small amount of white can disappear
or be clipped out, but the potential to carry it on is strong
and eventually changing the look of this beautiful breed.
How does the Breeder screen the puppy buyers?
Is the breeder wanting to know your expectations or plans
for the puppy? Have they asked you about training/ housing
and fencing? Have they asked about time away from home, other
pets and diet, your address and contact numbers? Has the breeder
given you any breed information or a questionnaire
|
Picture of a 6 week old puppy with white markings on
its chest. The amount varies, but considered by most
countries as a serious breed fault, along with overshot
or undershot bites or missing teeth. These puppies however, make
wonderful pets. |
Please call or visit the Rottweiler
Club of Victoria for more information.
[Top of Page]
|
