Rottweiler - Contributed by InAllHonesty
Rottweiler
 About the Rottweiler When you hear rottweiler, you mainly think of a large, black dog with lots of sharp teeth. But actually, with the proper training, a rottie can be as cuddly as a teddy bear. Rottweilers are not all teeth and size. Their body is massive and powerful, and very athletic and muscular. Rottweilers can get be around 24-27 inches in height for males, and about 22-25 inches for females. Males can be approximately 95-130 pounds and females get to be about 85-115 pounds. Chunky Chips Natural by Pet Ag makes a great healthy snack for your Rottweiler. They have a broad head and their forehead is rounded. The muzzle is very well-developed and it has a scissor bite. A rottweiler’s eyes are very dark, but they have an impression of goodwill and loyalty. Their ears are shaped like triangles, and are carried forward. The nose of their ears is black and very wide. The lips on a rottweiler are black, and inside the mouth, dark-colored. For each dog, the tail is customarily docked. Most are born with rear dewclaws, but usually are removed when the tale is docked. The coat is short, thick and a little hard. It is black, but rottweilers have brown markings on the cheeks, muzzle, and the paws and legs. There is also a red color that can exist with the brown markings. This happens when there is a deficiency in the hair gene, causing the color to turn a lighter red. Some believe there are two types of rottweilers; German and American. There is a difference, but some say it depends on breeding. Others believe where they are born is what they are. But there really is only one form of the rottweiler; the rottweiler. Now they may seem fierce, and in fact, it depends on the current environment at the time. Rottweilers are devoted to their family and owner. They will defend fiercely. Rottweilers are very strong, and seem almost immune to pain. That doesn’t mean that if you have one, you should hurt it. But when they are in a position to defend themselves or someone, they care about, pain will make no difference. Usually you will find Rottweilers snacking on Eukanuba Dog Biscuits Large Breed Adult (32 oz) or some other large breed dog bone Rottweilers are also trainable. Once a rottweiler has been properly trained, they are great with children and will accept cats and other animals as long as they had good experiences with them at a younger state. 
So with firm and very careful training, your dog will be very loving and sweet. But they can also be loyal and very rewarding. They do need an owner who can handle their size. Because of their size, it would be best to start training at a very young state and great care should be taken to ensure that the dog will not be turned vicious. They can, however, be aggressive with other dogs, and should be kept on a leash when in public areas. Strangers and unknown people can get no closer than the side walk. But friends and relatives of the owner’s family are generally welcomed enthusiastically. Be sure to spend time with your dog, and make them feel welcome as they only live about 10-12 years. Just like humans, these dogs can have health issues. For example, this breed of dog is susceptible to ACL damage. They are also prone to hip dysplasia and entropion (narrowing of the slit between the eyelids). Rottweilers also tend to snore a lot and overheat easily. So it is best to keep their exercise at minimum during extreme heat conditions. But don’t worry, when they are indoors, they tend to be very inactive. Speaking of indoors, how should their living conditions be set? Well, if you live in an apartment, they will do just fine as long as they are sufficiently exercised. But if you live in a home with a yard, don’t worry because a small yard is all you need. Just make sure they can run around and get plenty of exercise. Exercise is very important to a rottweiler’s health. They need tons of exercise, although they can’t have too much; they thrive on it. Hip problems are very common in Rottweilers and I suggest you try Hip & Joint Wafers for Dogs to prevent joint discomfort. They should be given exercise daily and for most, a short walk or jog is just fine. If your getting a jog in everyday, why not take your rottie with you. You can take them to a forest or open field. They will have no desire to run away from you, so no reason to worry. Rottweilers also love running beside bicycles or swimming. Though I would suggest that if you have a pool with a liner, don’t let them swim in it. A concrete pool is best, but make sure they can get out easily. Don’t forget, dogs love to play fetch. Throwing a ball or Frisbee is a great way to get them to run around. Many ask where the rottweiler originated. They probably descended form the Italian Mastiff. They were used as herd dogs in the Middle Ages, and were bred in a town in Germany called Rottweil of Wurttemberg. In the 1800’s they were practically extinct, and began to comeback in the twentieth century due to the enthusiastic efforts of the breeders in Stuttgart. Rottweilers had many talents such as tracking, herding, watch dogging, guarding, police work, carting, competitive obedience, and schutzhund. You have probably learned many things throughout this piece. During my research, I learned so many new things. It probably makes you think twice about stereotyping. Just because something is big and looks vicious, doesn’t mean they are. All it take is training to turn a big, fierce rottweiler in to a soft, cuddly teddy bear. 

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