Let's Talk... About Rottweiler Care

Good Rottweiler care is important to making sure your friend lives a long and healthy life.

Preventing issues from ever happening in the first place is much cheaper and less heart breaking in the long run.

While taking care of a Rottie isn't necessarily difficult, they are a pretty unique breed and so there are some unique aspects to making sure they're well cared for.

The most important aspect of taking care of your Rottie, is what you decide to feed him!  But let's take a look at the basics first. . .

Rottweiler Care - Bathing:

Of course I can't speak for every Rottweiler, but all the ones I've known, including my own two don't mind taking a bath at all. In fact, Chevy actually looks forward to it.

I have found that most Rottweilers tend to have more sensitive skin than other dog breeds.

For this reason I would advise using an oatmeal based shampoo for sensitive skin. I've found that using a natural oatmeal based shampoo works best for Chevy.

I give Chevy a bath once every 2 to 3 months, and the only problem I've ever encountered is finding a place that he fits into :0)

Since he really doesn't fit in our bathtub very well, I bathe him in the yard with the garden hose during the summer months. I also recently found a local pet store with a dog washing facility for the winter months, and they don't even charge me!

I would love to compile a list of such places, so if you know of one, please contact me and let me know about it.

Rottweiler Care - Grooming:

When it comes to grooming, Rotties are pretty easy. First of all, my male Rottweiler Chevy absolutely loves to be brushed.

The picture to the right is the brush that we've used in the past, but my folks told me about an awesome brush called the FURminator, and it works fantastic when your dog is shedding quite a bit.

A lot of people think the FURminator is just for dogs with long hair, but that's not true, and I think it works great.  There's also brushes that are kind of a two-in-one brush, with a de-shedder on one side and a regular smoothing brush on the other.

That's the best of both worlds!!

For the most part Rottweilers aren't big shedders, compared to a lot of breeds, they DO shed. My female Rottie Savannah would shed the worst twice a year during spring and fall, but my boy Chevy seems to shed rear round.

Although, since switching him to a higher quality grain-free food, it's getting better and better.

Rottweiler Care - Ear Cleaning

Cleaning dogs ears is not any fun at all, but it is necessary! Rotties aren't really known for developing ear problems, but cleaning them about once a month is just good Rottweiler care.

Instead of buying harsh chemical cleaner from a vet or over-the-counter, you can mix up your own natural cleaner using an equal parts mixture of vinegar and water.

By cleaning your dogs ears once a month or so, you'll prevent a nasty build up of dirt and pollen which can make your dog miserable. It will also help prevent an environment for ear mites to flourish in.

Rottweiler Care - Nail Trimming:

Trimming a dogs toenails is no one's favorite subject -- especially your Rotties.

While dog nail trimming is a pain in the 'you know what' it's more important than you might think. Because of an infection that started in the toenail and got into the bone, my female Rottweiler Savannah ended up having one of her toes amputated.

. . . But did you know there are better options available than the old guillotine style dog nail trimmers? Don't let a lack of descent tools in the past keep you from taking good care of your Rotties toes.

Trust me. . . While dogs are very resilient, you want your baby to keep ALL of her toes.

Rottweiler Care - Food:

One of the most important parts of Rottweiler care is feeding a quality food. . .

Rotties are actually known for being gluttons, and I can attest to that personally :0) However, they can be a little finicky at times also.

The biggest thing I've noticed is that what I feed my Rottie makes a huge difference in his skin and coat, as well as the goobers that his eyes produce.

You also want to make sure that you're feeding a high quality, grain free food to keep him as healthy as possible. You can read more about Rottweiler food, what brands I recommend and why I recommend them.

Rottweiler Care - Approximate Growth Rate:

Remember that just like people, dogs are all individuals and mature at different rates.

Although, it is good to have a general idea of the typical Rottweiler Growth Chart so you can gauge approximately where your puppy should be at any given age.

It's very important to make sure that your puppy is eating high quality food, and growing at a healthy pace. If a puppy grows too quickly, or puts on excess weight it can cause problems with their bones and joints.

On the other hand, if they aren't getting the proper nutrients that their little bodies need to grow and develop properly, you will end up with the same issues. Poor nutrition in puppies can also cause problems with internal organs.

Rottweiler Care - Fleas, Ticks & Worms:

Part of having a dog in your life, means that you’re going to have to deal with internal and external parasites:

Or better known as. . .

• Fleas
• Ticks
• Worms

Good Rottweiler care means doing what you can to keep them away from your dog. How big of a problem you have with these nasty critters kind of depends on the climate where you live.


Fleas on Dogs

I live in the Pacific Northwest (Western Washington, USA) and we have a very mild and wet climate, which means flea populations don’t usually die off in the winter months.

Let's face it, fleas are some seriously nasty critters, and if you have a dog in your life then you're going to have to deal with them sooner or later.

Fleas on dogs are not just a disgusting nuisance, they can cause health problems as well. One of those problems is spreading tapeworms, and diseases from other animals. So, you must keep them at bay.

If you're concerned about using harsh chemicals on your Rottie and around your home, then click the link above ro read more about fleas, and learn about natural alternatives that actually work better.


Ticks on Dogs

I don’t actually know a lot about ticks, because we really don’t have them in the my area. What I do know is they can make your dog horribly sick, and need to be removed immediately. If you’re not comfortable removing a tick yourself, contact your vet.

I watched an episode of Animal Cops, on the Animal Planet channel once where a poor dog had somewhere around 40% of her body covered with them, and she almost died. Ticks not only suck all the nutrients and energy out of a dog, they also carry Lyme and other diseases.

Some things to consider if you live in a tick prone area:

• Ticks like tall grass, so try to keep your lawn short and brush cleared away
• Spreading hydrated lime on your lawn (must be done in the spring)
• Give your dog garlic (powder or pill form)
• Use an all natural spray such as "TF Defense" by Native Remedies
• Plant lavender around your property to repel mice, moles and deer which carry the ticks (if you live in the country)
• Talk to your vet about Lyme Disease vaccinations
• Consider purchasing a product called Ticked-Off, which helps you easily remove ticks from your dog

Canine Worms

The four primary types of worms are:

• Round worms
• Hook worms
• Tape worms
• Whip worms

The most common worm found in dogs is the round worm, but the most dangerous is the heart worm.

Thankfully round worms and the like are pretty easy to treat with a variety of over the counter medications, but just like the flea prevention products, they’re full of icky harsh chemicals that can have other effects on Rottweiler health.

So, I found FourGuard Herbal Parasite Formula works better, and it’s natural instead of being filled with chemicals. The best part of this product is that it prevents and treats heart worm as well.

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