Getting a new puppy is so much fun, and Rottweiler puppies are so adorable, you'll be tempted to choose the first puppy you pick up at your breeder's. Resist that impulse, and take a measured approach to selecting your Rottweiler puppy. After all, getting a dog is a big commitment. Rottweilers live to be more than ten years old, so you are making a ten-year commitment when you pick out a new puppy.



When you look at Rottweiler puppies, you want to make sure you select the right dog for you. You want healthy Rottweiler puppies, and you want dogs that will socialize easily and respond to training. You'll want to buy your Rottweiler puppy directly from a breeder instead of from a pet shop so you can see the Rottweiler puppies' parents on site to get an idea of how big the puppies will be when they are adults.

When you look at the Rottweiler puppies, ask the breeder whether the puppies' parents have OFA certifications. The OFA is the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. The OFA exists to reduce the incidence of orthopedic and other genetic diseases in animals, particularly in purebred dogs. 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 four months old. If both parents are certified, the chances are good that a puppy will also pass the certification.

Diseases to check for include: Elbow dysplasia, because the Rottweiler is ranked second on the list of one hundred breeds most likely to suffer from elbow dysplasia; cardiac problems and hip dysplasia, because the Rottweiler is ranked number thirty on the list of breeds most likely to have cardiac disease or hip dysplasia; Rottweiler puppies are ranked fifty-fifth most likely to have patellar luxation, so the risk is relatively low.

Once you have taken precautions to help ensure that the Rottweiler puppies have parents that are both healthy and Orthopedic Foundation for Animals certified and have pleasing temperaments, watch the litter one by one to see what each puppy is like.

Rottweilers are bred to have consistent characteristics one generation after another. One reason people like to get purebred dogs so much is because they know what to expect with a purebred dog. If you have a strong preference for a male over a female, or female over male, that will help make your choice of Rottweiler puppies even easier. One puppy in the litter may be more timid, shy, or aggressive than the others, and it's up to you to decide what kind of dog's personality suits you. Visit the litter a few times before you decide what puppy you want. Remember, this is a big decision. Watch the Rottweiler puppies playing with each other, and look for an alert puppy that gets along well with its brothers and sisters.

When you choose a Rottweiler puppy, be sure to get a health guarantee from the breeder. Take the Rottweiler puppy to a veterinarian for a wellness examination as soon as you can.