Rottweiler 101

[Nihoxdria]

I love my HEX! He's adoreable I was beginning to think about enrolling him in community services as well so he can get breaks away from the property and interact with more people!

[Fusu]

Originally Posted by Nihoxdria

I love my HEX! He's adoreable I was beginning to think about enrolling him in community services as well so he can get breaks away from the property and interact with more people!

Seems like a great (and lulzy) idea to me. ^_^

[Ai]

Socialising rottweilers while they are still young with as many people, dogs and settings as possible is always a good idea.

[Nihoxdria]

What do you use on Steve's pads if anything? I've been using Olive oil on Hex's and he seems to love it. It keeps them in good condition but he also tracks oily footprints over the hardwood....If you have a different suggestion I'd love to know. Also, what do you feed your puppy? We've been sticking to Purina one for hard food and beniful for the occasional soft food.

[Ai]

lol Stevie doesn't get pampered as much as Hex by the sound of it XD. I rarely do much with his pads but they are hard as iron because of it and rarely crack or split. If they do crack or split (normally as the result of a cut) i'll use sudocrem on them to help prevent infection. (I do the same with any wound he gets after first cleaning it with antibacterial wipes) *Touch wood* steve has had no major feet problems and all that he has had have been due to walking over sharp objects - when he's sniffing around he doesn't pay enough attention lol. When chad had a bad split in one of his pads I used a proper dog boot when he was outside and a lot of sudocrem to keep it clean.

The food I feed him is James Wellbeloved I decided to try it after he had digestion and gas problems on other food and havn't looked back since. A full bag lasts a month and while it's more expensive than most foods because he is thriving on it I think it's well worth it. I like the fact it's 100% natural with none of the artificial crap a lot of foods contain. The specific type he has is Turkey and Rice Kibble. It's a dry food (so helps keep his teeth and gums healthy too!) He loves it too - can't wait to get his nose in the bowl XD I occasionally had problems with other food when I had to coax him to eat

[Nihoxdria]

^^; I don't think Kayhex likes turkey, beef, or wheat....Dogs aren't supposed to be picky about meat right?

[Ai]

I thought the same thing when I first smelled this new food, to me it didn't smell that great however steve cannot wait to get his teeth into it! The last food I was giving him he would quite often turn his nose up at and leave for a few hours before eating - especially if he was tired.

Rottweilers are rarely picky about their food mind - if they are hungry, they eat lol.

One note though, if you do change his food be sure to do it gradually over the course of at least a week, preferably two or more to give his digestive system a chance to adapt. Suddenly changing a dogs diet (especially a rottweiler as they have the shortest digestive tract compared to their body size of any breed of dog) can cause major discomfort for the dog in the form of diarrhoea or constipation. A lot does depend on the dog themselves mind. Chad has a cast iron gut - I think he had problems perhaps once a year. Steve on the other hand is more delicate although that may be due to the massive infestation of worms he had when I first got him that took over six months to fully cure damaging his intestines a little. (Poor puppy )