A Rottie's coat is short and it's a thick double coat that is low maintenance when it comes to keeping it in tidy and in good condition. A weekly brush and rub with a chamois leather is all it takes to keep on top of things. Like other breeds, the Rottweiler sheds more during the spring time and then again in the autumn when more frequent brushing would be necessary to get rid of any dead hair and to prevent dogs from leaving it all over the house.
It's also important to check a Rottie's ears on a regular basis and to gently clean them when necessary. If there is a build of wax in a dog's ears it provides the perfect environment for an infection to take hold and these are known to be hard to clear up. In short, prevention is much easier than cure.
Rotties are intelligent, high energy dogs and as such they need to be given lots of daily exercise and heaps of mental stimulation for them to be truly happy, well-rounded characters. They also need lots of space to move around being such large dogs. A minimum of 2 hours’ exercise a day is essential with as much time in a secure back garden as possible.
A well trained Rottie can be let off the lead in a safe environment whether it's in a park or in the countryside because they never tend to stray too far away from their owners thanks to their total devotion to them. Most Rotties also love swimming so care has to be taken when walking near rivers, ponds or other watery environments, just in case a dog decides to jump in.
With this said, young Rottie puppies should not be given too much exercise because their joints and bones are still growing and too much pressure on them could result in causing a dog a few problems later on in their lives.
If you get a Rottie puppy from a breeder, they would give you a feeding schedule and it's important to stick to the same routine, feeding the same puppy food to avoid any tummy upsets. You can change a puppy's diet, but this needs to be done very gradually always making sure they don't develop any digestive upsets and if they do, it's best to put them back on their original diet and to discuss things with the vet before attempting to change it again.
Older dogs are not known to be fussy or finicky eaters, but this does not mean you can feed them a lower quality diet. It's best to feed a mature Rottweiler twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening, making sure it's good quality food that meets all their nutritional requirements. It's also important that dogs be given the right amount of exercise so they burn off any excess calories or they might gain too much weight which can lead to all sorts of health issues. Obesity can shorten a dog's life by several years so it's important to keep an eye on their waistline from the word go.
Because Rotties are prone to suffer from bloat, it is really important that they be fed twice a day instead of giving them just one larger meal a day. It's also a good idea to invest in a stand to place their feed bowl which makes it easier for these large dogs to eat comfortably without having to stretch their necks down low to reach their food. You should never feed a dog just before or just after they have eaten either because this puts them more a risk of suffering from bloat.
