Hunter and Karma have their first litter!!

by kam
(canada)

Hello,

My 2 Rottweilers had their first liter yesterday, and I was wondering what kind of advice do you have for me to insure that the pups and their mother and in best condition, other than vaccination for the pups.

I have separated the male and female from each other now. and when should i dock their tails. This is the first time i have puppies born at my house, as i usually adopt at around 8 weeks old. Now i know breeding dogs is not for everyone and not any dog should breed. However my Male rottweiler hunter (on the left)adopted at 7 weeks old is from a registered breeder with both parents as north american champions, and my female Karma (on the right) I adopted at 3 month old is also from a registered breeder.

My point is, both my dogs are healthy and with amazing bloodline and hopefully so will their pups. And these two rottweilers are my 4th and 5th dogs that i raised since i was a teen.

Hi Kam,
Breeding is definitely not for everyone, and it’s not something I would recommend most dog owners do. Of course there is a place for well-bred, properly raised puppies of any breed even if they’re not show-standard pups, but it’s a gray-area and a lot of strong feelings on both sides. Not something I want to go into at length!

As for your questions about the puppies. Pups tails should be docked within the first 2 to 3 days, but there’s no need to dock them. CKC standard allows for ‘natural’ tails and in much of Europe tail-docking is now illegal.

Keeping the momma dog well fed, well rested and healthy will give the puppies they’re best start possible. Protecting them from disease is VERY important, especially with the way Parvo affects Rottweilers. Vaccinations will need to be given on time and consistently.

Start weaning the pups onto a premium puppy food at around 3 to 4 weeks of age as their momma begins to discourage them from nursing at this age. Socialize them with other people and other situations once they reach 6 weeks old but you will need to be creative and careful in order to protect them from disease/danger while still allowing them to become familiar with a wider range of people and places.

Do NOT let these pups go to new homes until they are at least 8 weeks old and please be very, very careful when choosing their new owners.

Evaluate everyone fully and make sure that they understand the breed and want a Rottweiler for the right reasons. There are too many people who have the wrong idea about our dogs and who want to own one for all the wrong reasons. Rottweilers should live indoors with a family, and need lots of love, attention, time, training and socialization.

I wish you luck with it all ~ Sue

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About The Rotty lover 2159 Articles
My name is Dr. Winnie. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Duke University, a Masters of Science in Biology from St Georges University, and graduated from the University of Pretoria Veterinary School in South Africa. I have been an animal lover and owners all my life having owned a Rottweiler named Duke, a Pekingese named Athena and now a Bull Mastiff named George, also known as big G! I'm also an amateur equestrian and love working with horses. I'm a full-time Veterinarian in South Africa specializing in internal medicine for large breed dogs. I enjoy spending time with my husband, 2 kids and Big G in my free time. Author and Contribturor at SeniorTailWaggers, A Love of Rottweilers, DogsCatsPets and TheDogsBone