The rottweiler is a large dog with well-developed muscles and a powerful jaw. Because of this, it is considered a potentially dangerous dog in many countries. Although the imposing morphological features do not define the temperament or condemn a Rottweiller (or any other breed) to be an aggressive dog, we must understand that training, socialization and physical activity are essential to offer our dog a he althy and balanced life.
If you decided to adopt a Rottweiler, whether it is a puppy or an adult animal, you should pay close attention to its routine to achieve what every owner wants: a he althy dog, with a temperate, social, obedient character, and happy. In this new AnimalWised article, we offer you some exercises for rottweiller dogs, as well as tips to offer optimal physical trainingto your best friend.
Can a rottweiler dog do any exercise?
The Rottweiler is among the dogs prone to hip dysplasia. For fear of hurting or harming the he alth of their best friends, many owners avoid certain sports activities with them. But is it true that Rottweilers can't get much exercise?
To answer this question, we must evoke a very useful consideration for our lives: excess is usually always detrimental to he althIn fact, the Rottweiler, as well as most dogs with a large size and robust muscles, tend to suffer more quickly from the wear and tear on their joints, which favors the development of degenerative musculoskeletal diseases, such as hip dysplasia, elbow or arthritis.
If we expose our rottweiler to excessive high-impact exercises, such as jumping, jogging or running for many hours at a time, we can really contribute to accelerate the natural wear of your joints. This does not mean that we cannot diversify your physical training, proposing complete, charitable and educational activities, such as Agility. But we should always propose them in a gradual and moderate to our partner.
In addition, we can resort to supplementing your diet with natural supplements to help strengthen your joints and improve your physical endurance. However, we must be clear about the need to consult our trusted veterinarian before making any changes to our dogs' diet or offering them any new substance.
Exercises for rottweiler puppies
The physical training of every dog, as well as cognitive stimulation, depends on its age, state of he alth and physical power. A puppy should engage in moderate, low-impact activities that allow for a "high dose" of fun. Remember that the game is a crucial playful element to educate our dog.
How much exercise should a puppy get? It depends… If we talk about a rottweiler puppy, we have a strong, energetic, and very intelligent little one. His first walks should be short, easy walks, between 20 and 30 minutes, 2 times a day. Excessive physical activity in puppies can harm their he alth: during their first months of life, your best friend will need to rest and sleep a few hours a day to grow up he althy.
Before starting to train and expose him to outdoor walks, it is essential to confirm that his vaccination and deworming schedule are up to date. It is also essential to consult your trusted veterinarian regarding the state of he alth of the animal to guarantee its physical fitness. If your puppy has not yet completed its basic vaccination cycle, you can use early stimulation exercises to promote the development of its physical, emotional, cognitive and social abilities from its first weeks of life.
Training and socialization are essential exercises for a rottweiler
Rottweiller socialization and training are the most important and complete exercises you can adopt to stimulate the body and mind of your new best friend. The education of a Rottweiler puppy should begin the moment it enters its new home, and we must respect the weaning age whenever we decide to adopt a furry one. In principle, we will need to establish the rules of conduct that we expect our dog to adopt throughout his life, such as not climbing on the bed or on the couch, respecting our moment to eat, urinate in the proper place, etc.
When our puppy has completed his vaccination schedule, we can start dedicating ourselves to socializing him. It is very important that our furry begin his socialization process during his before 3 months, since it is in this period that he develops his basic notions of coexistence. But if you decide to adopt an adult rottweiler, you should know that it is also possible to socialize an adult dog.
At all ages, we must reinforce the importance of positive reinforcement as a method of recognition and stimulation of learning. Physical punishments, violent attitudes and the use of accessories such as choke collars can not only hurt the animal, but are also counterproductive in its education. By subjecting a dog to contexts of high stress, to physical or emotional abuse, we can contribute to the manifestation of aggressive behavior, and severely harm its he alth.
4 exercises for adult rottweiler dogs
When your Rottweiller reaches adulthood and has learned the basic training commands, you can begin to diversify his physical training. To help you, here are 4 exercises for adult rottweiler dogs:
1. The daily walks
Daily walks are our best and most practical ally to keep our adult rottweiler in good physical condition, and avoid bad behaviors associated with stress, the accumulation of tension or boredom. At this age, your dog will already have well-developed muscles and will be able to experience more intense exercises.
The walks may last from 30 to 40 minutes in duration, between 2 and 3 times a day, and the walks may be interspersed with jogs and runs You can also use your imagination to increase your everyday walk, including climbing stairs, walking up and down streets, and pulling objects. But always remembering that moderation is essential for optimal physical training of a powerful dog.
two. Playing ball!: an infallible classic
Playing ball with your dog is a classic that never stops being efficient or fun. In addition, it is one of the best activities for children and dogs, since it allows them to expend energy, strengthen the body, and reinforce some essential commands for their education.
Before starting to play, we must be clear that we can only throw the ball after the dog obeys the command of sit to our side and wait Then, our furry must look for and bring the ball, to return it in our hands, and earn your well-deserved recognition for the task accomplished.
We can diversify this activity by replacing the ball with a canine toy or accessory that is appropriate for our dog's age. And if you want to try a more sporty activity, you can introduce the discus (or Frisbee) to your Rottweiler and teach him to play disc dog.
It is very important not to overstimulate the dog when performing this activity, to avoid the appearance of symptoms associated with stress. And we should prefer resistant balls and suitable for dogs.
3. Agility
The Agilityis one of the most complete sports you can offer your Rottweiler, as it allows you to exercise the body and mind together. the. Although it is mostly practiced by lighter and more agile dogs, such as the border collie, it is excellent physical training for any adult and he althy dog.
Agility circuits basically propose a course with various obstacles, such as tunnels, walkways, jump fences, slalom, and wheels, which the dog must master to complete the activity successfully. To get started in agility, you will need to teach your dog to progressively master the obstacles one by one, and reward him for each good behavior to stimulate him to continue learning and prevent him from getting frustrated with something that should be entertaining him.
4. Tug-of-war games
Another great myth about potentially dangerous dogs with powerful jaws, like the Rottweiler or the American Pit Bull Terrier, is that games of tug and tug can encourage aggressive behavior, such as biting people and other dogs. Nothing is further from reality!
Inhibiting the bite and teaching him to drop objects is essential for these dogs. The risk appears when these activities are not carried out correctly, with due care, or when the animal was not previously properly trained. Therefore, the practice of these exercises must always be very well oriented
When playing tug of war with your rottweiler you can give in and let him win sometimes, but it is essential that we also win, so as not to encourage the dog to become possessive of his toys and other resources. If you notice your dog growling or assuming a hostile posture, you should immediately end the game and put the knot away. The deprivation of the object and the game will be a message for the dog to understand that his behavior was not appropriate, but we must retrain the "leave" command before playing with knots or teethers again.
Exercises for elderly rottweiler dogs
When a rottweiler reaches his 7th birthday, he enters the canine " senior." Naturally, he experiences a reduction in his metabolic activity, and progressive loss of muscle mass. We must be vigilant not only for feeding him, but also for the care of an elderly dog and his physical activity.
A senior animal should not be exposed to high-impact activities, which is why we should reduce the intensity of the exercises for elderly Rottweilers. You can go back to the softer, shorter walks we used to do when he was just a puppy. But we recommend that your dog experience other low-impact activities as well, such as swimming and dog yoga
Rottweiler Dog Swimming
Swimming is one of the low-impact sports that provide significant he alth benefits for an elderly Rottweiler, such as strengthening joints, improving mobility and flexibility, preventing muscle loss, and fight overweight.
Although the Rottweiler is usually a dog that likes water activities, you can see our tips on what to do if your dog is afraid of water. And remember that we should never leave our dogs alone in the sea or in the pool, or force them to carry out an activity that is not to their liking.
Yoga: resistance and relaxation for your rottweiler
Yoga for dogs (or "Doga") is a complete, low-impact activity that, in addition to improving elasticity and increasing physical resistance, provides well-being and relaxation. You can practice the basic postures with your dog without leaving your home, and take the opportunity to give yourself a good moment of tranquility.
If your rottweiller is having difficulty concentrating on his "doga" routine, you can try relaxation exercises for dogs, or petting to help him calm down. Regardless of the exercise you choose to practice with your Rottweiler dog, you must remember that regular visits, every 6 months, to your trusted veterinarian are essential to guarantee his good he alth.
