 | ( Blue = More Links ) | GETTING
STARTED | Congratulations On Your New Rottweiler! Whether you're bringing home a new puppy or a wonderful adult dog, we hope the information here will help make getting started in your new relationship a delightful experience for all concerned. We want you to be a happy family for many years to come. Always remember, this breed responds to gentleness, consistency, patience and love. A heavy hand is never necessary. COMING HOME Slow and easy is the key here. The dog you've just adopted wants to please you more than anything else in the world but its only natural that he may be a bit unsure when he first arrives. The first couple of weeks you and your pet are "getting to know one another". He doesn't know why he has come to your home nor what is expected of him. Please be patient with him and anticipate problems before they occur. Gently and consistently, you'll want to show him the ropes. Don't expose him to too many new experiences at once. If you have children and/or other pets please encourage them to let the new dog get adjusted to his surroundings at his own pace. And hard as it is, resist the temptation to have friends and relative over to meet him right away. He needs to know he is really home and that you and he belong to each other. The first night is critical too. Whether puppy or adult he will derive comfort from sleeping near a family member. Allowing him to sleep next to you in your bedroom will greatly ease his transition. Please be patient in giving your new rottweiler time to adjust. It may take several days or even weeks before he fully adapts to his new home but that's a small price to pay for years of loyalty and devotion. FEEDING Puppies should be fed one of the new growth foods specifically formulated for large breeds. It is essential that your puppy NOT be fed excess amounts of food [to hasten his growth] or provided with calcium supplementation. Recent studies have proven that excess calcium [calcium levels greater than 2%] actually lead to skeletal diseases such as canine hip dysplasia and osteochondrosis. Adult dogs should be fed foods that avoid soy products, corn, or preservatives such as ethoxyquine. Please see our health pages for comprehensive information on feeding. IMMUNIZATIONS Rottweilers are slow to develop an immune response to parvo virus after vaccination and therefore special care should be taken to minimize exposure to other dogs or places where other dogs frequent until your rottweiler has received the entire series of vaccines and is fully protected. Ideally the initial vaccinations should begin at 8 weeks of age with a modified live vaccine. A three- to four- week interval between vaccinations until age 16 weeks is considered optimal. Vaccinating at more frequent intervals may hinder a good immunological result. At the age of one year all vaccines should be boostered. Recent veterinary literature is reevaluating the current practice of vaccinating dogs on an annual basis. Please read Over-vaccination so that you may make an informed decision on this topic. For the safety of your pet we recommend that heartworm preventative be given year-round. TRAINING Rottweilers, like us, thrive on a combination of reward, guidance and reassurance. That's why we're so excited about the new training philosophies which encourage the use of positive reinforcement and discourage the use of aversive {punishment} techniques. The use of rewards to produce desired behavior rather than relying on corrections for inappropriate behavior will ensure a well behaved dog while building a bond of trust that will last a lifetime. Please remember that your rottweiler, whether puppy or newly adopted adult, is learning things all the time. It is up to you to focus those learning experiences on the behaviors you want. We encourage early training with a responsible trainer. Under no circumstances should electronic training be permitted. The Association of Pet Dog Trainers has a directory which will help you locate a trainer in your area. Don't take good behavior for granted - always set the pet up to succeed:
Remember, dogs are not born knowing our expectations. It is up to us to show them what we want them to do and then reward that behavior and praise lavishly. You cannot be upset with an animal for doing something it has no idea is wrong. Take every opportunity you can to catch your dog doing something right and then reward that behavior. Discipline appropriately:
NEVER strike your rottweiler, the consequences can be disasterous. Handshyness, fearfulness, avoidance of humans, aggression and submissive urination may all result from physical punishment. One of the most important things that your rottweiler must learn is trust for you and also that the human hand is a friend. You're building the foundations of a new relationship with an animal with whom you've chosen to spend many years of your life. You want that relationship to be based upon love and mutual respect. To that end physical punishment or 'corrections' have no place in a successful relationship between you and your dog. A firm "no" is adequate to punish undesirable behavior. To be effective, punishment must be given during the behavior and should only be intense enough to stop the behavior without causing any anxiety. Timing is very important. Discipline that occurs too late (more than a few seconds after the behavior) will be ineffective and may lead to other problems. Don't rely on discipline to shape your pet's behavior but instead seek to reinforce desirable behavior. No discipline is effective without counterbalancing it with love, and praise while you reinforce what is acceptable within the home. It is essential to reward with food treats and praise at least as often as you discipline. All too often people reprimand their dog for inappropriate behavior and totally ignore reinforcing good behavior. You should actively look for desired behaviors so that you can praise your pet. Training How-To's:
Valerie Barrette's 'THE RIGHT STEPS' has all the right answers to your training questions. Here you will find the benefits of training with positive reinforcement and learn why punishment has no place in a successful training program. You'll discover that housebreaking can be as easy as teaching youngsters not to playbite. There's also a great section on basic skills such as coming when called, sit, down, stay and walking nicely on a leash. Gary Wilkes has a good article on why you should 'never say it twice.' PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS Rottweilers, unfortunately, attract a certain element of people for the wrong reasons. We hear many instances of chain link fences being cut, cars broken into, etc. in order for these dogs to be stolen. PLEASE PADLOCK YOUR GATES SECURELY AT ALL TIMES. NEVER LEAVE YOUR ROTTWEILER UNATTENDED IN A PUBLIC PLACE NO MATTER HOW SAFE YOU THINK IT MIGHT BE. ENJOY! We know you will treasure every moment with your Rottweiler, who will surely be your best friend for life.. "How to Give Canine CPR" ~ ~ ~ | | How to Give Canine CPR . By Lori S. Mohr (as referenced by First Aid For Dogs by Tim Hawcroft) CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) is the process of breathing life back into an unconscious human. A similar technique can also work effectively on dogs.
The signs that indicate the need for CPR include unconsciousness, lack of arousal, lack of physical movement, or eye blinking. These symptoms can occur from drowning, choking, electrical shock, or a number of other situations. The key to canine CPR is remembering the ABCs:
Airway,
Breathing, and
Cardiac compression. To perform the three techniques, follow these steps. Lay the dog on a flat surface on its right side and extend the head back to create an airway.
Open the jaws to check for obstructions, and if any exist and are not easily removed, do one of two things, depending on the size of the dog.
For small dogs, hold them upside down by their back end and shake vigorously to try removing the obstruction.
For large dogs, lay them on their side and, if necessary, use long-nosed pliers to remove the obstruction.
Cup your hands around the muzzle of the dog's mouth so that only the nostrils are clear. Blow air into the nostrils with five or six quick breaths, again, depending on the size of the dog.
Small dogs and puppies and require short and shallow breaths.
Larger dogs need longer and deeper breaths.
Continue the quick breaths at a rate of one breath every three seconds or 20 breaths per minute.
Check for a heartbeat by using your finger on the inside of the thigh, just above the knee. If you don't feel a pulse, put your hand over the dog's chest cavity where the elbow touches the middle of the chest.If you still don't find a pulse, have one person continue breathing into the nostrils (mouth to snout), while another gives cardiac massage.
Give the dog a cardiac massage by placing both hands palms down between the third and sixth rib on the chest cavity.
For large dogs, place your hands on top of each other.
For small dogs or puppies, place one hand or thumb on the chest.
Use the heel of your hand(s) to push down for 10 quick compressions and then check to see if consciousness has been restored. If consciousness has not been restored, continue the compressions in cycles of about 10 every six seconds for 10 cycles a minute.
After each cycle of compression, the other person should give the dog two breaths of air in the nostrils. If only one person is present, this procedure can still be done successfully. Once the dog has started breathing, contact a veterinarian immediately. Source: Best Friends Health Library | P.S. SUGGESTION : I learned this @ a Seminar ~ Linda S. *For a small OR large dog ~ it is easier / safer to cut the end off of Various size Plastic Soda or Water bottles, You can then cup it over the dogs mouth & blow threw the small opening ( cap end)................. | Directory of Dog Websites
& Tons of FREE Dog Stuff!
http://www.i-love-dogs.com
|
