Often, people who dream of a pet choose dogs because of their dedication and love for people. If you are a self-confident person with determined character and are ready to engage in pet training, you have probably thought about taking a Rottweiler puppy under your wing.
The Rottweiler has a strong skeleton, a powerful body, innate mental abilities, and a good memory. Willfulness and fearlessness, guardian instinct and loyalty to the owner – all these qualities, and not only, but this breed is also famous for.
Rottweilers are active, and they need to release the accumulated energy and emotions. The dog should always have enough space to be in good physical shape, facilitated by regular exercise and proper nutrition.
How to Choose Food
When taking your future pet to the house, consider all the issues of raising and keeping a puppy. Sooner or later, you will become an expert in most topics related to Rottweilers, and one of the primary questions you have to face is the selection of food.
Now, after the period of feeding with mother’s milk, you are responsible for the life of the puppy. You need to think and decide what to feed the Rottweiler puppy to give him what it needs for proper and complete growth and development.
One of the main topics of discussion that is open to this day is what kind of nutrition is more balanced and wholesome. Each contender for the role of the best, and in particular natural food, has both its differences and advantages with disadvantages.
For most owners, having a dog is not the only hobby and occupation. In addition to raising and caring for their pet, a person needs to attend work, communicate with friends, pay attention to the family. So the question arises: are you ready to devote some more time to the selection and cooking food?
Although this process does not take a lot of time, many do not want to engage in “dog cooking,” preferring alternatives. Ready-made food, which already provides a balanced diet, includes all the necessary vitamins and supplements.
And canned food manufacturers have been quite successful in developing variations and novelties to meet demand and customer selectivity. In the shops, you can see different types of both dry food and canned food. A veterinary surgeon Dr. Linda Simon at ThePets.net recommends approaching the issue responsibly, since nutrition, along with several other factors, is an essential part of a dog’s life. Also, she notes that if you choose raw food, designing this diet at home is not recommended, you need to use nutritionally balanced and pre-prepared options.
And to choose a good and high-quality product for your pet, you must adhere to the following rules:
- Don’t skimp when choosing canned food or dry food for Rottweiler puppies. Often, behind a low price there is an inferior quality product that cannot provide your dog with healthy nutrition and all the necessary nutrients;
- Buy specialized feed suitable for both the breed and weight of the animal. If you are not sure that you will make the right choice, ask a consultant for help;
- Before buying, read the recommendations and other information provided by the manufacturer on the packaging;
- The first time it is better to take a little product for trial. If the purchased food did not suit your pet’s taste, do not force. Better look for something else.
In general, rottweilers prefer dry food rather than canned food since the risk of poor quality or not fresh goods is much less and is stored much longer. And, very importantly, do not forget to give the dog the right amount of liquid so that there are no stomach problems.
Natural food
Those who prefer saving money to saving time choose regular food, so-called homemade. You can fantasize, but one should not forget that the growing animal organism needs certain nutrients, in the right proportions.
Meals should contain protein and carbohydrates, as well as fiber. The diet must include cereals (it is recommended to cook in vegetable or meat broth), eggs, meat products, fresh vegetables (<20%). The dog also needs to eat dairy and fermented milk products (cottage cheese). The diet should contain liquid dishes, and the food should be warm or of room temperature.
Do not forget about drinking. There should always be a bowl of freshwater near the place of the meal so that he could quench his thirst. Nutrition should be low-calorie since excess weight increases the likelihood of developing hereditary and pathological diseases. It contributes to the abnormal development of puppies: the animal gains weight, but its joints and bones do not have time to develop sufficiently and get stronger.
Considerable attention should be paid to vitamins and specialized supplements in the diet. It is better to consult a specialist who should help with the choice and advise you on what and when it is best to give to your pet.
How to Create a Diet for a Puppy
When choosing how to feed a Rottweiler puppy properly, do not forget about such an essential point as drawing up the baby’s diet. What to feed the baby directly depends on its age.
Babies are incredibly close to their mother for up to 4 weeks, eating her milk for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and only by a month, they begin to take an interest in the contents of a dog’s bowl. The breeder or future owner should encourage this interest and curiosity of the discoverers by slowly feeding the young. It is not recommended to give adult food before this period. As mentioned earlier, in the first month of his life, a Rottweiler puppy receives all the necessary elements and nutrients from his parents.
When a baby leaves maternal care, it is worth thinking about his nutrition, but do not worry and do not be afraid of difficulties, since feeding a month-old Rottweiler puppy is not difficult. At this time, cooked milk formulas are well suited for the dog, or you can purchase specialized complementary foods that are sold in pet stores. Continuing this kind of addition to food for another month, you will accustom the kids to the new food, and you can expand the diet from 8 weeks.
Start with rice porridge with pieces of raw beef (cook rice for at least 45 minutes so that it is well boiled, put the meat in hot porridge so that it undergoes heat treatment). You can also give milk, cottage cheese, and sour cream. Minced meat is also suitable, but it must first be poured with boiling water for a couple of minutes.
Continue to gradually introduce this variety of foods into your puppy’s diet until three months old. A little earlier than four months or precisely at this time (it all depends on your pet), they begin to dilute the monotony of everyday food with new cereals and fresh vegetables. In small steps, the owner brings the pet to his essential diet.
If at 1-2 months the babies ate 5-6 times a day, now the number of meals can be reduced to 3-4. Moreover, the first feeding is recommended before a walk and the last before bedtime. So, the dog is full at night and does not bother you.
Food Taboos
There are several products that the animal, for one reason or another, does not perceive. And, in order not to harm your four-legged friend, you need to know them. For example, unprocessed cow’s milk can lead to digestive problems, and legumes are difficult to digest and can cause bloating. Cabbage is generally not recommended at an early age – it can be introduced from half a year in a thermally processed form. Potatoes are not digestible in dogs and so on.
Adult Dog
Gradually, meals will need to be reduced to two times – this is the amount that is considered optimal for an adult Rottweiler. Having coped with the problem of how to feed a Rottweiler puppy three months old, you, as a kind of expert, will not have much difficulty in transferring the baby to the menu of an adult and full-fledged individual.
Expanding the range of dishes and products, it is necessary to remember that the dog should receive the essential vitamins, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in full. Like any dog, a Rottweiler should not be given fried, fatty dishes with a high content of spices or alcohol, a lot of flour. You cannot transfer the animal to monotonous food. The food should be simple, healthy, and balanced so that the dog is well-fed and cheerful.
