Along with the mental well being of your Rottweiler, you are also responsible for your dog's physical well being. It is your responsibility to your Rottweiler and to NERR&R to keep your dog in the best physical condition you can. This includes regular veterinary care, grooming, and feeding your dog the best food you can.

Feeding
The Raw Edge - Proponents of BARF (bones and raw foods or biologically appropriate raw foods) say it's the best diet for your dog. There are several maxims to keep in mind in addition to the old proverb KISS (keep it simple stupid)

• The dog's digestive system is short. Therefore, if you want your dog to access the nutrients of a particular plant food, break it down--process it or blend it.

• Variety is good because it ensures a wide and varied range of nutrients, just as if the dog were feeding in the wild.

• Fresh animal protein and fat is still the centerpiece of the dog's diet.

• Fresh is superior to frozen which is superior to canned which is superior to powder (e.g., garlic).

• Fresh water, good nutrition, exercise, herbs to promote healing from the inside out, and patience are valuable.

Garlic

• aids digestion,

• is a potent immune system stimulant,

• is a potent anti-microbial (parasites),

• contains an amino acid derivative, allium. When garlic is consumed, an allinase enzyme that converts allium to allicin is released. Allicin has an antibiotic effect; its antibacterial action is equivalent to one percent that of penicillin.

• is also an anti-fungal agent effective against candidiasis, vaginal yeast infections, and most pathogenic fungi,

• is good for the heart and colon,

• is effective in the treatment of arthritis and circulation problems.

You might make a teaspoon of garlic-roughly a clove--a regular component of your dog's daily diet. While fresh food-processed garlic is best, minced from a jar works well, too. Some people add yogurt to their dog's diets to counterbalance the garlic's anti-microbial effects on the digestive system's good bacteria.

Kibble
Many commercially prepared dog foods are not acceptable foodstuffs for Rottweilers-or any dog, for that matter. Often pet foods are made from waste and byproducts from the human food industry. Because the pet food industry is under regulated and uses by products of human food, pet food often contains contaminants having little or no nutritional value and may be harmful to your dog.

Read the ingredient listing on the bag. A good kibble contains as its first ingredient a named meat, such as "lamb" or "chicken." "Meat by-products" or "poultry by-products" aren't equivalents. You want the named meat to be listed as "meal" (as in "lamb meal") because meal has no water. Since ingredients are listed in order of their abundance, you don't want to feed a food in which water is the most abundant ingredient, post processing.

The next ingredient of importance is the carbohydrate source. Corn, wheat, and rice are the major ones. Rice is preferable because it is easily digested and rarely allergenic. Corn is very difficult for dogs to digest because of their short digestive systems. Many dogs suffer from wheat allergies. Good kibble will not contain chemical preservative such a BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin; vitamin E or C, both natural preservatives, will be listed instead.

You can perform a simple test to determine the quality of the ingredients in the food you feed: Soak a cup of the food in two cups of water and cover the bowl. Check the food after six hours. If it has swollen more than half its dry size, it contains too much fiber and bulk (indigestible matter of no nutritional value) and may cause your dog to bloat.

Any hair and foreign bodies you find are by-products of processing; these too provide no nutritional value and can be harmful. You pay for these ingredients--they are part of the food you'll be feeding your dog, yet they offer no nutritional value to your Rottweiler. Foods high in bulk with little nutritional value deprive dogs of amino acids and minerals. Your dog will have to consume more food to make up for this deprivation. Purchase quality kibble if you're not feeding a natural diet. Doing so is less expensive in the long run because you feed less and your dog will likely have fewer health problems. And since you can feed less of a quality kibble, less going in means less coming out, too. Every year Whole Dog Journal lists what it considers the top 10 dog kibble brands.

General Health Care
While a recommended health care reading list is provided at the back of this manual, we offer basics in this section.

Regular veterinary check ups are mandatory under our contract. Immunizations and de-worming schedules will depend on your geographical location and veterinarian's recommendation. Home health care should involve daily grooming and inspection for external parasites such as ticks and fleas, as well as cuts, abrasions, and lumps. Weekly ear cleaning, nail trimming, and dental inspection are also mandatory.