A good idea is to give the breeder an old jumper or blanket to put in with the puppies a couple of days before you collect your pup. Put this in a plastic bag when you collect him and when he goes to bed, wrap the blanket or jumper round a warm hot water bottle with a ticking clock. This will reassure him with familiar smells, warmth and a simulation of his mother’s heart beat.

Your pup should have the essentials :

• Dog Bed;
• Toys;
• Bowls;
• Collar and Leash

Decide on where you want your pup to sleep. You can let him sleep with you for the first few nights. Place his bed next to yours and any distress can be calmed with a quick pat, don’t respond to ever murmur or he will be quick to realise how to manipulate you for attention!

After the first few nights, he should be settled and confident enough to sleep on his own and you can place his bed where you want him to sleep. It’s worthwhile to put polythene sheeting down on the floor for him with newspaper on top for any accidents, this makes clearing up so much easier.

It’s vitally important that your Rottweiler is NOT over exercised as a puppy - it can cause immense damage to his joints. The gristle in the joints has not hardened yet and will not until around 12 months of age. It’s wise to let your pup take things at his own pace but watch he doesn’t get overtired, if he is running around the house, confine him to the kitchen so he settles down.

He must not be allowed to go up stairs, either stop him via a baby gate or carry him. The same goes for cars or other obstacles, pick him up. Lead exercise can be started at around 6 months of age (other than training classes) but this should be confined to a ten minute stroll. As your dog gets older, you can slowly increase the distance and by 12 months old, you will probably be covering up to a mile.

He will also need to get used to his collar and lead – this must be done through positive association. When you first place him in his collar, fasten it loosely (though not too loose so he can trip over it!) and distract him with a treat. He will soon pick up that the collar is something pleasurable! As he gains confidence, you can then fit the collar properly.

Baby gates are an extremely useful addition. By using these (usually in the kitchen doorway) your puppy can see what it going on around him and it teaches him that separation is ok. It’s important that he doesn’t follow you everywhere as this can lead to separation related problems and a lot of damage!

A routine is very important to your pup and will help him settle in his new home. It’s vitally important that your pup has rest for 1 hour either side of a meal. Rottweilers are prone to a condition called bloat and the chances of this occurring are greatly reduced by this feeing regime.

A routine also help with house training. A daily routine should consist of play, food, rest and toilet!