Getting a new puppy is so much fun, and Rottweiler puppies are so adorable, you'll be tempted to choose the first puppy you pick up at your breeder's. Resist that impulse, and take a measured approach to selecting your Rottweiler puppy. After all, getting a dog is a big commitment. Rottweilers live to be more than ten years old, so you are making a ten-year commitment when you pick out a new puppy.

When you look at Rottweiler puppies, you want to make sure you select the right dog for you. You want healthy Rottweiler puppies, and you want dogs that will socialize easily and respond to training. You'll want to buy your Rottweiler puppy directly from a breeder instead of from a pet shop so you can see the Rottweiler puppies' parents on site to get an idea of how big the puppies will be when they are adults.

When you go to select your Rottweiler puppies, ask the breeder whether the puppies' parents are certified by the OFA. The OFA is the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. The OFA exists to diminish the occurrence of orthopedic and other genetic diseases in animals, and particularly in purebred dogs. Unfortunately, it is impossible to certify Rottweiler puppies until they are at least two years old, but preliminary examinations can be done when the puppies are just four months old. If both of the Rottweiler puppies' parents are certified, then chances are good that a puppy will also attain the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals certification.

Diseases to check for in Rottweilers include elbow dysplasia. The Rottweiler is ranked second on the list of one hundred breeds most likely to suffer from elbow dysplasia. Cardiac problems and hip dysplasia are also common problems, as the Rottweiler is ranked number thirty on the list of breeds most likely to have cardiac disease or hip dysplasia. And Rottweiler puppies are ranked fifty-fifth most likely to have patellar luxation, so the risk is relatively low, but it is best to test for this disease also, just to be safe.

Once you have taken steps to ensure that the Rottweiler puppies have parents that are healthy and have pleasant personalities, watch each puppy in the litter one by one to see what each dog's temperament is like.

Rottweilers are bred to be basically the same one generation after another - that's why people like purebred dogs, because they know what to expect with a purebred. If you have a strong preference for a male over a female, or vice versa, that will help narrow your choice of Rottweiler puppies. One puppy in the litter may be more timid or more aggressive than another, and it's up to you to decide what kind of personality you want your dog to have. Visit the litter on several occasions before you decide on one particular puppy. Remember, this is a big decision. Watch the Rottweiler puppies playing with each other, and look for an alert puppy that socializes well with its brothers and sisters.

Whichever Rottweiler puppy you choose from the litter, insist on getting a health guarantee from the breeder and take the puppy to your veterinarian for a wellness examination as soon as you can.