The First Few Days and Nights
The first few days and nights with your new rottweiler may be trying. Your rottie may cry at night because he is in strange surroundings. Gone are his littermates and his mom, whom he depended on. Now, he must depend on you.
Imagine being alone in a strange place without anything familiar. At night, it is quiet and spooky. Unless your puppy is tired, he's had a chance to realize he's all alone in a strange place. No wonder he cries!
Ensuring a Good Night's Sleep
To give your rottweiler the security he needs at night, put his crate at your bedside. He'll be able to see you, and your presence will comfort him. If he cries, you'll be able to tap his crate and tell him to be quiet.
Even though your puppy is small, he still has a lot of energy and will want to play when he's not tired. Exercising your dog before putting him to bed (although not necessarily right before putting him to bed) will help him use some of his energy, and he'll settle down more easily.
A well-exercised rottweiler makes for a tired dog at the end of the day.
When you put your dog to sleep, make sure you take him outside first so that he has the chance to relieve himself. This will help him sleep more comfortably and possibly for a longer time. If he does wake up and begin to whimper, it could be a sign that he needs to go outside again. Limiting food and water an hour or so before your rottweiler goes to bed might reduce his need to go, but if it is hot or he is thirsty and has exercised, you should never withhold water. Your puppy will learn to control his bladder as he becomes housetrained, so midnight runs to your backyard will eventually decrease and stop all together.
The daytimes will be a bit trying, too, until your rottie learns the routine. Always let him outside to relieve himself after he wakes up, after he eats or drinks, and after he exercises. See Chapter 6 for more information on housetraining.
Rottweiler adults are far less likely to cry than puppies, but you should still have your rottweiler tired out and in a crate next to your bed. Your presence will certainly comfort him — after all, if he's been in a shelter, this is probably a lot less stressful and much more comforting.
The Alarm Clock and the Hot Water Bottle
Some pet experts suggest using a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel placed in the crate to simulate the heat of a rottie's littermates. Putting an old-fashion ticking clock on top of the crate (without the alarm set) is supposed to mimic the heartbeat of mom. It is arguable whether or not this works, but it is worth a try.
Ownership Responsibilities
You'll lose sleep the first several nights — this is why it is recommended to have some time off. There's nothing that shortens the pet owner's patience more than lack of sleep. If you're only running on a few hours a night, you'll be wondering what convinced you to get a pet. Sleep deprivation does strange things, so be sure to make some nap time for yourself over the next few days.
Above all, have patience. Exercise your rottie briskly until he's tired, let him relieve himself, and put him in his bed. Guaranteed, if he's tired, he'll fall right to sleep. And so will you.
Playtime is a great way for young rottweilers to get exercise and become oriented with the world around them.
