Make Your Vet Visit First
Make sure your puppy has had all of his shots before socializing him with other dogs. All dogs should be checked at least once a year by their vet for any disease carrying illness that could be passed on to another dog.
The Dog Park
Taking your dog to a dog park is always fun for him but can also be quite dangerous. Their is a good chance your Rottie might not get along with other dogs if not socialized early. Be careful to observe other dog's behaviors also. You don't want your dog or puppy to have bad experiences with an aggressive dog early on. Rottweilers that are not socialized early can be dangerous to other dogs, especially if they had any bad experiences early in their life.
Taking your pup for a walk through a park or mall (if allowed) is a great way for him to experience other people and possibly other dogs. Tell people your socializing your puppy and ask them to give him a treat while meeting on the street. Carefully introduce him to small children and children in strollers. Be careful he doesn't bite, scratch or knock a small child over. Remember Rottweilers are generally a "prey drive" dog and will sometimes get excited at anything or anyone moving fast.
Early Experiences
Remember to always subject your pet slowly to new environments or situations. Here is a just a small list of things your puppy should experience:
- People in uniforms
- Wheelchairs
- Loud motorcycles
- Children on bicycles
- People scuffing their feet
- Police and emergency vehicle sirens
- Crowded events
- Fireworks
- Live bands & concerts
- Automatic gates and doors
- Revolving doors
- Walking up and down stairs
- Water fountains
- Lawn sprinklers
- Walking over street grates
- Basketball dribbling
- Pots & pans banging
Dropping large books on the floor, cracking a ball with a bat or anything else that you don't normally do will help introduce your puppy to normal behaviors. The first 16 weeks are the most important time for a puppies brain development. Don't waste that time!
Gradual Introductions
Take little steps when exposing your Rottie to some of these things listed above. For instance, launching fireworks 6 feet from his nose at 16 weeks will undoubtedly shake him up. A better method would be for him to first experience them from several hundred yards away, maybe through a window, gradually moving him outside as he becomes more curious and/or comfortable.
If you take him to a loud concert, park several blocks away so he can gradually experience the noise as you approach.
You will probably find that your Rott puppy loves other small dogs and puppies. A word of caution; small dogs like Chi Wawa's may launch towards him unexpectedly, giving him a bad first experience with other dogs. This could turn his good nature against these dogs later in life. You're not going to want to see one these small animals between his jaws when he's 2 years old!