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9 Great Ways To Play With A Rottweiler Puppy

puppy and ball

Rottweiler puppies are like human babies in that they need almost constant attention.

Yes, they are more capable of taking care of themselves than infants are, but they need lots of entertainment and opportunities to burn off their energy.

Some great ways to play with your Rottweiler puppy include:

  1. Play tug-of-war.
  2. Play hide-and-seek.
  3. Play fetch.
  4. Go walking.
  5. Obedience training.
  6. Obstacle courses.
  7. Hide toys for your pup to find.
  8. Water games.
  9. Teach your Rottweiler new tricks and then practice them.

You are very likely to run out ideas game ideas before your Rottweiler puppy runs out of energy for those games. This is where the following article comes in.

Here are nine different and excellent ways to keep your pup entertained.

What Is The Importance Of Playing With A Rottweiler Puppy?

Games are not just a way to keep your new and energetic Rottweiler puppy entertained.

They provide an excellent way to meet your pup’s social, physical, mental, and emotional needs.

Social Benefits Of Playing With Your Rottweiler Puppy

When you play with your Rottweiler puppy, you are exposing them to a variety of different scenarios in which they will have to interact with people.

This means that they learn what is appropriate and what is not acceptable, and they learn this in a safe and enjoyable environment.

Physical Benefits Of Playing With Your Rottweiler Puppy

Rottweilers are big dogs, but this does not mean that they are lazy and lumbering giants. Their history is as working dogs, bred to spend man long hours driving cattle.

This means that they naturally have relatively high energy levels and exercise requirements.

Playing physical games is an excellent exercise option for your Rottweiler puppy, and it keeps them from expending their energy in more destructive ways.

Mental Benefits Of Playing With Your Rottweiler Puppy

Rottweilers cannot be described as beloved simpletons, like some other dog breeds. Mental stimulation is equally important to physical stimulation.

Many adverse behaviors can arise from boredom, including chewing, scratching, and barking. It can also lead to anxiety.

Metal stimulation also allows your Rottweiler to increase its mental capacity, making training easier.

Emotional Benefits Of Playing With Your Rottweiler Puppy

The American Kennel Club describes Rottweilers as loyal, loving, and a confident guardian. They use these adjectives for a reason.

People are very important to a Rottweiler, specifically, its own people.

For a Rottweiler to be truly happy, it needs to be involved in its owner’s life and receive their undivided attention on a daily basis.

This does not mean that you always have to play with your Rottweiler, but it does mean that each day you should set aside a couple of hours and dedicate that time to engaging your pup.

In doing so, you facilitate your Rottweiler’s optimal well-being, and you also create a very special bond between you and your dog.

Things You Should Not Do Or Allow While Playing With A Rottweiler Puppy

When you play with your Rottweiler puppy, you always have to remember that they are soon going to grow into absolute giants, covered in muscle.

This means that, from the beginning, you should never allow any wild chasing games or wrestling games.

Your Rottweiler should be allowed to play only with toys. Non-toy items, even if they are old and broken, are not acceptable.

If you give your Rottweiler your old slippers to play with, then do not be surprised when it comes through carrying your new slippers in its mouth.

Additionally, your puppy shouldn’t be allowed to play with your arms, legs, hands, feet, or clothing. Only toys are allowed in your Rottweiler’s mouth.

Your Rottweiler is not likely to bite you on purpose. But in the heat of the moment, if hands are not off-limits, then an accident is more likely to happen.

When your Rottweiler grows up, this can become a big problem because of how powerful its jaws are.

1. Play Tug-Of-War With Your Rottweiler Puppy

puppy tugging on leash

As mentioned in the previous section, your Rottweiler puppy must be allowed to put only toys in its mouth.

This means that for tug-of-war, you will need rope-like or strong rubber toys. No old blankets, shoes, socks, etc., should be used in the game.

Soft toys are likely to rip and tear, especially as your puppy becomes older and stronger. And I’m sure many dog parents can attest to the fact that once your pup knows about the stuffing in a soft toy, they cannot leave it alone.

Another issue you need to watch out for is how your Rottweiler imitates a game of tug-of-war.

If your Rottweiler brings you its rope, then that is acceptable. If your pup starts trying to tug at you or your clothing, then that should not be allowed.

Tug-of-war is a great game for your Rottweiler puppy. It is a low-impact game, so their developing joints are not over-stressed, and it also helps to strengthen their jaws.

It can also help by giving your puppy something “legal” to chew on when they are going through a teething stage.

Don’t forget to teach your pup the ‘drop it’ command.

Take a look at this rope tug from Mammoth. It’s inexpensive and durable enough to stand up to constant use.

2. Play Hide-And-Seek With Your Rottweiler Puppy

Hide-and-seek is a great game that allows the whole family to join in. One member of the family can stay with the Rottweiler while the others go and hide.

Then that person will go around the house or yard with the Rottweiler, helping the pup to find the hiding family members.

In the beginning, those who are hiding should try calling ‘come’ to their Rottweiler to teach them how to play the game.

Allowing the Rottweiler puppy to see which direction the hiders went in will also help your Rottweiler to learn the game.  

Then, when your Rottweiler finds a person, reward them with a small treat and lots of praise.

If you find that your Rottweiler puppy has a love or a knack for this game, you can take it further and train them in search and rescue. Start asking them to find someone based on a scent item, like a shirt.

3. Play Fetch With Your Rottweiler Puppy

Fetch is the quintessential dog game. It is an excellent option if you want your Rottweiler puppy to run around, but you do not want to run around with them.

Of course, young puppies who are just learning the game will need you to be a bit more mobile.

Fetch provides you with an ideal way to teach your Rottweiler puppy commands:

  • You can teach them to sit before you throw the ball
  • You can teach them to wait before releasing them to fetch the ball
  • You can teach them to return to you with a command like ‘come’ or ‘here’
  • You can teach them to drop the ball
  • You can even teach them to drop the ball in a specific spot
  • ‘Bring it closer’ is another command that you will be thankful you taught your Rottweiler

Remember that regular tennis balls can break up and even pose a choking hazard. We recommend a ball designed specifically to stand up to the stresses of playing fetch with your pup, like this one from ChuckIt!.

Just be careful that there are no hazards on the ground in the path where your Rottweiler will be running.

Dogs, and especially puppies, do not always look where they are running when playing fetch; they are too busy watching the ball or stick.

4. Play With Your Rottweiler Puppy By Going For Walks

puppy and leash

While walking is not a game in your mind, it can be for your Rottweiler puppy.

When you go out on a walk, your puppy is seeing, hearing, and smelling things that are different from the stimuli at home. It might even be the first time your pup experiences some of these things.

This provides mental stimulation, and it is also a way in which your Rottweiler puppy is socialized.

Socialization comes into it because when you go out on a walk, you are encountering other people, other animals, and other sensory stimuli, and your Rottweiler puppy is growing accustomed to these things.

There is also the collar and leash aspect because it is a mental exercise for your dog to learn how to walk on the leash.

Walking is also a great way to provide your Rottweiler puppy with exercise because it is gentle, and you can go for a long as your puppy can handle it and then stop.

You can take a variety of different routes to keep each walk interesting.

Lastly, you don’t need a fancy designer leash, as any simple one will do the job. However, we do not recommend using a retractable leash for your Rottweiler pup until he is fully trained.

Even then, they can slip and it’s important that you have complete control of your dog at all times. This leash from BAAPET will do the job just fine, but there are many others to choose from as well.

5. Play With Your Rottweiler Puppy Using Positive Reinforcement Obedience Training

As part of your Rottweiler puppy’s upbringing, you have a responsibility to provide them with obedience training.

It is best safety practice to have a dog that understands and obeys certain commands, like ‘stop’, ‘come’, ‘stay’, etc. When you have a puppy that is going to grow up into a one hundred pound Rottweiler, then this becomes crucial.

You can turn this obedience training into a game, rewarding them with treats (positive reinforcement).

As mentioned previously, you can also incorporate this learning into specific games like fetch and tug-of-war.

Your Rottweiler is going to love these training games because, as a breed, they are working dogs, so they are delighted when given tasks to do.

They are also eager to please (although they can be stubborn), so you make them very happy when you praise their success.  

6. Play With Your Rottweiler Puppy By Building Them An Obstacle Course

Building an obstacle course for your Rottweiler puppy can provide you both with hours of entertainment. You can even build it in the house on rainy or otherwise inclement days.

Obstacle courses can supply your Rottweiler pup with plenty of physical stimulation as they run around, climb ramps, crawl through tunnels, etc.

They also offer mental stimulation as your Rottweiler puppy figures out how to do all of these things.

Additionally, obstacle courses create excellent opportunities for you and your Rottweiler to bond and begin working together as a team.

Suppose you decide that you and your Rottweiler are rather good at navigating obstacle courses, or you just enjoy them immensely. In that case, you can look into competitive agility or rally training.

You can buy proper agility sets, such as this one from Outward Hound. We love that it is compact and perfect for setting up indoors.

It’s not only an enriching experience for your pup, but it also serves as a great bonding activity for the two of you.

7. Play With Your Rottweiler Puppy By Hiding Toys For It To Find

Hiding toys or treats for your Rottweiler puppy to find is a fantastic mental game.

It is also something that can be done inside at night to get the last few energy beans out or when it is raining outside, and your poor pup is going bonkers being cooped up.

So, this game can be as big or as small as you want to make it, but it is primarily a mental game.

You can hide a treat or your Rottweiler puppy’s favorite toy somewhere in a room and then tell them to find it.

You will need to help them get to the stage where they understand what you mean when you say ‘find’, and you will also have to show them what you are hiding first.

You can also make them a fun little snuffle mat by sewing multiple pockets onto a big piece of material. You will then hide a treat in one or two of the pockets, lay it out on the floor, and then let your Rottweiler puppy hunt out the treats.

If you do not have material or any sewing skills, then you can use an old pair of cargo pants or a fishing vest, anything with multiple pockets.

This game can also be as simple as hiding a piece of kibble in one of your hands and asking your pup to pick a hand.

8. Play Water Games With Your Rottweiler Puppy

Before discussing water games, you should note that not all Rottweilers are happy water dogs, so don’t compel your puppy to do something if they appear genuinely upset by it.

If they are just a little nervous because it is a new experience, then you can continue to introduce them to a water game, but go slowly.

You also need to make sure that you rinse all the chlorinated water from your Rottweiler puppy’s coat and skin if you take them swimming in the pool.

So, pool games are an obvious water game. You can teach your Rottweiler how to swim and then play tag or fetch in the pool. But make sure that you first teach your pup where the stairs are and how to get out.

Then there are sprinklers. You can water your lawn and play with your pup at the same time.

Or just a hosepipe set on a medium pressure spray can provide your Rottweiler with a good amount of play.

But if you are playing with the sprinkler or hose pipe, then make sure your Rottweiler knows that they can play with the water but chewing your gardening equipment is off-limits.

9. Play With Your Rottweiler By Teaching Them New Tricks And Practicing Them

Training does not only have to involve functional obedience commands. You can also teach your Rottweiler puppy tricks like playing dead, rolling over, begging, shaking hands, etc.

Your Rottweiler is very clever and so learning these things will be a breeze, especially if you use positive reinforcement training.

Just take a look at the video below to get a good idea of the types of tricks that you can expect your Rottweiler puppy to pick up.

Just remember, any training, and tricks especially, require practice and repetition for long term success.

Final Thoughts

You can play physical games with your Rottweiler puppy, such as tug-of-war and fetch. But you should never encourage your Rottweiler to play with non-toy items or to wrestle with you.

Walking is also a good option, and you can change routes to keep it interesting.

Mental games like hide-and-seek, hiding toys, and teaching them obedience and new tricks are also great options.

Water games will provide variety in the summer months, and obstacle courses offer the best of both physical and mental stimulation.

Playing with your Rottweiler puppy is about so much more than just entertaining them.

Playtimes teach them how to interact with people and share their toys.

It provides them with both mental and physical stimulation that are required for proper growth and maturation.

Play also allows you to spend quality time with your Rottweiler puppy, establishing strong bonds between you and meeting their emotional requirements.