The Beginning of Their Meisterhunde Journey
0 to 4 weeks.
At Meisterhunde, our puppies are raised inside our home in a warm, clean and comfortable environment during their first few weeks of life. I believe these early weeks are extremely important, and this is not a time when puppies should simply be left in a kennel or outside away from the family. The first four weeks may seem like a quiet period, but there is a lot happening. Puppies are growing rapidly, becoming more aware of their surroundings and beginning to interact with their mother, littermates and people. During this time, their eyes open, their hearing develops and they gradually become more aware of the world around them. We also temperament test the pup, age appropriate. Our puppies are handled regularly from the day they are born. For me, raising a good Rottweiler puppy starts long before the puppy goes to its new family. It starts from the day that puppy is born.
Scully, ‘dad what am I going to do with all these babies, lol’ / While Inka takes a snooze
4 to 6 Weeks
The World Starts Getting Bigger. At around four weeks of age, the puppies start moving outside into a large, purpose-built puppy pen where they have plenty of room to explore, play and develop. This is where things really start to change. The puppy pen has toys, different things to climb over, obstacles to investigate and plenty of space to move around. We want the puppies to explore for themselves, learn to use their bodies and become confident in their surroundings. And there are noises a plenty! See more on Where our rotties live.
At this age, the puppies are also introduced to solid food, gradually moving from relying mainly on their mother to learning to eat for themselves. I don’t believe puppies should be wrapped in cotton wool. They need to be given the opportunity to explore, interact with the older dogs, experience new things and build confidence, but always in a safe and controlled environment. This is the beginning of their little personalities really starting to show.
6 to 8 Weeks
Their personalities start to shine. The puppies are becoming much more active and independent. They are exploring their surroundings, playing with their littermates and older dogs and really starting to show their individual personalities.
At 7 weeks the pups have their first car ride, to the vet we go for their vaccination, microchipping and health check. During this period, we again temperament test the pups for the last time. This is a very important time for us because we are watching each puppy closely. Some are more confident and outgoing, some are more laid-back, while others are naturally more adventurous and want to investigate everything. By this stage, they are well established on solid food and are continuing to develop their eating habits and independence. These last few weeks before they leave us are a very important part of their development. See our Litter’s due for 2026-2027
They are no longer tiny babies — they are becoming young Rottweilers with their own personalities, confidence and character beginning to shine through.
We live for our Rotties, not off them….
