Rottweiler

The Rottweiler is consistently ranked among the top 10 most popular dog breeds by the American Kennel Club and is considered the 9th most intelligent dog breed according to Stanley Coren’s rankings, and one of the most loyal breeds. Descended from the ancient Roman drover dog and related to the Italian Mastiff, the Rottweiler is thought to be one of the oldest dog breeds. It was developed in Rottweil, Germany, where a Roman army had settled in the 2nd century. It was used to herd cattle, for bear hunting, or for pulling small carts.

Through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the Rottweiler was employed by butchers to carry their money in a neck pouch when they went to market. Today, the working dog makes an excellent police, service, or guard dog, or family pet.

3 Pros and Cons of Owning Rottweilers

Rottweiler Size and Weight

The Rottweiler is a medium-large to large-sized short-haired dog with an average height of 25.5 inches for males and 23.5 inches for females. Males weigh about 121 lbs fully grown, while females weigh about 96 lbs fully grown. Rottweiler puppies weigh on average 13.5 lbs at 8 weeks of age and are considered adults between 24 to 36 months.

Rottweiler Common Health Issues

Purebred Rottweilers have some common health issues. The most common are eye issues such as Progressive Retinal Atrophy and Cataracts. A heart disease called aortic stenosis can result in abnormal heart rhythms and may lead to heart failure. Joint and bone issues such as hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and osteochondritis dissecans are also unique to the breed. Finally, cancer complications were the cause of death of 43% in a group of Rottweilers in one recent study. The breed is prone to liver, spleen, and bone cancer, along with lymphoma.

Rottweiler Temperament

The Rottweiler is famous for having a loyal, affectionate, sensitive, and protective personality. Due to its calm and quiet temperament, it is a popular choice for families, including those with children. It is no more dangerous than any other dog breed, but its behavior can become rebellious if it is not trained or socialized properly.

This does not mean they cannot be trained, though. They are very intelligent and take to obedience training quickly. Traits of loyalty, adaptability, and eagerness to work with the instinct to hunt and herd are common to both males and females. However, a 2008 study found that confidence, sharpness, defense, and play drives were higher in males than in females.

How To Take Care of Rottweilers

Rottweilers are not recommended for new or inexperienced dog owners. Regardless, they have unique needs, especially if they are puppies. Whether it’s teething, training, or health issues, Rottweilers have breed-specific issues that must be considered.

The Best Dog Food for Rottweilers

Rottweilers need nutritious food that gives them the energy they need without resulting in excess weight. As a result, they need a high-protein, meat-based diet. Since this breed can suffer from the heart disease aortic stenosis, owners should educate themselves about legume-free dog food, and discuss the health dangers of legumes with their vet.

Rottweiler puppy food: Rottweiler puppies need a lot of protein to develop muscles and build strength, as well as fulfill the high energy needs of their puppyhood. Their diet should contain 24 to 28% protein and 14 to 18% fat.

Rottweiler adult dog food: Like puppy food considerations, pet owners should feed their adult Rottweiler food that is high in protein and low in fat. It should contain 22 to 26% protein and 12 to 16% fat.

Rottweiler Maintenance And Grooming

The German breed has a short-medium length, coarse, dense, and flat outer coat and an undercoat. The undercoat thickens as much as necessary according to the surrounding climate, and it also seasonally gets thicker during winter and thinner during summer. As a result, it changes its coat during spring and fall and so undergoes more shedding than usual and needs grooming more often. Some dogs living in hot climates do not have undercoats.

Fortunately, the breed is very easy to take care of. It only needs a monthly bath and grooming every 4 to 8 weeks, with a weekly coat brushing and more frequent brushing during the spring and fall.

Rottweiler Training

Due to its large size, the Rottweiler needs obedience training as early as possible — it’s a lot of dog to handle. You should start training your Rottweiler as early as 6 weeks but no later than 6 months of age. A strong handler can establish dominance as the pack leader and be patient enough to provide socialization and positive reinforcement for proper behavior around strangers and other dogs.

Rottweiler Exercise

The Rottweiler needs daily exercise, but it isn’t overly demanding. A short walk and a longer walk are fine. Indoors, it enjoys chewing toys and games or other mental stimulation.

Rottweiler Puppies

Rottweiler puppies are much like puppies of any other dog breed, and hence are energetic and playful. They go through teething between 6 weeks to 6 months of age, and during this time, they will chew on anything, so they need to get used to chew toys early on. Neediness may be apparent early on in puppyhood, along with separation anxiety.

Rottweilers And Children

Rottweilers are patient and gentle around children, and the longer they are around them, the more protective they become. Due to the rowdiness of young children, they should be supervised around a Rottweiler and taught to treat the dog gently.

Types

While you may see a headline that declares there are three types of Rottweiler — German, American, and Roman — upon closer examination, you will discover that there really aren’t three distinct types. An American Rottweiler is simply one that is born in the United States, where breeding regulations are looser than in Germany, so the dog might have a mix of other breeds and be only predominantly German.

The Roman Rottweiler, also known as the Gladiator or Colossal Rottweiler, is the product of breeders who mix German Rottweilers with larger dogs to make a bigger “Rottweiler.” This type is not recognized by the AKC or other kennel clubs responsible for maintaining breed standards. In other words, there is really only one type of Rottweiler, and that is German. The others are pretenders.

Dogs Similar to Rottweilers

Other dog breeds similar to the Rottweiler are the Labrador, Boxer, and Bullmastiff.

• Labrador: Shares similarities in training but has different socialization needs. It’s also a more popular breed.
• Boxer: A German breed like the Rottweiler, it is a little shorter, lives longer, and is easier to train.
• Bullmastiff: Similar to the Rottweiler but from England, it is less expensive to own, not as playful, and not as intelligent.

Famous Rottweilers

A number of rotties have made it to television. The large dogs with their lovable and companionable demeanor and silly antics have endeared many fans. Movies like The Omen, Lethal Weapon 3, Entourage, Man’s Best Friend, and Half-Baked are just a few examples where their physical stature made them a favorite for silver screen roles.