Rottweiler

Coat & Grooming: The Rottweiler coat is short and manageable. As with most dogs, trimming the nails regularly is a critical part of grooming. Don’t let them grow long and break, since infection can set into nails that are overgrown, split, and cracked. Rottweilers are pretty low maintenance overall. Just do what you do for yourself: brush the teeth, comb the hair, and check for ear wax!

Shedding: Rottweilers have a thick coat of short and coarse black hair. They do shed, but a healthy diet and regular grooming can make a big difference. Watch out for springtime and autumn, when they gain/lose their winter coat through shedding. Otherwise, the breed is a fairly typical shedder. Comb often and invest in a good vacuum!

Training: Rottweilers have been used as police and military dogs ever since the First World War. They are very intelligent and like to please. Some dogs will try to be the boss and will resist training at first; all it takes is consistency and a stern commitment to training from you, especially early in the animal’s life. With so many breeds to choose from, the police and military trainers choose Rottweilers for a reason. They are smart, capable, and take instructions well. Most of the modern training problems of the breed were actually benefits in the past: alarm barking, herding, and fierce loyalty to their pack.

Overall, the Rottweiler is a willing partner in your life, and he will work hard to learn and adapt to your environment. Early socialization and obedience training is key to be sure he has a good grounding in proper behavior around other dogs, children, and adults alike.

Barking: Excessive barking shouldn’t be a problem with proper training and socialization. Rottweilers really want to protect their devoted family, so it’s important to instruct the dog on proper behavior. The alarm bell barking was a useful trait in the breed’s past, so don’t hold it against them now. Just work with your Rottweiler to instruct them on the right time and place, and they’ll figure it out. After all, these animals want to be useful and practical to you – not a nuisance! Learning what your Rottweiler is trying to say will go a long way towards building a connection between human and dog.

Personality: When it comes to personality, the Rottweiler has it all: calm, confident, and a heart of gold. Despite the media portrayals as aggressive, the natural temperament of the breed is calm and alert. Rottweilers are very self-assured and don’t shy away from anything. They are devoted companions, and despite their size, love to cuddle and lean on your leg to be close to you

Temperament & Behavior: Despite what Hollywood would tell you, this breed is calm and happy when properly trained. Rotties are always on the lookout for danger and intrusions, but they make time to play and act goofy too. As a natural herder and drover, they want to please their owners with useful tasks and a strong work ethic. Aggressiveness and belligerence are not common to the breed (outside some irresponsible trainers), so you can expect an intelligent and attentive dog with a calm, confident disposition. They all have a strong desire to protect and nurture the family. Rottweilers might be reserved with strangers, but once you get to know them, they’re loving and friendly almost to a fault! They need interaction and suffer from loneliness if left alone for too long. This is not a breed to tie up or leave cooped up in a room alone all day.

Behavior with kids: Rottweilers are natural parents: possessive, protective, and a little goofy at times. They love their family and look to herd children away from danger.The only real issue with children is introducing strangers to your Rottweiler (kids or otherwise). Proper training and obedience go a long way, but you should never leave younger children unattended with any dog.They may try to intervene in rowdy play, preferring a serene and quiet environment.

Protection: The Ancient Romans prized their dogs for not only herding, but also protecting the cattle as guardians against poaching and predators. This natural tendency to look after the homestead can be enhanced with proper training, but almost any Rottweiler will always keep an ear and eye out for trouble lurking around the corner.

Life span: The average lifespan of a Rottweiler is 8 to 10 years.

Inherited health issues: As is true with many purebred dogs, Rotties have their share of health issues. Careful selection of your breeder is essential to bringing home a puppy that’s as healthy as possible. Many inherited conditions can be tested for and subsequently eliminated from a breeding pool, and it’s important to discuss this testing with your breeder. These conditions may include, but are limited to, the following: Aortic stenosis, Follicular parakeratosis, Symmetric lupoid onychodystrophy, Vitiligo, Cranial cruciate ligament rupture, Elbow dysplasia, Hip dysplasia, Cancer and Osteochondrosis Dissecans.

Preventive care: Start out your Rottie puppy’s life on the right foot, by developing a strong relationship with his veterinarian. Visit your veterinarian in the first week after bringing your puppy home, in order to get a complete assessment of his health, and to look for any early signs of potential health problems. Your veterinarian will make recommendations regarding vaccinations, deworming, and flea and tick prevention, and discuss when you should have sterilization surgery performed.

Because Rottweilers have a propensity towards obesity, weight management is a critical component of their health plan. Make sure to closely monitor your Rottie’s weight, both as he’s growing and once he’s an adult. Remember that post-sterilization surgery, the metabolism of many dogs slows down, and they need less food to maintain a healthy weight.

Hip dysplasia and other orthopedic problems are quite common in Rotties. Again, weight management can lessen the severity of some of those problems, and help prevent others – such as cranial cruciate ligament ruptures. Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids should be a routine part of any Rottie’s preventive care regimen, since it can lessen the pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis, a common follow-on problem of many orthopedic problems.

When your Rottie is a puppy, choose a high quality puppy food specifically formulated for large breeds. Many orthopedic problems are worsened when the rate of growth is too fast – hip dysplasia is an example – and foods formulated for large breeds encourages a more controlled rate of growth, so the risk of these problems decrease.

Once your Rottweiler reaches adulthood, it’s important to carefully monitor his food intake. Be judicious with treats, and select healthy, relatively lower calorie foods such as carrots, to use as snacks – and always monitor the quantity fed. Your veterinarian can help you to determine what your dog’s ideal weight is, and help you feed accordingly. Remember: it’s much easier to keep your Rottie trim, than to get your Rottie to lose weight!

Daily Consumption: Average daily consumption for an adult Rottweiler is 2.5-4 cups.

Energy Level: Frisky, energetic breed that is always ready for action

Exercise: Rottweilers are natural working dogs, so they don’t shy away from some heavy exercise. The American Kennel Club recommends two vigorous walks per day, and if you can hook up a wagon to the dog, that’s even better. They cut their teeth herding cattle and hauling goods to the markets in Germany, so don’t be shy when it comes to working out with your dog.

The breed is prone to overeating, so adequate exercise is important to keeping them trim and healthy. A fenced yard is a must, since they like to roam and can get into trouble. Don’t leave them alone for too long, since they are highly-social animals that like to be around people. Many Rottweilers will follow their people from room-to-room to be close at all times. They have so much love to give!

Climate: German breeders liked the Rottweiler for its hardy and sturdy construction. These dogs can adapt to almost any climate, since their thick undercoat will disappear in warmer climates or thicken up for a long winter, if necessary. A light winter coat might help in very cold climates, but generally, this breed can hack it in any weather.