Rottweiler

The fierce-faced dog breed Rottweiler is considered to be one of the noblest of its pedigree.

The affectionate residential dogs are known for their protective behavior to safeguard its family.

Rottweilers are excellent watchdogs originating from Germany as Roman Empire load carriers.

If love and loyalty are what you’re looking for, the Rottweiler is the breed for you.

Quick Facts

Avg. Weight: 95-135 pounds (male) and 80-100 pounds (female)

Avg. Height: 24-27 inches (male) and 22-25 inches (female)

Life Expectancy: 8-10 years

Dog Group: Working Dog

Colors: Black And Mahogany

Other Names: Butchers’ Dogs, Rotties, Rotts

Dog Rank: 8/193 (United States of America)

At a Glance

• Size (3/5)

This dog breed is a medium to large size dogs generally appearing as heavy and muscular.

It weighs up to 135 pounds and grows to the extent of 27 inches at shoulder level.

Rottweilers are known for their large sign which makes them look scary and wild.

• Affection Level (5/5)

Experts have term Rottweilers as ‘family dogs’.

The dog is happiest with its family and loves being cuddled through its dense black-tan fur.

On training them specifically from its initial age makes this dog breed a lovely companion to have at home.

• Apartment-Friendly (2/5)

Rottweilers aren’t keen on staying in apartments.

Reasons being their large bodies and the need for physical activities.

Open bungalows with a large backward can bring out the best in them. 

• Cold Weather Tolerability (5/5)

Their temperament can turn hot, but their bodily requirement is always cool.

Rottweilers are made for the winters and particularly enjoy bathing in the open.

• Hot Weather Tolerability (3/5)

Hot weather can make Rottweiler temperament furious and destructive.

The thick-skinned muscular body at times makes it difficult for them to adjust to the prevailing weather conditions.

• Barking Tendencies (5/5)

Yes, owning an adult Rottweiler comes with a lot of tolerance to get used to the dog’s barking noise.

The noise is loud enough to disturb the entire neighborhood.

• Cat-Friendly (5/5)

Well trained and socialized Rottweiler puppies usually get along well cats.

However, their unpredictable behavior can turn this dog breed into the unfriendly destructive animal.

• Dog-Friendly (5/5)

Rottweilers would not prefer making friends with strange dogs.

But if they grow up with any, they would enjoy each other’s company.

• Exercise Needs (5/5)

Rottweiler dogs love swimming, long walks, trotting, etc.

Their athletic and muscular body has shown great results in herding and tracking.

Rotts are prone to obesity.

Exercising with a balanced high-value diet is important to maintain its large body requirements.

• Grooming Needs (2/5)

This confident guardian is a low maintenance dog with respect to its grooming needs.

Rottweiler colors require weekly brushing and regular bathing is to keep their lustrous beautiful coat in place. 

• Playfulness (5/5)

All dogs are said to be playful.

But the Rottweiler can turn into a stubborn and moody dog and refuse to move.

However, it is the responsibility of the dog owner to keep his/her dog healthy and playful.

• Trainability (2/5)

There is no record of Rottweilers having quick learning ability.

But training is an essential part of a well-groomed dog.

The right guidance can make the dog breed a good trainee.

• Intelligence (3/5)

Rottweilers have impressed everyone by being popular police and military dogs.

Their intelligence level is fairly good in proportion to their strong body.

The search and rescue mission at Oklahoma City and the World Trade Center has had a great role of this breed.

• Mouthiness (4/5)

Early habits of chewing and licking can make a Rottweiler pup a mouthy dog.

They would probably lick the faces of its family members as a friendly gesture.

• Price Group (4/5)

Rottweiler puppies for sale in the United States belong to an expensive price group.

Sources have mentioned that a basic Rottweiler price is around 1,025 dollars is what one needs to have them ranging till 2,500 to 8,000 dollars for well-bred ones.

About Rottweilers

Puppy:

Rottweiler puppies are an incredible addition to a family that decides to own one.

This behavior is subtle and jolly.

Little Rottweiler pups do not any heavier than about 1-2 pounds.

They would love sleeping most of their hours around and the remaining, moving around the house.

This is the right age where the canine owner must teach and train basic habits to its Rottweiler dog.

Adult:

Adult Rottweilers are the smart, mighty and courageous robust working dog is popularly known as the protectors of the family.

Most of those who have not closely observed a Rottweiler would assume its temperament to be that of a dangerous and aggressive dog.

This is not completely true.

Their strong body is a sign of courage rather danger.

The title ‘recipe of disaster’ should strongly be discouraged and this remarkable dog breed should be welcome by all.

Where Rottweilers Came From?

Early Roman Rottweilers herded livestock and are said to be the original inhabitants of Germany.

An early stage of their life saw driving cattle to the market which later shifted its physical strength towards pulling carts for butchers.

However, the modern-day Rottweilers saw opportunities as police dogs, personal protectors and all-round blue-collar dogs capable of performing various heavy-duty tasks.

It is recognized to be one of the oldest herding dogs.

Descend of this dog breed is from the Molossus, the mastiff-type dog.

The unique name “Rottweiler” comes from the town named Rottweil which is known to be their birthplace.

Size

The Rotts are medium to large-sized dogs.

They weigh about 135 pounds and grow as tall as 27 inches in height.

The size of a male Rottweiler is larger than that of a female Rottweiler.

The large size of this dog can hamper its image in the general public.

Trainability

Trainers can have a hard time to bring a Rottweiler dog under its control.

They can be stubborn mighty dogs.

One way to training the Rottweiler without much difficulty would be training him/her with tasty treats.

Those made to train well can be a great asset to the military and police departments.

Grooming

Unlike other furry dogs, Rotties do not shed much.

They have lustrous and straight medium-length outer coat and a bit finer undercoat that is mostly around the neck and thighs.

Dense coat is their protector from winters that can turn bitter.

Brushing weekly and bathing regularly is all they require for grooming.

Additionally, their mouth cavities, nails, and ears should be taken care of.

Common Diseases

This dog breed’s large size comes with many diseases that can cause a serious threat to it.

Most of them are related to the bones.

The following are a list of diseases that a Rottweiler is likely to have in accordance with the organ it targets.

TARGETING THE BONES

• Osteosarcoma:

Osteosarcoma is the scientific name of the bone tumor.

5% to 14% of Rottweiler dogs are prone to this disease.

Generally, larger dogs are the ones diagnosed with this type of cancer.

Just like in humans, the dog breed also requires chemotherapy to get cured. 

• Hip Dysplasia:

Hip dysplasia is a common hip bone disease in dogs that make the thigh bone unable to fit right in the hip joint.

• Elbow Dysplasia:

Elbow dysplasia is a disease that causes a heredity malformation of the elbow joint.

The veterinarian needs to see the severity of the malformation before any treatment suggestion.

• Panosteitis (Pano):

Panosteitis is a bone disease painful to the legs of large-sized dogs.

Excessive pain can cause the dog to limp and the only way to get rid of it is lots of rest and care.

TARGETING THE HORMONES

• Hypothyroidism:

Hypothyroidism in Rottweilers is caused by a deficiency of thyroid hormone.

The severity of this disease can cause infertility, mental dullness, and obesity in the dog.

TARGETING THE BLOOD VESSELS

• Von Willebrand Disease:

Von Willebrand is a very common disease in large dogs which is a result of inheritance.

This genetic disease will force the body to produce lesser proteins that are specifically required for blood clotting.

Unable to heal blood vessels with platelets, the dog’s body shall bleed excessively whenever injured.

TARGETING THE HEART

• Aortic Stenosis / Sub-Aortic Stenosis:

Large-sized breeds like the Rottweiler is likely to have a cardiac disease known as Aortic / sub-aortic stenosis.

This produces blockage of the blood flow leading to the heart of the animal.

As a result, the heart has to pump more aggressively causing pressure internally.

If left untreated, it can cause sudden death of the dog.

TARGETING THE EYES

• Entropion:

Entropion is a genetic disease.

It leads to the folding of the eyelid internally which gives a lot of uncomforting irritation to the dog.

Scratching over the same would lead to corneal ulcers.

TARGETING THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

• Gastric dilation volvulus / Bloat / Torsion:

GDV is also known as bloat or torsion is a gastric problem in dogs.

This is a result of overfeeding or the rapid speed at which the dog consumes its meal.

The blood pressure can potentially drop and the dog can have a shock. 

• Canine Parvovirus Infection:

Canine parvovirus is a viral illness.

One of the two forms can cause diarrhea and vomiting.

The other can affect the heart by putting excessive pressure on it.  

6 weeks to 6 months old puppies are more like to get attacked by the infection.

• Obesity:

Over-fed and under-exercised Rottweiler dog can gain excessive weight leading to obesity.

Excessive body weight can further exert pressure on the legs making a Rottweiler dog lazy.

Feeding

Feeding a Rott must have a high value of proteins and lover value of fats.

Higher the meat protein over grain protein, higher the digestive ease to the dog.

The daily supplements should include 5-10 cups of dry food depending upon the size of the Rottweiler dog.

The following are a number of food items that should and should not be included in the dog breed’s diet.

TO INCLUDE

Meat protein	Yogurt
Turkey meat	Beef
Bananas	Lamb
Chicken protein	Strawberries
Kiwis	Rice
Eggs	Blueberries

NOT TO INCLUDE

Produced meals	Grapes and raisins
Wheat	Alcohol
Avocado	Chocolates
Corn	Onion and garlic
Sugar	Caffeine
Salt	Bread dough

Suggested: Senior Dog Food

Vaccination and Care

Early age vaccinations can prevent a number of diseases in a Rottweiler puppy.

VACCINATION

The following is a list of vaccinations mandatory for a healthy Rottweiler.

Note: DHLPP stands for distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parainfluenza, and parvovirus respectively.

The following is a list of vaccines that can be given in combination.

Canine distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, leptospirosis, bordetella and Lyme disease.

1. 6-7 weeks: combination vaccine excluding leptospirosis
2. 9-10 weeks: DHLPP. Bordatella if required
3. 12-13 weeks: DHLPP
4. 12-16 weeks: Lyme if required
5. 14-16 weeks: rabies vaccination

Suggested: Beginner’s Guide To Dog Vaccination

Monthly Expense Estimation

Average monthly expenditure on a Rottweiler can range from 180-220 dollars depending upon its size and requirements.

Further is the bifurcation on expenses.

• Initial Cost:

The initial cost for a well-bred Rottweiler pup can range up from 1,000 to 8,000 US dollars.

• Veterinarian:

Apart from any major surgery or treatment, regular veterinarian checkups can cost you about 30-40 dollars.

• Feeding:

Rottweilers have a heavy appetite in correspondence to their size.

A monthly estimate of 50-60 dollars needs to be kept aside for its food expenses.

• Snacks:

Here you must take into consideration the treats your dog would love to enjoy against training and heavy physical exercises.

This would drain you of nothing more than 10 dollars per month.

• Training:

It’s important to hire a strict and sharp trainer for your dog who can turn to be a stubborn dog.

Hence, training charges are estimated to be around 100 dollars per month. 

• Grooming:

You don’t need to worry about spending on your Rottweiler dog’s grooming expenses as they stand out to be a very low maintenance dog.

It will not cost you anything more than 5-8 dollars to groom your dog monthly.

Behaviour With

Rottweilers are good in families but do not make friends with people immediately.

Their unfriendliness in the general public has banned them in many countries.

One of them being Ecuador.

• Children:

This huge breed is kind and gentle with children.

But their herding nature can push toddlers with is dangerous.

However, no breed should ever be left alone with young children.

• Dogs:

The aggression of his dog is clearly visible when encountered with other dogs of the same sex.

The breed tends to howl and bark making hostile noises.

• Cats:

Just like dogs, cats too are disliked by this dog.

On the other hand, cats are extremely scared of this dog breed looking at their fearful features.

Overview

• Rottweiler is the confident and courageous dog you want to own if you’re a loving and adventurous individual.

• The Roman Rottweilers are nothing but noble prestigious dogs that have had the privilege to serve in the military.

• These dark skin colored dogs hail from the European country Germany and have shown its muscularity worldwide.

• Snoring and peacefully sleeping is what they love doing at nights.

• The Rottweiler dog is rather calm, against what most of them think of it to be aggressive.

• Early socialization can help them show friendly behavior with the people around them.

• They can complete assigned tasks with utter sincerity and gracefully.

• Rottweiler facts include that they were the first guide dogs for the blind.

This dog breed has been a grace to mankind in all forms.

• They can be your protectors at night and best friends during the day.

But unfortunately, there are a lot of restrictions laid down on owning this breed is popular countries including Portugal, Malaysia, Singapore, etc. 

Something Fun About Rottweilers!

The Statue In The German City-Rottweil:

A city in German displays a beautiful full-grown size Rottweiler dog breed statue made of bronze.

The statue has genuine facial expressions similar to that of a real-life dog.

The statue is placed right outside the Rottweil museum.

Rottweiler the dog is named after this famous city Rottweil which happens to b its birthplace.

Ban on Rottweilers:

This may turn out to be sad news to Rottie lovers that several countries have lawfully banned the stay of Rottweilers in their country.

The dog breed is considered to be dangerous to people living around and many incidents have shown misbehavior with children as well.

Ireland, Malaysia, Singapore, Romania, Portugal, etc have restrictions owning a Rottweiler.

In Ecuador, the dog is completely banned by law.

Dog Owner’s Corner:

Humans have always judged things on their appearance.

One of such a target is the remarkable dog breed Rottweiler.

They are mighty dogs with noble features.

Any Rottweiler owner will agree to the fact that they are one of the best breeds to own.

Protecting the family over its own life is its virtue.

Own a Rottweiler dog today!

Consider adopting a little homeless one before shopping from a breeder.

We would love to hear from you.

If you have any experience with the breed you would like to share with us,

Please write to us in the comment section below.

Happy Petting To You!