Rottweilers are rather large dogs that originated in Germany were they were used to herd livestock and pull carts for local butchers. This breed is known by a variety of different names including the Rottweiler, Rottie, Rott, Rottweil Metzgerhund and the Butcher’s Dog. It is thought that Rottweilers are descendants of Italian Mastiffs, which were brought with the Romans when they invaded Europe. For hundreds of years, Rottweilers were mainly used to drive cattle and pull meat carts for local butchers. However, they did serve other purposes including guard dogs, messengers and police work. They got their name from the German town of Rottweil where the dogs were often found herding and guarding cattle. When cattle driving was outlawed in the mid-19th century, Rottweilers nearly became extinct. However, thanks to the efforts of a handful of German breeders, the breed was revived.
The Rottweiler is a large dog breed that is square-proportioned and sturdy. It was bred to drive cattle and therefore has great strength and high endurance levels. Its coat is short and straight and needs minimal attention. This large breed of dog can weigh between 80 and 130 pounds fully grown. This is an extremely muscular breed with a large head and broad chest. The coat of the Rottweiler is short and should be black with rust, tan, mahogany or red markings. Its small triangular ears drop forward towards the cheeks. The muzzle of the Rottie is square-shaped with a black nose. The eyes should be almond-shaped and dark brown in color. Blue eyes are considered a fault by some of the major kennel clubs. The tail of the Rottweiler can be left long or docked short. Long tails are thick and slightly curved.
Personality
The Rottweiler is an alert and confident dog that is a natural protector and guardian. It can be stubborn, powerful and domineering and needs a strong leader and consistent training. It needs daily exercise in the form of moderate or long walks or short romps to show its best sides. It does not show affection but is very loyal and protective of its family. It’s tolerant of children but may try to herd them. It can be aggressive towards other dogs and strangers. The Rottweiler is a good-natured and calm dog that is eager to learn and loves to work. It is loyal to its human family and will fearlessly protect them from harm. It is immediately distrustful of strangers and can become aggressive if necessary. As such, it is recommended to begin socializing your Rottie while it is still young. The Rottweiler loves to play as well and can be quite the clown at times. Due to their large size and activity level, if you choose to add a Rottie to your home, you must be prepared to provide it with a lot of space to run and play. Furthermore, Rottweilers tend to become obese if they do not get enough exercise. Despite its appearance, the Rottweiler is extremely gentle with its human family. It is also a loyal dog that will protect its owner if necessary. This is a large breed that requires a lot of exercise. As such, if you choose one of these dogs, you must be able to provide it with enough space to run and play.
Breed Characteristics
| Type: | Pure |
| Family: | Mastiffs |
| Function: | Working |
| Origin: | Europe |
| Preferred Climate: | Any Climate |
| Group: | Working |
| Life Span: | 8-10 Years |
| Nicknames: | Rottie, Rott, Rottweil Metzgerhund, Butcher’s Dog |
| Hypoallergenic: | No |
Rottweiler Build Information
The Rottweiler is a large dog breed that is square-proportioned and sturdy. He was bred to drive cattle and therefore has great strength and high endurance levels. His coat is short and straight and needs minimal attention. This large breed of dog can weigh between 80 and 130 pounds fully grown. This is an extremely muscular breed with a large head and broad chest. The coat of the Rottweiler is short and should be black with rust, tan, mahogany or red markings. His small triangular ears drop forward towards the cheeks. The muzzle of the Rottie is square-shaped with a black nose. The eyes should be almond-shaped and dark brown in color. Blue eyes are considered a fault by some of the major kennel clubs. The tail of the Rottweiler can be left long or docked short. Long tails are thick and slightly curved.
| Size: | Large |
| Length (Male): | 22-27 in. |
| Length (Female): | 22-24 in. |
| Weight: | > 65 lbs |
| Litter Size: | 5 – 10 Puppies |
| Tail Dock or Crop: | Docked |
Behaviour and Personality
The Rottweiler is an alert and confident dog that is a natural protector and guardian. He can be stubborn, powerful and domineering and needs a strong leader and consistent training. He needs daily exercise in the form of moderate or long walks or short romps to show his best sides. He does not show affection but is very loyal and protective of his family. He is tolerant of children but may try to herd them. He can be aggressive towards other dogs and strangers. The Rottweiler is a good-natured and calm dog that is eager to learn and loves to work. He is loyal to his human family and will fearlessly protect them from harm. He is immediately distrustful of strangers and can become aggressive if necessary. As such, he is recommended to begin socializing your Rottie while he is still young. The Rottweiler loves to play as well and can be quite the clown at times. Due to their large size and activity level, if you choose to add a Rottie to your home, you must be prepared to provide him with a lot of space to run and play. Furthermore, Rottweilers tend to become obese if they do not get enough exercise. Despite his appearance, the Rottweiler is extremely gentle with his human family. He is also a loyal dog that will protect his owner if necessary. This is a large breed that requires a lot of exercise. As such, if you choose one of these dogs, you must be able to provide him with enough space to run and play.
| Activity Level: | Active |
| Affection Level: | Moderate Affectionate |
| Aggressiveness Level: | High |
| Barking: | Moderate |
| Dominating or Submissive?: | Dominating |
| Energy Level: | Active |
| Good to Other Pets: | Friendly |
| Guardian Skills: | Yes |
| Independant: | Yes |
| Kid Friendliness: | Moderate Friendly |
Appearance
The Rottweiler is quite easy to groom. You will only need to brush his coat about once a week and bathe him when necessary. Nevertheless, you will want to check his ears regularly for any excessive wax buildup or signs of infection. If you notice excess wax, you can gently wipe it out using the tip of a damp cloth. If you need to cut your dog’s nails, do so with a pliers-type clipper made for pets.
| Colors: | Black, Black & Tan, Mahogany, Rust, Tan |
| Shedding: | Moderate |
| Grooming: | Low Maintenance |
| Coat Type: | Dense |
Rottweiler Common Health Conditions
Rottweilers are amazingly hardy dogs that can live as long as 10 years or longer. However, just as with many other breeds of dogs, Rottweilers can be subject to developing various genetic health conditions. The most common of these issues can be found listed below: Hip and Elbow Dysplasia, Osteochondritis Dissecans, Entropian and Ectropian, Obesity, Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries, Osteosarcoma, Gastric Torsion, Panosteitis, Aortic and Sub-Aortic Stenosis, Hypothyroidism and Skin and Food Allergies.
Rottweiler Pet Insurance
When adding a dog or cat to your family you want to make sure your pet is happy, healthy and protected. During its lifetime your pet is exposed to many illnesses and diseases and some breeds are affected by a congenital disease which is a condition existing at birth. At these moments when your pet is ill or maybe needs surgery, you want to be protected for the unexpected and high veterinarian costs.
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Breed Talents and Facts
In the children’s book series titled “Good Boy, Carl” written by Alexandra Day, Carl is a Rottweiler. The “vicious” dog that played in “Lethal Weapon 3” was a Rottweiler. It is not uncommon for most Rottweilers to snore.
| Training: | Moderately easy to train |
| Hunting Companion: | No |
| Jolly for Jogging: | Yes |
| Sighting Capabilities: | No |
| Ideal for Tracking: | Yes |
| Retrieving Skills: | No |
| Pointing Breed: | No |
| Herding Skills: | Yes |
| Dutiful Watchdog: | Yes |
| Security Guard Capable: | Yes |
| Police Performer: | Yes |
| Wet Water rescues: | No |
| Assist Disable Owners: | No |
| Dog Sledding: | No |
| Able to Perform Dog Carting: | Yes |
| Agile/Zippy: | No |
| Fun with Lure Coursing: | No |
| Obedient: | Yes |
| Possible Schutzhund Work: | Yes |
| Trainable for Tricks: | No |
