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Rottweiler

loyal / loving / confident guardian
Working Group >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

24-27 inches (male)

22-25 inches (female)

Weight

95-135 pounds (male)

80-100 pounds (female)

Life Expectancy

9-10 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    20% 20%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    60% 60%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    80% 80%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    100% 100%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    20% 20%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    100% 100%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    20% 20%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    60% 60%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    80% 80%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    100% 100%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    20% 20%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    100% 100%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

The Rottweiler is a sturdy working breed developed from the mastiffs of the Roman legions and is quite strong. Within the confines of the household, the Rottie is a kind playmate and a protector while viewing the outer world with a confident aloofness. The shoulder height of a male Rottweiler ranges from 24 to 27 muscular inches; females are often a little bit smaller and lighter. The shiny, short black coat with stylish rust marks adds to the impression of commanding power. The Rottie’s smooth trotting pace is powered by its heavily muscled hindquarters. A Rottie that has been bred and nurtured appropriately will be confident and at ease, brave but not overly aggressive.

 

To their loved ones, Rotties are known for their liveliness and outright hilarity, despite their world-class guardians’ reserved exterior to strangers. The territorial tendencies of a Rottie can be positively channeled through early training and socializing (no one taught the Rottie he’s not a toy breed, therefore he’s likely to drop onto your lap for a snuggle).

What To Expect When Caring For a Rottweiler

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

Responsible Rottweiler breeders have prospective sires and dams examined for health issues like hip dysplasia, an X-ray-detectable hip joint malformation, eye illnesses, and heart abnormalities before mating. As it does in all dogs, the breed is prone to cancer on occasion. The Rottweiler Health Foundation has supported research on cancer prevention by David Waters, Ph.D., DVM, of the Gerald P. Murphy Cancer Foundation. According to Dr. Waters, a thorough vaccination schedule can prevent cancer and lengthen life by boosting the immune system and keeping both sexes healthy until at least age six.  
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Hip Evaluation
  • JLPP DNA Test
  • Elbow Evaluation
  • Cardiac Exam
  • Ophthalmologist Evaluation

Grooming

The exterior coat of the Rottweiler is flat, straight, and medium in length. The neck and thighs are covered in the undercoat. He needs to be brushed once each week and washed frequently. Although he will shed more profusely twice a year, typically in the spring and fall, he only sheds very modestly for the majority of the year. Weekly tooth brushing and nail trimming are required for him. When trimming the nails, a grinding tool like a Dremel works particularly well.

Exercise

Rottweilers adore swimming, trotting, and being around their owners. The breed should have daily access to exercise because it is athletic and muscular. If there are tasks to be completed, Rottweilers are outstanding workers that learn to cart easily and thrive at herding, tracking, and obedience. The Rottweiler is capable of learning any canine skill there is. Any dog who is overweight should exercise regularly to maintain their health and fitness.  

Training

The Rottweiler needs to be trained from an early age. To raise a well-behaved Rottweiler, you must exercise leadership, socialize the puppy, enroll in foundational training sessions, and live with the owner. Because they are "people dogs," Rottweilers do not adapt well when cut off from other people and daily life. Any breed of dog must survive in a world populated by different people and creatures. As one breed specialist puts it, "As a Rottweiler owner, it is my responsibility to spend time, energy, and money giving my dog the opportunities to learn on a daily basis. Despite some potential stubbornness, the breed is clever, highly trainable, and eager to please. Discipline must be consistent, equitable, and severe without being harsh. It is best to avoid roughhousing with the Rottweiler because it could breed hostility. In a variety of dog sports, Rottweilers excel, and the breed collaborates with a human partner in a variety of practical capacities.  

Nutrition

The Rottweiler should thrive on a premium dog food, whether it is produced commercially or is made at home under the direction and agreement of your veterinarian. Whatever the dog's age (puppy, adult, or senior), the diet should be suitable. Watch your dog's calorie intake and weight level because certain dogs are prone to obesity. Treats can be a valuable training tool, but offering them in excess might lead to obesity. Discover which foods fit the bill for canine consumption and which don't. If you have any worries about your dog's weight or diet, consult your veterinarian. Fresh water that is clean should always be accessible.

History

Dog breeding was one of the many endeavors that the Roman Empire’s ability for practical problem-solving irrevocably affected throughout the formative years of Western Europe.

 

Roman armies on the march to conquest carried their herds as food on the oxen as they traveled to distant lands. Dogs that could move the herd and guard it were a necessity for the army. The distant progenitor of the Rottweiler that exists today was created by the Romans using Asian mastiffs kinds as breeding stock. The so-called barbarian hoards of Germanic forces gathered on the northern borders of the Empire were a constant source of difficulty for the legions for decades. Numerous German breeds have their start with the dogs that the Romans introduced to these regions.

 

Roman drover dogs were employed in the cattle town of Rottweil for centuries after the fall of the empire. Because of their work transporting livestock from pasture to market and defending everyone along the road from thieves and rustlers, they were given the name Rottweiler Metzgerhund, or Butcher’s Dog of Rottweil.

 

When railroad cattle wagons became popular in the 1800s, Rottie’s career raising livestock came to an end. They found new employment as police dogs, personal guardians, and all-around blue-collar canines equipped to handle a variety of difficult tasks. In the past few decades, Rotties have made a name for themselves as search-and-rescue specialists at catastrophe sites like Oklahoma City and the World Trade Center. They were among the first guide dogs for the blind.

 

It is amazing that the Butcher’s Dog has changed little in form and temperament since its original German breed standard was created in 1901, given the variety of jobs the breed has fulfilled throughout its lengthy history.