Rottweiler
Breed Group: Working Group
Size Group: Large Dog Breeds
Origin: Rome
Height: 24”-27” (male) 22”-25” (female)
Weight: 95-135 lbs (male) 80-100 lbs (female)
Color: Black & mahogany, Black & rust, Black & tan
Lifespan: 9-10 years
Temperament: Obedient, brave, alert, loyal
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Set Your Pup Up For Success
Overview
Rottweilers have a reputation for being fearsome guard dogs. While they may live up to this image when required, these pups are incredibly affectionate and downright silly with their families. They have a regal aloofness when approaching the rest of the world while their families know these giant dogs really fancy themselves little lap dogs that just want a nice snuggle.
This breed has herding tendencies that may not be a fit for families with small children. If you introduce a Rottie into your family you will need to supervise all interactions with children. There is a negative stigma surrounding this breed that may have other dog owners wary to have your pup around.
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Celebrity Owners
Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith, Brody Jenner, Hayden Panettiere, Bruno Mars
Fun Facts
Rottweilers are known as the most obedient dogs in history.
Health
Rottweilers are generally healthy dogs. Some issues that you should be aware of include cranial cruciate ligament injury, hip dysplasia, osteochondrosis, entropion, osteosarcoma, elbow dysplasia, bloat, subvalvular aortic stenosis, lymphoma, panosteitis, progressive retinal atrophy, von Willebrand’s disease. There is some research that suggest, Rottweilers avoiding their tendency toward developing cancer has to do with keeping a diligent vaccination schedule and delaying spaying or neutering your dog for at least 6 years. Talk to your vet about current advancements in research.
While you always hope your pet will live a long and healthy life, it is always a good idea to invest in pet health insurance.
Keeping your dog’s mouth clean and problem free goes a long way to your pup’s overall health. Dental hygiene can be the cause or can be the byproduct of other serious health issues.
Visual inspections can be performed to keep track of the signs of potentially waning oral health. These signs can be anything from bad breath to abnormal chewing to loss of appetite.
Keeping ahead of these warning signs can pay dividends. A preventative approach can delay and stop many of the common dental problems from arising.
Oral health can be tackled in five basic steps:
- Brushing your dog’s teeth to prevent an undesirable buildup of plaque
- Feed your dog a diet where the high quality dog food has dental benefits
- Regularly give your dog dental toys and treats
- Use mouthwash, to help where brushing misses
- At the sign of any abnormalities, consult a vet. You can even do it virtually, from the convenience of your home.
Dogs are just like humans in that they can experience anxiety. The degree to which they are susceptible to anxiety and how they deal with anxiety is breed specific. Left unchecked, initial signs of anxiety could give way to an anxiety disorder. The symptoms of anxiety disorders can lead to a myriad of behavior issues.
Knowing the signs and symptoms will best equip you to keep ahead of it and to nip it in the bud at the earliest signs. There are options available to help with anxiety.
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Grooming
Rotties require a moderate amount of regular grooming. Brush your pup’s coat once a week to remove dead hair and redistribute naturally occurring skin oil. This breed goes through two seasonal sheds. During this time, brushing your dog daily will help to contain the amount of hair around your house. Your pup will need bathing once a month or when he gets dirty or starts to smell. As with all dogs, keep your pup’s eyes and ears clean and clear of debris. Floppy-eared dogs are more prone to ear infections, so be sure to dry your pup’s ears when he swims or gets a bath. Clip or grind your pup’s nail weekly and brush your pup’s teeth several times per week.
Cost
$850 – $3,500
Exercise
Rottweilers require around two hours of activity per day. They love to walk, run, fetch, hike, swim, play hide-and-seek and pretty much anything else that keeps you by their sides. There is a stigma about this breed, and they may not be welcome at dog parks. Having a fenced in backyard is a great space for your pup to bound around. Always keep your dog on a leash when you are outside your home. Rough play with a Rottweiler is always discouraged, especially when they are puppies.
Nutrition
Your full-sized Rottweiler will eat around 4 cups of food per day over 2 meals. This breed is prone to bloat which is an immediately life-threatening condition where the stomach overfills and flips in the torso. You can help avoid this situation by monitoring the rate at which your pup eats. The exact amount of food your dog will need will vary depending on age and activity level.
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We’ve taken a look at some premium dog foods, high in nutrition here.
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Training
As with all dogs, early socialization with humans and other dogs is essential. Rotties can becomes aggressive with other dogs if they sense danger. Be sure to consistently introduce your pup to new places and pups throughout his first year. Establish yourself as the alpha early with your dog. Consistent and firm training will help your dog to become well-mannered and remove any destructive tendencies. This breed loves having a job to do. Teach them helpful tasks. You should continue training for the duration of your pup’s life.
Proper training is essential to ensuring the safety of your dog and those around you. Having your dog come when they should, and in general having them listen is something you want to address early in your pup’s life, as it will pay dividends down the line. There are many tried and true training programs to accomplish this training – faster and better than you might think!
Unless you’re living on a farm, or have the space, a yipping dog, or one that barks all day when you are gone could be an issue with the neighbors and/or landlord. Historically, dogs would bark to communicate with the rest of the pack when hunting and bark as a warning shot to predators eyeing up their flock. Barking is deep rooted in dogs and manifests itself in many ways and for a variety of reasons.
Just like any habit or instinct, there are effective ways you can train this issue away.
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Supplements
A solid Glucosamine Supplement for hips and joints will go a long way to helping your furry friend.
Other helpful supplements include full-spectrum hemp oil or CBD oil. Fish oil skin and coat supplement.
Ensuring a comprehensive preventative vitamin and mineral plan is essential to keeping your dog healthy. Truth is, there are vitamins and minerals that your dog needs, but doesn’t produce naturally. While many of these vitamins and minerals can be found in your dog’s current diet and dog food, the question becomes, are there enough vitamins to ensure they aren’t deficient.
Poor nutrition can lead to some of the most common health issues, such as weak joints, compromised immunity, increased allergies, and low energy.
Vitamins play a vital role in your pet’s health and overall life expectancy. Here are some multivitamin and joint relief options.
As regulations around marijuana have eased, the emergence of CBD oils for humans and dogs have sprung up.
Just to begin to dispel the negative stigma, CBD extract comes from Hemp, marijuana’s cousin. Unlike its cousin, there are no psychoactive qualities in CBD oil. An emerging number of clinical and institutional studies have shown the wide variety of healing qualities in CBD, including pain management, and the containment of seizures and epileptic episodes.
Explore this remedy further to see all the health benefits that have transformed the lives of so many dogs to date.
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The Good
Loyal
Protective
Low grooming requirements
The "Ruff"
Have an aggressive reputation
Sometimes not a great fit for children
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