Big, muscular and strong, the Rottweiler is loyal and has a natural guarding instinct. They need human contact, good training and firm, consistent handling from birth – they must always know who’s boss. Rottweilers also need a large amount of space and exercise – they are playful and enjoy chasing games.
Facts & advice
Rottweiler
A devoted companion with a playful personality
Vital stats
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| Size: | Large |
| Coat: | Short and thick |
| Exercise | 2+ hours a day |
| Life span: | 8-10 years |
| Breed group: | Working |
| Temperament: | Devoted, good-natured, courageous |
Rottweiler temperament & personality
Highly intelligent and confident, a Rottweiler’s traits include a strong instinct to guard and protect, due to originally having been bred as working dogs for farmers and butchers, which has resulted in them been unfairly branded as an aggressive breed.
- They can make playful and gentle family pets and are loyal to anyone they perceive as part of their ‘pack’.
- They thrive on stimulation and exercise, grasp new commands quickly and are excellent service and police dogs.
- Experts recommend them as good pets for more experienced owners as previous knowledge of training and handling can be helpful to ensure they grow into well-rounded pets and help to prevent dog behaviour problems.
Rottweiler training & exercise
Rottweilers are adaptable, versatile dogs with loving, curious natures
Training tips
- Rottweiler puppies can be taught simple commands from eight weeks old.
- Safely exposing your Rottweiler to lots of new experiences and people at a young age will ensure they grow into happy, confident and sociable dogs. Puppy training classes can be a good place to start when it comes to socialising your dog.
- As this breed’s natural instinct is to protect their families, it’s vital to channel their defensive capabilities from early on with good socialisation and positive reinforcement
Game ideas
This strong and smart breed will love figuring out new challenges. Test your Rottweiler with an obstacle course to challenge their mind as well as their body.
Exercise
- It’s important to start introducing exercise slowly from around the time a Rottweiler puppy is four months old, so that their growing bones and joints strengthen gradually and aren’t overexerted.
- To help your Rottweiler keep both physically and mentally fit, experts recommend at least two hours of exercise and interactive games daily, with plenty of secure space to run free.
Keeping them happy
- Rottweilers are highly energetic and can stay just as playful as puppies well into adulthood so make sure you have plenty of time to play with your pup!
- Rottweilers are loyal dogs that often form close attachments to the humans they perceive as part of their ‘pack’. This means they can be prone to separation anxiety and tend to be happiest in households where someone is around for most of the day.
Common Rottweiler health conditions
As a dog owner you will want what’s best for your pet’s health so they can live a long, happy life. Like all breeds, Rottweilers are prone to certain health conditions. To help you be more aware and prepared for these potential ailments if they should arise, we have put together information on the health issues that we see the most in Rottweilers.
Larger breeds like the Rottweiler can be prone to different issues with their joints such as lameness and hip or elbow dysplasia. This develops when the bones that form the elbow or hip joint develop abnormalities in the cartilage that lines the surface of the joint or structures around it. This leads to the development of arthritis, which shows as stiffness (especially after lying down), and a reluctance to exercise or go up and down stairs. Long-term treatment is often required to manage the pain and help keep dogs active.
Rottweilers can suffer from cruciate disease, wherein the cruciate ligament, which crosses inside the knee joint, slowly frays and gets weaker. Like all dogs, they can develop arthritis from this condition, and long-term treatment is often required to keep them active.
Like all dogs, Rottweilers can develop masses (lumps and bumps) in the layers of fat, skin and muscle that cover their bodies. These might be warts, cysts, lipomas (soft fatty lumps), abscesses or tumours, such as mast cell tumours. Mast cells are normal skin cells that help dogs respond to trauma and damage by releasing histamine. However, these cells can sometimes replicate into a serious type of tumour called a mast cell tumour. They vary widely in size and shape, but most take the form of a solitary lump within the skin. Generally, treatment depends on the size, location and exact nature of the lump, but almost always involves surgical removal.
Rottweilers are prone to suffering from problems affecting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The GI tract is a long, winding tube that starts at the mouth and ends at the anus, with various twists and turns along the way. Conditions such as gastroenteritis or an obstruction within the bowel (due to the dog to eating stones, cloth or string, for example) commonly cause vomiting and/or diarrhoea. Treatment depends on the exact cause, but prompt intervention usually results in a full recovery.
Rottweilers are one of the breeds that are prone to lameness. This can be a result of various different conditions but the ones we see frequently are hip dysplasia and arthritis. Hip dysplasia occurs when the bones that form the hip joint don’t fit together perfectly, causing wear and tear to the joints. Like other dogs, Rottweilers can develop arthritis (which means ‘inflammation of the joints’) as a result of this wear and tear. They may show signs of stiffness (especially after lying down), and be reluctant to exercise or go up or down stairs and steps. While adapted exercises can help to keep them active, long-term treatment or surgery might be needed to help them further.
Rottweiler grooming
Rottweiler grooming is relatively low maintenance and a great opportunity for you to bond with your dog.
- Their black and tan coats are short, thick and prone to shedding. You may also come across longer-haired Rottweilers, although this variation is slightly less common.
- Brushing is needed at least once a week to remove any loose hair and keep their coat shiny and healthy
- Check their ears often for tell-tale signs of infection, such as a strange smell or black or brown wax.
- Whilst grooming, check their bodies for any lumps or signs of parasites
- Regular tooth brushing helps reduce the build-up of tartar, keeping their gums healthy and ensuring that bad breath stays away
Rottweiler nutrition
Rottweilers can be prone to bloat (where, in extreme cases, the stomach can become twisted), so it’s important to feed two smaller portions a day, instead of one larger helping.
- Vets recommend that the best food for a Rottweiler is a high-quality pet food and to use your pet's food packaging for guidelines, keeping in mind their age, size and activity levels.
- Rottweiler puppies can occasionally have tummy trouble, but initially sticking to the same feeding schedule and routine as your breeder will help to prevent any upsets.
- If you change your dog’s diet, at any stage of life, make sure to do so gradually. Slowly increase the amount of new food you add over the course of a few weeks, decreasing their previous food accordingly
- If you notice any digestive issues, speak to your vet straight away
Rottweiler frequently asked questions
Due to their history as service and guard dogs, Rottweilers have an unfair reputation as being dangerous or aggressive. Whilst the breed can be very vocal and protective, they are not known to be aggressive by nature and are in fact loving and gentle dogs who crave companionship. Aggression is generally a behavioural issue that will arise if your dog is left alone too often, becomes bored, is not exercised enough or is improperly trained.
Loyal and affectionate, Rottweilers are a popular family dog who tend to get on well with children. Whilst they are gentle by nature, however, these playful dogs can forget their size and may be too boisterous for younger children. As with any other dog breed, you should always supervise your Rottweiler when around children to ensure everyone is safe and happy.
Rottweilers are highly intelligent dogs with the energy and physical strength to match. For this reason they need at least 2 hours of physical exercise every day, as well as plenty of playtime and mental stimulation. Rottweilers tend to excel at agility trials where they can exercise their brains as well as their bodies.
Rottweilers have long been used as service dogs due to their high intelligence and eagerness to please. This highly trainable breed is quick to learn new tricks and commands. However, despite their trainability, Rottweilers can quickly develop behavioural issues if not properly trained and are better suited to more experienced dog handlers.
Due to their incredibly loyal nature, Rottweilers crave companionship and attention from their owner. As such, the breed can easily become clingy and is prone to separation anxiety. If you do need to leave your Rottweiler alone, make sure they have plenty of toys to keep them busy and have someone check in on them if you’re going to be out for more than a few hours.
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Rottweiler insurance considerations
Choosing the right insurance for your Rottweiler can help keep them happy and healthy whatever happens. Some conditions that we see they are prone to are not always covered by other provider’s policies as they limit what they’ll pay for certain conditions, like cruciate ligament injuries. It’s important that when choosing dog insurance, you consider the length of time policies cover different conditions, as some can become lifelong. With Petplan’s Covered for Life® dog insurance we have no additional limits for specific conditions or diagnostic tools, and the veterinary fees refresh each year allowing you to claim for ongoing conditions for the rest of your dog’s life, providing there is no break in cover.
We always offer these things as standard:
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy & pet therapies
Along with physiotherapy, which is covered within the Vet Bills benefit, we also cover Pet Therapies like herbal medicine, homeopathy and acupuncture. You can also claim for hydrotherapy, up to £500 per illness/injury in dogs and cats (no additional limit for rabbits).
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