Rottweiler

Owner Level:

For experienced involved dog owners

Average Life Span

10-13 years

Colour and Coat

Coarse flat coat, black in colour with rust markings on cheeks, muzzle, chest, legs, above eyes and under the tail.

Typical Health Problems

Generally healthy, may be subject to Parvo, hip dysplasia, hereditary cataracts and allergies.

Personality

Rottweilers are a German breed so they tend to be of a serious nature. The ideal Rottweiler is quiet, even-tempered, obedient, easy to train, faithful and brave. This breed should show a strong understanding of what is right and wrong if trained and guided by a responsible and involved owner. This is a physically strong breed that will leap to the defence of the ones they love. For this reason training and socialising is mandatory for the Rottweiler to succeed in life. These are working dogs that need a job. Boredom can lead to behaviour problems.Behaviour problems can range from simple, such as house training, excessive activity level, digging, cat and dog aggression, to serious, such as human or stranger aggression. Serious human or stranger aggression can be caused by their guarding tendencies, lack of socialisation, abuse, or bad breeding. The Rottweiler personality and activity levels vary from dog to dog. Genetics, training, socialising, and the care they receive are a large part of what determines each dog's personality.

Who should own this breed?

A Rottweiler owner should be an extremely responsible person committed to the care, training and exercise of their dog. Such an owner should be knowledgeable about this breed type and the needs of the breed they are taking on. This breed's future lies in the hands of current and future Rottweiler owners. If the current trends of over breeding and poor ownership practices continue the future of this wonderful breed could be dim. A Rottweiler should never be allowed to roam loose in any public areas, or around strange dogs. Rottweilers should be securely contained when not supervised by an adult. The Rottweiler generally does best with a good fenced yard for their safety and should be included in the everyday activities of the household. This breed should be spayed/neutered. Unneutered males can become male dog aggressive and hard to manage and are predisposed to some cancers. Unspayed females can become moody/difficult and predisposed to uterine problems and cancers. Because of the lack of available rentals to high risk breeds, Rottweiler owners need to consider the possibility of any future moves that might put their dog's life at risk. One of the main keys to successful Rottweiler ownership is ongoing positive obedience training and socialisation. For the right dedicated owner a Rottweiler can be the best of dog companions.Socialisation is one of the necessary requirements to successful Rottweiler ownership. The unsocialised Rottweiler can be dangerous. This breed is reserved with change so they need to be exposed regularly to a large variety of environments and experiences. They should be given the social skills and taught manners early on. Rottweilers should exhibit a reserved to friendly personality with strangers. They should not be aggressive. A Rottweiler that shows aggression should be evaluated by a professional trainer and behaviourist immediately.

Is this breed good with children in general?

Children and dogs should never be left alone and unattended, even for a moment. Young children do not have proper dog etiquette, and dogs do not understand a child's behaviour. This can result in tragedy with any breed of dog. Rottweilers tend to love and be dedicated to their human family and can be especially fond of children. Many Rottweilers are naturally drawn to children and can be very patient and loving companions. Like children, each dog is different in personality, energy and patience levels. So, each dog and child relationship should be considered individually.

Is this breed good with other dogs in general?

Rottweilers generally do well with other dogs if they have been socialised and trained properly. For Rottweilers, especially males, spaying/neutering is one of the most important keys to having a dog-friendly animal. Pack position is important and will affect and vary each dog's acceptance of other dogs.