Rottweiler

Rottweilers are great dogs for families! They can be amazing with children and other pets in the home, especially when raising a young Rottweiler puppy within the family. Even adult Rottweilers can fit in with a family when matched and managed correctly. Back in the day, this breed was used to for herding cattle, so naturally they have a strong desire to chase, so take extra care if you have very small children running around.

Like with any dog, no matter their breed, you shouldn’t leave a dog alone with children, dogs like their personal space and this needs to be respected. Due to their guarding instincts, they may not be the best pet for a busy household with lots of comings and goings.

Rottweilers are known to form strong connections with their family and close friends. They don’t take immediately to just anyone, but with the right socialisation and training from a young age, they are able to make friends with unfamiliar people in time. Rottweilers are incredibly loyal and affectionate on their own terms. They prefer sitting close to you, being in your company, or resting their gigantic head on your lap, rather than being approached for fuss.  

Yes, absolutely! Rottweilers are very playful; they love chasing and tugging their toys. They are just such big, powerful dogs, so setting rules and boundaries is important when it’s playtime. Rottweilers can’t help themselves but to get carried away during play and could accidently knock someone over. 

Teaching your Rottweiler to ‘drop’ and getting them to understand when to be calm will be very useful. As they do tend to guard things, Rottweilers can become obsessive and sensitive over their toys, so it’s important to swap toys and not take them out of their mouth.

Rottweilers aren't known to be excessively vocal, but they do have a very deep and loud bark. As they’re naturally inclined to guard things, they will most likely bark if they hear a strange sound or if anyone unfamiliar knocks at the door or passes by. Some training is a must with a Rottweiler so that they don’t get into a bad habit of barking all the time.

Rottweilers can be overly confident when meeting other dogs in public and their posture can be quite intimidating. It’s important for Rottweilers to socialise with a variety of dogs from a young age to avoid any dog-related aggression in the future.

A Rottweiler’s owner should have a good understanding of the dog’s body language, so they know when they’re feeling uncomfortable. 
Muzzle training is recommended, even if you have a gentle giant, it’s just appreciated in scenarios when other people need to be close to your dog, like a vet.

Due to their guarding instincts, they can develop a tendency to resource guard items or food. The development of these behaviours can often be avoided by training and management from a young age. 

Rottweilers are the ultimate working dog, so they need to keep their brains working. If they don’t get this mental exercise, they can become frustrated leading to aggressive behaviours.

The best home for a Rottweiler is a quiet one with a medium to large garden for them to let off steam. They need an active, training-minded owner with an understanding of dogs that have guarding characteristics. Rottweilers can live with other dogs when introduced appropriately or when they’re a puppy and will most likely want to share their home with a dog of similar size and opposite sex. 

Depending on the dog itself, Rottweilers have medium to high exercise needs and must have their daily walks. Because they’re quote aloof and wary of strangers, they’re best suited to living in rural or semi-rural area, rather than the hustling bustling city.

As well as physical exercise, Rottweilers are very intelligent and need to work their minds too with plenty of Mental stimulation. They require regular training sessions to keep them manageable and under control in the home and out in public.

They tend to form strong bonds with their family as long as they feel safe and secure in their relationships. Taking part in lots of bonding activities such as regular play or training sessions will strengthen your relationship.

All puppies need to learn how to be around people, pets, and other dogs, in a calm and polite way (known as socialisation). They also need help to feel calm, comfortable, and confident in everyday situations like travelling, the sound of traffic, and being in busy places (known as habituation). This is essential to prevent tricky behavioural problems in the future, and you'll be off to a great start with your ongoing training.

For many years, Rottweilers have been used in the police as well as for search and rescue operations. They’re incredibly hard-working and generally easy to train. They need consistent and clear communication from their owner. 

Playtime is also a great way of incorporating training while helping to build a strong relationship with your canine companion. It is important to invest time in training and socialisation when your Rottweiler is young, so they know how to behave and react to strangers, other dogs, traffic, and everything they could meet in public. 

Owning a strong and powerful dog breed like a Rottweiler it is a big responsibility to showcase their qualities. Training doesn’t stop at puppyhood or adolescence, it’s a lifelong commitment to make sure your Rottweiler is a happy and well-balanced dog. 

Rottweilers have a double coat with medium length fur sitting flat against their body and a shorter undercoat which sheds with the changing seasons. Overall, their coat is quite coarse and dense which adds to the thickness of a Rottweiler’s fur. 

They don’t need much grooming, a weekly brush will do. Bathing will remove any dirt, debris, or potential allergens. A dog can have a bath once a month or less, be aware that too much bathing can cause your Rottweiler’s coat to dry out. 

Rottweilers can have long dew claws (a fifth digit on their paws) which can grow into the skin or can easily get caught on things, so they need to be regularly maintained and clipped.

Rottweilers are prone to gaining excess weight, so regular exercise and a balanced diet will maintain good health. 

As they’re a large breed, Rottweilers can suffer from joint problems such as elbow or hip dysplasia, and early onset of arthritis. Keeping up appropriate exercise levels is important, as too much will put strain on the skeletal system.  Rottweilers are also prone to develop fatty lumps, but also cancer later in life, especially osteosarcomas (a common bone cancer in dogs). Keep a close eye on the potential development of lumps and bumps and their growth.

Hypothyroidism is also something to be aware of in this breed, any changes in body weight, behaviour, energy levels, changes in their coat or hair loss, needs to be followed up with a visit to the vet.