A happy Rottweiler relaxing in a garden

Rottweiler Insurance, Care and Health Advice

Originally bred to be cattle drovers and guards, Rottweilers are surprisingly calm. They may have a confident and protective nature, but with training and early socialisation they can get along well with other dogs and people. Their bodies are strong and powerful, but their hearts are gentle and kind.

Rottweiler Facts

Dog breed type icon
Type
Working
Dog breed lifespan icon
Lifespan
8 - 10 years
Dog breed size icon
Size
Large
Dog breed weight icon
Weight
34 - 60 kg
Dog breed height icon
Height
58 - 69 cm
Dog breed temperament icon
Temperament
Protective, loyal, devoted
Dog breed exercise icon
Exercise
60 mins per day
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Grooming
Low maintenance

Is a Rottweiler Right for Me?

If you’re an active person or family, the Rottweiler could be the perfect match. They’re easy to train and quickly become loyal companions. If you’re looking to get fit, this breed will happily go running with you. But they’re also happy to lounge about at home.

Three Rottweiler puppies running in a garden

What Are Rottweiler Puppies Like?

Rottweiler puppies are surprisingly calm if they get the exercise they need. But they do also get bored quickly, so make sure you have lots of toys for them to play with. They love to go for a walk and are big fans of swimming, which is a great form of exercise.

They are much less protective as a puppy than an adult, so it best to start training and socialising at an early age to prevent any aggression towards other dogs or people.

A smiling Rottweiler lying in the grass

Life with a Rottweiler

Rottweilers are generally people lovers – great as a family dog and for social households. They can also get along well with other pets if they are socialised from a young age. While they do need lots of exercise to burn off energy, they also love to cuddle up and have a snooze. They’re much more affectionate than their muscular appearance would suggest.

Caring for Your Rottweiler

Rottweilers are a large dog with a big appetite. Every time you open the fridge or rustle a packet, they’ll come running and give you those pleading dog eyes. But don’t be fooled into giving them extra treats. As long as you are weighing your dog’s food and following the daily guidelines on the food packaging, your dog will be a healthy weight.

Puppies should be fed 3-4 times a day as their small stomachs cope better with smaller meals. You can decrease this to 1-2 times a day as your dog gets older.

A Rottweilers coat is flat and coarse, requiring minimal grooming. Despite their short coat, they do shed a lot, especially during spring and autumn. They have a double coat that alters thickness to keep them cool or warm throughout the year. Brushing your dog weekly will help to remove some of the fur so that there is less to fall out on your clothes, floor and furniture. Fortunately, they don’t need bathing often, once a month will do unless they are particularly dirty or smelly.

This active breed needs 60 minutes or more of daily exercise. They love to swim, run and play games like fetch. Mixing up their exercise will keep them fit, healthy and entertained.

Rottweilers are intelligent and often trained as guard dogs. They devote themselves to their owner and are eager to please them. This makes them a pleasure to train. You’ll be surprised at how quickly they learn – treat rewards help but aren’t always necessary with this breed.

Rottweiler Insurance

If you’re looking to bring a baby Rottweiler into your home, or perhaps you’ve rescued one from a shelter, it's a good idea to think about Rottweiler insurance. They’re big dogs, and that extra heft could cause accidents, insuring your Rottie, may just be able to help when you need it most.

Everypaw’s Dog Insurance has a range of Lifetime cover for your Rottweiler which can start from 8 weeks of age. All new Rottie policies can be taken out up to their 5th birthday. But don’t worry, if they're insured before then, we’ll look continue to look after them as they get older.

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Common Rottweiler Health Problems by Vetstream

There are some common health problems that you should be aware of if you are looking to adopt or buy a Rottweiler.

Osteochondrosis (OCD) is an inherited condition affects puppies between the ages of 4-10 months old. They develop an unusual growth of cartilage in the joints, causing their elbows and feet to face slightly outwards. Affected puppies will be reluctant to move.

The only treatment option for this condition is to surgically remove the cartilage. Although this will resolve the initial problem, OCD often leads to arthritis, which will require pain medication to manage for the rest of the dog’s life.

Retinal dysplasia causes abnormal rosettes or folds of retinal tissue, often present at birth or within the first 12 weeks of the dog’s life. The folds/rosettes will affect the dog’s vision but will not cause it any pain. In severe cases, retinal detachment leading to blindness can occur in the first 6 months.

Unfortunately, no treatment is available but the condition is non-progressive, meaning that it won’t get worse. Affected dogs can live happy lives with blindness or reduced vision.

Hip dysplasia is mostly an inherited condition, but it can also be caused by diet, exercise and growth rate. This is due to the added strain on the bone and joints.

With hip dysplasia, the ball-and-socket joint of the hip doesn’t fit properly causing them to rub together and damage the surface. Affected dogs will experience pain, lameness and weakness in one or both of the back legs. They will also go on to develop arthritis in later life.

In severe cases, the best treatment is hip replacement surgery. It is best to check with the breeder if the parents have been tested for this condition.

In this condition, the ligaments that hold the knee in place are torn due to a twisting injury. If the dog is overweight, the ligament will be under excess strain. They also get weaker with age so are more prone to tearing.

Affected dogs will rest the tip of the toe on the ground when stationary, and hop when trying to walk.

Rottweilers with a cruciate ligament rupture will need to have surgery to replace the ligaments with man-made tape. They will then need to wear a support bandage to prevent the leg from bending, and have restricted exercise until they have fully healed.

Quick Rottweiler Q&A

Rottweilers were bred to be working dogs, like cattle drovers and guard dogs. Their instinct is to protect their family, which can make them aggressive especially if they feel under threat. But with training and socialisation from a young age, Rottweilers have the potential to be friendly family pets.

Rottweilers are docile dogs that have playful moments. They’re also intelligent and gentle, which makes them great companions for children. But they are big dogs, weighing up to 60kg, and accidents can happen, so make sure not to leave them with a child unattended.

Rottweilers have a double coat, which changes thickness throughout the year, depending on the temperature. Spring and autumn will be when your dog sheds the most.

The average life expectancy for a Rottweiler is 8-10 years, with females generally living longer than males. Their life span can be affected by health conditions so make sure you take your dog for regular health check-ups and vaccination boosters.

That’s All You Need to Know About Rottweilers

These loyal companions have a lot to offer. Their docile temperament makes them a perfect fit for any family home and their intelligence means they are easily trained. They do have high exercise demands and they will shed fur in your home, but the love and devotion they give in return outweighs everything else.

Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Canis

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.

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