9 Key Facts to Know About Rottweilers

Rottweilers are one of those breeds that people often misunderstand. Big, muscular, and with a mean reputation, Rotties are the type of dog folks often cross the street for out of fear.

Is this reputation deserved, however? And, more importantly, is the Rottweiler breed suitable for you and your family? Are they safe for your child or baby? Let’s answer all that and more by going over what are the 9 things to know about the Rottweiler.

Here’s what you should consider before getting a Rottweiler

So, you’re thinking of getting a Rottie. Many would say that this breed isn’t suitable for everyone with some even claiming that it’s not for families with kids. Yet, Rottweilers have been around for literally thousands of years. So, what’s the truth behind all the misconceptions?

1. Rottweilers were the dogs of the Roman empire

If you’ve seen paintings and sculptures of or even played video games about ancient Rome you may have noticed that the dogs the Romans used for cattle herding, cart-pulling, as guard dogs, or even in war looked very much like Rottweilers. That’s not a coincidence – those were indeed Rottweilers.

Or, at the very least, they were very close ancestors of modern-day Rottweilers. Today’s version of these dogs is viewed as a German breed from the Rottweil region of southern Germany, hence the name. There, these dogs are also called “Rottweiler Metzgerhund” or “Rottweiler butcher hounds” as the breed was used to pull the meat carts of German butchers around town.

However, it’s well-known that those same dogs were left in the Rottweil region by the Roman legions that abandoned the area around the 2nd century AD. The Romans didn’t call them “Rottweilers”, of course – back then the breed was known as drover herding dogs. So, if you adopt a Rottie you’ll literally be bringing home a relic of ancient Rome.

2. These dogs have done and can do almost any canine job out there

As such an old breed, Rottweilers have had a lot of jobs over the years. The people of ancient Rome used them primarily as cattle herders but also for pulling carts or guarding one’s property. These dogs were also famously used by the Roman legionaries in battle as they were very good at breaking up enemy shield walls. While that’s true, however, it should also be said that such use wasn’t that common as the Roman army was more than capable of dispatching most enemies without the need of war dogs.

Still, that’s quite a few professional assignments already – cattle herder, guard dog, cart puller, combat dog. They used to be employed as police dogs too (before German Shepherds became more popular for that job) and, today, they are also used as highly-effective therapy dogs.

So, one might say that Rottweilers have done almost every canine job out there except hunting.

3. Rottweilers can be social and friendly but only with proper socialization

How are the social skills of these dogs, however? Their history as guard, police, and war dogs has given them a bad rep but are Rotties truly anti-social and dangerous?

Not really, at least not inherently. Like other guard dog breeds, Rotties can be wary or even hostile against strangers if they haven’t been socialized well. However, this is where you come in – if you provide your Rottie puppy with proper socialization from an early age, there’s nothing stopping it from growing into a social and friendly dog.

By socialization we mean exactly what you’d expect – get your pup to meet and interact with new people, with kids, with other dogs, and even with other non-canine pets as early as possible. Make those interactions feel safe and fun via treats and playtime, and your Rottweiler will easily learn that other people and animals are to be greeted with a smile and not with growling.

If you deny your dog such socialization, however – whether on purpose or by negligence – then, yes, your dog may grow to be anti-social.

4. Rottweilers are loving and gentle but can get jealous if you’re not careful

Socialized or not, Rottweilers are always incredibly gentle and loving toward their human pack members. This is a big part of why they make for good guard dogs – they love their families that incredibly much. And that love can include new family members such as kids and even new pets too.

However, you ought to keep in mind that Rotties can get jealous if they feel a new family member is depriving them of your love. That’s why it’s important to always make sure your Rottie is feeling loved and appreciated.

5. This is a highly intelligent breed but early training is vital

Rottweilers are an impressively intelligent breed – all herding breeds are. However, that doesn’t mean that they are necessarily easy to train. As they’ve also been used and bred for guard duties for quite some time, Rottweilers are also quite a headstrong and willful breed.

This means that being able to train a Rottweiler is dependant on how well you’ve established the hierarchical/dominant structure in your relationship. If you’ve gone through adequate obedience training with your dog then your Rottweiler will respect your authority and do what you say. If you’ve skipped that part of raising a Rottie, however, your dog may well have decided that it’s the “Alpha” of the household. Needless to say, that’s not conducive to easy training. In fact, it can even be dangerous for people around you as it’d make the dog more difficult to control.

6. Rottweilers are moderately large but impressively strong

Rotties are considered a medium-large breed. Their average adult height at the shoulder is 24 to 27 inches (61 to 69 cm) or a bit taller than a Labrador Retriever. They are significantly heavier, however – typically between 95 and 135 pounds (43 to 61 kg). And that extra mass is pretty much all muscle.

So, if you like the idea of having a large (but not giant) pet, Rottweilers are an excellent candidate. However, you should keep in mind that they are very strong – more so than many other breeds of a similar size. So, if you are of a thinner frame and/or if you plan on letting your kids walk your dog, you should keep that strength in mind. A poorly trained Rottweiler is going to be more than strong enough to pull away from a child’s grasp or even pull the child with him. This is yet another reason why obedience training is so crucial with Rotties.

7. These dogs have moderate exercise needs and an overall calm demeanor when raised well

For all their size and strengths, Rottweilers don’t need as much exercise as some other breeds. This isn’t to say that you should ignore their physical needs, of course. A couple of 40-minute jogs a day should provide your Rottweiler with most of the exercise it needs. However, it’s also important that you add some extra playtime or even “work time” to that.

Rottweilers are a working breed so they love having tasks to perform – pulling carts around the yard or home, playing fetch, and so on. Such games are as important for your dog’s physical health as they are for its mental health.

8. Rottweilers don’t have the longest lifespan but are moderately healthy

Unfortunately, the average lifespan of Rottweilers is just about 9 to 10 years. That’s a couple of years less than other breeds of similar size such as Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherds. This isn’t to say that they are much more sickly than other dogs, however. But there are a few potential health issues to watch out for such as Hip dysplasia, Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), Cataracts, Cardiomyopathy, and Subaortic stenosis (SAS).

9. The breed has a short double coat that’s relatively easy to take care of

Another great thing about Rottweilers is their coats. Short and dense but also soft to the touch, Rottweilers have a very nice and recognizable black and tan coat. As a double coat, it will shed more notably in the spring and fall, however, you can offset that with extra brushing or a couple of professional groomer sessions. Throughout the rest of the year, Rottweiler’s coats shed pretty moderately.

As you can see, Rottweilers are great dogs that can be perfectly suitable for families of all types, including those with young children. Getting along with other pets can be a bit of work but even that can be done with a firm and experienced hand. And that’s where the key point is – Rottweilers require either an experienced or, at the very least, a knowledgeable and capable owner.

This isn’t a breed you can skip obedience training or socialization with. It’s also not a dog you can “rough house” with and then expect it to behave well. So, if you want to get a Rottie, be ready to do your part and actually be a responsible pet owner. If you do that, however, Rottweilers can easily be some of the best, smartest, and most gentle and fun house pets out there.