How to Care for a Rottweiler

Rottweilers are intelligent, loyal dogs that are very attached to their owners. Although this breed
is known to be powerful and may seem intimidating, rottweilers are not necessarily aggressive if
properly trained. It is important to socialize your rottweiler puppy with children, other animals
and people. Expect to train your dog for a solid year if you want her to be well-behaved.
Steps:
1. Vaccinate your rottweiler and follow up with yearly booster vaccinations to maintain the
dog's immunity to diseases. Worm your adult dog every three months and consult your
veterinarian about de-fleaing products.
2. Feed your rottweiler high-grade dog food. The first ingredient should be meat if you want a
quality product. Crude protein should be no less than 30 percent, and crude fat no less
than 20 percent. Also, the fiber content needs to be 4 percent or less.
3. Brush your rottweiler's topcoat and undercoat only when necessary. The same goes for
bathing. They are average shedders and lose their topcoat and undercoat twice a year.
4. Trim nails every two to three weeks.
5. Remember that a rottweiler has a strong instinct to protect her home and family. Avoid
leaving her alone with unfamiliar people in your home; if the dog perceives an unfamiliar
visitor as an intruder, she may become aggressive. Allow your rottweiler to slowly become
familiar with visitors.
6. Walk or run your rottweiler at least twice a day, for 20 minutes or more each time. This
breed is very active and will also need a large backyard to romp around in. If a rottweiler
becomes bored or doesn't have enough activity, she may become destructive.
7. Keep your rottweiler on a leash when away from your home. This breed can be aggressive
with unfamiliar dogs, although early training and socialization may curb this tendency.
8. Play with your rottweiler often. They love to run, swim and play catch. You can't
overexercise this breed.
9. Understand that a rottweiler is prone to certain health problems, such as hip and elbow
dysplasia (a malformation of the joints), osteochondrosis dissecans (a bone disease that
causes lameness and arthritis), paneosteitis (a rotating lameness), Von Willebrand's
Disease (a bleeding disorder), bloat, heart disease and allergies.
10. Expect an adult male rottweiler to grow to between 24 and 27 inches in height and weigh
between 95 and 130 pounds. Females will grow to between 22 and 25 inches and will
weigh between 85 and 115 pounds.
11. Be prepared to enjoy a full 10 to 12 years with your rottweiler - this is the rottweiler's
average life expectancy.
Tips:
Contact the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals to learn more about hip and elbow
dysplasia.
Rottweilers do not bark unless there is just cause.
This breed can generally be taught to obey with positive reinforcement. However, you may
need to use a sharp tone if your dog is being stubborn.
Warnings:
Closely supervise your rottweiler if small children are near. They have a tendency to "herd"
children and to chase moving objects - which could include running children.