Rottweiler Breed description: Character & Co

Breed characteristics and temperament of the Rottweiler

Prominent characteristics of this breed are their loyalty, fearlessness, strength and reliability. The Rottweiler is a self-confident, extremely alert and attentive dog, with a pronounced willingness to defend itself and a great sense of courage. This makes this dog an excellent protection and utility dog, which is why it is nowadays mainly used by protection services or the police. Despite its appearance, the Rottweiler is a peaceful and obedient dog when trained well. This affectionate, easy to lead and work-loving utility dog is very popular with dog owners, especially the police and military.

Attitude and upbringing?

The Rottweiler is not recommendable for first-time dog owners. They belong in the hands of an experienced dog owner with an appropriate amount of assertiveness. The dog's naturally pronounced self-confidence can easily turn into dominant behaviour. In some federal states (e.g. Hesse, Bavaria, Brandenburg, Hamburg and North Rhine-Westphalia) the Rottweiler is considered a list dog, i.e. it is classified as dangerous due to its breed characteristics. For list dogs, a permission requirement and a character test is necessary. Despite its classification as a list dog, the Rottweiler is a good-natured dog, which is also fond of children and is therefore often kept as a family dog. Reports of biting attacks by Rottweiler dogs occur regularly, but such incidents are mostly due to a bad upbringing and keeping as well as insufficient socialisation of the dogs. Some experts also recommend that the Rottweiler should wear a muzzle in public for safety reasons. If you're considering this, it is best to get your dog used to it early and make sure that the muzzle fits them comfortably. With this dog breed, however, a consistent education from puppy age onwards is of great importance. Only with absolutely consistent behaviour by the dog owner, whom the dog perceives as an authority, it will learn to behave correctly. An early socialisation of the Rottweiler puppies is also part of training. The right behaviour around strangers and other dogs must be learned. If you want to get a Rottweiler puppy, the attending of a dog school is recommended to be able to train your dog correctly. If you are looking for a dog to protect you in tricky situations, the Rottweiler is a good choice, always provided you show them who their master is, otherwise they will take the lead themselves.

Buying a Rottweiler

You can buy a Rottweiler, rescue a Rottweiler or dedicate yourself to Rottweiler breeding. If you have decided to buy a Rottweiler, you need to find a reputable breeder.

A Rottweiler costs around 1000 Euro, if it comes from good breeding. Mixed breeds and dogs from a breeding without papers are of course cheaper. However, unexpected medical conditions are more likely to occur. Inform yourself well and think about where your priorities lie.

Alternatively, you can of course look for a suitable dog from an animal shelter. In any case, these dogs deserve a second chance, since they usually get into this unfortunate situation through no fault of their own. If dog owners become ill or die or simply do not have enough time for their dog, the best case scenario is that they end up in an animal shelter. If you adopt a Rottweiler from a shelter, you should be aware that you may not be getting yourself into an easy task. Not least because some of these dogs are traumatised. For breeding Rottweilers you usually need a permission of the responsible veterinary office according to paragraph 11 paragraph 1 No. 3a of the animal protection law (TierSchG). This is the case if you want to breed or sell dogs commercially.

Care and health

The coat care of the Rottweiler is simple. Occasional brushing is sufficient. In addition to this, you need to look after their teeth and regularly check their ears. The latter is important to protect the drooping ears of the dog from inflammation. Rottweilers are normally not very prone to diseases. The life expectancy of healthy dogs is about 9 - 10 years. But there are some breed related diseases:

• Heart problems: Many Rottweilers suffer from heart vein constriction and heart failure. These dogs tire quickly, get out of breath and suffer from cardiac arrhythmia. This disease is hereditary.
• Degenerative spinal cord inflammation. This is an injury of the spine, which causes fluid to accumulate in blood vessels and causes inflammation. Inflammation is caused by improper, messy movements.
• Hip joint (HD) and elbow dysplasia (ED): These are malformations of joint balls or acetabular cups in the hip region or a maldevelopment of the forearms. HD is usually caused by hereditary defects. The ED is often caused by excessive strain of the dog's elbows (e.g. frequently climbing stairs).
• Osteochondrosis: This disease results in a disturbed cartilage detachment of the joint. The dog walks unsteadily and limps. The causes are hereditary defects, circulatory disorders or excessive stress.