Breed Profile: Rottweiler

This is perhaps one of the scarier breeds of dogs. Rottweilers are incredibly menacing in their body composition and in their presence. When I was very young, my family's next door neighbors owned a Rottweiler named Bear. At the time, we had a black Lab and I can remember every day Bear would come over to our yard and play with our dog. There was never any show of aggression by either of the two dogs, and looking at today's society it's hard to imagine how we got so out of control with worrying about "aggressive" breeds, and banning certain breeds.

My post today is to inform you about Rottweilers and hopefully after you have finished reading my post, they won't be so scary. It is especially important that you watch the videos I post, some of you out there may have your doubts about this breed and I think the videos I chose to put on here will show you that sometimes the breed doesn't matter - it is the individual dog's personality that deems it aggressive or non-aggressive.

Physical Description of the Rottweiler:

Height: 23 - 26 inches

Weight: 90 - 125 pounds

Life Expectancy: 10 - 12 years

The Rottweiler is an incredibly powerful breed of dog. They are short but very muscular. Their head is very blocky in shape, but their eyes give off an expression of loyalty and devotion. Their coat is very short and their hair is coarse and very thick. The color can be black with brown markings, but there can also be a red variety as well.

Personality of the Rottweiler:

Rottweilers are very calm, easily trained dogs and they are incredibly loyal to their families. Be careful, this breed can be wary of strangers and if not trained properly may be aggressive towards them. When training this breed, you need to be very firm and keep him under control otherwise you will have a strong-willed adult that you will have difficulty controlling. Rottweilers need companionship and socialization in order to lead a truly happy life. Please enjoy the following videos demonstrating how a perfectly trained Rottweiler can and will act around small children.

Exercising Your Rottweiler:

Because this breed is so strong, they need to be taken on daily walks of considerable length. If left with too much energy they will be hyper inside your home, possibly destroying everything in sight. The good news about Rottweilers is that they can never have too much exercise making them a perfect companion for a jogger or biker.

Living Requirements for Your Rottweiler:

If given enough exercise, you can keep this breed in a larger apartment. A word of caution here: some apartment complexes have bans against certain breeds of dogs, this does include Rottweilers so pay close attention to your lease and the wishes of your landlord. A house with a yard is an ideal setting as they will get plenty of exercise outdoors roaming free.

Common Health Issues of Rottweilers:

Due to it's short, stocky build, the Rottweiler is prone to ACL damage as well as hip dysplasia. If you are a light sleeper be warned this breed can snore (loudly at times), and will also drool frequently. Be sure to have your Rottweiler puppy examined by your veterinarian to check their joints and muscles to make sure everything is developing properly. Also be sure to take him in for his once a year check up to ensure his joints stay in wonderful shape!