If you want to buy or adopt a Rottweiler here are some great Rottweiler facts to help you raise your Rottweiler. Some of these Rottweiler facts are ones that you have heard of before like the Rottie is from Germany. But others I bet you did not know if like: Germany is also the home to one of the oldest Rottweiler clubs in the world.
We will go ahead and debunk a Rottweiler myth right here and now! Some people still think Rottweilers are dangerous dogs. While it’s true they can be, as with most other dogs, but 99% of the Rottweiler community have a loving, loyal, and affectionate Rottweiler.
They can be territorial or aggressive dogs by nature, but most after a quick bark and an inspection of the new person, would give them an opportunity to give him/her a great butt rub!
The bottom line is if you raise them to be mean, they’ll be mean. If you raise them to be kind, lovable, and well socialized, then that’s how they’ll be. With the proper training in all conditions, this dog breed will win over even the coldest of hearts!
1 – Oldest Herding Breed
Did you know that Rottweilers are one of the oldest herding breeds in the world? In 70 AD the ancient Romans took the Rottweiler from the Germans or as they called them back then Germanians use them in herding huge herds of cattle and as war dogs.
2 – Butcher Dog’s of Rottweil
Rottweilers over the many years were used for many things as herding dogs, military dogs, to just before the age of trains they were even used as cart dogs that hauled the butcher’s meats to and from the marketplace.
They pulled double duty as cart guards and they protected the merchant’s money from being stolen. No one in their right mind would try and steal a pouch of money from the butcher who is surrounded by highly aggressive Rottweilers.
3 – Obedience Training
Rottweilers are very easy to train, the trick is like with anything, is to start when they’re young. Rottweilers especially as they grow older into the “teenage stage” are known to be very stubborn at times. Use positive reinforcement training to get your Rottweiler to fully respect your commands as the pack alpha. If you are having trouble training and or don’t know how to train your dog we have a great training article for you to read.
4 – Caring and Loving
Rottweilers have gotten a bad reputation due to Hollywood and some unsavory people. Rotties, by nature, are very caring, loving, and playful. For those Rottweiler about half the time its not the dogs fault but the owner, for the other half its an out of control dog who’s owners are inexperienced or simply over powered.
5 – Natural Watchdogs
You don’t have to train your Rottweiler to be a guard dog because they are naturally born guard dogs! The Rottweiler has a natural inclination to guard the family they have a wait and see attitude and will alert you to the fact that someone or something entered your yard or house.
6 – Police Dogs
The Rottweiler was used as a war dog by the Germans before the Romans took them on as their own guard/war dogs. Since then they have been used all across the world, in a variety of ways, but in most western countries Rottweilers are not used as police dogs.
For the simple reason that they are just too big and strong, an adult Rottweiler can weigh as much as 130 pounds and their bite can be as much as 328 pounds per square inch.
So, in general, they are just too big both in size, stature, and in their bite force for a police officer to feel comfortable controlling.
Besides the majority of police say that the Rottweiler is a great defensive dog breed while the German Shepherd is a great offensive dog to have.
7 – Proper Socialization
You must take your Rottweiler out into the public at a young age, and on a daily basis, if they do not get the proper amount of socialization as a young squirt. Then the chances of having a very aggressive and uncontrollable dog is highly likely.
8 – Child Safety
The Rottweiler will get along very well with the baby and he or she will protect their “baby” and go after the offending person. Even if the screaming of the baby is one that is playful the Rottweiler will only know that their “kid” is in trouble and head straight towards the screams and see whats up.
9 – Germany is Home to One of the Oldest Rottweiler Clubs.
The German Rottweiler Club name is: the Allgemeiner Deutscher Rottweiler-Klub, aka the ADRK. It was founded in 1917 and its HQ is in Minden Germany.
10 – Hip Dysplasia
The Rottweiler has been one of the world’s favorites since 50AD, and so it is not surprising for a dog of this age to have hip problems from over breeding and breeding from within the same heritage.
11 – Carefully Introduce Your New Puppy
If your Rottweiler is an adult and you plan on bringing in a new animal to the family especially another dog, introduce it CAREFULLY. Rottweilers can be very aggressive to other animals especially dogs of the same sex. You might even consider getting a dog specialist to help you introduce the new dog.
12 – Consistent Training
Rottweilers can be very pushy, they will always test your rules, so give clear and consistent instructions. If your Rottweiler breaks a rule, make sure to reinforce that rule through stern discipline, otherwise, they will start breaking other rules. And will soon start ruling the house and its occupants rather than being subservient to you the alpha pack leader.
13 – Obesity Problems
Rottweilers will overeat if given the opportunity, make sure to give her the right amount of food so that she does not get overweight.
14 – A Very Intelligent Breed
Rottweilers are an intelligent breed and except for their stubborn streak, they are fast learners. Often, intelligent dogs get into trouble because they need something to do. So if they are destroying everything maybe they are trying to tell you that they need some mental stimulation to keep their agile brains occupied.
15 – Exercise
Some Rottweilers are like the Energizer bunny and need more than an hour of exercise just to be inside the house without bouncing off the walls.
While there are some Rottweilers that need only a 30 to 45-minute daily exercise routine window and after that are fine sleeping in the house or wandering around a yard.
16 – Rottweilers Have a Love of Gourmet Human Food
Rottweilers love food!!!! And can be very persuasive about you “dropping” food into their bowl or on the floor. Don’t be fooled by their sad puppy eyes as they watch you eat your food or prep it, they love eating all types of food when ever they can get it.
17 – Where Does the Name Rottweiler Come From?
The Rottweiler is named after a town called Weiler which is in Germany
18 – Near Extinction!
Did you know Rottweilers almost went extinct in the mid-1800! But lovers of the Rottweiler slowly brought them back and by 1900 the Rottweiler was back in its former spot.
19 – Celebrity Owners
Millions of people love Rottweilers! Even a few celebrities like Will Smith, Bruno Mars, Leonardo DiCaprio, and many more!
20 – A Very Popular Breed
According to the AKC, the Rottweiler is the 8th most popular dog to own!
21 – A Few Bad Apples
Thanks again to the Hollywood movies and the few bad apples in our society some cities and countries have banned the Rottweiler!
22 – Separation Anxiety
Rottweilers tend to become lonely. So if you’re gone often and for long periods of time the Rottweiler may not be the perfect fit. You literally become the puppy’s whole world!
23 – The Rottie’s PSI
Thanks to the Rottweiler’s big head, this is a powerful breed and they have an impressively strong bite, their jaws are stronger than the German Shepherd and the Pitbull with a bite force of 328 PSI (Per Square Inch).
24 – Crating
Crating your dog may be a useful thing to have sometimes, but I have never and most likely will never crate any of my future dogs. That is up to each person on whether he/she personally feels about it.
25 – Rottie attitude
The Rottweiler has a wait and sees attitude to anything and anyone new coming into his/her domain. So don’t be surprised if you see them waiting in the best tactical place in their territory may that be on the deck looking down upon you. And or waiting by the gate in order to inspect you to their satisfaction.
26 – Personalities
Rottie puppies with great personalities should be playful, curious, and be willing to approach and be held by people. But as they grow older the puppy’s demeanor will change to being suspicious of strangers yet loving, caring, very playful, and eager to please its family members.
27 – Average Lifespan
The Rottweiler has many sever health issues, like the bone cancer, and so their average lifespan is around 8-10 years.
28 – A Very High Rate of Deadly Bone Cancer
Osteosarcoma is a very aggressive bone cancer, and sadly Rottweilers and Great Danes are especially susceptible to getting a positive test for bone cancer.
29 – Family Hierarchy
Rottweilers need to know that they are at the bottom of the totem pole when it concerns being in the human pack, but it is fine for them to be at the top of the dog pack. As long as they follow your commands, if they however begin to challenge your orders by:
- refusing to comply with your commands
- snapping or growling at you if you touch his/her toys or food
- staring into your eyes, and not looking away is another very important key factor. (The Rottweiler should always look away after staring into your eyes for only a second or two. In the dog world staring into the other alpha’s eyes and not backing down is a sign that they are challenging the alpha.)
- Your dog claims a spot on the couch or bed before you and does not move even after pushing or shoving.
- knocking you down when he/she tries to get out of the house first.
- marking in the house.
- mounting you or other animals in the house.
- constant pulling on a walk
30 – Signs That Your Dog Respects You As The Pack Leader
- Your dog walks behind you inside and outside your house (A sign of respect and contentment in the pack order)
- Following your commands almost immediately
- Brings you toys and other items valued by the dog
- Allows you to touch the dogs toys
- Backs away if you come and grab the food or treat away from him or her
- Chooses his own seat only after you pick and choose the best seat for your self
- Then coming and sitting nest to you showing even more respect by allowing you to be the protector of him or her
- Lets you go in and out of the house with out being bowled over like a pin
- Does not mark with in the house
- Breaking eye contact first
31 – Boundaries
Setting clear boundaries will earn you respect from the Rottweiler which takes a lot of time and training. Tho if you talk to other Rottweiler owners they say that its actually impossible to set personal boundaries like following you to the bathroom. Deciding to sit in your lap even though they are 140lbs.
32 – Energy Level
Some Rottweilers can be a hurricane of energy needing two or three very long walks, jogs, or runs while others can have a surprising lack of energy and only need a half-hour or more of brisk walking.
33 – Shedding
Rottweilers have a double coat, and that means that during the shedding season which is fall and spring. You will be swamped in last year’s coat, you will need to brush them at least four times a day with a firm bristle brush and or a Furminator.
34 – Herding
Rottweilers love to herd people around, by herding I mean Bumping or nipping. This action can hurt a child and or senior.
35 – Lapdogs?
Rotties love to be on laps despite their large size! So be ready for your rottie to try and sneak onto your lap!
36 – Biased Opinions
Due to the breed of your dog, you will always receive biased opinions and judgments about your dog Rottweilers are a breed to love, ready to love you for life. If you have a rottie or labrottie, send us your photos to share… we would love to see them!
37 – Rottweilers Will Be Extremely Stubborn
Until you have a Rottweiler, it is very hard to imagine how stubborn they can be at times. How ever if you have previously owned a Rottweiler then you know how stubborn one can be if they have something that they want to do and you are not letting them do it.
38 – Rottweilers and Eye Contact
Rottweilers unlike other dogs will make eye contact with a human if he or she does not do it first. They will stare right into your eyes as you walk up and by them they won’t shy and look up towards your eyes and then away or look quickly back down or to the side like other dog breeds.
So make some eye contact but don’t be aggressive Rottweilers are a powerful breed. They are pre-haps not the most powerful breed but they will still mess up your day if you don’t treat them with the right respect and authority.
39 – Rottweilers Playing in the House
Rottweilers are like bulls in a china shop… that is to say they will crash, break, & skid all through out the house when they get reeved up about something. So make sure to keep your precious objects high above the Rottweilers wild tail.
Ode to Rocky the Beloved Rottweiler
By Dianna Reiser
I’m in the process of grieving my beautiful almost 4-year-old rottie, Rocky. I agree with your article, however, besides cancer, Rottie’s are prone to have seizures, at least that is what our vet told us. That is how we lost Rocky yesterday. I just wanted to say you were right, they are the most loving breed. Everyone (people I didn’t even know) knew his name and would always say hi to him walking by our yard. Rocky the Rottie!
He absolutely loved car rides and walks around the neighborhood. He got along with almost every dog ( he was never the aggressor) he was always friendly meeting other dogs. I also like to note he gave me the one thing no human could ever do… he always made me feel safe and protected. He loved our family and was so good with our children.
Tires on the other hand were another story! Rocky loved chasing tires and chewing them… we had to replace a few of my son’s bike tires lol. But mainly I wanted to say I love my Rottweiler so much and my heart is broken. Good job spreading the word. They are a loving dog breed!
He was a big boy 130 lbs! This is him on his car rides & with his favorite toy! A binky, that picture always makes me laugh because that’s our ferocious guard dog with a binky in his mouth, it was the only toy he didn’t chew apart. But it pretty much summed up his personality..a gentle giant, thank you for listening to my story. Lucky to have had him in my life, even if it was a short time. Image by Dianna R.
Conclusion of the article
Thank you for reading Rottweiler Facts, we hope you have enjoyed it, there will be more Rottweiler Facts come soon. If you thought that we missed a few Rottweiler Facts then please email us and we will be sure to add them in along with a tribute!
For those of you who have or are going to get a new puppy! We have several dog name article just for you.
We also have an article on Rottweiler health issues and have added Dianna’s comment about rottweilers being prone to seizures.
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Do you have a mixed dog breed? And want to know what breed he/she is? But don’t know which dog DNA test kit to use? Well, we recently did a DNA test for Zeus, and boy are the results shocking!
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With dogs, as with people, no one type is all good or all bad. It redounds to training and socialization first and foremost. So for you to enjoy the best life with your dogs, remember, as The Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan always says,
“Exercise, discipline and affection, in that order.”
~Cesar Millan, dog psychologist, author, b.8/27/1969
A dog to love!
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