Rottweiler

Other Names: Rottie Dog Group Kennel Club: Working (AKC, KC) Appearance Rottweilers are one of the strongest and most powerful dogs for their size. They are solid muscular dogs. Coat Rottweilers have coarse flat coats. They are black in colour with rust markings on cheeks, muzzle, chest, legs, above the eyes and under the tail.

Weight: Females 84 lbs - Males 110 lbs

Average Life Span: 10 -12 years

Temperament
The ideal Rottweiler is quiet, even-tempered, obedient, easy to train, faithful and brave. Owning a Rottweiler is both a pleasure and a responsibility. They are good with children if raised with them from the start and if children are respectful of the dog. Rottweilers generally do well with other dogs if they have been socialized and trained properly, but can become aggressive with other dominant dogs. They are loyal and protective of their family and make excellent companion and guard dog. Rottweilers love human attention, separation from their owners can cause severe distress. This is an intelligent breed with a high energy level therefore boredom can easily lead to behavioural problems.

Owners should be knowledgeable about this breed type and the needs of the breed they are taking on.

Training
If not properly trained the protective nature of these dogs can lead them to dominate the household which could lead to many future problems. It is essential to train and socialise this breed from a puppy so that they know who is the boss of the household. Training should be firm, positively rewarded and consistent. These are confident and strong minded dogs that must be owned by responsible people committed to the care, training and exercise of their dog.

Grooming
Grooming requirements is fairly minimal due to their short coats, weekly brushing should be enough to remove dead hair keep the coat healthy.

Exercise
Rottweilers have medium to high exercise, and will need regular long daily walks to keep them happy and healthy.

Rottweiler Health Issues

Bloat (gastric torsion), though not a hereditary condition, frequently affects many breeds including the rottweiler. This is a very serious condition. When a dog bloats, the stomach can turn and block, causing a build up of gas. Unless treated quickly, bloat can be fatal. Signs of bloat include futile attempts to vomit and to salivate. Bloat, which may lead to cardiovascular collapse, usually occurs when exercise too closely follows eating. The incidence of bloat may be lessened by feeding adult dogs twice a day and, of course, by allowing a dog time to digest before taking him for a run in the park. Click Here for more information

Hip dysplasia, a malformation of the hip joint resulting in a poor fit between the head of the femur bone and the hip socket. This condition can be alleviated by surgery, at some cost to dog and owner. Because dysplastic dogs often produce dysplastic puppies, buyers should ask if both the sire and the dam of the puppy in which they are interested have been rated clear of hip dysplasia. Do not take yes for an answer without seeing a certificate, and ask for a copy to take to your veterinarian.

Panosteitis: an intermittent mild-to-severe lameness caused by a painful, inflammatory disease that affects the long bones of young, rapidly growing dogs. Reported to affect males more often than females, panosteitis may appear in one leg or in all four legs simultaneously.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA): is a family of diseases all involving the gradual deterioration of the retina. It is diagnosed by a retinoscopic exam or by means of an electroretinogram (ERG). Early in the disease, affected dogs become night-blind and lack the ability to see in dim light; later on daytime vision also fails. As their vision deteriorates, affected dogs adapt to their handicap very well, as long as their environment remains constant. Certain breeds are affected early in life, whereas in other breeds, PRA develops much later in onset.

Cataracts: cause a loss of the normal transparency of the lens of the eye. The problem can occur in one or both eyes and can lead to blindness.

Rottweiler History

The exact origin of the Rottweiler was never documented but the breed is thought to be a descendant of the mastiff type drover dogs of Ancient Rome. During Ancient Roman times very large armies were required for expeditions throughout Europe, the freshness of food became an important issue. No form of refrigeration meant that live cattle was needed to accompany the Roman Armies. This meant a dog capable of keeping the herd together during the long marches was needed. The drover dog was well suited to this task as well as guarding the cattle at night.

With time the Roman campsites developed sites of civilisation, with roads leading into different army camps. One road in Southern Germany led into a trading center, which became known as Rottweil. The butchers of Rottweil depended on their mastiff type dogs to herd cattle and pull meat carts to market. They were also used to guard them when they were walking back from market with their profits.

All of this led to increasing respect for the "butcher's dog", and local owners began selectively breeding them. They were considered superior to other dogs found in that area, the name "Rottweiler" was introduced. This name has remained until the present day.