Rottweiler: Size, Lifespan and Care Basics

The American Kennel Club (AKC) gives the Rottweiler a life expectancy of 9 to 10 years. The Royal Kennel Club (RKC) in the UK puts the breed in its “under 10 years” band.

Both figures describe the breed as a whole. They are ranges for typical dogs of the breed, not a forecast for any one dog.

Of the 30 breeds profiled on Pettify, 26 have a longer upper estimate than the Rottweiler and 0 a shorter one.

The RKC suggests grooming a Rottweiler once a week and describes the coat as short; it lists the breed as one that sheds. On the AKC’s scales the breed rates 3 out of 5 for shedding and 1 out of 5 for how often the coat needs care.

Both clubs class the coat as short. The AKC adds that the coarse outer hair lies flat and that undercoat grows on the neck and thighs, and its routine is a weekly brush with a bath at regular intervals.

The AKC expects two heavier sheds a year, usually in spring and fall, with the rest of the year fairly light. Brushing more often during those weeks keeps the loose hair under control.

The RKC puts the exercise a Rottweiler needs at more than 2 hours a day. The AKC rates the breed 3 out of 5 for energy and 5 out of 5 for mental stimulation needs.

Rottweilers were bred to drive cattle. Walks and a steady trot are among the activities the AKC says they love, and they enjoy them most when their own people come along. A daily outlet is a must for a dog this muscular.

Give the breed work as well as distance. The AKC says Rottweilers pick up carting easily and do well in herding, tracking and obedience, so training sessions can count toward the more than 2 hours a day the RKC recommends.

The AKC gives the adult weight of the Rottweiler as “95–135 pounds (male), 80–100 pounds (female)”, which is 43.1–61.2 kg for males and 36.3–45.4 kg for females. The height at the shoulder is 24–27 inches (male), 22–25 inches (female).

The breed’s roots go back to the mastiff-type dogs that marched with Roman armies, driving the cattle the soldiers took along as food and guarding their camps. Centuries later the type was at work in Rottweil, a market town in southwest Germany, moving livestock and protecting the dealers who traded it. One RKC anecdote has farmers heading home from market with their money bags tied to the dog’s collar, trusting its protective nature to keep the money safe.

When railways took over the cattle trade in the 1800s, the dogs moved into police and protection work, and the RKC notes they have since served the armed forces as well. The first German breed standard dates from 1901, and the AKC admitted the breed to its Stud Book in 1931.

Affection for family rates 5 out of 5, the top score. Outsiders get a more reserved 3 out of 5. In the AKC’s portrait the aloofness is for strangers only: at home a Rottie can turn playful, even silly, and its size will not stop it from attempting a lap.

Trainability is top-rated too, at 5 out of 5. The RKC is frank that the breed has had bad press, often through owners who wanted a tough image, and that it needs responsible people who can put its intelligence and energy to use. The AKC calls for early training and socialization to steer its territorial instincts. Young children and other dogs both get a middle 3 out of 5, which makes that early work count.

Space matters as well: the RKC’s lines call for a large house with a large garden, and either town or country will do. In Pettify’s care plan a Rottweiler counts as a puppy until 15 months, a long stretch in which to build good habits.