There isn’t a dog in the
entire animal kingdom that looks as fierce and dangerous as a
Rottie does. With their heavy, bulky bodies, ferocious-looking
teeth and devil-black coloring, it’s easy to see why some people
consider them nothing more than vicious animals they want
nothing to do with.
But the truth of the matter
is there’s a lot more to a Rottie than their looks! They look the
way they do because they were originally bred to help ranchers drive
cattle to market. They were also used to help pull carts for
butchers. Rotties were even one of the first breeds of dog to serve
with both the police for and the army. They are very popular dogs
for anyone looking for a guardian.
The breed originated in
Germany, where farmers and butchers needed large, heavily muscles
dogs to help them with everyday chores like pulling carts or driving
large herds of cattle. This is evident in the build of their bodies:
they have very broad chests and their bodies are almost entirely
made up of muscle!
There’s no way around it –
Rotties are very large dogs. They typically stand between 22 and 27
inches at the shoulder and weigh between 85 and 130 pounds depending
on their gender. Females, naturally, are smaller, meaning they are
around 22 to 25 inches at the shoulder and average between 85 pounds
and 115 pounds. Males measure 24 to 27 inches at the shoulder and
weigh between 95 pounds and 130 pounds.
Rotties have gained their bad
reputations because of how fierce they are, but what people failed
to realize is that Rotties are fierce in defense of their families!
They have a very strong natural instinct to protect their families
and walk a fine line between protectiveness and aggressiveness.
Because of this, Rotties need to be properly trained so that their
protectiveness doesn’t go overboard and injure someone.
A properly raised and trained
Rottie should be calm and confident. They’re never timid or fearful
around strangers but they will probably show very little interest in
anyone who’s outside of their family circles – they just don’t care
about anyone who’s not in their family. They tend to hang back and
“wait and see” when it comes to new people. That means that,
properly socialized, a Rottie being used as a guard dog should have
a mellow disposition – except when under attack, of course. If they
are not properly socialized, they can turn into dangerous bullies
and quickly spiral out of their owner’s control.
Rotties are also prone to
trying to prove that “they’re the boss” so you have to make sure
your Rottie understands that you are the boss. A Rottie who thinks
he’s above his owner is a recipe for disaster.
That may make it seem like
Rotties are just big brutes who require constant supervision to make
sure they’re kept under control, but that’s not the case. If trained
properly, Rotties are gentle, playful and extremely loving towards
their families. They love nothing more than being with their owners.
Just don’t expect them to be the friendliest dog in the dog park!
Rotties are actually fairly
easy to train if you know how to do it right. They need to be
treated with respect, not babied, but they’ll happily learn anything
you want to teach them because they want nothing more than to please
their owner.
Rotties are not the most
long-lived dog breeds – their lifespan typically ranges between 8
and 11 years. They are prone to hip and elbow dysplasia and often
develop arthritis in their joints. And like most large breed dogs,
they often develop osteosarcoma, an aggressive bone cancer. Make
sure to keep a careful eye on your Rottie so you notice any health
problems before they progress too far!
Rotties are not a good breed
for anyone who has never handled a dog before. In addition to the
training they need to really thrive in a household, an owner also
has to deal with the stigma that these dogs are mindless, vicious
creatures that attack people for no reason. That’s not the case at
all, but few people are willing to take the time to find out just
how gentle these giants can be! However, if you’re willing to
properly train a Rottie, you’ll have one of the best companions the
animal kingdom has to offer at your side for a good long while.
Attention: To discover how
YOU can have the Happiest, Healthiest and Best Behaved Rottweiler,
get a copy of this Rottweiler Guide
NOW!
