Rottweilers are highly intelligent, confident, and courageous dogs whose size and appearance often make them intimidating. However, any owner will tell you just how sweet, affectionate, and playful they are. If you’re considering welcoming a Rottweiler into your home, you’re probably curious about what to expect in terms of lifespan.
Since Rotties are large dogs, they live shorter lives than other, smaller breeds. The average lifespan is between 9 and 10 years. Read on to learn more about how to care for a Rottweiler to extend their lifespan.
Rottweilers Average Lifespan
The average lifespan of a Rottweiler is between 9 and 10 years, though some can live to 12 years or more. This may be due in part to their high risk of developing health conditions. Routine veterinary exams can help keep Rotties healthy and allow your vet to create a baseline to help catch problems sooner. However, health and genetic testing before Rottweilers breed is also essential. Making sure breeding dogs are not carriers of certain hereditary conditions is critical in avoiding the production of puppies prone to these health issues.
How to Care for Your Rottweiler for a Long Lifespan?
While a Rottweiler’s lifespan is much shorter than their smaller breed counterparts, there are some things that owners can do to help their pets live as long as possible. The first step is to provide them with the best care right from the get-go. Of course, some factors are out of our control, but let’s take a closer look at the things we can control when considering how to extend the lifespan of our pets.
Feeding & Diet
The food a Rottweiler is fed can absolutely impact their lifespan. A Rottie fed a poor diet void of the nutrients necessary to promote health may be at risk of developing nutritional deficiencies. Those overfed can be prone to obesity.
Owners should offer their Rotties food that’s complete and balanced for their life stage. Puppies have different nutritional needs than their adult and senior counterparts. Puppies should be fed a puppy-specific diet three or four times daily due to their smaller stomachs and faster metabolisms. Feedings can be cut back to twice daily once they’ve reached adulthood. Feedings can be cut back to twice daily once they’ve reached adulthood. Feeding multiple smaller meals may help prevent bloat and gastric dilatation-volvulus which is most commonly seen in large deep chested breeds like Rotties.
Environment
Genuinely happy dogs are healthier because they’re not under stress or anxious. To increase a Rottweiler’s happiness, owners must cater their environment to be more dog-friendly.
Rottweilers are pretty adaptable dogs that can live happily on farms, in urban neighborhoods, or even in apartments. Though most people often don’t consider large breeds suitable for apartment living, with proper training, care, and attention, Rotties can do well in such dwellings. Owners must ensure that their dogs have plenty of opportunities to burn off energy outside.
Since Rotties bond so closely with their humans, they love nothing more than being part of the family. They’ll want to tag along on all their owner’s outdoor adventures, including runs, hikes, and swims.
Care
Caring for your Rottweiler includes ensuring their physical and mental needs are met daily. Rotties are brilliant dogs with high energy levels and physical strength to match. They’ll need anywhere from one to two hours of exercise daily. This can include activities like walking, playing ball, agility training, puzzle feeders, and visits to the dog park.
Rottweilers are very loyal and affectionate dogs and, as such, bond very closely with their humans. They can develop separation anxiety if left alone for too long too often, which can lead to distress behaviors like excessive barking, house soiling, and destruction. Potential owners must consider their lifestyle and work schedule before adopting to ensure they have enough time to spend with their pups.
Pairing/Breeding
As mentioned above, if you plan to breed your Rottweiler, it is essential to have the recommended health testing done beforehand. This significantly reduces the risk of your dog passing on potentially life-limiting hereditary health conditions to their offspring.
Healthcare
Owners must do their due diligence when choosing a puppy to adopt to increase the chances of their Rottweiler living as long as possible. Genetics plays a significant role in a dog’s health and longevity, so it’s essential to only support responsible breeders who perform health and genetic screenings before producing puppies.
Rottweilers can develop numerous health issues, such as:
- Elbow or hip dysplasia
- Cranial cruciate ligament rupture
- Osteosarcoma
- Gastric dilatation-volvulus
- Subaortic stenosis
The Life Stages of a Rottweiler
Puppy (0–1 year)
The puppy development process for Rottweilers consists of five stages.
Neonatal (0–2 weeks)
Puppies are born with only their sense of taste and touch. They rely entirely on their mothers.
Transitional (2–4 weeks)
Sensory development begins, and puppies will start to hear and smell.
As their teeth start to emerge and their eyes open, puppies begin to develop their personalities. This stage is crucial for Rottweilers, although owners may not have much control over it as puppies are usually adopted between 7 and 12 weeks old. During this period, puppies learn about themselves and others, experiment with different play styles, and start developing social skills.
Between 3 and 6 months, Rottie puppies enter the testing stage where they start pushing boundaries and exhibiting problematic behaviors, highlighting the importance of training during this phase.
Adolescence, which occurs between 6 and 18 months, marks the transition into the teen years for Rottweilers. Hormonal changes can affect their behavior, and due to their slower maturation rate compared to smaller breeds, Rotties may not reach full maturity until they’re two or three years old.
In adulthood (3-8 years), Rotties reach physical and mental maturity, becoming the strongest and healthiest they’ll be. Proper socialization and training during their puppyhood make adult Rotties easier to handle, allowing them to explore hobbies and activities.
As Rottweilers enter the senior stage (8+ years), they may experience age-related health issues, emphasizing the need for proper nutrition, exercise, and veterinary care. While they may start slowing down, any changes in behavior should be closely monitored and discussed with a vet.
Determining a Rottweiler’s age can be challenging without a birth date, but factors like teeth development, coat color changes, eye appearance, and weight distribution can provide clues. Regular veterinary care and a good upbringing can help Rotties live long and healthy lives, offering owners years of love and companionship. The sentence is not provided. Please provide the sentence you would like me to rewrite.