Rottweiler dog breed

Rottweiler puppies have small stomachs and should be fed small amounts 3-4 times a day. Reduce to once or twice a day for an adult dog. The daily amount to feed your dog will be on the food packaging, where you’ll also find the nutrient contents. Ask your vet if you are unsure of the best diet for your Rottweiler.

Rottweilers are an active breed that loves swimming, running and playing fetch. A Rottweiler’s exercise needs mean you’ll need to walk your dog for at least an hour a day but ideally more. Their love of exercise makes them excellent running buddies.

Rottweilers have a quiet temperament and are very intelligent, making them an easy dog to house train. They’re quick to learn and eager to please, making them a pleasure to train. Even puppy toilet training is a breeze. However, early socialising and training are extremely important for Rottweilers as it can teach them to be calm.

OCD is an inherited condition that refers to an unusual growth of cartilage in the joints. It affects puppies between the age of 4-10 months old. If your dog has OCD it will show signs of front leg lameness, with their elbows and feet facing slightly outwards. They will be in pain so will not want to move much.

The only treatment for this condition is surgery to remove the cartilage. This will help your dog, but OCD often leads to arthritis. Medication will be needed to help with the pain for the rest of your dog’s life.

This eye condition occurs in puppies and is often present at birth or within the first 12 weeks of their life. Dogs with retinal dysplasia will have abnormal folds or rosettes of retinal tissue. It’s not a painful condition, but it does reduce the dog’s vision. In severe cases, retinal detachment will occur in the dog’s first 6 months, causing blindness.

No treatment is available for this condition, but it is non-progressive. This means that it won’t get worse. Dogs can lead long, happy lives with reduced vision or blindness.

This condition affects the hip joint, causing pain and lameness in one or both hips. It’s not caused by a single factor, but some dogs are more likely to develop it through inheritance. Diet, exercise and growth rate can all cause the condition. Obesity or too much exercise will add strain on the bones and joints.

Hip dysplasia is where the ball-and-socket joint of the hip doesn’t fit properly. The hip joint surface rubs together, causing damage to the surface. An affected dog will have back leg weakness and lameness. The condition can affect one or both hips at the same time. It’s present from a young age when the bones are not fully developed.

Dogs with hip dysplasia will develop arthritis in later life, which causes pain and stiffness. But don’t worry, this can be managed with pain relief to reduce the inflammation. A dog with arthritis can have a reasonable quality of life if their weight is controlled and their exercise restricted.

Hip replacement surgery is an option for severe cases, but this is expensive and complex. Management at an early stage will mean fewer difficulties. Most pedigree dogs are x-rayed for the condition before breeding. By the time you get your puppy it will be too late to prevent hip dysplasia, so check with the breeder that the parents have been tested.
 

You may have heard of this condition in humans, particularly footballers. It refers to the ligaments that hold the knee in place, being torn by a twisting injury. These ligaments get weaker with age and will have excess strain if the dog is overweight.

The ligaments can tear slowly, or it can happen suddenly while the dog is running. Affected dogs will hop with one leg raised. They will have the tip of the toe resting on the ground but will not put any weight on that leg.

Large dogs will need surgery to replace the ligaments with man-made tape. Following this, they will need to wear a support bandage for a week to stop them from bending their leg. They will then have to be restricted to a small area and only taken out on lead exercise. Recovery from surgery is usually good, but the dog is likely to develop arthritis when they are older. This can be managed with medication.

Cannie Osteosarcoma (OSA) is a bone tumour that affects the skeleton of dogs. It’s most likely to appear on your dog’s legs but can also be present on their skull, spine or ribs.  

OSA can affect any breed at any age but is most common in large dogs as they get older.

Symptoms include swellings in a local area, and possibly even lameness in the affected leg. OSA can be incredibly painful for your dog so you may notice restlessness or other subtle signs they’re in pain.

Fortunately, there are several ways to treat OSA, including home care, radiation therapy, and in extreme cases, amputation. Speak with your vet as soon as possible if you suspect your Rottweiler is suffering from OSA.

Gastric dilation-volvulus or GDV is a bloated and twisted stomach. GDV is an extremely life-threatening condition and requires surgical treatment. 

GDV is most common in large, deep-chested dogs, Rottweilers included but no one really knows what causes a twisted stomach. 

While the true cause hasn’t been established, several factors appear to exacerbate it. These include:

• Exercise after a meal or travelling in a car
• Eating and drinking too quickly
• Eating from a raised bowl

Regardless of the cause, GDV is always an emergency and will require immediate surgery to untwist the stomach. 

Common signs of GDV in your Rottweiler include bloating, retching, vomiting and even collapse.
 

Rottweilers are energetic dogs built for an active lifestyle. This means they require lots of exercise, ideally one and a half to two hours a day. You should also find other ways to stimulate them, whether this is playtime, thinking games or interesting walks. 

Rottweilers are legal in the UK. While they are big dogs, a well-trained Rottweiler shouldn’t present much of a problem, even around strangers and other dogs. Like all dogs, you’re responsible for any harm that your pet may cause. 

Rottweilers are particularly fond of a cuddle with humans they know well and trust. However, like people, no two dogs are the same so your pet Rottweiler may have other ways of showing affection. On the whole though, Rottweilers are a very loving breed with those they’re particularly close to.