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How Long Do Rottweilers Live?

Rottweilers can be excellent household pets because they are intelligent dogs that love to be around people. If you’re interested in adopting a Rottie, you may be wondering “how long do Rottweilers live?

On average, Rottweilers live between 8 to 10 years. Female Rottweilers typically live 10 months longer than males. However, the level of care a Rottweiler receives from its owners plays a big role in the length of its lifespan.

Are you interested in learning more about a Rottweiler’s lifespan? You’re on the right page. Today, we’re going to discuss how long Rottweilers live on average. We will also cover how owners can help their dogs live a longer and better quality of life. eep reading to learn more.

How Long Do Rottweilers Live?

If you’re planning on adopting a Rottweiler, you can expect it to live between 8 to 10 years. Keep in mind, that this is the average lifespan for a typical healthy Rottweiler. A dog’s lifespan could be shortened due to an illness or disease. Luckily, many of these illnesses can be prevented with adequate care from the dog’s owner.

Read Also: Do Rottweilers Fart?

Compared to other dogs of similar size, Rottweilers tend to have shorter lifespans. As we mentioned above, females live an average of 10 months longer than males. It is believed that reproduction could extend the dog’s lifespan. 

Create Good Quality of Life For a Rottweiler

How you care for your Rottweiler will be a big factor in its lifespan. A Rottie that is healthy and happy will have a better quality of life and possibly live longer. 

As a dog owner, you may be wondering what you can do to help your Rottweiler live longer. Let’s take a look at some of the top ways that you can improve the quality of life for your Rottweiler.

Exercise Every Day

Rottweilers were originally bred as working dogs, so this isn’t the type of breed that will be happy laying around the house all day. In order to stay happy and healthy, a Rottie needs at least 2 hours of exercise each day. This can be done in segments so you don’t wear out all the dog’s energy at once.

In order to make sure your dog is getting enough physical activity, you will need to take it for a walk at least twice a day, allow it to run around outside and play in the backyard, and provide the dog with toys that it can play with. This will help to ensure your dog gets enough activity throughout the day.

Exercise isn’t just important for wearing off energy. It helps to prevent the dog from becoming obese so it doesn’t suffer from pain or illnesses. Obese dogs are at a higher risk of a number of health problems, including:

  • Respiratory difficulties
  • Diabetes
  • Heart illness
  • Skin conditions/ diseases
  • Arthritis ; more

Nutritious Diet 

Along with regular exercise, your Rottweiler needs a well-balanced diet that meets all of its nutritional needs. This is why you need to make sure you are feeding the dog good quality food. Always check the ingredients list before buying food because this will do a better job than the price tag at letting you know if the food is worth it or not.

Never buy food that contains filler and other unknown ingredients. Not only is this food unhealthy, but it will pass through our Rottweiler’s digestive system too fast. When this happens, they get very little nutrients from the food and are still hungry not long after they’ve eaten. 

Make sure the dog food you buy has a good quality protein listed as the first ingredient. If the protein is listed as a meal, it’s not good quality. For example:

  • Chicken listed as the main protein is good quality
  • Chicken meal listed as the main protein is poor quality

The food should also feature a healthy grain (or be grain-free) and a vegetable. Sweet potatoes, carrots, and green beans are among some of the vegetables that are good for dogs to consume.

Ask Your Vet About Supplements

Rottweilers are at risk of health problems, which is why we recommend that you ask your vet about supplements. They will be able to recommend supplements based on your Rottweiler’s health as needed.

Don’t Forget About Mental Stimulation

Rottweilers are intelligent dogs that were originally bred for the purpose of being work dogs. Even if a Rottie has a leisurely lifestyle as a house pet, it will still have working dog instincts. For that reason, you will need to provide your dog with mental activity to keep it from becoming bored or depressed.

If a Rottweiler doesn’t get mental stimulation, it could become destructive and ruin items around your house. So, how do dog owners provide their Rottweilers with enough mental stimulation?

  • Obedience training
  • Food dispensing toys or scavenger hunts that make the dog work for food or treats
  • Puzzle toys for dogs
  • Allow your Rottweiler to sniff and explore new places when taking it for a walk
  • Teach your Rottie the name of its toys, then play “Go find the _”
  • Build DIY obstacle courses or agility courses in your backyard
  • Hide a treat under 3 similar cups and shuffle them around, then get your Rottie to choose which one’s hiding the treat
  • Play with your Rottweiler often

Maintain a Grooming Schedule

Keeping your Rottweiler clean is important for its quality of life. If you keep up with a regular grooming schedule, your dog will look and feel better. One of the good things about Rottweilers is they have a short coat. This makes it easier to keep them clean and reduces the risk of flea infestations.

Keep in mind, that your dog should still be treated for flea and ticks as directed by your vet. This will prevent them from the risk of illnesses and diseases caused by fleas and stop the pests from biting your dog

You should brush your Rottie at least once a week, although your dog won’t mind more frequent brushing. This will reduce shedding and help with blood circulation. Since these dogs have short fur, they don’t trap as much debris and dander. For that reason, you only need to bathe the dog as needed every 2 to 8 weeks. 

Annual Checkups

It’s important for your dog’s health that it receives an annual wellness check from the vet. The vet will give your dog a full exam, which includes:

  • Check the dog from head to tail
  • Dental checkup
  • Vaccinations 

The vet will also ask you questions related to your dog’s health to get an overall of its wellness. We also recommend that you look into health insurance for pets if you plan to adopt a Rottweiler. Even if you go to lengths to ensure the dog has a healthy lifestyle, it could still suffer from a hereditary health problem that could affect its lifespan.

What Health Problem Do Rottweilers Have?

Unfortunately, Rottweilers are at risk of a number of health problems. A reputable dog breeder will do a full examination of the dogs it uses for breeding to ensure there aren’t any health problems, deformities, or defects that could be passed down to the puppies in its litter. However, even healthy Rotties can be a risk of certain health problems. 

This is one of the reasons why exercise and a healthy diet are so important for a Rottweiler’s well-being. If the dog is overweight, it is at a higher risk of a number of problems. Rottweilers are at risk of orthopedic problems and hip dysplasia, which can be triggered if the dog had more weight than its body can manage.  

Some other health issues that Rottweilers are at risk of include:

  • Cranial cruciate ligament tear
  • Hip and elbow dysplasia
  • Osteochondrosis dissecans
  • Panosteitis
  • Bloat
  • Parvovirus
  • Von Willebrand disease
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Subaortic stenosis
  • Vitiligo
  • Eye problems
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Wobbler’s disease
  • Hansen type II disc degeneration
  • Cancer ; more 

If you want your Rottweiler to live a long and happy life, make sure you don’t skip its annual wellness check. Your vet will be able to detect early signs of disease or illness in your dog. 

Final Thoughts

How long do Rottweilers live? On average, a Rottweiler should live for 8 to 10 years. Female Rottweilers are known to live for an average of 10 months longer than male dogs. If you want your Rottweiler to live a longer and healthier life, it’s important that you create a good routine for the dog. Always make sure your dog is eating good food made from ingredients you’re familiar with.

Activity is also a big part of making sure your Rottweiler lives a long and healthy lifespan. These dogs are very active and need at least 2 hours of physical activity each day. On top of an adequate amount of exercise, your dog needs mental stimulation as well. Rottweilers are very intelligent and make excellent working dogs. That is why they thrive on performing tasks that involve thinking or searching.