How many years do Rottweilers live at home and how to extend the life of a dog

Description of the breed

The dogs have a strong, muscular body with a strong, broad head. The muzzle is short. The eyes are dark almond-shaped. The ears are triangular, medium-sized, drooping. Strong neck of medium length. The chest is wide and muscular. The tail is docked. The coat is coarse, short and shiny.

Rottweilers are distinguished by their intelligence, strong character, courage and tenacity. They have extraordinary courage. They protect the owner and territory to the end. If a dog is socialized from puppyhood, it will get along with other pets. Among other dogs, he strives to take a dominant position. Distrustful of strangers. Can be aggressive. Needs training.

Rottweilers are sanguine by nature. They love noisy games. But, even alone, they will not dig holes in the area, chew slippers or the corner of the owner’s favorite chair. Their extraordinary intelligence makes them easy to train. Recently, they have been used as guides for blind people.

Males weigh 50 kg, height at withers 61-68 cm. Females weigh 42 kg, height 56-63 cm.

Average life expectancy is 8-10 years. With excellent care, up to 14. In very rare cases, up to 17.

Educational program for the owner

How long Rottweilers live at home directly depends on their care. And this is, first of all, nutrition, physical activity and timely preventive measures. Any specialist will tell you that when choosing food you should give preference to professional super-premium brands. This is not the cheapest pleasure, but it is not worth risking your health.

From the first day a puppy arrives in the house, you need to take care of competent veterinary support. The doctor should regularly monitor the growth and development of the dog, and also prescribe preventive vaccinations. This is an extremely important point, since a serious viral disease, if it does not kill the dog, will seriously undermine its health and shorten its life expectancy.

Factors

When buying a Rottweiler, pay attention to the number of puppies in the litter. There should not be more than six. Otherwise, you may end up with an underfed, disease-prone pet.

It is better to take a puppy from a bitch not younger than two and not older than eight years old, who gave birth the previous time more than one year ago. Frequent births and short breaks between matings undermine the health and immunity of both mother and offspring. A one-month-old Rottweiler must weigh at least three kilograms.

Pay attention to the condition of the enclosure and the mother. Heredity is a significant factor influencing the health and life expectancy of a dog. You can find out information about the puppy’s parents and their health from the breeder.

The presence of a pedigree indicates that the pet's immediate family has undergone a medical examination. To some extent, this is a guarantee of health and completeness.

Its duration depends on the dog’s lifestyle. A large muscular body mass affects the functioning of the heart. To avoid obesity, Rottweilers need regular training and exercise. The walk should last at least one hour. Their absence, combined with abundant nutrition, leads to a significant reduction in life span.

The development of the dog must take place under the supervision of a veterinarian. The most common occurrences in dogs of this breed are:

diabetes;
osteochondrosis;
cardiovascular diseases;
joint dysplasia;
metabolic disease;
pathologies of the liver and kidneys.

To exclude particularly dangerous infectious diseases (distemper, parvovirus enteritis, rabies, viral hepatitis, etc.), vaccination is carried out in accordance with the vaccination calendar.

How to Extend the Life of an Aging Rottweiler

From the age of 8, Rottweilers are officially considered veterans, i.e. "pensioners". The appearance of an aging pet changes from year to year:

muscle mass decreases and loses elasticity;
the back becomes “soft”;
the stomach increases and sags;
the cranial part of the head loses volume, “shrinks out”, and the muzzle becomes covered with gray hair;
the iris of the eyes becomes cloudy;
teeth turn yellow and wear away, becoming covered with plaque and tartar;
limbs become thinner and drier, joints become knotty;
movements lose their former freedom and lightness, stiffness and lameness appear;
The toes of the paws, once gathered into a ball, are spreading out.

Some Rottweilers may look vigorous even at 10 years old, however, their internal organs are already worn out, and therefore require a special diet and regular treatment and preventive measures to maintain optimal functioning. Among them are the following.

Good care and living conditions

In the cold season, it is necessary to keep an elderly dog in a warm room without drafts and dampness, in the summer heat - in a shaded, cool area with constant access to clean water.
It is important to monitor the condition of your pet's eyes, ears, skin, fur and claws.
Regular examination and palpation will allow timely detection of wounds, scratches, inflammation, external tumors, as well as ectoparasites. Retired dogs may experience severe skin allergies (including to flea bites and food), as well as dermatomycoses due to weakened immune system function.
Dullness and brittleness of the coat, the appearance of bald patches and dandruff are contributed to by metabolic disruptions, digestive disorders, hypovitaminosis and deficiency of unsaturated fatty acids.
Once every 3-4 days, you should thoroughly comb your pet's fur using a fine-toothed comb or a furminator, and during periods of heavy shedding, this should be done daily.
The claws of old people rarely grind down on their own, which is due to a reduced level of motor activity and improper positioning of the arthritic limbs. That is why the owner should stock up on nail clippers from the pet store and accustom the dog to the procedure of trimming its nails.
Such alarming symptoms as squinting of the eyes and their redness, lacrimation and clouding of the cornea should not be ignored (more information about eye diseases in Rottweilers is written here ) . Unsteady gait, stumbling and bumping into foreign objects can be signs of a sharp deterioration in vision.
Dog ears also require attention. Twice a week, it is recommended to carefully examine the pinna and outer ear canal for discharge, rashes, redness and parasites.

Complete and, if necessary, dietary feeding

The duty of a caring owner is to provide the retired dog with healthy, high-quality food. Older dogs should be fed 2-3 times a day in small portions so that the food is better absorbed and does not overload the gastrointestinal tract.

A natural diet should be based on a high-quality protein component (lean meat, offal, fish, cottage cheese) and well-cooked dietary cereals (rice, buckwheat, oatmeal). With age, the enzymatic function of the digestive glands decreases, as well as the detoxification function of the liver and kidneys, so excess protein and fatty foods are harmful to old people.

Difficult-to-digest bulky porridges (barley, wheat, corn, millet) stretch the stomach, cause fermentation processes and can lead to pathological conditions such as gastritis, colitis, and gastric torsion. Raw vegetables, containing a lot of plant fiber, are also difficult to digest, so pensioners should prepare a lean vegetable stew, and if intolerant, completely exclude the gifts of vegetable gardens from the diet.

Industrial dry food of the Senior series has been developed especially for older dogs, such as:

Royal Canin Maxi Ageing 8+;
1st Choice Senior Medium & Large Breed;
Bosch Maxi Senior;
K9 Selection Lite Senior Formula;
Luposan Markus Mühle Black Angus Senior;
Purina Pro Plan Senior Sensitive Skin.
Pro Pac Ultimates Mature with Chicken Meal & Brown Rice.

It is recommended to switch to feeding these foods from the usual Adalt series (for adult dogs) after the Rottweiler reaches 7 years of age. If the old man is diagnosed with any chronic disease, then it is necessary to transfer him to a veterinary diet - special dry food designed for pets with pathologies of the heart, kidneys, liver, pancreas, musculoskeletal system, as well as for dogs with allergies, patients with diabetes and obesity.

But low-quality, cheap, economy-class food should be avoided, since their ingredients (preservatives, dyes, flavors and other chemical additives) can cause an acute allergic reaction or a serious negative malfunction in the weakening body.

Veterinarians recommend introducing into the diet of older Rottweilers dietary supplements containing chondroprotectors (hyaluronic acid, collagen, glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, omega-3 fatty acids) to maintain healthy joints, as well as taurine, coenzyme Q10, L-carnitine, magnesium and potassium for cardiac function. muscles.

Proper feeding ensures optimal functioning of the digestive system and maintenance of the entire body for many years.

Fighting excess weight and physical inactivity

Older Rottweilers tend to become overweight. Obesity - as a consequence of metabolic disorders - negatively affects all organs and systems, significantly reducing the life of a dog. It is noteworthy that due to the hormonal nature of females, they often turn into “chubby dogs”, so the owner must ensure that his pet maintains an optimal body weight.

Dogs that are overweight and prone to gaining excess weight are kept on a light natural diet with a sharp limitation of fat and carbohydrates, but with a high fiber content, or they use special low-calorie dry food of the light series (details about obesity in Rottweilers are written here). To stabilize weight faster, it is recommended to give fat people a fasting day once a week, giving them only water without restrictions.

The mode of physical activity is of great importance for maintaining the physical shape of the animal. An elderly dog should be given feasible moderate but regular physical activity. Jumping and hard training are naturally excluded, but it is quite possible for an 8-9 year old Rottweiler to walk or trot 1.5-2 km. It is important that the dog chooses its own pace of movement and rests when it feels the need. Swimming evenly and gently loads the body, as well as special fitness classes.

Many old people, feeling tolerable, play with pleasure, and this should not be prevented, since playing is not only a type of physical activity, but also positive emotions.

It would be a mistake to limit an elderly pet to the territory of the yard, since free walking at this age will most likely come down to lying in one place or another with short transitions between “beds.” The owner should remember that physical inactivity in old age threatens rapid muscle deterioration, which will entail the loss of a supporting corset and overload on worn-out joints.

Preventive examinations and timely treatment of diseases.

It is recommended to bring Rottweilers over 7 years of age to the veterinary clinic for a preventive examination 1-2 times a year. Tests will help identify hidden problems in the body and emerging ailments in order to begin treatment at an early stage. Unadvanced diseases of the heart, stomach, liver, pancreas and kidneys are corrected with an appropriate diet and medications so that the elderly dog leads an active, full life for many years.

During periods of seasonal exacerbations (spring and autumn), it is recommended to take preventive courses of drugs to stabilize the functioning of internal organs.

So, to maintain the heart, the following are indicated:

riboxin;
ATP;
cocarboxylase;
thiotriazoline;
Panangin.

For chronic pancreatitis and weakening of exogenous pancreatic function, the following is prescribed:

pancreatin;
mezim forte;
creazim;
Creon,
panzinorm.

If there is a malfunction of the liver, give:

karsil;
legal;
Chophytol;
livnorm;
essentiale;
glutargin;
liv-52;
infusions of medicinal herbs.

For elderly Rottweilers suffering from chronic renal failure and urolithiasis, the following are indicated:

canephron;
cystone;
phytolith;
phytolysin;
urolesan;
herbal kidney preparations.

Allergic dogs are given:

antihistamines;
immunomodulators;
sorbents;
corticosteroids.

Courses of medications must be combined with a diet prescribed by a veterinarian;

Accordingly, the deterioration of the patient’s condition requires emergency veterinary care.

Care

Simple procedures are performed regularly. This allows you to keep the animal healthy, which significantly increases life expectancy.

The ears are cleaned from an early age of the pet. Do this once a week with a dry cotton swab or a cotton swab soaked in hydrogen peroxide. In the summer, ears are examined every day.

To remove tartar, a large cartilaginous beef bone is given. Teeth are brushed at least once a week with a special toothpaste and brush. If this is not done, gum inflammation may occur.

The Rottweiler's eyes are examined regularly. Wipe with a dry cotton swab or moistened with a weak solution of furacillin, potassium permanganate, tea, or chamomile decoction. If heavy discharge is noticed, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Nails are trimmed once every 2-4 weeks. They do this carefully. Rottweilers are dark in color. If you are careless, you can trim too much and snag living tissue. If in doubt, it is better to contact a specialist.

The wool is regularly brushed with a stiff brush. Especially during molting. Its shine depends on proper nutrition.

Large dog breeds do not require frequent bathing. This can be done no more than once a month.

Characteristic features

Those who are getting a dog for the first time may be surprised that this also affects how long Rottweilers live. A dog raised in an apartment is a serene and rather lazy lump. If you don't push him or encourage physical activity, even on a walk he will prefer to sit next to you instead of running with other dogs.

However, if from an early age you teach him to take long walks, then years later, as an older dog, he will call you for a run from early morning. Of course, this lifestyle improves health, which directly determines how long dogs live. The Rottweiler is a breed that has fragile health, despite its formidable appearance.

Those who are getting a dog for the first time may be surprised that this also affects how long Rottweilers live. A dog raised in an apartment is a serene and rather lazy lump. If you don't push him or encourage physical activity, even on a walk he will prefer to sit next to you instead of running with other dogs.

Maintenance in the house and apartment

A large courtyard of a private house is the best place for a dog to live. The thick undercoat allows it to be kept outside in frosts down to -20 degrees. The main conditions are no chains, a high fence and a strong gate.

For ease of maintenance, an enclosure is built. In it the Rottweiler can retire and relax. There it is closed when guests arrive.

To keep dogs in it, polished boards are placed on the floor in winter. An insulated booth will be installed inside the enclosure. Even with such maintenance, the dog needs long walks outside.

How can we influence life expectancy?

Good maintenance and heredity can work wonders. When purchasing a puppy from purebred dogs, you should definitely inquire about the average life expectancy of the four-legged ancestors. This will allow you to find out how long a Rottweiler lives based on genetic indicators. Next, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules of keeping this breed, the features of feeding, training and care.

Each owner will eventually become acquainted with the character of his pet and his preferences in food and walks. A prerequisite for keeping a Rottweiler is knowledge of the rules of first aid for a pet. Despite their strong skeleton and muscularity, this breed of dog can become very ill. And in order to provide first aid, the owner will have to learn how to give injections or bandage. Mandatory preventive visits to the veterinarian can improve the Rottweiler’s quality of life.

Reviews

Larisa, 37 years old, Voronezh

“My girl lived for 17 years. Long-lived by Rottweiler standards. Wonderful friend. I adored children. They ate ice cream together. She could sometimes growl when she was pushed too hard. But she never bit, even lightly. The only trouble was that it stained the wallpaper. If it rubs against a light wall, black spots remain. Otherwise there are only positives. A huge, kind, reliable dog.”

Darina, 27 years old, Ufa

“My parents had a male Uranus. Huge Rottweiler. We all loved him madly. Unfortunately, he lived only 7 years. The cause of death was a heart attack. Completely our fault. His parents loved to pamper him - dumplings, cookies, sweets, various goodies... Of course, he gained weight catastrophically. Despite walking twice a day, it increased. He was child friendly. He endured the Kamaz in his mouth and picking his eye. He was a wonderful dog. If I ever get another dog, it will be a Rottweiler. This breed has captivated us.”

Alexey, 38 years old, Rybinsk

“I took a dog to guard the yard. I spoke with breeders and veterinarians. I absolutely did not want a Caucasian. We settled on a Rottweiler. I took an expensive male dog with a good pedigree. I made an outdoor enclosure and a booth according to the rules - insulated. Everything is fine, but aggressive. If there is a passerby near the fence, it can scare you with a roar. He does this on purpose. He likes it when people shy away. In relation to family - friendly. But he likes to push the child in the back with his nose so that he falls. Establishes hierarchy in the family. There is a lot of cooking to do. We are thinking of switching him to dry food. Karat grew up to be a powerful, tall dog. Our pride. Now we are doing intensive training. The puppy was also trained. Without this, you cannot keep a Rottweiler in your yard. If he breaks down, no one will stop him. Power and strength. Great guard."

How can we influence life expectancy?

There are often cases when future owners refuse to purchase a puppy after learning how long Rottweiler dogs live. It's not hard to understand. And after 15 years, letting go of a beloved creature is very difficult, what can we say about 7 years. However, it is you who are responsible for those you have tamed, and to a certain extent you yourself are also responsible for the life expectancy.

First of all, pay attention to heredity. By choosing a puppy with a good pedigree, you are not paying tribute to prestige, but you are getting a guarantee that all of your dog’s closest relatives have undergone regular medical examinations. Ask how long these puppies' grandparents lived. This does not make any guarantees, but is still important information. When buying a dog on the market, you receive absolutely no information about it and its heredity.

How long do Rottweilers live if you don't take care of them?

There are cases when the acquisition of a large and powerful dog is carried out for security purposes. For example, when buying a dog for your grandfather in the private sector, you need to understand that an elderly person will not be able to properly take care of the Rottweiler and will put him on a chain. Then the dog can live up to 8 years and no more.

The owner needs to carefully select the diet for the pet and give it daily training. Even if you follow these two rules, you can extend your pet’s life for a long time. Therefore, you need to carefully prepare for purchasing this breed of dog and think several times whether the owner has enough time and energy to devote the proper time to the four-legged dog.

History of Rottweilers

It is believed that Rottweilers are descendants of the Roman Molossian Danes, who took part in military campaigns and battles in gladiatorial arenas. As stated above, Rottweilers are believed to have originated from Rottweil, a German city. Due to the appearance of the animal, it can be argued that the breed was formed thanks to the Swiss cattle dog - the Appenzeller Mountain Dog.

Did you know? The proceeds from the sale of livestock per day were trusted to be transported to Rottweilers, tied to the body of the animal and sent home, since even the bravest robbers were afraid to approach these dogs.

At the time when the railway began to transport this specific cargo, which happened in the 19th century, the Rottweiler simply became an unnecessary breed. Thanks to the National Rottweiler Club of Germany, this breed was preserved.