The ancestors of the Rottweilers are the oldest animals that have more than a thousand-year history, but modern individuals are directly related to the selection of German shepherds and molosses originating from the regions of Ancient Rome. These are intelligent, powerful and loyal dogs, possessing many outstanding working qualities and suitable for virtually any service. It is regrettable, but their life span is not as long as their owners would have desired.
What determines longevity?
Unfortunately, like other types of dogs of large breeds, the animal does not have a long lifespan.
The main adverse factors affecting this aspect are the presence of hereditary diseases transmitted to puppies from their parents. Therefore, when buying, it is important to have an idea of the state of health of the mother and father of the dog, the conditions of their maintenance, immunity and other indicators. If the baby is purebred, this partially reduces the risk of acquiring a sick animal, since the pedigree provides for medical examinations and related documents.
A predisposition to certain diseases, some of which can shorten the already short life of dogs, includes such ailments as:
- violations of the kidneys and liver;
- tumor diseases;
- spinal diseases;
- tendency to allergic manifestations;
- various digestive tract disorders, including diarrhea and flatulence;
- metabolic disorders and diabetes;
- congenital pathology of the hip joint - dysplasia.
The most common in relation to the breed are considered vascular and heart diseases.
And these are not all the reasons leading to a reduction in the life of a pet.A prerequisite for this can be poor-quality and unbalanced nutrition, inattention to hygienic care for animals, inappropriate treatment that can lead the dog to feelings and stress. Additionally - this is the lack of an active lifestyle, the residence of a Rottweiler in inappropriate climatic conditions.
If you exclude or minimize such negative influences, the dog can live a happy and long life by the standards of the breed.
average life expectancy
Rottweilers, healthy by nature, with a good pedigree and, consequently, heredity, having the ability to move a lot, play and help people, as well as those provided with the right diet, at home they live up to 10-12 years. Sometimes the selfless love of the owner and optimal care gives the animal the opportunity to significantly exceed these periods, but, alas, such cases are quite rare, although According to statistics, individual individuals survived to 15-18 years.
It is undesirable to keep a Rottweiler outside, unless it is a spacious enclosure in which he can run, giving the necessary physical load on the muscles. The animal is absolutely not suitable for life in a booth, on a chain, and when it is used as a guard, it very quickly withers and dies just as quickly.
This is due to low mobility, because of which the muscles lose their tone and atrophy, in addition, the dog gains excess weight, which complicates the work of the heart muscle, which is weak by nature.
Other disadvantages of street maintenance - climatic conditions:
- in the cold periods of the year, the dog easily catches a cold and can get pneumonia;
- Too dry and hot weather often causes heat stroke, heart attack, or acute cerebrovascular accident.
The climate is most suitable for the animal in temperate latitudes, and if the region is northern, the dog should have a heated kennel and extensive space for moving pastimes. In the southern regions, pets live much less - no more than 5-6 years, since they can hardly tolerate heat.
Lack of proper care and a well-designed menu also affects the duration of the life span, and the animal rarely reaches 8 years.
What does not affect life expectancy in any way is the gender of the Rottweiler, therefore the main responsibility for the fate of the pet lies with the person who is his direct owner.
How to increase the number of years?
Rottweiler can live more than 12 years, if you seriously take the choice of his diet. Many diseases arise in a pet due to metabolic disorders and poor digestion, so you should think about gradually introducing premium quality dry feed into the puppy’s menu or about accustoming the animal to homemade, natural food.
In this case, the main products for him should be:
- lean meats, including beef, turkey, chicken, beef liver and heart - in raw form;
- fish fillet;
- 20% of the diet should be vegetable side dishes (stewed, boiled), sometimes it is allowed to use fresh vegetables and fruits;
- cereals, with the exception of barley and semolina, make up 30% of the menu - mainly rice and buckwheat.
And also rottweilers need lactic acid products in a limited volume - cheese, cottage cheese and sour cream of low fat content, occasionally spoil your pet with boiled yolk.
An adult dog should receive at least 700 g of meat, 300 g of vegetables and 2 kg of cooked cereal dishes per day. Once in 7 days give 800 g of fresh boneless fish. Animals on a natural diet need give vitamins additionally, better if it is vitamin-mineral complexes. In cold weather, servings are doubled. Feeding takes place twice, puppies, depending on age, require more frequent meals, and in winter, vitamin D must be added to the menu to prevent rickets.
Important: most owners claim that the quality of their natural food increases the lifespan of dogs of this breed.
Proper care undoubtedly affects the life expectancy of rottweilers. To avoid skin diseases and infections, the dog needs careful grooming, including combing twice a week, and periodic trimming will allow it to get rid of dead hair and contaminants that can cause irritation, inflammation and allergic reactions. If disturbing symptoms occur, you should immediately contact your veterinarian for professional medical help.
Regular inspection and cleaning require eyes, ears, teeth and paw pads. Eyes can be gently wiped with chamomile infusion, a weak solution of potassium permanganate, once a month the claws of the animal are trimmed. You can bathe your dog every 30 days or less, as it gets dirty. When living in a Rottweiler apartment you need to go for a walk at least twice a day for 2 hours, with a small puppy walk a little up to 6 times a day.
It is important to know that large loads for the cub are unacceptable, since they can lead to diseases of the musculoskeletal system. In order not to undermine the health of the dog, the use of any weighting agents is allowed only when the pet reaches 1.5 years.
Elderly animals who need a balanced diet and small portions need special attention, at this moment you need to carefully monitor the condition of the dog’s teeth. Since a pet of advanced years is susceptible to colds, inflammatory processes and injuries, it is necessary to exclude dampness, drafts, intense physical activity - running, jumping.
A puppy that appears in the house, inquisitive and mobile, needs to be educated, but it is not recommended to punish bodily for misconduct. The dog is smart, and if it’s soft, but strictly explain what is not worth it, she will understand. Any use of brute physical force leaves unhealed wounds in the psyche of the animal, which may subsequently shorten its life.
Long-lived dogs
Many owners of Rottweilers recklessly love their animals, and some of them are lucky because their pet has exceeded 12 years of age.
Here are just a few touching examples.
- The girl Tara did not live up to her 18th birthday for three months, she died of old age.
- Drama, 16 years old, can no longer see and hears hard, but continues to actively move with the help of the hostess.
- The boy Lord reached the age of 15 years, was kept in a convenient aviary of a country house, in the winter he lived on an insulated veranda.
- Rottweiler Dariss did not live 3 days before his 14th birthday. An absurd injury took his life - the dog fell on its paws.
- Benka’s boy lived for 15 years, despite the severe surgery he had during stomach twisting (after she lived another 4 full years).
Unfortunately, not all animals, even those who have reached old age, have died of old age - many deaths are caused by diseases such as pneumonia, stroke, bowel cancer, heart attack. However, many dogs owe life extension to their loving owners.
Apparently the main thing is the owner’s attitude towards a lesser friend and family member. If he really loves his pet, he will never allow the animal to suffer, and will do everything to extend his life. This is especially important, as the Rottweilers have high intelligence and intuition, and are able to feel both love, affection, and indifference to themselves.
It is known that the breed can be subject to such a human ailment as depression, which can lead not only to a number of diseases that would seem to be unrelated to a mental disorder, but also to unwillingness to live.
All about the dog breed see below.
