Pet owners that love big and strong dogs have quickly become fans of the Rotterman. This playful giant can protect you with ease.
The Doberman Rottweiler is a hybrid of the Doberman Pinscher and Rottweiler. This breed is a large dog that can grow up to 28 inches tall and 130 pounds in weight. The Doberman Rottweiler has an athletic build and lean facial structure. This dog has an affectionate and loyal personality.
As you read further, you’ll get to know the Doberman Rottweiler and the ins and outs of taking care of one. This read will touch on the history of the Doberman Rottweiler and how it came to be. Next, you’ll learn about your Doberman Rottweiler’s physical features and personality. Finally, you’ll read about information on how to take care of a Doberman Rottweiler and the different health issues this breed can face.
Table of Contents
The History of the Doberman Rottweiler
It’s difficult to pin just how the Doberman Rottweiler came to be. Like most hybrids, this dog’s origin is a mystery. The only knowledge about where the Doberman Rottweiler comes from is that it was first developed in the United States. The history of its parent breeds, however, has more detail.
The Doberman Pinscher originates from Germany and was first bred by Herr Louis Dobermann. It took him over 60 years to develop the breed which involved crossing Rottweilers, Great Danes, Greyhounds, and Manchester Terriers. After decades of hard work, the Doberman Pinscher was finally registered as a breed in 1893.
The Rottweiler comes from Rome and this breed traveled alongside Romans toward Germany. The Rottweiler was bred as a cattle dog, protecting livestock and its owners during travel. After World War II, the Rottweiler breed was perfected and has since become one of the most popular breeds in the world.
What do Doberman Rottweilers Look Like?
The Doberman Rottweiler is one of the most handsome breeds that you can find. This breed’s popularity soared not just because it’s a powerful dog, but also because of its attractive appearance. With an elegant face and strong build, the Doberman Rottweiler easily attracts pet lovers everywhere.
Appearance
The Doberman Rottweiler has a strong guard dog look that can scare away any threats or intruders. This breed has long legs that support its square frame. These dogs are built to run and run fast with a balanced walk and a high rate of acceleration.
The Doberman Rottweiler’s face closely resembles that of a Doberman Pinscher’s with its long snout and small eyes. However, Doberman Rottweilers normally have ears that are flopped down, much like a Rottweiler’s. The Doberman Rottweiler’s teeth are strong and meet together in a scissor bite. This breed normally has a docked tail, large feet, and a sleek black and tan coat that makes it even more handsome.
Size
The Doberman Rottweiler falls in the large or giant category of dog sizes. This breed is not lapdog-sized and can easily take you down when excited.
Male Doberman Rottweilers can grow up to a height of 24 to 28 inches and a weight of 70 to 130 lbs. Female Doberman Rottweilers, on the other hand, are a little smaller with a height of 23-25 inches and a weight of 65 to 120 lbs.
Since the Doberman Rottweiler’s parent breeds are both large, this offers up very little variance in height and weight. Pretty much all Doberman Rottweilers turn out to be big and burly dogs whether or not they’re born from a Doberman Pinscher and Rottweiler or a pair of Doberman Rottweilers.
Coat, Eye, and Nose Colors
Just like its parent breed, the Doberman Rottweiler can only come in one color: black and tan. The Doberman Rottweiler’s coat is short and smooth across its entire body. Your Doberman Rottweiler will have a dominantly black fur coat with tan markings on its muzzle, eyebrows, chest, legs, and paws.
Doberman Rottweilers can have either brown or amber eyes. Their eyes can appear to be black but you will see the lighter brown shades under natural light. The Doberman Rottweiler also has a jet black nose and jet black lips.
The Personality of a Doberman Rottweiler
The Doberman Rottweiler can seem intimidating and threatening at first glance, but you’ll always find a hint of affection in its eyes. These giant dogs have a surprisingly softer side that makes them get along great with children. They are loving, tolerant, and patient, so they make for the perfect companions for kids.
Doberman Rottweilers can be helicopter dogs, meaning that they will follow you around wherever you go. Your Doberman Rottweiler will check in on you now and then to make sure that they’re there when you need their help.
They’re also extremely loyal dogs that form extreme bonds with their family. Your Doberman Rottweiler will feel responsible for everyone in your home and will do anything to protect them. When a Doberman Rottweiler senses danger, they will bark and growl to ward away any threats. A common misbelief is that Doberman Rottweilers are aggressive but they don’t attack unless they need to.
They are gentle dogs that are natural sweethearts. Doberman Rottweilers love to play, cuddle and spend time with their owners. Since they are strong dogs, they can be a bit stubborn but having a strong owner is sure to subdue them.
Take Care of a Doberman Rottweiler
Doberman Rottweilers are low-maintenance but high-energy dogs. They don’t need much when it comes to grooming but they are big eaters that need frequent exercise. Reading on, you’ll find out what you need to do to keep your Doberman Rottweiler’s coat healthy. You’ll also learn about your Doberman Rottweiler’s yearly food needs and daily exercise needs. The next few sections are all about what it means to take care of a Doberman Rottweiler.
Grooming
When it comes to grooming, Doberman Rottweilers are low-maintenance dogs. They only need to be brushed once a week using a silicone brush or silicone grooming mitts. During shedding season, you’ll need to up their brushing sessions to every day. To keep them clean, Doberman Rottweilers only need to be bathed as needed. Always use dog shampoo and conditioner to make sure that their skin isn’t irritated after baths. When well-maintained, a Doberman Rottweiler’s coat will appear shiny and feel smooth and silky.
Like most dogs with ears that are flopped down, your Doberman Rottweiler will need its ears cleaned regularly. You can clean your dog’s ears by dampening a cotton pad with an ear cleaning solution and wiping its ears once a day. This will prevent inflammation or any nasty infections that can come from dirt building up.
The last bit of grooming that you’ll need to cover is nail trimming. Doberman Rottweilers need their nails trimmed once every two weeks, more often if they aren’t very active. You can use pet-friendly nail trimmers to keep your pup’s nails in check. It can take a while to get used to trimming your dog’s nails yourself. If an accident happens and you cut your Doberman Rottweiler’s nails too short, you can use styptic powder as an easy first-aid solution to stop any bleeding.
Feeding
When it comes to feeding your Doberman Rottweiler, you’ll need to feed a puppy 1.5 cups or 0.5 lbs and an adult around 3 cups or 1 lb of food a day. It’s best to space out their food into two to three meals a day to avoid choking or bloating. You should feed your Doberman Rottweiler dog food that is formulated for large or giant dogs. Below are some of the best brands of food you can feed a Doberman Rottweiler puppy and an adult Doberman Rottweiler.
Below is a table that compares the price of the brands of dry puppy food that you can feed your Doberman Rottweiler puppy:
| Puppy food brand | Quantity per bag | Bags per year | Unit price | Price per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Buffalo Wilderness | 24 lbs | 8 | $69.98 | $551 |
| Merrick | 20 lbs | 9 | $69.99 | $640 |
| Now Fresh | 25 lbs | 7 | $80.99 | $566 |
| Purina | 34 lbs | 5 | $52.39 | $281 |
| Wellness Core | 24 lbs | 8 | $68.29 | $546 |
Below is a table that compares the price of the brands of dry dog food that you can feed your Doberman Rottweiler dog:
| Dog food brand | Quantity per bag | Bags per year | Unit price | Price per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Buffalo Wilderness | 24 lbs | 15 | $71.99 | $1,080 |
| Merrick | 20 lbs | 18 | $69.99 | $1,260 |
| Now Fresh | 25 lbs | 15 | $80.99 | $1,215 |
| Purina | 47 lbs | 8 | $59.999 | $480 |
| Wellness Core | 26 lbs | 15 | $56.98 | $855 |
Keep in mind that how much you need to feed your Doberman Rottweiler will also be affected by how much exercise they have. More active Doberman Rottweilers will need more food to keep them from being underweight. On the other hand, if your Doberman Rottweiler is a bit of a lazy bug, they should eat less to prevent becoming overweight.
Dental Care
Your Doberman Rottweiler will need its teeth brushed every day to make sure that it doesn’t have any plaque buildup on its teeth and gums. You can use a toothbrush kit for dogs at the end of the day to keep your dog’s dental health up to par. If your Doberman Rottweiler seems adverse to brushing its teeth, you can try tasty enzymatic toothpaste to keep its teeth clean and water additives to make sure its breath stays minty fresh!
Exercise
Since they’re such large dogs, Doberman Rottweilers will need a lot of physical activities every day. Your Doberman Rottweiler will need to get out every day and get some exercise. At a minimum, an adult Doberman Rottweiler will need to cover 14 miles a week or 2 miles a day while on walks.
Doberman Rottweilers aren’t keen on being kept at home for too long and might start showing some aggressive or overwhelming behaviors if they don’t get enough exercise. The ideal living space for a Doberman Rottweiler would be a house that has a yard or is close to a dog park. These dogs love to spend their time outdoors, exploring new places, and experiencing new sights.
Your Doberman Rottweiler is a high-energy dog that needs at least 90 minutes of exercise every day. You can keep your Doberman Rottweiler’s energy at bay by taking them on long walks or jogs. You can also engage them in physical activities like playing fetch or teaching them to play with a frisbee.
Another great way to exercise your Doberman Rottweiler is by providing them with a multitude of toys. Doberman Rottweilers love to play with toys, especially rope toys and balls. These playful dogs would love to run loose at a dog park and play with other dogs but you should socialize your Doberman Rottweiler before letting them play freely with new dogs.
Health Issues in Doberman Rottweilers
Just like any hybrid, the Doberman Rottweiler can be prone to any of the health issues that its parent breeds face. It can be hard to determine just which health problems your Doberman Rottweiler might inherit, so it’s best to be informed on all the possibilities. Below are some of the most common health issues that Doberman Rottweilers face, how you can identify them, and what you can do to treat them.
Bloat
Bloating can happen in pretty much any dog but is particularly common among Rottweilers, and in turn, in Doberman Rottweilers too. Bloating is a health issue that occurs in dogs that are overfed or eat too fast. It is common among Doberman Rottweilers because it can happen more often in large dogs with deep and narrow chests.
Symptoms of bloating include restlessness, an enlarged stomach, rapid breathing, drooling, and gagging. You can tell that your Doberman Rottweiler is bloated if it shows any of these symptoms or appears to be uncomfortable after a meal.
While bloating isn’t so serious when it happens to humans, it can be very painful for your dog. Fortunately, it’s easily preventable. You can prevent bloating from occurring in your Doberman Rottweiler by purchasing a slow-feeding bowl. A slow-feeding bowl will prevent your dog from eating their meals too quickly, which is the most common cause of bloating.
If you find that your Doberman Rottweiler is experiencing bloating, the first course of action is to bring them to the vet. If left untreated, bloating can lead to more serious gastrointestinal problems for your dog. Treatment of bloating involves passing a stomach tube or inserting a large needle to release trapped gas. If your vet finds that your Doberman Rottweiler’s stomach is twisted, surgery will need to be performed.
Elbow Dysplasia
Elbow dysplasia is a medical condition that commonly occurs in 33%-55% of Rottweilers. Your Doberman Rottweiler is likely to inherit this medical condition if it’s present in its Rottweiler parent. It can be caused by the elbow joint developing abnormally or getting damaged by impact.
Elbow dysplasia affects the ulna bone, which is part of your dog’s elbow joint. It causes cartilage and bone in that area to break off into pieces and can lead to osteoarthritis.
Symptoms of elbow dysplasia include limping, decreased activity, lower energy, and decreased range of movement. The only way to officially diagnose elbow dysplasia is through an x-ray on your dog’s elbow joint. This is normally done with anesthetics which your dog will need to get tested for before it can happen.
Elbow dysplasia is difficult to treat so you must be aware of its symptoms. It needs to be diagnosed early on to prevent arthritis that it causes. If left untreated, your dog will develop arthritis which is a lifelong condition that negatively affects them. A Doberman Rottweiler with arthritis will experience a great amount of pain whenever they exert too much force on their elbow joint.
Treatment for elbow dysplasia will depend on its severity. If your Doberman Rottweiler is experiencing a mild case of elbow dysplasia, it will be treated with medication and physical therapy. If it is a severe case, treatment will involve surgery that will remove bone or cartilage fragments and correcting the elbow joint.
Hip Dysplasia
Unfortunately, hip dysplasia is a health issue that commonly occurs in both Doberman Pinschers and Rottweilers. If your Doberman Rottweiler’s parent breeds both carry the gene for hip dysplasia, your dog will likely develop it over time.
Hip dysplasia is a condition wherein your dog’s ball and socket joint, which is found in the hip, doesn’t fit exactly. This is most commonly caused by genes but can also be influenced by improper nutrition.
Symptoms of hip dysplasia include an unstable rear end, decreased activity, lower energy, decreased range of movement, a dropped back and limping. Hip dysplasia can only be diagnosed by conducting an x-ray, much like elbow dysplasia, but on your dog’s hip.
You must be alert about any symptoms of hip dysplasia in your dog because an earlier diagnosis can make the difference between maintenance medication and surgery. If your dog is diagnosed sooner, your veterinarian can prescribe your dog medication to help with the pain and physical therapy. On the other hand, if the diagnosis occurs too late, your dog will need to undergo surgery to repair the damaged joint.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is a disease that affects your Doberman Rottweiler’s thyroid gland. This health issue is common among all dogs but it’s especially common in Doberman Pinschers.
The thyroid gland produces a hormone called thyroxine which is in charge of converting food into fuel or energy. When a dog has hypothyroidism, its thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough of this hormone.
The symptoms of hypothyroidism include hair loss around the back, rear, and tail, dull skin, weight gain, muscle loss, sluggishness, toenail infections, and ear infections. Some symptoms also include seizures, heart problems, and sterility.
If you observe at least three of these symptoms in your dog, you should take them to the vet for a proper diagnosis. Diagnosing hypothyroidism involves conducting a series of blood tests to cancel out other possible causes of the symptoms.
Fortunately, hypothyroidism isn’t a life-threatening disease. Treating hypothyroidism involves prescribing your dog levothyroxine or L-thyroxine which is a man-made replacement for a lack of thyroxine.
L-thyroxine is relatively cheap and readily available at drug stores and veterinary clinics. Your dog’s necessary dose will depend on the veterinarian’s diagnosis. If diagnosed with hypothyroidism, your dog will need to take levothyroxine for the rest of its life. If gone untreated, hypothyroidism can negatively affect your dog’s quality of life.
Von Willebrand’s Disease
Von Willebrand’s Disease is the most commonly inherited disease among dogs. It is prevalent among Doberman Pinschers and can be inherited by Doberman Rottweilers.
Von Willebrand’s Disease is a health issue wherein your Doberman Rottweiler experiences uncontrollable bleeding. Some dogs never show outward signs of Von Willebrand’s Disease but others can experience excessive hemorrhaging from the nose, genitals, or mouth. Other signs include excessive bleeding during surgery, giving birth, and after trauma.
This disease is diagnosed through a test called buccal mucosal screening. If your dog shows excessive bleeding during the screening, then they are likely to have Von Willebrand’s Disease. You should get your Doberman Rottweiler tested for Von Willebrand’s Disease as soon as possible because it is a life-threatening disease. For example, if your dog goes through an accident and you are unaware of it having Von Willebrand’s Disease, they can quickly bleed to death.
Right now, there is no safe medical treatment for Von Willebrand’s Disease that exists. If your dog experiences trauma or an accident that causes it to bleed, it can be saved by undergoing blood transfusions. The drug that will hopefully help treat this disease in the future is still being tested. For now, the best route is to keep your dog safe from harm’s way and to get it tested for the disease.
Final Thoughts
The Doberman Rottweiler is arguably one of the best hybrid dogs that exist. It has a beautiful build, appearance, and personality that make up the perfect dog. It’s easy to see why this dog has become so popular over the years.
The Doberman Rottweiler is a large dog with an even larger personality. These impressive dogs will spend its life making you feel safe, loved, and cared for more than most dogs can. Despite the possible health issues that they experience, Doberman Rottweilers are some of the strongest dogs in the world. They will not go down easily, especially if cared for by a strong and loving owner.
Should you decide to have a Doberman Rottweiler in your life, you must prepare for your dog’s needs. These dogs need lots of attention, exercise, and focused care to live long and healthy lives. Fortunately, they can just as easily return all the love you give them tenfold.
Hey there! I’m Matt and I’m a content writer from the Philippines. I’ve raised over 10 dogs and 5 cats. I love taking care of my rescue dog Kewpie and my two rescue cats, Misty and Rosy.