Rottweiler Average Life Expectancy (With 21 Examples)

Life expectancy seems to vary from breed to breed when it comes to dogs. This is true even between mixed breeds. It is important to know how long your Rottweiler is going to live so you can spend as much quality time with your dog as possible.

Rottweilers have a life expectancy of 8 to 10 years on average. They tend to develop health issues that prevent them from as long as some other breeds.

Knowing why these health issues develop and how to prevent them to have is extremely beneficial if you want to spend as much time as you can with your rott. Sometimes before even buying a rottweiler it is smart to look at mixed breeds because often they will live longer than purebreds.

How Long Do Purebred Rottweilers Normally Live?

Purebred rottweilers do not have a very long life expectancy. They usually live between 8 and 10 years. Occasionally that number is lower, around 6 or 7 years. Other times owners are lucky and get to spend 11 or 12 year with their furry companions.

Most of the time, however, rotties will live to be 8 to 10.

Many larger dogs like rottweilers do have this shorter life expectancy. The smaller the dog, the longer they live normally. You will see this in the mixed breeds as well. Rottweiler mixed breeds that have a smaller dog in the mix tend to live longer, whereas the larger dogs will have a lifespan closer to that of a purebred rottweiler.

What Contributes to the Short Life of Rottweilers?

The size of the dog is a big contributor as to why the life expectancy of a rottweiler is so short. This is why many dogs of other breeds similar to rotties size or larger have similar life expectancies.

Rottweilers, along with other large dogs, are prone to get hip dysplasia, which is when their hip bone does not sit properly in the socket. This causes a lot of discomfort in rottweilers and it discourages them from running around and exercising. Exercise is vital when it comes to keeping a dog healthy.

Rottweilers also have a tendency to become obese. They need at least two hours of physical exercise every day, and if they don’t get this, they don’t burn all of the calories they need to so they can stay in shape.

If they don’t eat the food the right foods, they also have a higher chance of becoming obese from stomach issues. Eating the wrong food can cause digestion issues.

Being obese can make them not want to move around and exercise even more. So many of these causes of health issues that shorten life expectancy are connected. One leads to another, or one is a result of a different one. There is a huge domino effect and then things just become a vicious cycle.

Rottweilers are big on running around, as mentioned above, so sometimes they can struggle with Osteochondritis Dissecans, which is an issue in the shoulder, where the cartilage detaches from the bone a little bit. This causes similar discomfort that the hip dysplasia causes.

Rottweilers also have a high chance of getting some infections or virus’ that can lead to serious sickness and possibly early death.

All of these reasons can be a cause for rottweilers to become unhealthy, or sick, which also shortens their life. However, none of them lead dogs to die immediately.

The leading cause of death for rottweilers is bone cancer. Unfortunately, there isn’t much that can be done if your rott gets cancer. There is not much you can do to prevent it, either.

Where and how your rottweiler was bred can influence their life expectancy. Some rottweilers are bred for different reasons than others, and because of this their life expectancy can be different.

If the parents of your rottweiler do not have histories of illnesses, there is a better chance that your dog will not have complications. Of course, this is not a promise.

Also, as mentioned earlier, mixed breed dogs tend to be healthier than purebreds.

21 Mixed Breeds of Rottweilers and Their Life Expectancy

Many of the health problems that are common among purebred rottweilers can be eliminated by mixing them with another breed of dog. In purebreds, these issues arise because both parents are bringing very identical genes to the table, so the puppies have an increased chance of getting dangerous genes.

When only one parent having the genes to pass along these health issues, the puppy has a decreased chance of inheriting the health issues.

These are 21 of the most common rottweiler mixes. Many have higher life expectancy ranges. Some do have smaller ranges because the other breed has the same health issues as the purebred rottweiler.

1. Pitbull Rottweiler Mix (Pitweiler):

Pitbulls have a larger range of life expectancy as purebreds, some have lived over 20 years while some have lived under 6 years. Of course, these numbers are less likely than normal to happen.

It is more common to find them living between 11 and 16 years. Mixing the rottweiler with a pitbull increases the puppy’s life expectancy. This mixed breed lives between 10 and 15 years.

2. Mastiff Rottweiler Mix (Mastweiler):

Mastiffs have a shorter life expectancy due to their size. They experience some similar health problems that rottweilers do. Mastiffs are also even larger than the rottweiler. Their life can be as short as 6 years.

This mixed breed’s life expectancy ranges from 6 to 10 years.

3. German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix (German Rottie):

This mixed breed is pretty close to a purebred rottweilers. They range from 10 to 13 years. German shepherds tend to live a little longer than rottweilers which tends to extend the mixed breed life expectancy when compared to purebred rottweilers.

4. Golden Retriever Rottweiler Mix (Golden Rottie):

Golden retrievers and rottweilers have almost exactly the same potential health risks, therefore their life expectancy is almost identical as well.

This mixed breeds life expectancy is 9 to 10 years.

5. Labrador Retriever Rottweiler Mix (Labrottle):

Similarly to golden retrievers and German shepherds, labrador retrievers experience some similar physical health issues to the purebred rottweiler. A lab can live up to 14 years old, which is older than rottweilers.

The range for this mixed breed is typically 9 to 12 years.

6. Dachshund Rottweiler mix:

This mixed breed lives a really long time compared to most other rottweilers. They live for 14 to 17 years on average. This is because dachshunds are very small dogs and so they aren’t as at risk for many of the issues large dogs are.

7. Basset Hound Rottweiler Mix (Rotthound):

The basset hound can have similar health issues as the rottweiler but in different ways. For example, a basset hound is likely to develop elbow dysplasia, while his or her chance of getting hip dysplasia is less likely.

The range of life expectancy for this mixed breed is 10 to 12 years. So they do have a chance of living longer than a purebred rott.

8. French Bulldog Rottweiler Mix (French Rottweiler):

French bulldogs and rottweilers have no similar health issue potentials. They each have their own, which makes them ideal to breed because the opposite breed will likely cover up the chance each breed has of obtaining each others health issue.

This mixed breed has a life expectancy range of 10 to 12 years.

9. Poodle Rottweiler Mix (Rottle):

Poodles normally live longer than rottweilers, having a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years. They do have a chance of developing hip dysplasia, however, due to their breed, this doesn’t affect them as negatively as a more active breed like the rottweiler.

The rottle has a life expectancy range of 9 to 15 years.

10. Husky Rottweiler Mix (Rottsky):

Huskies are not as big as rottweilers, fitting in the middle-sized dog category. This makes them not as susceptible to the same health problems as rottweilers. Huskies have similar life expectancy to poodles and pugs. When owning a husky rottweiler mix you can expect him or her to live between 12 and 15 years.

11. Boxer Rottweiler Mix (Boxweiler):

Boxers are similar to pitbulls in their range of life expectancy. They don’t have quite as large of a range, but there is still more of a range than other dogs. Their life expectancy is a little bit unpredictable.

Mixing boxers with rottweilers sets their life expectancy between 8 and 13 years.

12. Great Dane Rottweiler Mix (Weiler Dane):

Great Dane’s are huge dogs. They are among the largest dogs on the planet. They are known for their size. This is very impressive, however, it also causes potential health issues and can lead to an early death. Their life expectancy is similar to rottweilers. The weiler dane has a range of 7 to 10 years for life expectancy.

13. Doberman Pinscher Rottweiler Mix (Rotterman):

This is one of the more common mixed breeds for rottweiler mixes. Even more common to breed with is the miniature pinscher. This creates miniature rottweilers. The size that you breed with changes the life expectancy.

Breeding with a normal doberman pinscher will have an average life expectancy of 10 years, while breeding with a miniature pinscher will raise that to 12-15 years.

14. Saint Bernard Rottweiler Mix (Saint Weiler):

Saint Bernard’s live close to the same amount of time as rottweilers. They are prone to have some health issues which can shorten their life like rotts, which again, is why mixing the breed is better and leads to a longer life.

The Saint Weiler usually lives for 12 to 13 years.

15. Weimaraner Rottweiler Mix (Weimarrott):

Weimaraner’s have similar health issues as the rottweiler that are associated with a shortened life. Due to this, the life expectancy is near the same as purebred rott.

This mixed breed tends to live between 10 and 11 years.

16. Beagle Rottweiler Mix (Reagle):

Beagles are smaller dogs, and because of this, they live longer than larger breeds. This is another breed of dog that is used to create a miniature rottweiler.

On average reagles live between 10 and 15 years.

17. Cocker Spaniel Rottweiler mix (Rottie Cocker):

Cocker spaniels are more of a medium dog and they live longer than rottweilers. They don’t have as high of a chance of experiencing the things the rottweilers do. They have their own health problems, just as all dogs do. Mixing them with a rottweiler makes the life expectancy around 10 to 12 years.

18. Afghan Hound Rottweiler mix:

Afghan hounds don’t have any major health issues that they are at risk for. They can definitely lengthen rottweilers lives because their genes can be dominant over a rottweilers health issues. This mixed breed has an average life span of 10-13 years.

19. Dalmatian Rottweiler mix:

Dalmatians don’t have as high of a chance of getting hip dysplasia like rottweilers do, so it isn’t as big of a risk for them. Mixing these breeds makes the life expectancy average out to 10 to 13 years.

20. Pug Rottweiler mix:

Pugs are much smaller dogs who have a longer life expectancy than rottweilers. They also don’t experience the same health issues that rottweilers face, so a puppies chance of obtaining these issues is much less than purebreds.

This mixed breed lives anywhere from 12 up to 15 years.

21. Shar Pei Rottweiler mix:

Shar Pei’s are similar to pugs in their appearance and potential health issues. Likewise, mixing them with a rottweiler produces a similar life expectancy. This mixed breed has a little bit more of a range, ranging from 9 to 15 years.

Signs Your Rottweiler’s Life is Starting Decline

If you noticed that your rottweiler is beginning to act lazy, like he or she isn’t running around as much as he or she in his or her younger years then there is a chance he or she has hip dysplasia or another one of the health issues common among this breed of dogs.

Monitor your dog’s weight and food intake. If he or she begins to be overweight you may need to talk to your vet to see what changes need to be made either in their diet or exercise patterns and routines.

If your rottweiler is acting differently in any way, it is always a good idea to check in with your vet to make sure that there is nothing too serious going on with your rott’s health. It’s better to safe, right?

Ways to Lengthen a Rottweilers Life

Like mentioned earlier, death by cancer is unpredictable and often times unpreventable as well. However, some of the other causes of death can be prevented by taking care of your rottweiler throughout his or her earlier life.

Here are the top things that you can do:

• Buy your rottweiler high-quality, protein-based food
• Get your dog on a feeding schedule
• Ensure that your dog gets exercise daily
• Take your rottweiler to the vet for annual check-ups

Diet is a huge part of a rottweilers life. It affects almost everything. Rottweilers need a lot of protein. Their diet needs to be 22-28% protein. This helps to keep them healthy while providing all of their essential nutrients.

Choosing quality dog food for your rott is very important. It is smart to stay away from dog foods that have any grain in them. This causes them to gain extra weight and can often lead them to become obese.

Choose dog foods that are made of mostly meats and proteins.

If you can establish a strict diet with a schedule when they are puppies, this can carry over into their adult life. They shouldn’t have access to food all day, they should only be able to eat during specific times during the day.

Limit their treats and human food as well. Their diet should only be about 10% human food. Many human foods can cause stomach issues that can ultimately lead to obesity.

Another way to prepare your rottweiler to live a long life is to make sure they exercise daily. Like mentioned earlier this breed should exercise for two hours each day. Having a place for them to run around like a big backyard or by taking them to a dog park, they can get the exercise they need in.

They can be inside dogs, but they love playing. They were build to run around and be active. Keeping them active can help them burn calories, stay healthy, and avoid becoming overweight as they grow older.

Taking your rottweiler on walks every day is also a good way for them to stay active. Keeping these habits up as they grow older can improve their quality of life immensely.

Set up annual appointments with your local vet. Know your vet. Make it so your vet knows your pup. If you have a good and consistent relationship with your vet, they will be able to point out things you should watch out for. Vets will let you know how to answer any questions that might be specific to your rottweiler.

On average, most rottweilers live between 8 and 15 years depending on if they are purebred or not. The best way to lengthen your rottweiler’s life is to take care of them and make their good health a priority to you.