Rottweiler Health: Cancer, Joints, and the Aggression Records
UK vet records show Rottweilers lived a median of 9 years, and a third of recorded deaths were from cancer. Aggression was the most common diagnosis.
Written by thecanineledger
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If an older Rottweiler starts limping, especially suddenly or badly, see your vet within a day or two rather than waiting to see if it settles.
Our note: This advice is ours. The study says vets should consider bone cancer in older Rottweilers with lameness, “especially those with sudden and severe onset”, but gives no advice to owners.
Rottweilers in UK vet records lived a median of 9.0 years. Of the deaths with a cause recorded, a third were from cancer (O’Neill et al., Canine Genetics and Epidemiology 2017). The authors sum it up plainly: “Rottweilers are relatively short-lived and neoplasia is a common cause of death.”
While the breed’s reputation centres on aggression, its biggest health risks are cancer and joints. Aggression still tops the list of diagnoses, and it needs careful reading.
1. The study
The dogs. Researchers used VetCompass, a database of anonymised UK primary-care records. “Rottweilers comprised 5321 (1.17%) of 455,557 dogs attending 304 clinics.” The team reviewed the records of a random sample of 2,197 dogs from 2013 in detail.
Size. The median adult weight was 44.9 kg. Males were heavier than females.
Funding. The lead author was supported by an award from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust. The paper states that neither the Trust nor the Kennel Club had any input into the study.
2. How long Rottweilers lived
Median age at death: 9.0 years. Females lived longer, at 9.5 years against 8.7 for males. Neutered dogs lived longer than entire dogs.
Causes of death. Of 415 deaths, 312 had a cause recorded. The most common were cancer (33.0%), inability to stand (16.0%) and a lump or mass (7.1%). The authors think many of the lump deaths may have been undiagnosed cancer.
Bone cancer. Osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, was recorded in 1.14% of the dogs in a single year.
Our note: “Inability to stand” is a recorded cause of death, not a diagnosis.
→ Osteosarcoma: The Amputation Decision
3. The most common diagnoses
| Disorder | Share of Rottweilers |
|---|---|
| Aggression | 7.46% |
| Overweight or obesity | 7.06% |
| Ear infection | 6.14% |
| Arthritis | 4.69% |
Joints. Joint, bone and muscle problems were the most common group, affecting 12.01% of the dogs.
Weight. Overweight was more common in neutered dogs of both sexes.
→ Arthritis Treatment: What Works, From Weight to Medication · → Cruciate Ligament Rupture: Surgery, Conservative Care, and the Evidence Gap · → Ear Infections: Why They Keep Coming Back
4. Aggression
Aggression was recorded in 9.36% of males and 5.47% of females. Among females, it was more common in neutered dogs. However, the authors say this “does not imply causality as it is possible that aggressive individuals were more likely to be neutered in the first place.”
Reasons for caution. The authors note that owners of large, powerful dogs may be more likely to seek help for aggression because the risk of injury is greater. They also warn that vets and trainers may hold “deeply ingrained beliefs” about breeds that colour how they read behaviour.
Even so, they conclude that the figure “marks this behaviour out as a particular concern for the Rottweiler in the UK.”
Our note: The paper doesn’t define “aggression”. In a vet record it may mean aggression shown at the clinic.
→ When to Spay or Neuter: What the Breed Studies Show, and What They Don’t
5. If you have, or want, a Rottweiler
- Plan for a shorter life than many breeds, and budget for joint and cancer care.
- Keep your dog lean, especially after neutering.
- Start reward-based training early, and get help early if you see growling or snapping.
- Take lameness seriously in an older dog.
Our note: These points are ours, not the study’s.
→ Choosing a Breed or a Mix: The Health Data Breeders Don’t Lead With
6. What we could not verify
| Commonly said | What we found |
|---|---|
| “Rottweilers are aggressive” | Aggression was the most common diagnosis, at 7.46%. Most dogs had none recorded, and reporting may be biased. |
| “Neutering makes females aggressive” | Not shown. The link may run the other way. |
| “Rottweilers live 10 to 12 years” | Not in these records. The median was 9.0 years. |
Sources
- O’Neill DG, Seah WY, Church DB, Brodbelt DC. Rottweilers under primary veterinary care in the UK: demography, mortality and disorders. Canine Genet Epidemiol 2017: VetCompass study, 5,321 Rottweilers, 2013. Lead author supported by the Kennel Club Charitable Trust
Always confirm with your vet before acting on anything on this page.