Rottweilers are so common among us, but you guys probably haven’t heard of anything like “a Long Haired Rottweiler.” These unique and cute furry canines who can hardly be seen anywhere come up with many misconceptions and conundrums, so there will be interesting stuff to read! So, who are the Long Haired Rottweilers?
Long Haired Rottweilers are siblings to those traditional short haired Rotties and are rarely found, usually 1 or 2 in a litter. The major difference between the two is their hair length, i.e. the size of their coat. This hairy coat makes Long Haired Rotties look like crossbred canines; however, they are totally purebreds, just like their siblings.
Furthermore, there are other interesting things to know about these Long Haired Rotties. I’ll discuss their lifespan, exercise requirements, interesting personality traits, grooming tips, the disease they mostly die from, and the reason why breeders avoid them. But before discussing these things, we will first reveal why the existence of these Rotties remained uncommon and why they are still rare.
Is There Such A Thing As A Long Haired Rottweiler?
You all know, Long Haired Rottweilers are nothing new but the same Rottweilers with the addition of long hair genes.
However, their birth ratio has remained much lower than the others. This led them to become uncommon, even though there are more reasons that contribute to the rarity of these Long Haired Rottweilers, let’s have a look!
Restricted Breed
Despite looking cute and having high intelligence, Long Haired Rottweilers do not meet the breeding standards of Rottweilers set by the American Kennel Club. According to this club, dogs with smooth coats are only the ideal ones, while others are not. This disqualified these hairy Rotties for their participation in show rings as well.
Furthermore, it has been decided to euthanize these long-haired canines. One major reason is the misuse of this breed in unethical breeding activities for the characteristic latent aggressiveness Rotties have, the trait in which breeders will be able to breed and produce extremely dangerous canines.
However, an alternate and more humane option to euthanization, provided by AKC, is to alter and domesticate these Long Haired Rotties, thereby putting them up for adoption or for sale as pets.
Then Why Are Long Haired Rottweilers Still Rare?
Due to a number of restrictions that the breed-specific legislation has in place, breeders often avoid breeding and selling the troublesome Long Haired Rotties, despite the huge demand.
Owners would also avoid adopting the troublesome breed that is being sold for the sole purpose of a pet or that is slapped with many restrictions from the breed-specific legislation.
So, these are the factors influencing the rarity of Long Haired Rottweilers; however, they are still perfect as family or guard dogs.
Breed Size
The sizes of Long Haired Rottweilers are almost similar to the standard Rotties, but because their hairy coats are larger and heavier, they do seem to look a bit bigger than their regular siblings.
Hence, the male Long Haired Rottweilers grow up to a height of around 24 to 28 inches with a weight of 115 to 135 lbs, while females get about 22 to 26 inches tall with a weight of 85 to 115 lbs.
How Long Do Long Haired Rottweilers Live?
The lifespan of a Long Haired Rottweiler ranges from 8 to 12 years.
According to The American Naturalist, a research journal in 2013, the larger the size of a dog gets, the shorter its lifespan will be.
Rottweilers usually range from medium-large to giant sizes. By taking the size of your Rottie into consideration, you can estimate the number of years she is going to survive.
What Do Most Long Haired Rottweilers Die From?
In a study published by O’Neill, D.G back in 2017, the disorders of dog clinic patients were examined and recorded in 2013, and it was found that 33% of 5,321 Rottweilers had died due to neoplasia or cancer.
Out of the different types of cancers, bone cancer (osteosarcomas) and lymph cancer (lymphoma) are most commonly found in Rottweilers. Here are a few more health issues that have been found common among Rottweilers.
Aortic Stenosis
When the blood flow from the left ventricle of the heart moves into the aorta blood vessel to spread further all around the body, it finds some blockage over there.
Consequently, the heart on getting signals starts pumping harder than before to settle the situation out. This causes chest pain, or sometimes can lead to heart attacks in Long Haired Rottweilers as well. The severity of the condition, though, depends on the narrowness of the blood vessel.
Hip And Elbow Dysplasia
Hip dysplasia causes severe pain due to the looseness in the fitting of two joints, i.e. ball and socket joint around the thigh bone and hip bone. The same condition seems to occur around the elbow joint when canines face elbow dysplasia. This severely impacts the mobility of Long Haired Rottweilers.
Entropion And Ectropion
There are eye problems even Long Haired Rottweilers will tend to face. Entropion and ectropion are two such common problems, during which the eyelids of the canine are affected and consequently turn inward or outward depending on the “endo” or “ecto” case, severely impacting the canine’s vision. Both of the cases can be, however, treated through surgery.
Cataracts And PRA
While suffering from an eye problem like cataracts, the vision our four-legged furry friend gets to see will become cloudy. This gradually leads to complete blindness. However, cataracts can be treated and resolved through surgeries.
Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) also leads to complete blindness. In this case, Rotties will face day and night vision blindness instead of getting a cloudy vision.
How To Take Care Of Your Long Haired Rottweiler?
Your Long Haired Rottweiler can enjoy better care if you take a well-rounded approach covering the aspects below.
Regular Exercise
Long Haired Rottweilers love to hang out and burn energy. Let your long-haired buddy exercise for at least two hours each day. You can also take them for short walks every morning and evening. They are obedient and get easily handled so you won’t need to make much effort.
The Major Component Of Their Diet
For a healthy diet, Long Haired Rottweilers need plenty of protein and thus, they want meat, meat, and just meat!
If you are having a Long Haired Rottie puppy, then the meal should be composed of 24 to 28% protein while adult Rotties should be provided meals with 22 to 26% protein. Fats composition should be 14 to 18% for pups and 12 to 16% for adult Rotties; however, the source of fats should be clearly labeled.
How Much And How Often To Intake?
Puppy Rotties need to eat three times a day. The amount varies from 1¾ to 3 cups. On the other hand, grown-up Long Haired Rotties usually intake meals twice a day while their amount varies from 7 to 8⅔ cups.
Get a full meal plan for your doggie and perfect meal recipes made with the composition of human-grade ingredients using this Pet Plate.
Foods Required For Coat Maintenance
A secret to keeping Long Haired Rottweilers’ coats healthy and shiny is the intake of omega-6 fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids directly put shine over rot’s coat while omega-3 fatty acid fights against skin diseases.
Fish oil and flaxseed oil are the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, while sunflower oil is the perfect source of omega-6 fatty acids. Just add 1 tablespoon of oil to a regular dog meal, and you are done!
You can also bring some multivitamin supplements for your pooch. Multivitamins will not only boost your Rottie’s immune system, but will also help keep its long-haired coat shiny and healthy.
Oral Care
To keep your furry friend’s gums and teeth healthy, get dental water additives. The use of such additives brings about convenience as it works simply by adding a teaspoon to the daily water serving for your pooch. You’ll eventually notice your Long Haired Rottie having fresh breath all day long.
Are Long Haired Rottweilers Hard To Train? Temperaments Of Long Haired Rottweilers
Long Haired Rottweilers seem to have a wonderful personality with a combination of fearless, loyal, and sweet character. Here, I’ve discussed some of their interesting traits that make them easily trainable pooches besides making their personality attractive.
Quick Learner
Regardless of nature, Long Haired Rottweilers require lots of training. They really need to undergo obedience training at early ages besides attending the socialization sessions.
Well here, their quick learning ability makes everything pretty easy to do. Because of being quick learners, Long Haired Rottweilers are pretty easy to train and work with. A few of them could be seen as stubborn too, but the ratio seems too small to be taken into consideration.
Straightforward
Rottweilers can be termed as straightforward dogs that are friendly & calm around close ones while remaining reserved in front of strangers. They don’t respond quickly and take a little time to understand things.
You’ll see most of the Long Haired Rottweilers remain aloof in front of strangers and sometimes tend to become hostile and overprotective on watching strangers inside the house.
People-Oriented
Long Haired Rotties are one of the people-oriented dogs and can be termed as super clingy. They may follow you all-around your house to be with you all day long.
Besides, they shouldn’t be left alone for more than 6 hours as they’ll end up destroying your home, like scratching furniture or digging up the lawn. Long Haired Rottweilers are loyal, friendly, and love to cuddle frequently, and I think that’s what makes them a perfect family dog breed!
Can You Shave A Long Haired Rottweiler? Grooming Tips For Long Haired Rottweilers
Just like other canines, Long Haired Rottweilers shed as well, and are not hypoallergenic. They are as perfect as they can be, but because of their long hairy coat, they require lots of grooming!
This effort-making part of the petting journey leads so many of you to think about the idea of shaving these Rotties.
But let me tell you that shaving a Long Haired Rottweiler has never been a good option, and it doesn’t reduce shedding either. Their long coat needs to be groomed regularly – no more options.
Here I’ve mentioned some grooming tips for your furry companion. Long Haired Rotties are not high-maintenance pets, so these tips are super easy and cheap to go with.
Daily Brushing
A Long Haired Rottweiler’s healthy coat needs to be brushed every day. Brushing not only removes tangles and mats between the hairs but also removes fleas and ticks living inside, making the long coat their sweet home.
Undercoat Care
Brushing removes the loose hairs from the upper coat, while for the undercoat, a FURminator is a tool you’ll need to use. I would recommend using the FURminator Undercoat Tool designed specifically for hairy pets like Long Haired Rottweilers. Collecting hairs holding a comfortable handle and releasing them using a simple cute button makes everything super easy.
Bathing Once In A While
Bath your hairy Rottie once every 4 to 5 weeks. Bathing them more frequently can dry out their skin, however, you can give your pooch a short bath if she has been playing in muddy water all day long.
Here I would recommend using Might Petz 2-In-1 Oatmeal Dog Shampoo And Conditioner. This product, made with 7 natural ingredients, moisturizes Long Haired Rottie’s coat and prevents the skin from itching as well.
Here I’ve summarized and scheduled all types of grooming a Long Haired Rottweiler requires:
- Bath – monthly
- Nail trimming, teeth brushing, and ear cleaning – weekly
- FURminator – twice a week
- Use of wipes – alternate days
- Brushing – daily
Related Questions
How Much Does A Long Haired Rottweiler Cost? Despite being healthy and cute, Long Haired Rottweilers are uncommon among owners, restricted by AKC, and avoided by breeders due to some reasons. So the cost for a Long Haired Rottweiler puppy can be a bit demanding, though an average cost would be around $1,500 to $2,500.
Why Are Long Haired Rottweilers Euthanized? Long Haired Rottweilers actually do not meet the AKC standards and thus have been disqualified for show rings as well. In addition, backyard breeders had been unethically using these Long Haired Rotties to breed wild canines, or canines according to the desired trait requirements. Taking all these reasons into consideration, it was decided to euthanize these Rotties. However, domesticating altered Long Haired Rotties was declared as an alternate option.
Are Long Haired Rottweiler Puppies Fluffy? Yes, Long Haired Rottweiler puppies are fluffy and furry. Given that they possess long hair genes inside their body, their coats remain healthy and furry since their puppyhood.
