How To Tell If A Rottweiler Is Purebred [With Pictures]

Ah, the courageous, obedient, and fearless Rottweiler! Many people dream of owning this amazing dog breed, but it’s important to ensure that you’re getting a purebred Rottweiler to avoid unexpected and unnecessary problems.

So, how can you tell if a Rottweiler is purebred?

Well, my friend, there are several things to look for when examining a Rottweiler’s appearance, including their body size and shape, head, eyes, ears, tail, jaw strength, coat appearance, colors, behaviors, and traits. You can also perform a DNA test, check pedigree papers, and consult with a veterinarian to ensure that your furry friend is a purebred Rottweiler.

Whether you’re buying a Rottweiler puppy or a grown one, it’s always important to go through a specific checklist to ensure that you’re getting a full-blooded Rottweiler. With a little bit of attention and care, you’ll be able to enjoy the company of a purebred Rottweiler for years to come!

How to identify a purebred grown Rottweiler?

Rottweilers are famous for their smooth and shiny coats and muscular appearance with massive toothy grins.

They also have amazing power, strength, intelligence, and the ability to protect and defend their family with life.

Of course, this dog is not only one of the most powerful dogs in the world, but he is also one of the most versatile, lovable, and gentle dogs.

So, let’s figure out how to tell if a grown Rottweiler is purebred.

But before going into the article, one of the crucial points should be mentioned here.

There are hundreds of scam breeders out there who are smart enough to fool anyone. Stay away from those scammers without falling prey.

Because buying a purebred Rottweiler is crucial as some mixed breeds come with or are at least prone to various health issues. In fact, over time, some behavioral problems may arise.

Do you really want to take such a risk? If not, consider reading this whole article.

1. The general appearance.
2. Observe the body size and shape.
3. Take a look at the coat.
4. Examine the head.
5. Check out the eyes.
6. Observe the ears.
7. Examine the tail
8. Examine their general behavior and traits.
9. Check out the jaw strength
10. Negligible deviations

The General appearance of a purebred Rottweiler

In general, the Rottweilers are strong and true, with a big loving heart to their family and close ones.

Most dog lovers would love to affectionately call them “Rotties” or “Rotts,” and a purebred Rottweiler is confident and calm.

In fact, he is a natural guard dog with a mellow disposition who is successful in the police and military work and as a family friend and protector.

With regards to the appearance of this calm and fearless breed, the Rottweiler is a large, very solidly built dog that should display a mellow and noble demeanor.

The general body shape should be proportionate without excess development of the four quarters in relation to the rest of the dog.

Since under this section, we cannot entirely cover their appearance, We gonna dive into each of the specifications of their appearance in detail.

Observe the body size and shape.

The body size and the shape is the first thing you need to examine. As we discussed earlier, the Rottweilers belong to the large dog category. However, some people tend to define them as medium-large-sized dogs.

That being said, knowing the term “large” isn’t sufficient.

You should know the exact heights and weights of an original Rottweiler. The table below will help you.

Gender	Height (cm)	Weight (Kg)
Male	61 – 69	50 – 60
Female	56 – 63	35 – 48

In general, this breed is a robust, powerful dog with a substantial and compacted build. Moreover, the body expresses explicitly unlimited strength, endurance, and agility.

The male Rottweilers usually have a larger frame with a heavy bone structure compared to females, and the massive size is spread throughout the body.

But you need to know the exact proportion from height to length of a purebred Rottweiler. The reliable height to length ratio is 9 : 10. I urge you to use the following image to measure the height and the length precisely.

Now, let’s consider the depth of the chest to height ratio. It usually should be around 1 : 2. is you are unsure, take a look at the following image.

I think this is sufficient about the body size and shape of a purebred Rottweiler. So, go ahead.

Take a look at the coat and the colors with markings.

The main features of a purebred Rottweiler are,

• They have a double coat.
• In general, the undercoat can be seen thighs and neck.
• The outer coat is
  • Dense
  • medium length
  • coarse
  • Lying flat
  • Straight
• The coat is relatively short on legs, ears, and head.
• We cannot see the undercoat through the upper coat in the original Rottweilers.
• In general, the rottweiler coat is coarse, straight.

When it comes to mixed Rottweilers, the coat seems to be a little longer rather than we used to see from purebred Rottweilers. If the coat is a little longer and not short and lying flat, chances are the dog you gonna buy isn’t an original one.

Examine the image below to get an idea of their coat.

With regards to the coat colors, there are three primary colors that purebred Rottweilers promised to have.

• Black
• Tan
• Mahogany

Usually, The major coat color of all Rottweilers appears to be black with highlighted tan markings on the legs, face, and especially on the chest.

Look at the following image to see the tan color markings.

However, note that this tan color may vary on the individual dog, which means some may have a tan color inclined toward a dark mahogany color while some other dogs may have rusty and red color markings on the spots, as mentioned earlier.

The tan color is gradually turning to a color that seems to be brown as it approaches the paws. In fact, all most every purebred Rottweiler has two unmistakable brown color dots right above the eyes.

This color pattern is so unique for Rottweilers, but not for Dobermans. The Doberman pinschers also have a somewhat similar pattern. Click here to understand how to tell if a Doberman is purebred.

Examine the head of an original Rottweiler

The shape of the head of Rottweilers seems boxy. The width and height are more likely the same.

If you look at them straight ahead, you will see that the space between the ears is a little broad compared to most other breeds.

Take a look at the table below to get a quick idea about their head.

The length of the head	Average
Expression	Self-assured, alert, and especially noble
Forehead	Mostly dry
Forehead line	slightly arched.
Muzzle to back skull ratio	2 : 3

To confirm the above details, just look at the image below.

Now let’s look at the eyes of a purebred Rottweiler.

To get an easily digestible idea, take a look at the following table. In fact, don’t forget to refer to the above image.

Eye color	Dark brown
size	Medium
Eye shape	Almond
The appearance of eyes	Slightly dee set

Watch out!

The original Rottweilers don’t have eyes of different sizes or colors. Some people say the Rottweilers with yellow color eyes lie into the breed standards, but that is entirely untrue information.

The next thing you need to watch out for is that closely observe his eye rim. If the eye rims don’t have hair, chances are that Rottweiler is a mixed one. In fact, ectropion and entropion circumstances cannot be accepted for full-blooded ones.

Observe the ears.

Before going to this section, I want you to check the image above called “The front & side view” and observe the appearance of ears. Then head over to the table below.

Size	Medium
Shape	Triangular and fold down
Positioning	Clearly apart from each other
Hang or not	Hang and fold down to foreword

Note that Rottweiler’s ears gradually change as they grow. However, we can see a significant change in their ears during the period of teething.

When it comes to the 3.5-6 months period, the ears can be held back or crease.

By the way, read this to understand whether Rottweilers can have cropped ears.

Take a look at the muzzle

Concerning the muzzle of an original Rottweiler, the general appearance can be expected to be with a well straight bridge. (If you are in doubt, I need you to take a look at the above “The front & side view” image.

If you closely observe, you will see that the base is tapering toward the tip of the muzzle up to some extend.

One of the salient features of the Rottweiler muzzle is that it’s considerably broad and with a huge chine.

The nose should always be black color in purebred Rottweilers, and it’s slightly broad, just like the head. The nose fits perfectly on the head and muzzle.

Examine the tail

When it comes to the tail of a Rottweiler, most people tend to dock their tail during puppyhood. The docket tail seems to be short and close to their body.

Occasionally, we can found Rottweilers with a full tail. Look at the image below in order to understand how long-tail Rottweilers are looked like.

Examine their general behavior and traits.

These massive dogs were initially bred to drive cattle to market while working as guardians and protectors. In fact, they can serve to the police and military since they are well suited for that job.

This makes them slightly dominant, and occasional aggression can be expected. They would love to engage in strenuous exercises for a long time.

Here are the common temperaments of Rottweilers.

• Calm
• Courageous
• Steady
• Confident
• Fearless
• Alert
• Good-Natured
• Obedient
• Self-assured
• Devoted

Recommended reading: Can Rottweilers climb stairs? [Vet Advice]

Check out the jaw strength of a purebred Rottweiler.

Jaw strength is a hallmark of Rottweilers, and It is second only to the Pitbull. The Rottweilers have an imposing and dangerous bite force of 328 pounds per squire inch.

They received such kind of strength because of their heavy and robust jaws with broad head.

Negligible deviations

There are several negligible things when it comes to selecting a purebred Rottweiler, and we don’t wanna worry too much as these variations are accepted.

• Some Rottweilers are leaner.
• A little bit taller once also can be accepted.
• Some Rotties are slightly taller.
• Stockier once also can be accepted.

These variations can occur in the long run due to environmental differences, as Rottweilers are one of the most popular dogs that are spread across all over the world.

How to identify a purebred Rottweiler puppy?

It seems like now you have sufficient awareness to identify a purebred Rottweiler. However, it really makes sense to buy a puppy rather than own a grown Rottweiler apart from the situations where you adopt a Rottie from a rescue or humane society.

I wanna urge you to buy at least a two-month-old puppy if you really wanna get a Rottweiler puppy. The reason is that apart from size, weight, the appearance of a two-month-old Rottweiler puppy is almost the same as a grown one.

Although we discussed the behavior and traits of this breed, it can be a little different when it comes to puppies. They are playful, adorable, and cute. In fact, several behavioral issues can be expected as the lack of socialization and basic obedience training.

In the matter of energy level, they are highly energetic, active compared to other average breeds.

Frankly, you may find it difficult to distinguish a purebred Rottweiler from a mixed one. This is the place where several other essential tactics come into play. Please head over to the next section.

Suggested Reading: Read this to understand whether Rottweilers bond with one person.

Other methods to tell if a Rottweiler is purebred.

It’s crystal clear that you can determine whether a grown Rottweiler with the guidance of the above-mentioned techniques. However, it may need to pour sweat and tears with regard to choosing an original Rottweiler puppy.

But don’t get in a fluster. There are three methods that will definitely help with this task.

1. Look for the pedigree papers.
2. Performing a DNA test.
3. Get the help of a veterinarian.

Look for the pedigree papers to ensure the Rottweiler is purebred.

This is something you must do either you are about to buy a grown Rottweiler or a puppy. You necessity need to ask for pedigree papers from the breeder prior to buy the dog, or even look at the dog.

This is such a crucial thing as hundreds of or even thousands of scam or irresponsible breeders out there are smart enough to fool any person within a matter of minutes.

If the breeder is unable to prove the dog has pedigree papers, you need to walk away from that breeder. What happened if you wouldn’t do that? Please be ready to encounter loads of cleft sticks.

Actually, we gonna discuss those snags in the next subtitle.

Say the breeder has pedigree papers for the Rottweiler puppy. The next thing you wanna do is that check if the organization that is responsible for pedigree papers is well recognized.

Performing a DNA test.

This is another handy method that you can keep the trust in to check if the Rottweiler is purebred or not. The term “DNA test” seems a bit serious, but performing a DNA test isn’t that much as the way you think.

This can be done with the following methods.

• At home DNA test.
• Get the help of a veterinarian.

At home DNA test.

This method is pretty much straightforward. But, the problem is that you have to spend some amount of money. But, you know what, it’s way cheap, less confusing rather than owning a mixed Rottweiler.

Follow the steps below to perform an at-home DNA test.

1. Purchase a DNA kit, a well-recognized brand. It’s easier to buy online.
2. Then take the swam from the kit.
3. Then get a sample from the Rottweiler’s cheek cells. But don’t forget to follow the instruction given with the DNA kit.
4. Then pack it by following the instruction given in the kit and send.

Get the help of a veterinarian.

Sometimes it requires getting the blood sample from your dog in order to perform the DNA test, and this is something you should stay away from. You have to get the help of your veterinarian to do this.

It doesn’t matter either you performed an at-home DNA test or with the help of a Veterinarian. Often, it will take several weeks to give you actual results.

If your Rottweiler is purebred, the result will show that the dog is 100% purebred.

Suppose your Rottie is a mixed one. In that case, you will receive a percentage value by taking into account their pureness. However, remember that this percentage value is never gonna precisely accurate. That’s just an approximate value.

Disadvantages of owning a not purebred Rottweiler.

The more you gonna understand this section, the less likely you to get mixed Rottweiler as it gives several significant disadvantages.

1. It’s difficult to predict the future temperament.
2. Possible genetic or congenital issues.
3. Cannot predict the future size.

It’s difficult to predict the future temperament: We discussed how the temperament of an original Rottweiler looks like. But, if you accidentally or intentionally buy a mixed one, be aware that you will never be able to figure out how their future temperament looks like. For example, say you bought a Rottweiler to add some extra protection to your family. If that dog is mixed one, chances are, he might not be as much as protective when he gets growing.

Possible genetic or congenital issues: Although some people say that mixed-breed tends to be healthier and less possibility to prone health issues, no one has proved that statement scientifically. So, congenital unpredictable problems or genetic may arise.

Cannot predict the future size: Obviously, you have to be extremely careful when getting a new dog because of the fact that you are about to add another member to your family for the next 10-15 years. Think about this, what if the Rottweiler won’t reach the size he is supposed to do?

I hope these reasons are way enough in order to stay away from mixed Rottweilers.

Things to be aware of.

Here are several things you need to be aware of!

• You know what? The possibility to prone genetic issues way higher in the litter of two merle dog parents. These genetic issues can be as severe as blindness or deafness.
• If you figured out that your Rottweiler isn’t a purebred one, do not treat him differently. But be responsible not to breed by using this dog. You gotta head over to your vet and perform a complete body checkup and determine whether if the dog has any genetic issues or any chronic diseases. Then you can take necessary precautions.
• Provide sufficient exercises in order to keep him happy and healthy.

Conclusion

Most people love to adopt a Rottweiler due to the fact that their fearless, self-assured, alert, and noble features. However, owning a purebred Rottweiler is much more critical in order to avoid unexpected problems and confusion in the long run. We discussed how to identify a full-blooded grown Rottweiler and a puppy with the help of images and examples. In fact, we discussed several other essential and relevant factors belong to this topic. I hope you found this helpful. Have a nice day.