Oct 5, Worried about size of Rottweiler pup!

by Kim
(B.C. Canada)

I love camping!

Hi ... our male rottie Harley is 8 months old and is 26" tall, and weighs about 85lbs. He is a great dog.

My husband is worried he is going to be small like his mom, who was only 90lbs but his dad was 135lbs...needless to say we haven't got him fixed yet, but want to soon!

Any thoughts on weight and height?
Thanks
Kim from Canada

Hi Kim
From that photo Harley looks like a gorgeous dog, and his structure and bone size don't look 'small' or 'light' to me.

At 8 months old he's still very much a puppy and will continue to grow until he's 2 years old, or older. Rotties are slow to mature, and the biggest males take the longest, he will also get his full height before his full weight and so may look a bit 'out of proportion' for a while. It's very important for the health of a pup that they be kept 'lean' and fed properly to avoid too rapid growth, or excessive weight gain that often leads to bone/joint problems.

At 85lbs he's on the upper edge of the 'normal' weight for an 8 month old pup and is doing just fine. Rottweilers were not originally bred to be an X-large or giant breed, and a lot of the desire for huge Rottweilers is a fairly recent development... and not one that is really beneficial to the breed as a whole. Extra big dogs tend to have more musculo-skeletal problems in addition to other health issues, plus they are not as agile or active as a working dog should be - and that's what Rottweilers are, working dogs.

I would definitely recommend having Harley neutered just as soon as possible, it won't affect his growth if that's what your husband is concerned about, and it can literally be a life-saving procedure. Neutering (and spaying) early - preferably before 6 months of age - gives significant protection against all sorts of reproductive order diseases including cancer.

You can find out more about 'average' Rottweiler puppy growth and development on my Rottweiler Puppy Growth Chart page, but bear in mind there really is no such thing as an 'average' dog :o)

Rottweilers are an amazing breed, they look gorgeous and their personality, intelligence, temperament and abilities are superb. Size is just one part of the package and shouldn't be a major consideration or worry, unless it's a health-related problem.

Hope this puts your minds at rest. Best of luck with Harley, he's a beauty.

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