Female Rottweiler adopted from a shelter. Only weighs 50 pounds at two years old and doesn’t look exactly like a rott

by Briana
(Iowa)

All three of these were when she was about a year old

All three of these were when she was about a year old

All three of these were when she was about a year old

We adopted a rottweiler from our local shelter about a year ago. She was a year old when we got her and weighed about 45 pounds. She’s only gained about 5 pounds since we got her and we were told she was a purebred.

She has the exact rottweiler markings but her nose seems a little too long and her head isn’t as bulky as other rottweilers I’ve seen.

It doesn’t really matter to me if she’s purebred or not but we’re just a little curious. She just isn’t as robust as we think she should be if she’s full rott. I’ll attach a picture and I’d just like your opinion.

Hi Briana
From the photos your girl does look very much like a Rottweiler, but given her size/weight, her coat type and the slightly elongated muzzle it’s possible that she’s got some other breed in her background. It could be a parent, or a grandparent etc. there’s really no way to tell by looking.

She’s a nice looking dog and has a very Rottie expression and I’m sure she’s a great pet regardless so I’m glad that you are not too concerned about her pedigree. When you adopt a dog from a shelter or rescue, often it’s a ‘best guess’ as to their background because there are no papers to produce and no parents to see. In your dog’s case it’s a pretty close guess, but there could be something else in the mix.

There are dog DNA tests that you can do by taking a cheek swab at home and sending it away to the lab for analysis and that will give you the results showing the dog breeds in your pet’s heritage. If you’re really interested in finding out more you could try one of these, this link will give you more info… Dog DNA Test

Hope this helps. I wish you lots of luck with your Rottie.

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Feb 27, 2012

Jenna NEW
by: Anonymous

I too , have a Rott that has a longer snout and the head is not a boxy. Everyone swears that she is not full blood Rott and that she is prob mixed with a Shephard…but all the papers that we have on her, say that she is a true Rott. I, like you, dont really care what others thin…Enjoy her as she is the most loyal dog that you will ever find.


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About The Rotty lover 2159 Articles
My name is Dr. Winnie. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Duke University, a Masters of Science in Biology from St Georges University, and graduated from the University of Pretoria Veterinary School in South Africa. I have been an animal lover and owners all my life having owned a Rottweiler named Duke, a Pekingese named Athena and now a Bull Mastiff named George, also known as big G! I'm also an amateur equestrian and love working with horses. I'm a full-time Veterinarian in South Africa specializing in internal medicine for large breed dogs. I enjoy spending time with my husband, 2 kids and Big G in my free time. Author and Contribturor at SeniorTailWaggers, A Love of Rottweilers, DogsCatsPets and TheDogsBone