by ali
(islamabad pakistan)
hi i am a little concerned about the height of my rottie
it’s 21 inch at 10 and half months and according to standards it should be 26 as my rottie is pedigreed so it’s bothering me
rest when the litter was born it suffered with some diarrhea and they were really week at 12 weeks, then again my rottie suffered the same problem at 5 months but recovered.
the head size and tail and chest all are really good but the height is a little concerning
so would u tell me what is the max age till it grows n would it grow more in height?
Hi Ali
I think perhaps you have some major misunderstandings about Rottweilers (or dogs) in general, and how they grow and develop…. and that’s what is causing your concerns. I will try to address them so that you have a better overall idea of what to expect from your pup.
1. Your Rottie is still very much a puppy, and at 10 months old is roughly equivalent to a human teenager. At this age puppies are generally a bit out-of-proportion and gangly. They have a lot of growing left to do.
2. Rottweilers are very slow to mature and continue to grow in height, and put on weight until they’re around 18 months to 2 years old, sometimes older. They will get their full height first (and that can come anywhere between 12 months and 2 years) and then finish their muscle development and add weight.
3. Just because a dog is purebred doesn’t mean it’s necessarily going to be a good representative of it’s breed. There are many, many purebred dogs who don’t fit the breed standard (see Rottweiler Breed Standard for more breed-specific info.) either physically or temperamentally.
4. The 26″ height that you mention if for a fully grown adult Rottweiler, and anywhere between 24″ and 27″ is considered ‘normal’ and within the breed standard. However, there are many well-bred Rotties who will end up being either shorter, or taller, than those specifications. Unless you are showing your dog (or breeding him, and he should be an excellent example of the breed with top bloodlines/conformation/temperament if you are considering that), then whether a pet dog falls within the ‘ideal’ range (and that’s what a breed standard implies) then it’s not a big deal.
5. If your pup has suffered from ill-health during his early months that could affect his rate of growth/development and possibly limit his adult potential. But that is speculative and only a vet could determine whether or not that would be the case.
Overall, I personally think you are putting too much emphasis on one particular aspect of your Rottweilers’ looks. Just make sure he’s healthy and happy and enjoy him, while being patient as you wait to see what he will grow into as an adult.
Best of luck with your dog.