Adopting a Rottweiler in Leeds: rescues, costs and health

Every Rottweiler and Rottweiler cross listed with us in Leeds and the 25 miles around is in the live count under the short answer. Expect it to be empty more often than not, so don't rely on it alone. Our Leeds large dogs page gathers the other big breeds listed nearby.

Started in 1979 and a registered charity since March 1980, the association is run entirely by volunteers and says it operates nationwide. It is the one Rottweiler rescue we could verify for Leeds adopters: searches for "Rottweiler rescue Yorkshire" turned up no local alternative with its own site.

If it has no dog to match you with, your name goes on a list, and it says the wait may be shorter if you are flexible on age, sex and how far you will travel. Its home page admits it is normally full and can't help every Rottweiler, and its about page warns that the website may not show every dog in its care, so ask. Every new home is checked by its volunteers, dogs are assessed before matching, and it will always take a dog back. We don't list its dogs.

It won't put a time limit on the process, since every dog and home differ, and if the dog you ask about has gone or doesn't suit you, it says it will try to match you with another. It is independent of other Rottweiler rescues but says it will try to help anyone who contacts it.

Usually a change in the owner's life. The Rottweiler Welfare Association lists bereavement and terminal illness, lost jobs and homes, a child's allergy, a new baby, family break-ups and house moves, as well as owners who can't afford food or vet fees. Some dogs are simply dumped once the puppy grows up, and some come from cruelty. It calls the number needing help "unprecedented".

The association's average donation of £175 to £225 is below the £400 floor Blue Cross gives for a bought puppy. Its neutering policy depends on the dog: some are done before they leave, along with a chip and vaccinations, and the rest become your job within 6 months. Cliffe Kennels & Rescue includes neutering, a microchip, first jabs and four weeks' insurance in its fee.

The breeder of a bought puppy has to microchip it by 8 weeks, so that costs you nothing. Jabs, neutering and insurance are yours, and the association strongly recommends insurance because treatment can be very expensive.

Lifespan estimates differ by source: under 10 years from The Royal Kennel Club, more than 10 from PDSA, typically 10 or more from Dogs Trust. A Royal Veterinary College VetCompass study of UK vet records found a median age at death of 9.0 years, 9.5 for females and 8.7 for males, with cancer behind 33.0% of the deaths that had a recorded cause. Then ask about:

• Joints. The Royal Kennel Club wants breeding Rottweilers hip and elbow scored. PDSA adds cruciate ligament damage and osteochondrosis (OCD), a cartilage problem in the hock, shoulder or knee that causes limping.
• Heart, nerves and eyes. PDSA describes subaortic stenosis, a narrowing of the passage leading out of the heart that can cause a murmur or fainting. The Royal Kennel Club asks for DNA tests for JLPP (a laryngeal and nerve disease) and LEMP-2, and recommends eye testing; PDSA names several inherited eye diseases.
• Weight and ears. In the VetCompass study the most common disorders recorded in the study included overweight or obesity (7.06%) and ear infections (6.14%), so ask about diet and ear history too.

Space comes first: The Royal Kennel Club gives more than two hours of exercise a day and a large house as the breed's needs. PDSA wants an experienced owner who uses reward-based training, says Rottweilers can suit families with older children, and wouldn't recommend them with younger children and babies. It also warns never to leave one alone with a smaller pet.

The Rottweiler is not a banned type in the UK: it isn't on gov.uk's list, and the England law section below sets out the types that are.

Plan for brains as much as muscle. PDSA calls the breed intelligent and active, needing plenty of exercise and training to stay occupied, and stresses that consistency is the key. It also says a Rottweiler is incredibly strong, so children should never be left with one unsupervised, and adds that, left alone, Rottweilers are no more prone to barking or destructiveness than other dogs, though no dog should be alone for more than four hours.

Puppy searches lead the demand for Rottweilers around Leeds, but rescues don't sell: you apply, they match you to a dog, and you pay a fee or donation, as with any dog on our Leeds Rottweiler page. The association rehomes puppies as well as older dogs, though it tries to foster puppies and young dogs rather than kennel them.

Buying instead? Hip and elbow scores plus JLPP DNA results for both parents are the papers to see, and a pre-purchase consultation, which Dogs Trust says some vets offer, is worth booking. The Royal Kennel Club lists litters through "Find a puppy", and Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud) takes reports of scam adverts.