Rottweiler vs German Shepherd comes down to build, coat and lifespan. The Royal Kennel Club standards give similar heights: males 63–69cm for the Rottweiler, a Working breed, and an ideal 63cm for the Pastoral German Shepherd. Dogs Trust’s UK data gives the German Shepherd a median lifespan of 11.3 years against 10.6.
We haven’t owned either breed, so this comparison draws on the Royal Kennel Club breed standards, Dogs Trust’s UK longevity study, RVC VetCompass research and PDSA’s breed guides.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Rottweiler vs German Shepherd at a glance
| Rottweiler | German Shepherd Dog | |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Kennel Club group | Working | Pastoral |
| RKC size category | Large | Large |
| Height (breed standard) | Males 63–69cm, females 58–64cm | Ideal: males 63cm, females 58cm (2.5cm either way tolerated) |
| Weight | Not given in the breed standard. UK vet records (2013): median adult males 48.5kg, females 41.5kg | Not given in the breed standard. UK vet records (2013): median adult males 40.1kg, females 34.8kg |
| Ears | Small, pendant, lying flat to the cheek | Medium, erect, tapering to a point |
| Tail | Natural: carried level, may hang down at rest | Bushy, reaching at least the hock; slight sabre curve at rest |
| Coat | Medium-length, coarse, flat top coat over an undercoat | Two varieties, short and long, with a thick undercoat |
| Colours | Black with clearly defined tan to mahogany markings | Black or black saddle with tan, gold or light grey markings; sables; bi-colours |
| Grooming (RKC) | Once a week | More than once a week |
| Exercise (RKC) | More than 2 hours a day | More than 2 hours a day |
| Health screening (RKC Good Practice) | JLPP DNA test; elbow and hip scoring | Elbow and hip scoring |
| Breed Watch | Category 2 | Category 2 |
| UK median lifespan | 10.6 years (10.4–10.7; n = 6,275) | 11.3 years (11.3–11.4; n = 19,908) |
| UK legal status | Not a banned type | Not a banned type |
Sources: Royal Kennel Club breed standards and breed pages; RVC VetCompass (2013 data); Dogs Trust 2024. Breed standards describe the ideal, and individual dogs vary.
A drovers’ dog and a herding dog: where each comes from
The Rottweiler
The Royal Kennel Club links the Rottweiler to the herding dogs thought to have travelled north with the Roman army’s cattle. In Rottweil, a livestock-market town in south-west Germany, cattle dealers and farmers developed a strong drovers’ dog that could also guard against robbers, mixing mastiff-type dogs with some sheepdog blood. The RKC adds that the breed has been used by the armed forces and the police.
Searches for a “German Rottweiler” don’t point to a separate breed: the Royal Kennel Club’s Breeds A to Z lists one Rottweiler, in the Working group.
The German Shepherd Dog
According to the Royal Kennel Club, Max von Stephanitz and his followers developed and promoted the German Shepherd Dog as a herding dog, and later as a working dog for the police and armed forces. The breed has also worked as a guide dog, a tracking dog and in obedience. The RKC notes that its changing appearance has provoked fierce debate, with a marked division of breed “type”, and that the long-haired variety is now recognised in the breed standard.
If you’ve come across the name Alsatian, our Alsatian vs German Shepherd guide covers it.
How to tell a Rottweiler from a German Shepherd
Size and build
By the standards, the two breeds stand at similar heights. The Rottweiler standard gives males 63–69cm and females 58–64cm at the shoulder. The German Shepherd standard gives an ideal of 63cm for males and 58cm for females, with 2.5cm either way tolerated.
The difference is build. The Rottweiler standard describes an “above average size, stalwart dog” with a “compact and powerful form”. The German Shepherd standard asks for a dog that is “balanced and free from exaggeration”.
Neither standard gives a weight. In UK veterinary records from 2013, the median adult weight was 48.5kg for male Rottweilers and 41.5kg for females, and 40.1kg for male German Shepherds and 34.8kg for females (RVC VetCompass; dogs over 18 months). Our Rottweiler weight chart covers what UK Rottweilers weigh in more detail.
Head, ears and tail
The ears are the quickest way to tell them apart. The Rottweiler’s are small and pendant, lying flat and close to the cheek. The German Shepherd’s are medium-sized, carried erect and tapering to a point.
The Rottweiler standard notes that the tail was “previously customarily docked” and describes the undocked tail, carried level and allowed to hang down at rest. PDSA points out that cropping a dog’s ears is illegal in the UK. The German Shepherd’s tail is bushy, reaches at least to the hock and hangs in a slight sabre-like curve at rest.
Coat, colour and shedding
The Rottweiler standard describes a top coat “of medium length, coarse and flat” over an undercoat, in black with clearly defined markings from rich tan to mahogany. The German Shepherd comes in two coat varieties, short and long, both with a thick undercoat, in black or black saddle with tan, gold or light grey markings, as well as sables and bi-colours.
The Royal Kennel Club suggests grooming a Rottweiler once a week and a German Shepherd more than once a week. PDSA says a weekly brush should keep a Rottweiler’s coat in order, with more shedding in spring and autumn, and tells German Shepherd owners to be prepared for a lot of shedding. Our guide to deshedding tools and our pick of the best brushes for German Shepherds cover the kit.
Is a white German Shepherd a different breed?
It can be either. The German Shepherd standard rates blues, livers, albinos, whites (“almost pure white dogs with black noses”) and near whites as “highly undesirable” in the breed. Separately, the Royal Kennel Club’s Breeds A to Z lists the White Swiss Shepherd Dog as its own breed in the Pastoral group, on the imported breed register. This page compares the Rottweiler with the German Shepherd Dog only.
Temperament: what the breed standards, PDSA and UK vet records say
The two standards use similar words. The Rottweiler should be “good natured, not nervous, aggressive or vicious; courageous, biddable, with natural guarding instincts”. The German Shepherd should be “steady of nerve, loyal, self-assured, courageous and tractable. Never nervous, over-aggressive or shy.”
The Royal Kennel Club describes the Rottweiler as territorial and protective of its owner and property, and says “a well-trained Rottweiler makes a wonderful family companion”. PDSA says Rottweilers need an experienced owner who trains with positive, reward-based methods. For German Shepherds, PDSA notes a strong guarding instinct that needs careful training and socialisation, and says they can be nervous of strangers.
UK veterinary records add context. In a 2013 sample of 2,197 Rottweilers, vets recorded aggression in 7.46%, more often in males (9.36%) than females (5.47%). The study’s authors note that negative media stories may unfairly prime the public to see the breed as excessively aggressive.
In a separate 2013 sample of 1,660 German Shepherds, aggression was recorded in 4.76%, again more often in males (6.75%) than females (2.78%). Each paper describes its own breed’s records, and the German Shepherd study’s authors stress that aggression can be highly contextual and is a complex topic. Training, socialisation and environment matter for both breeds.
Exercise, training and home
The Royal Kennel Club suggests more than two hours of exercise a day for both breeds, with a large house and a large garden. PDSA also gives at least two hours a day for both, and its vets recommend spreading a German Shepherd’s exercise across the day rather than doing two hours in one go.
PDSA recommends early socialisation and reward-based training for both breeds. It advises against leaving a Rottweiler unattended with another pet, especially small pets, and says German Shepherds that haven’t grown up with cats or other small pets may have the urge to chase them. For walking gear, see our dog harness vs collar guide.
Lifespan and health: what UK data shows
Rottweiler vs German Shepherd lifespan in the UK
Dogs Trust’s 2024 longevity study gives the German Shepherd a median lifespan of 11.3 years (95% CI 11.3–11.4; n = 19,908) and the Rottweiler 10.6 years (10.4–10.7; n = 6,275). The ranges don’t overlap, so the German Shepherd’s UK median is longer. A median is a midpoint, and many dogs of both breeds live shorter or longer lives.
Rottweiler health
PDSA lists the conditions Rottweilers more commonly develop: heart problems including subaortic stenosis, cruciate ligament damage, elbow and hip dysplasia, juvenile laryngeal paralysis and polyneuropathy (JLPP), inherited eye diseases, osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD), certain cancers (especially osteosarcoma and lymphoma) and hot spots.
In UK vet records from 2013, the most common recorded problems after aggression were overweight or obesity (7.06%), ear infections (otitis externa, 6.14%) and degenerative joint disease (4.69%). Cancer accounted for 33.0% of deaths with a recorded cause. The Royal Kennel Club’s Breed Watch asks judges to look out for an excessively short muzzle, incorrect hind conformation and/or poor rear movement, and eyelids not in normal contact with the eyeball.
German Shepherd health
PDSA lists hip and elbow dysplasia, degenerative myelopathy (weakness of the back legs leading to paralysis), anal furunculosis, inherited eye diseases, epilepsy, pituitary dwarfism and haemophilia A and B among the conditions German Shepherds may develop. Its pedigree dog health guide adds that sloping backs, as in the German Shepherd, make lower back, hip and knee problems more likely.
In UK vet records from 2013, the most common recorded problems were ear infections (otitis externa, 7.89%), osteoarthritis (5.54%), diarrhoea (5.24%) and overweight or obesity (5.18%). Musculoskeletal disorders (16.3%) and inability to stand (14.9%) were the most common recorded causes of death. Breed Watch points for the German Shepherd are incorrect hind conformation and/or poor rear movement, and nervous temperament.
Both VetCompass studies rely on what owners bring to the vet and what vets record, so they may undercount some problems.
Before you buy: Ask to see both parents’ health results. The Royal Kennel Club recommends a JLPP DNA test plus hip and elbow scoring for Rottweilers, with a LEMP-2 DNA test and eye testing as best practice. For German Shepherds it recommends hip and elbow scoring, with a degenerative myelopathy (DM) DNA test and eye testing as best practice. Ask your vet to talk you through the results.
Which breed suits which owner
PDSA’s advice differs between the two. It says Rottweilers need an experienced owner and can make great pets for families with older children, but it wouldn’t recommend them for families with younger children and babies. It describes German Shepherds as great dogs for owners with a lot of experience and time, and says some can make great family pets in homes with children of all ages, always supervised around young children.
Both breeds are large, need more than two hours of exercise a day and benefit from early, reward-based training, and the German Shepherd needs more grooming. Neither is a banned type in the UK; our list of banned dog breeds in the UK covers the types that are. If you’re comparing the German Shepherd with the Belgian Malinois, our Belgian Malinois vs German Shepherd guide covers that pair. If you’re comparing the Rottweiler with the Dobermann, our Doberman vs Rottweiler guide covers that pair. For what UK charities say about Rottweilers in family homes, see our guide to whether Rottweilers are good family dogs.
For more pairs, browse our breed guides.
When to see your vet: Speak to your vet if your dog starts limping, stiffening or losing strength in the back legs. PDSA lists cruciate ligament damage and hip and elbow dysplasia among the conditions Rottweilers more commonly develop, and hip and elbow dysplasia and degenerative myelopathy among those German Shepherds may develop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Rottweiler bigger than a German Shepherd?
Usually heavier, but not much taller. The breed standards give male Rottweilers 63–69cm and male German Shepherds an ideal of 63cm. UK vet records from 2013 give a median adult weight of 48.5kg for male Rottweilers against 40.1kg for male German Shepherds, so the Rottweiler is the heavier-built breed.
Do Rottweilers or German Shepherds live longer?
German Shepherds do, on UK data. Dogs Trust’s 2024 study gives German Shepherds a median lifespan of 11.3 years (11.3–11.4; n = 19,908) and Rottweilers 10.6 years (10.4–10.7; n = 6,275). The ranges don’t overlap, so the German Shepherd’s median is longer, though individual dogs vary widely.
Which needs more exercise, a Rottweiler or a German Shepherd?
Neither needs less. The Royal Kennel Club suggests more than two hours of exercise a day for both breeds, and PDSA says at least two hours. PDSA’s vets recommend spreading a German Shepherd’s exercise across the day, with walks, off-lead time in a safe area, and play and training on top.
Do Rottweilers or German Shepherds shed more?
German Shepherds, by UK guidance. The Royal Kennel Club suggests grooming a German Shepherd more than once a week and a Rottweiler once a week. PDSA tells German Shepherd owners to be prepared for a lot of shedding, and says Rottweilers don’t shed too much but shed more in spring and autumn.
Are Rottweilers or German Shepherds better with children?
PDSA’s advice differs. It wouldn’t recommend Rottweilers for families with younger children and babies, though they can suit families with older children. It says some German Shepherds can make great family pets in homes with children of all ages. With either breed, supervise children around the dog at all times.
Is a white German Shepherd a separate breed?
It can be either. The German Shepherd standard rates almost pure white dogs, along with blues, livers and albinos, as highly undesirable in the breed. Separately, the Royal Kennel Club’s Breeds A to Z lists the White Swiss Shepherd Dog as its own breed in the Pastoral group, on the imported breed register.
