American Pit Bull Terrier vs Rottweiler

An American Pit Bull Terrier
Photo: geoggirl
A Rottweiler
Photo: Fabian Roudra Baroi

Side by side

American Pit Bull Terrier
Rottweiler
Adult weight
Males 16–27 kg (35–60 lb); females 14–23 kg (30–50 lb) (registry figure)1
Males 43–54 kg (95–119 lb); females 37–46.4 kg (82–102 lb) (measured in UK vet records, n = 5,321, middle 50%)2
Height
Males 45–53 cm; females 43–50 cm (registry figure)1
No sourced figure
Lifespan
12–13 years3
Median 10.6 years4
Fully grown
11 months, both sexes5
13 months, both sexes5
Group
Terrier (AKC)
Pinschers & molossoids6
Coat
No sourced figure
Coat of medium length6
Shedding
No sourced figure
Moults most as the seasons change
Grooming
No sourced figure
Brushing a few times a week
Exercise
No sourced figure
A moderate amount
Health
No sourced figure
Bone cancer (far more likely); Elbow joint disease (much more likely)7,8
Class
Companion
Watchdog

Which suits you

Size
The Rottweiler is much larger: about 45 kg (99 lb) as an adult, against 20 kg (44 lb) for the American Pit Bull Terrier.
Temperament
They differ most on activity (American Pit Bull Terrier: needs lots of exercise; Rottweiler: a good daily walk and play) and on loyalty (American Pit Bull Terrier: bonded to its family; Rottweiler: sticks close to its people).
Alike
Both are rated the same on affection: a lap or leaning dog.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
Take the breed matcher

What they're like

American Pit Bull Terrier
Terrier · Medium

Breed standards describe a confident, eager and people-focused dog that is usually friendly with strangers, which makes it a poor guard dog.

Rottweiler
Pinschers & molossoids · Giant

By temperament the Rottweiler is calm, self-assured and watchful. It is devoted to its own household but reserved with strangers.

The American Pit Bull Terrier page →The Rottweiler page →

Breed traits

Day to day
American Pit Bull Terrier
Rottweiler
Activity
Differs
Needs lots of exercise
A good daily walk and play
Intelligence
Learns readily, likes games
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Needs an experienced owner
Needs an experienced owner
With people
American Pit Bull Terrier
Rottweiler
Affection
A lap or leaning dog
A lap or leaning dog
Loyalty
Differs
Bonded to its family
Sticks close to its people
Independence
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Around the home
American Pit Bull Terrier
Rottweiler
Sensitivity
Differs
Average
Hardy, takes a busy home in its stride
Voice
Barks to alert, then settles
Barks to alert, then settles
Prey drive
Differs
Likely to chase small pets
Chases; needs managing
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour9. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home10,11.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes
The Rottweiler grows to the heavier adult, about 46 kg against the American Pit Bull Terrier's 20 kg.
American Pit Bull Terrier
Rottweiler
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More comparisons

Compare the American Pit Bull Terrier with
American Pit Bull Terrier vs Staffordshire Bull TerrierAmerican Pit Bull Terrier vs American Staffordshire TerrierDoberman Pinscher vs RottweilerGerman Shepherd vs RottweilerAmerican Bully vs American Pit Bull TerrierAmerican Pit Bull Terrier vs Bull TerrierAll breed comparisons →

Sources

Parts of this page were written by AI ·