German Shepherd vs Rottweiler
Side by side
German Shepherd
Rottweiler
Adult weight
Males 36–45.5 kg (79–100 lb); females 30.6–39.5 kg (67–87 lb) (measured in UK vet records, n = 12,146, middle 50%)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%)1
Fully grown
13 months, both sexes3
Shedding
Moults most as the seasons change
Grooming
No sourced figure
Brushing a few times a week
Exercise
Plenty
A moderate amount
Health
Class
Watchdog
Watchdog
Which suits you
Size
The Rottweiler is a little larger on average: about 45 kg (99 lb) as an adult, against 38 kg (84 lb) for the German Shepherd.
Exercise
Plan for plenty of exercise with the German Shepherd, and a moderate amount with the Rottweiler.
Temperament
They differ most on sensitivity (German Shepherd: needs a calm, predictable home; Rottweiler: hardy, takes a busy home in its stride) and on affection (German Shepherd: affectionate on its own terms; Rottweiler: a lap or leaning dog).
Alike
Both are rated the same on loyalty: sticks close to its people.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
What they're like
German Shepherd
Sheepdogs & cattledogs · Large
The breed is alert, watchful and self-assured, devoted to its own people and reserved with strangers.
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.
Breed traits
Day to day
German Shepherd
Rottweiler
Activity
Differs
Needs lots of exercise
A good daily walk and play
Intelligence
Differs
Needs daily brain work
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Needs an experienced owner
Needs an experienced owner
With people
German Shepherd
Rottweiler
Affection
Differs
Affectionate on its own terms
A lap or leaning dog
Loyalty
Sticks close to its people
Sticks close to its people
Independence
Differs
Keen to work with you
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Around the home
German Shepherd
Rottweiler
Sensitivity
Differs
Needs a calm, predictable home
Hardy, takes a busy home in its stride
Voice
Barks to alert, then settles
Barks to alert, then settles
Prey drive
Chases; needs managing
Chases; needs managing
Puppy growth
Reference curves · both sexes
Summary
Detail
The Rottweiler grows to the heavier adult, about 46 kg against the German Shepherd's 38 kg.
German Shepherd
Rottweiler
More comparisons
Compare the German Shepherd with
Sources
- 1VetCompass UK. Primary-care veterinary records. ↑
- 2
- 3Hawthorne et al., 2004. Body-weight changes during growth in puppies of different breeds. Journal of Nutrition 134(8 Suppl): 2027S–2030S (WALTHAM). ↑
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- 9Morrill et al., 2022. Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes. Science 376: eabk0639 (Darwin's Ark). ↑
- 10Dogs Trust. Finding a good, responsible breeder. ↑
- 11American Kennel Club. Screening puppy buyers: how top breeders find the best homes. ↑
- 12
Parts of this page were written by AI ·