Rottweilers are excellent pets and lovely dogs in general. But if you have allergies, you might want to rethink the breed of dog you want to get as a pet.
If your heart is dead set on Rottweilers, well, we can still help you out. Here’s the info you need.
Are Rottweilers Hypoallergenic?
Well, it’s no. Unfortunately, Rottweilers are not one of the breeds that are hypoallergenic according to the American Kennel Club.
But it’s not a big problem area if you are allergic to dog fur, saliva or dander.
If you want a Rottie, you should remember that these dogs can trigger some allergies. But there are things you can do to stop the situation from becoming worse.
So, What Are They Like?
Like many other dog breeds, Rottweilers have a shedding season and people with allergies are likely to have a hard time because these dogs can lead to severe allergies among them.
Now, it’s important to remember that dogs are not naturally hypoallergenic. Some dogs are called hypoallergenic because they don’t leave a lot of dander thanks to how little they shed.
The dog breeds that are called hypoallergenic usually have very thin fun and dander that does not cling to it all that much. But Rottweilers don’t fall in that category because even though they have short hair, they do shed moderately and the dander does stick to the hair with ease.
And this can cause allergic reactions in some people. But you might find comfort in the fact that throughout the year, they shed minimally and it only takes off in spring and fall.
About 10 percent of people in the US have allergies related to dogs. A lot of people react to the saliva of the dog which can cause reactions like rashes.
So, when the dog licks you, there is a problem. This is also true when you engage with toys that the dogs have been chewing on.
But this allergic reaction is not always severe and it can be controlled as long as you are aware of it and are careful about it.
The next big problem is pet dander which is essentially dandruff. This is common among Rottweilers and it can trigger allergic reactions of different kinds.
It’s a problem when the dog’s skin is dry because that develops the dander. It is a little bit manageable as long as it just stays in the fur that is on the dog’s body because you can choose to stay away from it.
The problem comes when the dog sheds and the hair and dander starts sticking to floors, furniture and clothes. Basically, that’s any place where a dog spends some time.
And there’s hardly any surface that is immune to this phenomenon.
Do They Shed a Lot?
The truth about Rottweilers shedding is news to some because this dog does not have long hair. But unfortunately, it still sheds a little more than you would like.
The fur is easily detached from the dog’s body and it even flies in the air if the dog is scratching itself. Rottie parents have to take care of beddings and other furniture as soon as the dog leaves the place. As soon as they can, anyway.
Some categorize Rottweilers as heavy shedders. Their reasoning is that this breed has two coats: overcoat and undercoat.
Hypoallergenic dogs usually have only one coat and they don’t shed too much. We now know that a rottie does not fall under that category.
And in spring and autumn, the dog gets rid of its winter coat which is when the shedding is at its peak.
How to Groom a Rottie
When a dog sheds as much as a Rottweiler, grooming becomes an important part of keeping the dog healthy and the house clean. This is particularly important when someone in the house has allergies.
For starters, the person with allergies needs to ensure that they don’t come too much into contact with places where dander is likely to be. And since this isn’t always possible, you need to put some rules in place so that the problem gets approached from both ends.
That means brushing and bathing the dog as often as it needs to be to keep the dander under control. Remember that giving it too many baths is not a solution but adds to the problem.
Since a Rottie has short hair, managing it is not a very tough task. When it is that time of the year when they shed a lot, you need to be extra careful and this is what you can do.
During spring and autumn when they shed a lot, make sure the dog is groomed every day. During the rest of the year, you want to keep brushing them every day but you don’t have to spend as much time as you would during spring and fall.
It is important to brush your Rottweiler’s fur regularly so that the dead hair stays where you want it to. This also keeps the coat clean and makes it easy for you to brush them without pulling on the skin.
Brushing the dog’s fur every day also keeps the natural oils in the fur distributed evenly. The other advantage with this is that it keeps the skin from drying up which helps your situation in more ways than one.
You want to keep the grooming sessions short because otherwise the dog becomes impatient and won’t let you keep doing it. This becomes counterproductive because they start seeing this as an unpleasant chore.
Make a game out of it so that the dog is attentive but steady.
While you are brushing the dog, remember to move the brush in the direction in which the fur is growing. You want to start right at the top and go downwards.
Obviously, you should not groom the dog if you are the one with allergies. You come into contact with the dander the most when you are grooming the dog.
Try to do this outside the house or as far away from the person with allergies so that the dead hair and dander never even gets anywhere near them. Make sure that you wear gloves even if you don’t have allergies to ensure that the dander never touches your skin or the hair on it.
It is natural for the hair to get into your clothes and the air around you. So, you might have to change or take a shower after this exercise to make sure the person with allergies is safe.
How to Bathe a Rottweiler
The second way of making sure that the allergies are under control is to see to it that the Rottie is given baths regularly. This is an easy way to control the amount of dander on their body.
But don’t read that as giving them baths as often as possible because that will make their skin dry and add to the problem. Rotties are supposed to be bathed only when it is really necessary.
This means you need to take them in only once a month. And this is a dog that does not like to be given a lot of baths so they won’t cooperate either.
Some Rotties even do just fine if you bathe them only once every two months. But you can make an exception for the times when they go out and get dirty.
You should also do the same when they are smelly because they got into contact with something they should not have been playing with in the first place. But the key to these baths is to do them right.
This means you must have a shampoo and a conditioner. Both of them should have the ability to moisturize the dog properly so that their skin does not get dry.
This should include moisturizing the skin in general and also compensating for the dryness that results in the essential oils being washed off the dog’s skin after a bath. Now, some of these shampoos and conditioners for dogs will be a bit more expensive.
But don’t let that stop you because you will get value for money if you pick the right one because it will take care of the dog’s coat and skin.
Once again, if you are the person with the allergy you can be around the dog when it is being bathed because there isn’t much of a chance that fur is flying around at this time. But obviously, you should not actually be the one to give the dog its bath.
That’s just called tempting fate which is never a good idea.
The Bottom Line
Rotties aren’t hypoallergenic and because of that people with allergies will have a little trouble when this dog is in the vicinity. And even though it has short hair, dander is a problem because it does shed moderately.
The shedding hits a peak in spring and fall when the dog is getting rid of its winter coat. So, be extra careful at the time.
Groom the dog properly and give them baths as and when you are supposed to, to keep the problem at bay.
