Rottweiler Temperament

Understanding the Rottweiler Personality

You’ve probably heard a lot of positive and negative things about Rottweilers. The positive can turn into negative with just a blink of an eye depending on who you are talking to. A good watchdog (positive) turns into zealous bully (negative) if the person you are talking to is just listening to rumors and random tabloid news without giving the breed the benefit of the doubt. I find that the best way to get to know a dog is to check up on their temperament in general and to actually get up close and personal with a careful and conscientious breeder.

Temperament

Let us first define what is temperament when focused on dogs. It is supposed to be the attitude of the animal that it displays when it comes into contact with people and other dogs. Temperament when used on dogs means a combination of both acquired and innate traits which dictates the dog’s behavior. Basically, certain breeds have specific temperaments which a person may assume can be found in other dogs of the same breed. While most of a dog’s temperament is inherited, some of his attitude may be acquired due to exposure during his young life. So while it is easy to assume that all Rottweilers are great dogs, exposure to certain events or kinds of people may alter the attitude and interaction of the Rottie towards people. To make the long story short, the saying “There are no bad dogs, only bad masters” can be assumed as true.

Origins of the Rottweiler

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So, are Rottweilers good dogs? Yes, they are. Are Rottweilers good family dogs? Yes, they actually are. A Rottweiler personality is highly dependent on how their lineage was chosen by their breeders. The history of the breed can be traced to dogs that the Romans brought along with them as they traveled from one point to another. These Romans had herds of cattle and other animals which needed to be kept in check as well as protected from wild beasts. Drover dogs were used by the Romans to herd and protect their cattle and other herding animals. The Romans eventually settled somewhere in Germany and their dogs interbred with the local dogs there. Maybe the time that the breed was actually realized was when a particular dog protected his master, who was a butcher from the town of Rottweiler. The butcher would travel throughout the area to sell his meat and his dog would act as his protection from thieves. Even before, people knew that these dogs were an asset when it came to protection and herding. They tried to keep these instincts intact in the dogs as much as possible.

Protector and Herder

Basing on the history of the Rottie, you will realize that they are great protectors and they have an innate herding instinct. These traits mean that they have been working closely with humans and other animals since the breed came to be. Being close to humans means that they are friendly animals that will form a bond with their human family as well as the other animals in their extended family. Herein lies the misunderstanding that a lot of people have been afraid of. Due to the bond that the Rottie forms with his family, if the family is threatened or perceived to be threatened by the Rottie, he will defend the family or any member of it. The fact that the breed is muscular and belongs to the large breed group means that it will look threatening when it tries to defend his family. In fact, any large dog will be perceived as dangerous and threatening if it tries to defend his family.

The herding instinct that a Rottweiler has can also be perceived as dangerous if you do not understand what it is doing. Most of the time, dogs bred for this specific reason, deal with animals such as sheep and cattle. They nip and bark when they try to herd the animals. A herding instinct in dogs is a bit difficult to curb because it is imprinted in their DNA. It is what they have been doing for centuries and this trait has been preserved just as the appearance of the Rottweiler has been preserved. Some Rottweilers are misunderstood because they try to herd kids by nipping or barking.

Their Personality

Generally, Rottweilers are gentle dogs that have a strong desire to protect their family. With the right socialization and caring, your Rottweiler puppy can be a role model when it comes to a great family dog. It is important to socialize your dog so that he will learn how to interact with humans, adults and children alike as early as possible. Socialization teaches the puppy about common, day to day situations that may occur. It teaches the dog to be stable and confident so that he will not be aggressive or reactive to any stimulus or situation that will confront him. It is important that your Rottie to be stable and confident so he will not develop anxiety when faced with new situations and circumstances. An anxious dog can be aggressive and can be dangerous to people.

Rottweiler training should be done in a positive way, that reinforces a great rapport between the dog and people. If force or violence is used in training your dog, he will perceive this as a normal way of interaction and may use it on kids or those whom he sees as lower than him in the hierarchy. Violence can also make your dog aggressive because he will be anxious about his behavior towards people when he meets newcomers. It is important that his guarding behavior be nipped in the bud if it is too obvious and too showy. Growling at your friends is not a positive sign of correct socialization and should be corrected as soon as you can. If your puppy shows an aggressive guarding nature, it is important to have him trained properly in order for him to be able to assess by himself the kind of people he meets. He should learn the difference between a threat and friends.

Since Rotties are energetic and sometimes excitable, it is important that they have an outlet for their energy and excitability. Giving them a walk or having some play time can help the dogs tone down their excitability and help them be more susceptible to training. It is always better to get rid of the excess energy before you start training and socialization so your dog is less prone to distractions. Playing with your dog will also form a bond between the two of you. Playing is just as important as exercise and training.

The way you train your dog and correct his behavior can reflect on how he interacts with people. It is important to be gentle and understanding to your dog’s temperament as well as their individual personalities when training them. The Rottweiler temperament may be generally gentle and protective but each individual dog has its own personality that can influence their overall temperament.

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