Rottweiler Temperament Defined -How To Control Rottweiler Aggression

Rottweiler Temperament is always misunderstood, Why? The Rottweiler breed is renowned for its loyalty, dependability, and devotion. An obedient, highly intelligent dog. The Rottweiler has been a loyal companion to humans for centuries.

The Rottweiler is a herding breed of dog, which means they have a strong instinct to control and direct the movement of other animals (in this case – the way your family moves).

This instinct combined with their intelligence makes them one of the most trainable breeds. Once trained, you will find they will take their role in your pack very seriously.

Rottweiler Temperament Defined

As a breed, Rottweilers have an instinct to protect their home and family. This is especially true for puppies that are still maturing. You need to be particularly vigilant with young children around your puppy as they can mistake the pup’s willingness to play as bad behavior.

Providing you socialize your pup from when he is a young dog, it is likely that this protectiveness will extend to other adults and family members outside of your immediate family circle once fully grown.

Some Rottweiler Temperament Traits are:

• Highly intelligent
• Self-assured – can be quite dominant over other dogs’ same sex
• Very powerful – strong urge to control the movement of other animals
• Naturally protective of their home, family, and possessions
• Stubborn – needs a confident owner who can take charge of this breed
• Will give “false warning” barks

 

An important point worth reiterating is that no Rottweiler is ever truly fully matured. They are large breed dogs with a long life expectancy.

That means you will have many years ahead with your pup during which he may try to challenge your authority as pack leader.

It’s how you handle those challenges that will make all the difference in your relationship. Studies show many owners get it wrong resulting in a variety of behavior problems from pup/dog.

Such as poor recall (come back), leash pulling, dog aggression towards other dogs and people as well as a host of other problems.

In this article, we will explain some simple steps you can take to help ensure the development of your Rottweiler temperament so that he does not become aggressive or overly shy.

 

Are Rottweilers Aggressive?

It is important at this stage for us to differentiate between dog aggression and human aggression. We also need to be clear on the definition of normal canine behavior versus true aggression which takes much more work to correct.

I think most readers would agree that they do not want a dog that shows signs of true aggression in any situation. No matter how big or small the provocation may be.

Dog aggression (normal canine behavior) is when a dog reacts aggressively when another dog approaches him or his possessions.

If he has been taught basic obedience and you have control of your pup with the lead, there should be no reason for your Rottweiler to show any form of aggression towards any other dogs.

Don’t forget that you are responsible for teaching your pup as well as controlling him!

 

My Rottweiler Is Aggressive Towards Other Dogs – Will He Turn On Me?

Rottweilers can show signs of human aggression by growling if people come too close to them or their things. This does not mean they will automatically attack those people.

While it may seem like a good idea in the short term to let your Rottweiler decide who gets his attention and affection, it can create long-term problems.

It is an owner’s responsibility to teach their pup that the humans around him are above all else. In other words, you must be number one!

If your Rottie shows undesired aggression towards people or dogs then there may be a few reasons for this.

He may lack socialization as a puppy which means he was not exposed to many different experiences when he was young enough to learn from them. It means they become fearful of unfamiliar things.

This could lead to fear-biting if something scares them when they are older. You should start socializing your pup before four months old and continue until about 14 months as this is the most impressionable time in a dog’s life.

The best way to further socialize your pup after this age is to expose him to as many new experiences and people as possible but always remain in control so there are no big surprises if he should react aggressively. Do not put yourself at risk of being bitten!

 

How Do I Control The Behavior?

It may seem at first like your Rottie is playing roughly with other dogs when you take him out for walks on his lead.

But it could be a sign that he wants to start a fight with them. If he has been doing this for some weeks then it is likely that you have a problem that needs attention.

The first thing you need to do is take your pup to see the vet just to make sure there is no physical cause for the behavior such as an ear or skin infection etc.

Secondly, if you believe he is showing signs of aggression because of a lack of socialization then enroll him in a training class where the trainers will teach you how to deal with it.

Thirdly, find out from other owners if there may be something about this dog that triggers his aggression such as color, size, or breed.

If so start avoiding these places and times when you know he may meet up with one of them.

 

How To Control My Rottweiler Out Walking?

Do not allow your Rottie to break the lead and lunge at another dog, all it will take is for him to make one mistake and he may end up in the pound.

It always helps if you can get your pup used to being around other dogs before going out on his first adventures. This can be done safely by having a family member or friend walk their dog past your house while your puppy is inside.

As long as your pup has had his vaccinations then there should not be any problems with this. If you do not want another person walking their dog near where you live then go somewhere else instead to practice these exercises, but don’t attempt it until after four months old!

You need to teach your pup some basic commands like ‘leave it, and ‘sit’. If you do not control the situation then it will be impossible for your pup to react appropriately when he sees another dog.

These are just two of many commands that a training class can help you learn, carry treats with you and reward good behavior whenever you see it.

If your pup still lunges at other dogs while on his lead after trying these suggestions then try using a head collar instead of a normal collar this way there is less chance of him making contact with another dog should he decide to lunge again.

Do not let your pup practice meeting other dogs until he has mastered some basic commands!

 

How To Control My Rottweiler Aggression Problems?

There may be one main reason for your Rottie’s aggressive behavior towards people, and that might be because he feels threatened by them.

If someone enters his space without being invited then he is likely to mark his territory to let the person know they are not welcome in his home. You must start teaching him some basic commands so you can have control over what happens when other people come into your home, but this should be a big ‘no-no’ until after four months old!

Another good idea would be to socialize your pup as much as possible while he is still young and impressionable. This way you will learn how best to deal with situations where strangers may come into your house later on down the line.

The main thing you need to remember is that your pup’s behavior is just a sign of his insecurity, and unless steps are taken to counteract this then it could turn into aggression later on in life.

If you do not address the issue as soon as possible then your Rottweiler could be euthanized in some countries if he bites someone, so please take him to see a trainer to get assistance.

The main thing to remember is that your pup needs a lot of love and affection when he is young otherwise he will become nervous or suspicious of people and other dogs.

The worst-case scenario is for him to lash out at them. It may not seem like it now but once your pup reaches maturity they can all calm down after some socialization.

This should be your first port of call if you want to understand how to control my Rottweiler aggression problems.

 

Help My Rottweiler Stop Biting?

Rotties are often described as ‘velcro’ dogs, which means they like being around people and also love having a bit of attention from them too.

If you do not show him some affection he will most likely become withdrawn and act skittishly towards you because he is nervous.

This in turn could lead to him biting out of fear. The more attention you can give him when he is young the better because his bond with you should remain strong throughout his life.

I mean who wants an aggressive dog anyway!?

You’ll have to shower your pup with love but a little bit of attention every day should help him.

It is also vital you start training your pup early on to understand what behavior is acceptable, and what is not. As long as you are consistent with this then your chances of controlling my Rottweiler aggression problems will be greatly improved.

There should be no reason for your pup to fear people or other dogs if he understands his boundaries!

 

My Older Dog Is Aggressive To My Puppy?

If an older dog suddenly gets aggressive towards a puppy then the first thing I would do is take him over to see a trainer as soon as possible; often it could be due to some pain in their joints which makes them irritable so they take it out on him.

If your older dog has started to snarl or snap at the pup then he may be jealous, and this is something you need to watch out for.

You should try and keep them apart as much as possible if this is the case, but at the same time, you want your pup to be able to learn from his older counterpart so try and get them used to each other.

You must be strict with your older dog as well if he starts to be aggressive towards the pup. There should be no reason for this and your older dog should know his boundaries.

If he is overly aggressive then I would get a trainer involved as soon as possible because it could be an underlying health issue.

 

Why Is My Rottweiler So Nervous?

It is natural for your pup to be nervous about new or unfamiliar things at first, but you need to make sure he does not harm himself because of it.

So if he starts shaking when you take him near a stranger then you need to be there to reassure him that everything is ok. This should help your pup realize that he does not have to be nervous around them. This should also apply to dogs.

If your pup starts shaking near another dog then it is time to take him to see a trainer because this kind of behavior can lead to aggression later on in life.

A Rottweiler that is overly anxious or hard to control when he is young can grow up into an uncontrollable and aggressive monster, so the sooner you can get assistance for him the better.

The best thing about this is that it should be fairly easy to fix with some help from a trainer or vet.

 

Is My Dog At Risk Of Aggression?

All dogs lash out now and then because they are scared or become irritated – this is completely natural and does not mean he is going to be aggressive later on in life. However, if you notice any signs that his behavior has changed then you need to get this checked out as soon as possible because it could lead to an aggressive Rottweiler later on.

It can be hard to tell but there are a few signs that your dog is getting frustrated with you, or he could just be ill. If his ears go flat against his head and he starts growling at you then this is not a good sign.

It means that he has become frustrated with you for whatever reason, and it might be time to calm things down for a while. It also could be an underlying health issue that is causing him to act this way.

 

Conclusion

So there you have it – this article should give you a little insight into some of the issues that may arise if you own an aggressive Rottweiler. You mustn’t get discouraged if your pup does go through this though because it should be fairly easy to fix with some help from a trainer or vet. If you get things checked out early enough then there is no reason why your Rottweiler cannot have a long and healthy life!