Considered as gentle giants, loving, playful companions and staunch family protectors on the one hand and ferocious attack dogs on the other; the Rottweiler has got to be the most misunderstood of all dog breeds. So what really is the true nature of the Rottweiler? Is it a lean, mean, biting machine or is it really just a big baby at heart?
The truth is, despite their gigantic size and inherently aggressive and dominant nature, much of a Rottweiler’s temperament is determined by its ancestry and shaped by how that particular Rott was raised.
A full-grown Rottweiler can reach a height of 22” to 27” and weigh about 85- 125 lbs. Add an innately dominant and forceful alpha –dog personality to the equation and what you have is a dog that is gigantic and powerful to boot. Loyal to a fault and extremely protective of its family and property; any sign that their family, home or territory is being threatened and a Rottweiler’s protective instincts will naturally come to the fore. Unfortunately, their instinctive protective nature often overshadows their loving personality and therein lies the misunderstanding.
In order to curb dominance issues and prevent future problems with a full-grown Rottweiler, it is important that your Rottweiler puppy is appropriately trained from the very beginning. Early socialization and obedience training as a puppy, are not just recommended but absolutely necessary. In its absence, your dog will grow up to be territorial and aggressive; a dangerous combination in a dog this powerful and huge. It is imperative that your Rottweiler recognizes you as the master and learns to obey you unquestioningly.
Firm, consistent training with lots of love and encouragement, regular exercise and plenty of opportunity for physical activity will feed into the breed’s gentle, loving side and bring out the best in any Rottweiler whereas excessive rough housing and harsh training will feed into its aggressive tendencies.
Behind every “bad” Rottweiler that makes the news is an owner who underestimated the importance of socialization and obedience training and more poignantly, who underestimated the need to shower their pet with a lot of ‘TLC’.
