Rottweilers are naturally curious, possibly more so than many other dog breeds. One thing that is certain – if there is something interesting in their line of sight they are going to check it out if at all possible. While this natural curiosity can be endearing at times, one of those times is not when you have your Rottweiler outdoors in your yard.

It is entirely possible with a bit of preparation to keep your Rottweiler in his own yard where he belongs, it just means that you are going to have to think like an animal in order to find and eliminate those potential routes for escape before your Rottweiler does.

When dogs get out of their own area they tend to wander around in their unfamiliar territory. This can be dangerous for any dog, but even more with a Rottweiler who many people fear because of the horror stories in the media over the past few years. Even without the fear of your animal harming someone else it is possible that your Rottweiler might be stolen or picked up by well meaning animal control officers.

By taking these two basic but necessary precautions you will make sure that your Rottweiler remains happily – and safely – where he belongs.

Inspect the Premises

Take a walk through your yard and carefully inspect it from as many angles and heights as possible in search of those elusive potential means of escape that you may not otherwise see. Ensure that any fencing is entirely secure, whole and both strong enough and high enough to prevent escape.

Rottweilers are notorious diggers, but by burying wire mesh beneath the fence line you can stop them from doing the under-the-fence-shimmy to chase a bird or squirrel. They can also be fairly intelligent and more than one has been known to manage to open an unsecured gate. To be on the safe side make sure that your gate has a dog-proof lock.

Keep them Occupied

Rottweilers are well known for getting into mischief when they are bored or lonely. This is most likely to happen if they are left alone in the yard for long periods of time. Your first indication that your pooch is bored might be the old let’s entertain ourselves by getting out of the yard trick.

The most important thing here is that you don’t use the back yard as a surrogate. Just as you do not leave your children with the television as their parent, likewise you cannot leave your Rottweiler in the yard all day without any interaction. Get out and play with your dog regularly. Spending time together is what your dog wants more than anything.

To further foster exercise and companionship, see about planning a play date with a friend or neighbor’s dog of a similar size. This is a great way to break up the day-to-day monotony and believe it or not, dogs really do form friendships.

Whatever you decide to do, do it regularly and with consistency. Dogs need routines and they will be more than happy to follow your rules so long as they are getting what they need.