Are rottweilers really bad?

Question

I have a rott puppy, 10 wks old. I have always been afraid to get one, because I have kids and the stories are awful. My husband wanted one, he says its not the dogs, its the owners, so we got him. He is the sweetest,cutest smartest dog I have ever owned. I can't imagine him turning out bad. But I still am worried. Any advice?

Answer 1

Rottweillers at best are awesome. They simply love to be around the family and will enjoy playing with your children not harming them. They will defend you and your family to the death and they are highly intelligent.
At worst - They will attack everything that moves and be very food possessive. They will be over aggressive and chew everything.
Okay - so how do you get a desireable Rottie. Easy!
You simply socialise it well whilst a puppy with children and other dogs. You ensure you continue to play with the dogs food whilst a puppy so that it learns you and your children can touch the food dish. This is very important. I suggest you make your dog sit and wait at the food dish before you allow it to eat. Put the food down make your dog wait ten seconds then let it eat. You must own the food and also the dogs toys. Above all socalise the Rottie. Okay - some people are ignorant and say that if you over socialise a dog that it wont defend the home. These people know nothing about Rotties and are brain dead. Rotties were bred for one thing and one thing only - GUARD WORK. You don't have to train a dog like these to defend, it will do that as naturally as breathing. I own an Akita. They are very similar to Rotties in a lot of ways. Akita's should never be trained to defend the home as they become ferocious to the point of being mental. Rotties are the same. They need early socialisation to ensure they are stable dogs. I love Rotties (I do however think they have been over bred and this can cause health problems etc) But you cannot deny their bueaty, power, courage and loyalty. Great choice of dog. All the best.

Answer 2

Socialize him, take him to training classes and keep him around people and your family and he will likely turn out fine. No one can say for sure that ANY dog (regardless of breed) won't be a "bad apple", but there is no reason why you should be any more worried about that with the right back ground on a rott than any other breed. Rotts are notoriously "bullys" so ongoing training will likely be an issue, especially if you have a fear of him (he will figure that out), but they are wonderful dogs in the right hands.

Answer 3

I have seen rottties, dobermans and cattledogs brought up to be real sooks. and dobermans always seem to be thought of as vicious. It all comes down to how well you train them. A dog that's brought up badly can be dangerous, but trained properly they can be friendly, affectionate and even good guard dogs.

Take your dog to obedience classes, and once its old enough you should consider desexing. desexed dogs always behave better than a dog that hasn't been desexed.

train your dog by rewarding it with praise and food treats, and at home share the training and feeding - so the dog does not become dependent on 1 person only, as in some cases the dog can become protective of 1 family member against other members of the family. and this is where the problems start.

I had a blue cattle x rottie that died of old age 2 yrs ago and it was great with children and as a guard dog against strangers.

don't use agressive behavour towards a dog if they do something wrong as this will encourage a dog to be agressive, a strong tone of voice and positive encouragement to do the right thing is always best.

Answer 4

I have owned a Rottweiler and your husband is right. Many dogs are assumed to all be alike when you hear about an inncident. I would also suggest puppy training classes soon. The only problem that I had with our Rottie was her getting excited and jumping up on my daughter which was small at the time. They do not know there own strength sometimes. As I am sure you are aware they are very muscular dogs and require a strong handler.

Answer 5

Where did the idea originate from that there is not such thing as a bad dog & it only matters how you raise it? Genetics first & foremost.......what the dog is given by nature, can be molded with training, but the basic temperament cannot be changed. Environmental factors are important, but if the dog is mentally unsound, that is how it will remain. A capable owner would recognize the faults in their dog & train it to control the behavior. A responsible Rottweiler breeder would know that temperament is largely hereditary & breed for a physically healthy & mentally sound dogs. A well bred Rottweiler homed to someone who can project natural calm authority & is capable of handling the dominant traits of the breed, would be anything but a bad dog.

Answer 6

What are the parents like? As long as you have a loving home and none of you play fight with the dog it will be good. Take the time and all treat the dog the same. If he jumps on your husband playing then it is ok to do this with the kids. Get the picture? Do not leave the dog alone with any young kids. You should have no problem if you just put some effort into it.

Answer 7

No i do not agree they can be just as sweet and loving as a poodle or golden retrevier! Dogs like Rottweilers Pitt Bulls german shepards, dobermans, etc get bad reps because they are strong and powerful breeds! I deffinately agree it is not the dog breed it is the owner! Just make sure you do nothing but love that dog also teach you children (i don't know how old they are) but teach them that the dog is a friend and a member of the family and not a toy! As if the children play to ruff the dog will think it is ok for him/her to use the same behavior! And as it grows usually reaching between 80 and 180 lbs it can become quite dangerous! Good luck to you!

Answer 8

Your husband is very correct. The breed of dog has nothing to do with aggression or meanness, it's the owners that ruin them. I knew a Rottweiler that was the most awesome dog. He was MASSIVE, but very gentle. I don't think I ever heard him bark or growl at anyone or any dog or cat.
As long as you raise your puppy right and take him to obedience classes and SOCIALIZE him with people and pets (that is the ultimate key!) you will have a perfectly balanced new son.

Answer 9

Just be good to him. Many dogs with 'bad reps' are ones that drug dealers get and abuse and treat mean to get the dogs to be mean. Any dog that is abused either turns out mean or cowers away from humans. Sure they have powerful jaws, but it's their disposition that counts. Some breeds (like Chihuahuas) are small but bite a lot. Just give him a lot of love and make sure they know YOU are the head of the household. Like don't feed them before you eat, don't get scared of them. Once when my dog growled at me because I had to go near his food bowl, I screamed bloody murder at him and got really mad. He never growled again! All dogs are different, like people. You have to see what works better for him. Check out the dog whisperer on TV.

HA HA, my husbands friend's relatives had a rott that I hadn't seen for a year. She kept barking at me, and I was like, "what the heck?" Turned out that was her way of saying she wanted to be petted! LOL!

Answer 10

Your dog, any dog, will only be as gentle or as mean as those who raise it and are its family.

Please, along with kindness and affection, teach the dog how to behave properly through obedience classes and socialize him properly.

My family raised timber wolf cross breeds when I was growing up. They have a horrid reputation for being dangerous. In the 10 or so years I worked with them we always had at least 4 full blooded wolves and a number of mixed breeds on the site and never had a mean one. Several of them were house pets and were great around kids. All were great friends.