Are Rottweiler’s dangerous ?
It’s all in the way you raise them- is a recurring statement on the discussion regarding if Rottweiler’s are aggressive and dangerous. On the other side of this never-ending debate the breed itself gets blamed, how many times when readin
g about dogs attacking children or even their owners...everyone seems to read only the breed of the attacking dog, concluding that it must simply be the breed itself - which is understandable and not completely farfetched, since certain breeds are more protective and aggressive ( with certain breeders in the past only having interest in the fighting qualities of strong dogs such as Rottweiler’s, leading to the breeding of genetically aggressive dogs for the purpose of fighting)...but there is much clarification and elaboration needed on the term “protective” and “aggressive” and on “the way we raise them”.
Within this piece there will be a clear discussion on the Rottweiler’s genetic impulse to so-called “aggression” and their protective qualities, different bloodlines and their effect on the Rottweiler temperament, handling of Rottweiler’s and training.
All of this to show what beautiful temperament a Rottweiler has if not poorly bred, mistreated, badly trained or misunderstood, so let’s dig in...
Protective of aggressive?
Firstly, protectiveness and aggression is not the same thing. Aggression is not a trait that comes natural to Rottweiler’s while protectiveness is.
Rottweiler’s are known for their protective instincts, in a previous article about the hereditary origins, we can see that there has been three prominent traits in the Rottweiler breed ,namely protecting its owner ( the Historic Roman soldiers would stand by this statement since Rottweiler’s protected and worked with the 11th Legion soldiers ). Secondly physically working with their owner ( butchers in the first century used them for pulling carts etc.) and the last prominent trait is that they truly are very loving dogs ( any or most Rottweiler owners would stand by this). So Rottweiler’s are genetically prone to protect, work and care for ...their owners, their trainers, their family...or themselves.
But what about aggression?
This is where I am going to make a couple of controversial statements, based on my experience working with Rottweiler’s for more than a decade and ethically breeding with them for almost a decade. I have seen aggressive Rottweiler bloodlines, these bloodlines were mostly meant for fighting purposes in the past ( something we seriously condemn- read our contracts) and these Rottweiler’s are always prone to be aggressive towards anything . Do not get me wrong, they can also be loving towards their owners but from a young age there can be obvious signs of aggression- do not mistake aggression at a young age with disobedience please. When we as breeders see this trait we usually do our homework on the ancestors of the dog, we look at the bloodlines, contact owners and breeders to confirm if aggression was a prominent trait with the parents or grandparents of the dog. If it is a recurring issue we stop breeding with such a Rottweiler, not because we want Rottweiler’s to be only soft and fluffy but because there is an obvious difference between protecting and aggression, with the latter not being a responsible trait to breed.
Then we have the case of people still breeding with these aggressive lines, cross breeding with terriers or Boerboels to get that “aggression” that is needed for fighting any living thing- a big reason we only believe in Ethical and registered breeding and unfortunately something people have a big chance getting on their plate if they buy an unregistered Rottweiler- which also makes no one accountable for their impulsive and irresponsible breeding. Do not mistake a Rottweiler’s kindness for weakness, some people are persuaded that a Rottweiler must be aggressive to be strong which I absolutely repel, try to attack a kind hearted Rottweiler’s owner and you will find that belief to be weak and that it holds no substance.
In the case where you maybe do have a Rottweiler with an 8th of and impulse towards aggression I would seriously recommend training with a Rottweiler specialised trainer- we have many recommendations of trusted trainers we can provide. Training is important even if your Rottweiler is not aggressive because it is important for you to truly get to know them on an intellectual level and what all their attributes are. Especially if you are a first time Rottweiler owner it is very important that you do training. Keep in mind that no one is just born with the knowledge to work perfectly with anything, everything in life we have to learn, your Rottweiler needs training but so do you.
Think about this for a moment- Rottweiler’s are very intelligent dogs, ranking under the top 5 smartest dogs in the world, that says quite alot since aggression usually goes hand in hand with stupidity. They need to be stimulated and trained; they have such enquiring and busy mind...which leads us to
...it’s all in the way we raise them
You see the statement I just made is about 50% true – obviously not based on scientific data but do speak to a trainer about this statement if you want to enquire more. Rottweiler’s have an abundance of beautiful characteristics, they are fun, loving, active, protective and quirky, so why is it that some Rottweiler’s have this whole spectrum of heart-warming attributes and others appear to be mean and cruel...well it is truly the way you treat and raise your Rottweiler. If you create a tension filled and hostile environment your Rottweiler will be a scared puppy and will always be in a flight or fight mode, when they realise fight mode might get them what they want or need they will continuously prefer fight mode, arrogance mode, intimidation mode.
Many dogs get bullied when they are puppies and that trauma that they carry with them forever imprints aggression to the one who once traumatised him, you see this alot with kids that do not know how to treat dogs and start pinching them or pulling their ears or tails...let me ask you what you would do if someone just came up to you and started bullying you, you would realistically warn them and protect yourself if needed....that is what Rottweiler’s also tend to do.
Thats why if you have kids at home...it’s all in the way you raise them as well. We have a toddler at home and we are very strict with him not bullying any animal. You have to understand that kids and dogs are more alike than you think, we have to teach our kids to treat animals and our Rottweiler’s with love and respect and teach and train our Rottweiler’s to treat us and tiny humans with love and respect- then we would have a wholesome family bond. Our Rottweiler loves our little boy so much because they were raised together, she is always with him and we never worry about him getting hurt because we know she will always protect him.
So keep in mind that the right training and leniency WILL cultivate a Rottweiler to be the best version of themselves, and perhaps bring the best out of you as well.
Do your homework
Yet again doing your homework on Rottweiler’s is a must, contact different breeders discuss their ethics and what their dogs are like, what you would want in a Rottweiler. Speak to your family, kids and get emotionally and intellectually ready before buying a Rottweiler.
Lastly, to answer the initial question if Rottweiler’s are dangerous...YES, they can be lethal if not ethically bred, properly trained, abused and bullied BUT keep in mind everything discussed in this article, comment or contact us with any enquiries and remember that Rottweiler’s are one of the oldest living dog breeds and they are honourable, strong and intelligent, do not abuse that and take a well bred Rottweiler and turn him into a scared traumatised dog, because then you as owner are to blame.
