Are Rottweilers good family dogs?
Whatever your ‘family’ entails...rottweilers are excellent family dogs. Writing from the perspective of a Rottweiler owner and an ethical breeder, we have rottweilers in our home as well as toddlers. Anyone hearing this will obviously think this would be a potential problem, I would state the opposite...of course there are alot of things to keep in mind that forms our family bond and that we enstill in our daily lives to make our family as inclusive as possible for all who belongs here.
But...lets discuss 5 things that make Rottweilers GREAT family dogs: we will discuss their protectiveness , friendliness intelligence , strength and lastly their looks – because that definitely adds to their character.
Protectiveness
Rottweilers are great family dogs for a myriad of reasons, starting with them being protective over their family, rottweilers do not have the ‘ one owner” mentality, but definitely more of a “family’ mentality. They truly have a loving bond with an entire family, and that makes them protective over each member of your family, not only the one they chose as the epitome of their existence or saw as the leader of the hierarchy at home. But when it comes to their protectiveness there is one thing to keep in mind is the statement of a well known trainer, whom stated that a Rottweiler does not always know the difference between a child being attacked versus a child being knocked over during a game – what this comes down to, is that your child and your safety is utterly important to that beautiful rottie of yours and that protectiveness is par tof their DNA.
Rottweiler’s are also known for their historic role in protecting soldiers in Europe ages ago to protecting homes now, they have also excelled in the k9 industry- doing bite work. A very interesting fact not known by many is that in the past Rottweiler’s protected cattle but also protected the cattleman’s money ; the money would be put in a bag around the Rottweiler’s neck on the way back from a market and no person would venture near and dare to steal it.
Friendliness
Another trait that makes them absolutely amazing in a family is their kind-heartedness and friendliness;
Rottweiler’s are simply so friendly and loving when it comes to their own family, how they treat other people is mostly dependant on the way you train them - since they are naturally protective, socialization is crucial if you want them to be well behaved and comfortable with other people and animals, but as far as family goes, they are the kid that tries to keep everything together.
Did you know that Rottweiler’s are surprisingly brilliant at therapy ? In fact a Rottweiler had won the award for canine excellence in therapy numerous times, this is just more solid proof of the depth of their kindness and the touching effects their kindness has on people. There are also several articles on Rottweiler’s helping veterans recover and Rottweiler’s being very supportive and successful service dogs...this leads us to obviously contemplate the fact that they are seriously emotionally intelligent and truly friendly souls to be able to excel on all these different supportive and therapeutical fields.
Intelligence
Rottweiler’s are intellectually just so gifted, with their high awareness, sharp perception and extreme sense of loyalty. According to scientist and canine researcher, Stanley Coren, Ph. D. Rottweiler’s are on the top ten list of the most intelligent dogs. This of course means that they will need training to cultivate those beautiful minds to reach their potential , BUT do realise how much a family and being present stimulates your Rottweiler’s intellectual abilties. They are also highly intelligent in terms of their obedience , instincts ( they basically have a 7th sense- which you should most likely trust above your gut feeling) and lastly their adaptive intelligence .
What sets them apart even more from other dogs is the symbiosis between their intelligence and emotional intelligence, meaning that they are quickly more successful since they score highly in intelligence as well as highly in emotional intelligence. Also leading to better relationships and more successful training.
Strength and determination
When it comes to strength you do not want to mess with Rottweiler’s, with a bite force ranked sixth strongest according to studies, they are more bite than bark and this contributes to your family’s overall safety , not just for thieves but also for snakes and other predators. There has been numerous articles published on children being saved from snakes or other threats by their Rottweiler attacking the threat or using himself as a shield and as result taking the deadly bite instead of the small child. Their strength honestly adds to their value as protective big brother or sister in the family.
Furthermore their determination can mean one of two things, either they are your boss or you are theirs...in a good sense. Remember that all dogs operate under the law of dichotomy, the “hierarchy”, they only have to determine who you are in the hierarchy and if they have to submit to you. This is very reassuring since when the hierarchy is correctly interpreted in your family, you will be the leader, your kids protected and your beautiful Rottweiler will be happy. Since these hierarchies make everyone realise their place and help find their purpose, it is only beneficial.
Their looks?
You are without a doubt wondering how on earth a Rottweiler’s looks would contribute to them being a good family dog...well there are two ways to look at this statement. The first being that Rottweiler’s look very intimidating and by looking like the Sylvester Stallone on the block, they are again contributing to your security system and their presence is most certainly playing a big part in your safety.
Secondly, when outsiders look at these black and tan, bulky ( I know this is definitely not always the case...we all know a Rottweiler’s appetite ) and strong protectors, all our kids or even us see is a big giant teddy bear. Whose weakest trait would probably be that you could hug him to death or that they could be paralysed simply through a belly rub, but don’t tell anyone about this weakness...not that anyone would dare to rub the belly of the “ beast”- since Rottweiler’s are seen as villains and not always for the heroes that they are.
In the end it is important to see Rottweiler’s for who they truly are, the incredible and dynamic soul in a beautiful black and tan body, whom has the potential to be an excellent family dog, whether you are alone or have a big family. They will not disappoint, but hopefully we also do not disappoint them by treating them badly and not properly training them.
