As pet owners, we love to play with our pets. But when our pet is a Rottweiler puppy, who will end up weighing 75 to 130 pounds, we must teach them from a young age that biting and nipping is not good behavior. I wanted to talk about why your puppy bites and how you can prevent this from carrying over into adulthood.
Reasons for Rottweiler Aggression Towards Owner
It can be heartbreaking to witness your dog showing you aggression. Unfortunately, it’s all too common with inexperienced Rottweiler owners. Here are some reasons why aggression can occur.
This is, by far, the most common cause of aggression. Mishandling refers to any negative treatment. Rotties often attack out of fear. When an owner frequently hits, kicks, or yells at the dog, it will show aggression towards them.
You should never use punishment-based techniques with Rottweilers. It’ll only cause fear. Instead, positive reinforcement is the way to go.
Have you or anyone else in your family taken away something your dog loves? Maybe you took away a toy or food. When you do this, you’re teaching your dog that it needs to guard the items it loves at all costs!
This is a very common form of aggression for Rotties. They get aggressive because they feel that they need to protect their food or toys. So when you try to grab those items, they lash out by nipping at your hand.
This is a distinct behavior problem that will require careful training to overcome.
Canines are pack animals. In most dog/owner relationships, you are the pack leader. But some breeds, such as the Rottweiler, like it the other way around.
If you give in at any point, your dog will automatically start thinking that they are the pack leader. You must assert your dominance at all times. That doesn’t mean hitting or punishing the dog. It means setting boundaries and rules.
My rottie is being aggressive !!
My 8 weeks rottie is being aggressive when i try to clean him. If i go and touch him under the neck he would go crazy. He will growl and bite with an aggressive look and i know because i have had dogs before but never this problem… i guess i got him to early when he was 6 weeks …. please help me !
Every time my puppy gets something in his mouth thats hes not supposed to have when me or my boyfriend go to take it out he gets very aggressive and will bite us hard and snarl, growl, and curl his lip he just gets realllll nasty and hes only 8wks old ontop of that when we correct him when he bites tohard hell either keep doing it or bark and growl at us..
by Anthea C. (bop, new zealand)
My partner tells her off if he gets nipped but when she nips me. Hes the first alfa. She bites hard and growl I tell her off very hard but she wont listen. Should my husband back me up and tell her off to as support. Most times shes an angle
AGGRESSIVE ROTTWEILER TRAINING! How To Stop Your Rottie Puppy Being Aggressive!
Rottweilers (or Rotties for short) are excellent guard dogs, and that’s not surprising considering their history. Originally bred by the ancient Romans to protect cattle and humans, they are big, strong, and fearless.
Sadly this breed gets a bad rap for being dangerous, although this does not consider the owner’s role in their Rottweiler’s aggression.
The fact is that not all Rotties are aggressive towards humans or other dogs. Still, some Rottweilers can indeed be violent and aggressive if they are not trained and looked after correctly.
Rottweilers may be aggressive because they are very protective of their family. Though they show average aggression towards their owners and other dogs, they show high aggression towards unknown humans. This heightened aggression is due to a history of being bred to protect cattle and people.
Another reason they may have a reputation for being aggressive is that due to their imposing nature, they may attract egotistical and irresponsible dog owners, just looking for a status symbol rather than a family pet or working dog.
People who own Rotties for the wrong reasons – to look big and tough with a big, tough-looking dog at their side – are much less likely to train and care for this breed in the way they need and deserve.
The most important thing to understand if you own one is that Rottweilers can be aggressive if you don’t treat them well or neglect to train, socialize and exercise them adequately.
Thankfully, you’re reading this post, so you’ll soon find out why these dogs can behave violently. You’ll also learn how to prevent such behavior, so keep reading.
Rottweilers are aggressive by nature and display higher than average aggression towards strangers. However, properly trained and socialized, owners can reduce the likelihood of their aggressive potential. Rottweilers are headstrong, but they are easy to train and very intelligent.
Statistics on the DogsBite website indicate that Rottweilers are responsible for the second-highest death-related dog bites in the US over 15 years (2005 – 2019). Researchers also listed the breed as one of the top breeds in fatal attacks on humans between 1979 and 1998.
Another 2008 study found Rottweilers of average aggression towards their owners and other dogs. Still, it showed higher than average aggression towards strangers than other dog breeds and made the top three most aggressive of the tested breeds.
Now you know why some people consider the Rottweiler an inherently hostile and vicious dog breed. However, this does not rule out that many sweet and loving Rottweilers are trusted family pets.
Ultimately owners are primarily responsible for ensuring that their Rottweiler does not display aggression through proper training and socialization.
Although some people see Rottweilers as time bombs on legs, this is generally a myth owing to misconceptions about the breed.
However, they are large and powerful creatures with a strong instinct to protect their owners and family and can cause considerable harm, so they should always be treated with the respect they deserve.
NOTE – Check out this post if you are interested in the question – will my dog protect me if I am attacked?
Historically, Rottweilers were guardians and working dogs, helping their human owners complete tasks like pulling carts and herding livestock. This type of breeding naturally sharpens their instinct for protectiveness and wariness, especially around strangers.
Rottweilers may attack people for several reasons, such as their protective nature or when they are vulnerable or sick. They may also become aggressive and hurt their owners or strangers in retaliation for provocation.
Remember, the reasons Rottweilers may attack people are the same for other dog breeds. If you provoke a Rottie by ignorantly striking it in an attempt to discipline it, the dog may attack and bite you in self-defense.
A Rottweiler can attack and even bite a stranger if the dog interprets the stranger’s actions as a threat. These dogs are usually wary and highly alert around strangers and new situations, often adopting a wait-and-see attitude.
If you make sudden movements like waving your arms or yelling to deter the dog from coming closer, you might send the wrong signals and make the dog attack you.
Also, if a Rottie thinks someone is threatening its owner, the dog’s protective instinct will kick in, making it likely to attack the intruder to protect its owner.
This behavior is similar to most other dog breeds. The difference is that Rotties are so big and strong that if they do attack, it can be very dangerous for whoever is on the receiving end.
Note – This post might also be interesting to you. It answers the question why do dogs bite people’s hands?