Rottweiler Temperament

It is always best to start with the written AKC Standard for the breed when addressing the structure and temperament of a purebred breed. The Standard for the breed is approved and published by the American Kennel Club and authored by the recognized Parent Club, the American Rottweiler Club. The AKC 1990 Rottweiler Standard describes the breed as: “…a basically calm, confident and courageous dog with a self-assured aloofness that does not lend itself to immediate and indiscriminant friendships. A Rottweiler is self-confident and responds quietly and with a wait-and-see attitude to influences in his environment. He has an inherent desire to protect home and family, and is an intelligent dog of extreme hardness and adaptability with a strong willingness to work, making him especially suited as a companion, guardian, and general all-purpose dog.”

Children and Rottweilers are good matches, but always with adult supervision.

The international FCI Standard goes further to say, “He is descended from friendly and peaceful stock and by nature loves children, is affectionate, obedient and trainable and enjoys working. His rough appearance belies his ancestry. His demeanor is self-reliant, with strong nerves and fearless character. He is keenly alert to, and aware of, his surroundings.”

MRC member authors Joan R. Klem and Susan C. Rademacher, in their book “The Proper Care of Rottweilers”, describe the character of the breed:

“The Rottweiler’s character saved the breed at the beginning of the century, but is causing the breed problems at the end. Rottweilers are extremely intelligent, easily trained, basically even-tempered, and fiercely loyal. Foremost, they are a guard dog with a great attachment to their master and family and with a corresponding willingness to defend their home. Those temperament traits suited to a protector include self-confidence, the ability to forget unpleasant experiences, and courage. While these traits in a well-bred and well socialized Rottweiler make for an excellent companion, they can also lead to serious repercussions if not channeled in the right direction. The Rottweiler is simply too smart, too strong, and too self-assured not to be disciplined and trained from the beginning.”

It has often been said by experienced Rottweiler enthusiasts that if the owner and family members do not assume a leadership role with their Rottweiler, the Rottweiler will soon rule the family. Rottweilers can be single minded, stubborn and pushy. Without consistent and fair training that sets the boundaries of acceptable behavior within the family and home, a young Rottweiler will begin to take over his environment. It is not unusual for first-time owners to realize when their Rottweiler is 15-18 months old that they no longer have control of the dog and frequently the dog has them intimidated and is controlling them.

This situation can be easily avoided by following your experienced breeder’s and obedience training instructor’s direction for age-appropriate training throughout the first two years of your dog’s life. With this breed, obedience training in a class environment with exposure to other people and breeds of dogs is essential and must be repeated at strategic intervals throughout the dog’s formative years. He is a working breed and has a genetic propensity to desire to work with his trainer as a member of a team. This breed has a natural desire to please and will give everything they have as long as they feel the trainer is fair; they will not tolerate being bullied or abused. When trained with respect, consistency and fairness, the Rottweiler learns very quickly. Together you can accomplish anything from obedience, tracking, herding, and carting to performing therapy visits to seniors, children and hospitals.

When properly trained and socialized with other animals and different ages and sexes of people, the Rottweiler is a delight to live with. A Rottweiler wants to be with his people and go where they go. He will follow you from room to room and place himself in a position to watch all of the entrances and exits. He will happily accompany you on walks and short runs (1-3 miles at a moderate trot). He will be thrilled to be included in any outings involving the automobile as long as you expose him to frequent rides from the beginning. As youngsters Rottweilers demonstrate high energy and activity levels when not resting. When adult (at about 3 years!) they are quiet when relaxing in the home, but are still interested in play and activities with their people and companion animals.

This is not a breed that does well unattended or left alone for long periods of time. They do not do well as strictly outdoor dogs. When out of doors they need shade and access to fresh water; this breed is susceptible to heat exhaustion when left too long in direct sun on hot or muggy days. A securely walled or fenced yard is essential to keep your dog safe and out of harm’s way. The Rottweiler has high prey drives that engage when he sees small animals running, bicycles passing, people jogging or other dogs running loose. To avoid injury to your dog, possible injury to other animals, and to avoid allowing your dog to become a nuisance to your neighbors, you will need to be able to provide a consistently safe and secure area on your property were your Rottweiler can be allowed freedom to exercise. Although they do not usually dig out of their yards, they do tend to go over enclosures when provoked, so 5 to 6 foot fences are in order with this breed.

Once your Rottweiler has received his obedience training it is a good idea to walk him regularly in your neighborhood and to introduce him to your neighbors. Demonstrating that he is under control, friendly and sociable will help your neighbors feel comfortable with him. Unfortunately with the rapid rise in popularity of this breed in the early 1990’s, many were put in the hands of people who used them strictly to guard property and even to intimidate people. Thousands of Rottweilers were bred and placed each year in the early 1990’s by people who knew very little about the breed. Consequently the temperament of the breed as a whole declined to include overly aggressive dogs as well as shy, fearful dogs. The reputation of the breed has suffered severely in the past decade due to this burgeoning popularity. Be certain to purchase your Rottweiler from a breeder with the knowledge, skill and experience to produce dogs of sound minds and bodies, correct to the standard of the breed.

It is up to each of us to promote a positive image of this wonderful breed. Be loving, fair and diligent with your training and you will be rewarded with a loving, loyal dog. Give your Rottweiler enough exercise and a job to do and he will be the best dog you have ever owned. If you are a couch potato or live in an apartment, this may not be the breed for you.

For more information about selecting a breeder and a puppy, care and training of your dog, and activities that you can enjoy with your Rottweiler consider adding the following books to your home library:

The Ultimate Rottweiler; Edited by Andrew H. Brace, Howell Book House

The Rottweiler Centuries of Service; Linda Michaels & Catherine Thompson

The Proper Care of Rottweilers; Joan R. Klem & Susan C. Rademacher, T.F.H Publications

The Rottweiler Experience, From the Golden Age to Predictions for the 21st Century; Joan R. Klem & Susan C. Rademacher, Howell Book House

The Complete Rottweiler, Muriel Freeman, Howell Book House

The Rottweiler; Tracy Libby & Wayne Hunthausen, D.V.M., T.F.H. Publications, Inc.