Any dog owner with experience around Rottweilers will tell you that their bad reputation is completely false. These dogs are incredibly friendly, but are Rottweilers loyal?
Rottweilers are known to be a very loyal dog breed. These dogs are capable of forming very good bonds with the people and pets they live with. Not only are Rottweilers loyal, but they will also keep guard of the people and animals they have formed bonds with.
If you are planning on adopting a Rottweiler dog, you may be curious about how loyal they are. Today, we’re going to discuss what to expect with a Rottweiler’s loyalty. We will also break down how you can tell if your dog is loyal and what you can do to make your Rottie more loyal. Keep reading to learn more.
Are Rottweilers Loyal?
Rottweilers are very loyal dogs. This breed has many great qualities that attract pet owners to the idea of adopting them. Not only will the Rottweiler you adopt become loyal to you, but it will also form a bond with everyone else you live with.
The Rottweiler‘s loyalty isn’t reserved for the people it lives with. You can expect the Rottie to be loyal to other pets in your home as well. This breed is very easy to get along with. One of the reasons it’s easy to form a good bond with them is because they are calm and accepting of people.
Why Are Rottweilers Loyal?
Want to know why your Rottweiler has such a loyal personality? To truly understand this, you need to know a bit about the breed’s history. Every dog was bred in the past for certain types of work. Rottweilers were often bred to be used as guard dogs or cattle herders.
In order for a Rottweiler to act guarding towards someone, the dog needs to care about them. The dog does have natural instincts, and that is to guard the people and animals it’s loyal towards.
Then, there are the dog’s herding instincts. The Rottweiler thinks of itself as the leader of the herd and wants to keep everyone in its herd safe. Once the dog has formed a bond with you and your household members, it will view each one of you as part of its herd.
Basically, the dog’s natural instincts drive it to form loyal bonds with the ones that it cares about.
How Can You Tell If Your Rottweiler Is Loyal?
You may love your Rottweiler more than anything, but how can you tell if the dog feels the same way towards you? Rottweilers are actually very affectionate dogs, so your Rottie won’t be subtle about the way it feels about you. When your Rottweiler is loyal to you, you can expect it to display some very affectionate behavior.
Similar to cats, Rottweilers have a purr. When you’re petting your dog and showing it love, it will make a noise similar to purring that will let you know it appreciates the gesture. They will also display other physical affectionate behavior, such as:
- Leaning against you
- Cuddling
- Laying its head on your lap
- Placing its nose in your hand
Not all signs of loyalty involve touching with a Rottweiler. Like most dogs, the Rottweiller will wag its tail when it sees you. This is one of the most common signs that a Rottie is loyal to you. A loyal Rottweiler will also follow its owner around because it wants to be around them often.
Are Rottweilers Only Loyal To One Person?
Rottweilers are big dogs and so is their love. Rottweilers have plenty of love in their heart to go around. If it seems like the Rottweiler you’ve adopted is warming up more to one person than everyone else in your household, don’t worry. Give the dog a bit of time to get used to everyone.
However, it’s not uncommon for Rottweilers to pick out a favorite person in the household. There may be someone in your family that the Rottweiler feels a stronger bond with, so it will tend to follow them more often and choose them to lean on. While it may enjoy this person’s company the most, it will still be loyal to everyone else in the house.
How To Form a Loyal Bond With Your Rottweiler
Does it feel like your Rottweiler isn’t forming a bond with you? Don’t worry, you can help the dog warm up to you sooner. Rottweilers respond very well to positive attention and affection. These dogs can also be won over with treats. While it may take time, with patience your Rottweiler can become your new best friend.
If you want to help your Rottweiler form a bond with your sooner, there are a few things you need to remember and be consistent with.
Take Care of Your Rottweiler
When you adopt a Rottweiler, it will have basic needs that you need to tend to. Little do dog owners realize, that being attentive to the dog’s needs can help them form a loyal bond. Your dog should know that it can rely on your to provide food, fresh water, take it for walks, and playtime.
If the Rottweiler can trust that you will take care of it, the dog will feel closer to you and be very loyal. It’s one of the most effective ways to be your Rottie’s favorite person.
Provide Acitivties For Your Rottweiler
Rottweilers are very active dogs. They love to romp around and play. If you make time to play with your Rottweiler often, it will easily fall in love with you. These dogs need both physical and mental activity to be happy. When you choose toys that work both their physical and mental strengths, the dog will respond very well to you.
Groom Your Rottweiler
Rottweilers respond very well to any type of affection, so grooming your dog can help the two of you become closer. Instead of using a brush on your dog’s fur, we recommend using a grooming mitt. This will take care of keeping the dog’s fur tidy while making it seem as though you are also petting it.
Your dog will also need to be shampooed, have its nails trimmed, and teeth brushed. If you are the one to take care of these tasks, your bond will be stronger with the dog.
Be Consistent With Training
Surprisingly, Rottweilers enjoy when their owners take initiative with training. These dogs are very intelligent and respond well to learning new commands and tricks. However, they don’t respond to training sessions that go on for too long. To keep your Rottweiler’s learning success, keep training to only a few minutes at a time.
Bribery Doesn’t Hurt
With a little bit of consistency and a lot of patience, that Rottweiler you just brought home will soon be your best buddy. While everything we just talked about will help you form a bond with the dog, you may want it to be cuddling with you on cold nights sooner than later.
It’s not hard to win over a Rottweiler. All you need to do is offer some of its favorite things, affection and treats. Showing your dog a positive attitude and petting it often will get it to warm up to you quicker. Offering it treats will help you seal the deal.
Are Rottweilers Loyal To Authority?
Rottweilers are big and intimidating dogs, but they respond well to authority. When you first introduce the Rottweiler to your house, it’s important to set the message that you’re in charge. The Rottie will view you as the leader, which is a role you need to establish to be successful with training.
Luckily, Rottweilers are very loyal to the leader of the house, which in this case would be you. It’s also very important for you to establish the role of the leader because your Rottweiler needs an authoritative figure to guide them. When the Rottweiler views you as the leader, it means that the dog trusts you.
If you don’t establish your authoritative role from the beginning, the dog will begin to think that it’s the leader. This is something you don’t want to happen because it can make training and obedience more difficult.
Final Thoughts
Are Rottweilers loyal? Rottweilers are very loyal dogs. They are very loveable dogs that are known to form good bonds with every person and pet in their household. Not only are they loyal to each member, but they will also be protective. Rottweilers have a lot of love to give, which is part of the reason they are so loyal to their family members.
Another reason Rottweilers are loyal is because of their natural instincts. These dogs were often used for herding cattle and guard dogs, and a dog must be loyal to succeed at either of these tasks. Even if the Rottie hasn’t herded animals before, it will still have the instinct to be loyal to his herd, which in this case is you and your family.