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Are Rottweilers Protective?

Are Rottweilers Protective?

Dog owners love Rottweilers for many reasons, especially their brave personalities. Since they are such courageous dogs, people often wonder “are Rottweilers protective?

Rottweilers can be very protective dogs who have a natural instinct to guard their owners. If you bring a Rottweiler into your home, the dog will likely become protective over all the members of your household, which includes other dogs and cats. 

Are you interested to know how protective Rottweilers are? You’re on the right page. Today, we’re going to talk about Rottweilers and their protective instincts. Keep reading to know why your Rottweiler is so protective over you. 

Are Rottweilers Protective?

Rottweilers naturally have a protective instinct. If you have a Rottweiler, you may notice it displaying protective behavior. For example, if someone approaches you while you’re taking a walk or a new visitor arrives at your home, the Rottie’s first instinct may be to try to prevent the person from coming near you.

However, Rottweilers are also intelligent dogs that can pick up on situations. If the dog has been trained and socialized, it will sense that both you and the other person are calm and realize there is no threat. This is why you don’t have to worry about a well-trained Rottweiler crossing the line from protective to aggressive. 

One of the main reasons that Rotties are protective is because they have a herding instinct. In the past, Rottweilers were bred to work as cattle herders. They had an instinct to keep their herd protected. These dogs view family as their herd and are on guard to keep them protected.

What Age Do Rottweilers Start Acting Protective?

The average age for a Rottweiler to start acting protective is around 2 years old. Keep in mind that every Rottweiler should be judged on an individual basis. Your own Rottie may show protective traits earlier or later than 2 years of age. These dogs do need time to become confident in their environment before becoming protective of their territory.

Rottweiller puppies typically aren’t as confident or brave as they are when they’re fully grown. This is a major reason why they don’t start showing protective traits until they are closer to 2 years of age. However, every Rottie has a completely different personality from the next. Some puppies are more outgoing and may start barking at people around 6 or 7 months of age.

One of the wonderful things about Rottweillers is that they are very loyal dogs. Once a Rottie forms a bond with the people it lives with, it will want to keep them safe at all times. However, it does take the dog some time to realize what is theirs. Once a Rottweiler is fully aware that your home is its territory and your family is its herd.

Protective Traits of a Rottweiler

A protective Rottweiler will show certain traits. However, you may not know your Rottweiler is protective until a situation arises where the dog feels the need to be. This is because Rottweilers are very calm dogs. They are also good at sensing people’s moods, so if you’re welcoming towards a new person, the dog won’t feel the need to be protective.

So, this could have you wondering whether or not your Rottie is protective. Let’s take a look at some common traits the dog will display if it’s protective over you.

Rottweilers May Seem Skeptical Towards Strangers

While Rottweilers are great at sensing a situation, they are still skeptical about people they aren’t familiar with. If a new person approaches your property and you aren’t there to monitor the situation, the Rottweiler may start growling and try to intimidate the person. 

Keep in mind, if your Rottweiler has been trained it won’t attack the person unless it is provoked. It will simply try intimidating tactics until you arrive on the scene. Once you are there and the dog senses everything is okay, it should stop trying to guard you.

Rottweilers Will Act Intimidating 

Rottweilers are big dogs. They are also very strong and muscular. Their overall appearance can be very intimidating and these dogs know it. If they feel they need to be protective over you, they will begin intimidating the person they see as a threat. Rotties know how to give off a “don’t mess with me” vibe that can scare off people. 

Rottweilers Have a Mean Bark

Its bark is worse than its bite is a very true statement when it comes to Rottweilers. Rotties have a very loud bark that can make any intruder’s hairs stand straight. If an intruder is sneaking onto your property, the Rottweiler can let out a bark that will alert you and make the intruder question if they should get any closer to the house.

Are Rottweilers Aggresive With Intruders?

Rottweilers have a reputation for being aggressive. However, Rottweiler owners have proven that with the right care and training, this reputation is completely false. A well-trained Rottweiler will not act aggressively unless it has a reason. If an intruder is attacking you, the Rottweiler will have reason to be aggressive.

If you want to ensure that your Rottweiler is protective over you in the event that you need it to be, you can use the help of a trainer. This type of training will ensure that your dog knows when it needs to attack. When training the dog to attack, they will only perform when need be. You won’t have to worry about them attacking guests or the mail courier.

When training your dog to attack an intruder, you will have a panic word that is used as a command word. This word will alert the dog that it’s time to start acting intimidating towards the person threatening you. The dog shouldn’t attack unless the person won’t back down and is going to hurt you.

Rottweilers are also brave enough to chase down an intruder. If someone does get onto your property, your Rottweiler won’t be afraid to chase them down. This brave dog isn’t afraid of any intruder. 

What Causes a Rottweiler To Act Protective?

Rottweilers are protective, but they aren’t possessive. Your Rottie shouldn’t start growling or acting intimidating just because you’re talking to another person or petting another dog. It should act calm and friendly in this situation. There are certain situations that can cause the dog’s protective instincts to kick in.

Someone is Too Close

As we mentioned above, Rotties are very skeptical about people they don’t know. If a stranger is getting too close to you or the dog, you can expect your Rottweiler to start acting intimidating. Not only will they do this to people they don’t know that approach you, but they may even do it towards people that are simply walking past.

The dog wants to ensure that you are safe at all times. You won’t have to worry about the Rottweiler attacking the new person who has gotten close. They simply want to show them not to try anything sneaky with you.

Someone is on the Property

It’s not just family members and pets that Rottweilers are protective over. They also want to keep their property safe. This is why they are known to act protective when they see someone they don’t recognize approaching the property. If you aren’t home or in a different room, the dog will bark loudly and start growling.

As we mentioned above, as long as you approach the situation and the dog sees that there isn’t a threat, it will calm down. Once the dog becomes familiar with certain faces, it won’t act so intimidating when they approach the property in the future.

Someone is Close To Its Food

Did you think it was just you that your beloved Rottweiler is protective over? Rottweilers are also protective over their food, so you can expect them to act intimidating if someone is too close to their food. While the dog’s food may seem disgusting to you, to your Rottweiler it’s a gourmet feast. 

When the dog thinks someone is going to take its food, it will start growling and try to scare them away from the dish. Always respond accordingly because the dog may become aggressive when it comes to its food. 

Don’t Go Near Its Puppies

If you have a female Rottweiler who has recently given birth, don’t let visitors go near the puppies. Rottweilers are very protective of their offspring. One time you will see aggressive behavior from a Rottweiler is when someone is too close to their puppies because they don’t trust the person’s intentions.

Final Thoughts

Are Rottweilers protective? Rottweilers are known to be very protective of their family members. Once the Rottie has claimed you, your family members, and your pets as part of its herd, it will have the instinct to keep all of you safe. Rottweilers will growl and act intimidating to scare off people and animals they view as a threat. This is why Rottweilers are viewed as excellent guard dogs.