Are Rottweilers Stubborn? [Answered] 

If it’s your first time owning a dog, you want to select a breed that is easy to train and not very stubborn. Otherwise, you could find yourself in over your head. What about Rottweilers? Are Rottweilers stubborn?

Although Rottweilers are easy to train, they are stubborn too. They will listen diligently to people they respect, but they will be stubborn with others. As a result, Rottweilers aren’t the best breed for beginners. With a bit of practice, you will be able to train your Rottie, though. 

For a full picture of Rottweilers and their stubbornness, keep reading. Below, you will learn how stubborn Rottweilers are and how to train them properly.

Are Rottweilers Stubborn?

Rottweilers are considered a moderately stubborn breed. They may not listen to people they don’t respect, but they are intelligent and eager to please. For this reason, Rottweilers can be trained pretty easily. You just have to know how to train them.

The first thing to know about Rottweilers is that they like to be in command. If you want your Rottweiler to respect you, you have to take command. Unless you do this, your Rottweiler will be stubborn and hard to train. Secondly, Rottweilers need a lot of attention and exercise. If you fail to give your Rottweiler the attention it needs, it will be crazy and stubborn.

All that being said, Rottweilers are one of the most intelligent breeds. They pick up on commands quickly. They also are eager to please their owners. You can use this to your advantage. Simply take control and train your Rottie to avoid any stubborn behaviors.

Why Is My Rottweiler Stubborn?

If your Rottweiler is stubborn, there is likely a reason why. Rottweilers love listening to their owners. With proper training, Rotties are rarely stubborn. Here are some potential reasons your Rottweiler is acting stubborn:

Not Trained

If your Rottweiler is not trained properly, it will not listen to you. End of story. That’s why training is essential from the time the Rottweiler is young. The younger you start training your Rottweiler, the better. A well-trained Rottweiler will not be stubborn often.

Keep in mind that this applies to bad training as well. Perhaps, you tried training your Rottweiler, but you trained the dog while it was distracted or gave up. Bad training is just as bad as no training, if not worse. Not only do you have to train your Rottweiler, but you have to train it properly to fight stubbornness.

If this is the problem with your stubborn Rottweiler, you will have to retrain the dog. Training an adult Rottweiler is not very hard, but you must be firm and consistent. Only through consistent training will you be able to correct stubborn behavior.

Bored

Bored Rottweilers are less likely to mind since their minds are elsewhere. At the minimum, Rottweilers need one hour of exercise. If your Rottweiler has not gotten the play and attention it deserves, its mind will be all over the place and it will not mind.

It is normally obvious when a dog is not listening due to boredom. The dog will be bouncing off the walls. Most often, this happens if the dog has been cooped up in the house all day. Take the dog outside and let it get some energy out. This will fix the problem.

Sick

Sometimes, dogs will not behave as well as they normally do if they are sick. Sick dogs are more focused on feeling better. If your dog is acting strange and suddenly becomes stubborn, something is likely wrong with your dog.

If you suspect that your dog is sick, call your vet immediately. Some other signs that your dog is sick include a change in appetite, irritability, stomach problems, etc. If the stubbornness is accompanied by these other symptoms, don’t waste another second and call your vet now.

How Do You Make A Rottweiler Less Stubborn?

The number one way to make a Rottweiler less stubborn is to train it. Well-trained Rottweilers behave well and mind their owners. In fact, most stubborn Rottweilers are stubborn because they are poorly trained.

Once again, you have to train a Rottweiler correctly if you want to fight stubbornness. In other words, you can’t half-train a Rottweiler. You have to go all-in, and train your Rottweiler in phases to ensure that your Rottweiler fully respects you and is not stubborn.

So, you need to train your Rottweiler correctly to prevent stubbornness. From there, make sure to keep your dog exercised to ensure boredom doesn’t get in the way of the training.

Are Rottweilers Easy To Train?

The good news about Rottweilers is that they are easy to train. In fact, these dogs are often ranked in the top 10 most intelligent dog breeds. Especially if it is being trained by an owner it loves and respects, Rottweilers are easy to train.

Even so, you have to know how to properly train a Rottie to get the best results. Here are some tips to keep in mind when training your Rottweiler:

Start Young

The best way to train your Rottweiler is to start as early as possible. When you start the dog young, it won’t have time to learn bad behavior. Young Rottweilers will be more all over the place, but they will try to listen the best they can.

If you adopt an adult Rottweiler, that is okay too. Adult Rottweilers are easy to train, but you need to start training as soon as you bring the dog home. You will find that adult Rottweilers will adapt to the training quickly.

Phase Training

Phase training involves training your dog based on its age. Adult dogs will handle harder tasks than puppies. Still, there are some training tidbits that are ideal for puppies.

For example, begin socializing the puppy once it is 6 to 7 weeks old. By the time the dog is 9 weeks old, know what you want to train your Rottweiler to do. Incorporate socialization, grooming habits, bathroom habits, and basic commands into your training goals.

Once the puppy is 4 months old, start truly training your Rottweiler. Enrolling your Rottweiler in obedience training is best. If you can’t afford obedience training, that’s okay. Just make sure to kick training up a notch during this time.

Minimize Distractions

Whenever you are training your Rottweiler, minimize distractions. Distractions will keep your dog’s mind captivated, which will make training more difficult. It will also mean that the dog may not listen at all and act stubborn during the training process.

Discipline Your Dog

Whenever your Rottweiler does not listen, you must discipline it. If you don’t, the dog won’t learn any better. Use a stern voice to reprimand the dog. Stop playing with the dog too to express that you are not happy. Do not ever hit your dog as a form of punishment.

Consistency Is Key

When it comes to training a Rottweiler, consistency is key. If you are not consistent in your training, your dog will become confused about your commands and not listen. It may also teach the dog that it does not need to listen to get what it wants. Be consistent to ensure your dog learns the commands and actually sticks to them.

How Do You Discipline A Rottweiler?

Discipline is an important part of training your Rottweiler. However, discipline and punishment are not the same. You want to discipline the dog, not punish it. Punishing your Rottweiler is unethical and may cause the dog to fear you. Knowing how to properly discipline your Rottie is key.

There are a few ways that you can discipline your dog. Time-outs tend to be the most efficient. When your dog stops listening to you, leave the dog so that it is essentially in “time-out.” You could also have a time-out area, but this is not necessary.

You can also use your voice whenever you need to discipline your dog. Rottweilers are very perceptive and understand changes in voice and tone. Once your dog misbehaves, use a stern voice to get the point across. This is an ethical alternative to spanking your dog.

Use these actions to discipline your dog. Never hit your dog or use any other form of physical punishment. Time-out and a stern voice are more than enough for disciplining a Rottweiler.

Final Thoughts

Rottweilers are stubborn when in the hands of an inexperienced owner. They will be stubborn if improperly trained, but they will also act stubbornly if they are bored or sick.

At the same time, Rottweilers are incredibly intelligent and easy to train. With a bit of persistence and effort, you can train your Rottweiler and combat any stubbornness. Through consistent phase training, you can easily train your Rottweiler to be the opposite of stubborn.

Keep in mind that you should never punish your Rottweiler while training. This will do more harm than good. Plus, it is simply unethical. Instead of punishment, discipline your Rottweiler with time-outs and voice. Your Rottweiler will figure out what you want quickly and stop being so stubborn.