Rottweiler Temperament
Looking at the Rottweiler, there's no doubt that this
dog has some mastiff in his ancestry. The breed dates
back at least several centuries and was probably used
in several capacities during the Middle Ages. There's
no real evidence as to why, but it seems that the breed
became less popular about a century ago, and was probably
fairly near extinction when efforts to save the integrity
of the breed finally came about.
In those early years, the Rottweiler was probably used
mainly for herding. Today, Rottweilers are most often
used as guard and watch dogs, though they can also be
trained to herd, hunt and to perform in obedience trials.
Rottweilers are also sometimes used in police, military
and rescue work.
They have a reputation for being aggressive. Remember
that the early breeders sought to enhance the protective
nature of the dog in order to ensure the safety of the
herds they were responsible for. That means there are
some aggressive tendencies in this dog, but socialization
and training can make them a very safe animal.
By the same token, the dog can be trained when to bring
those aggressive tendencies to the forefront. Poor training,
mishandling and mistreatment may also make this breed
a very aggressive animal. When engaged in a fight, the
Rottweiler seems impervious to pain. This has made them
a very popular dog for dog fights. The reputation as
a dog that will attack has prompted some cities to ban
the animals from the city limits.
The Rottweiler is typically a large dog and adult males
may attain a weight of 120 to 130 pounds. They have
a very compact body, large neck and squared off head.
As a rule, the Rottweiler will be black with some brown
markings on the chest, face and legs. Most breeders
dock the tails and dewclaws (if present), depending
on the region in which the breeder lives. Some countries
have banned docking and clipping ears.
When socialized well and trained properly, the Rottweiler
is a very calm dog, but also very protective of his
family and territory. They love to play, but are usually
content to leave playtime outside - making them a good
choice for the person with limited indoor space who
wants a larger dog. As long as they're given the chance
to get outdoors often to work off their energy, they'll
usually be happy laying around inside.
Though territorial to a great degree, the Rottweiler
will tend to greet those he knows with great affection.
These are dogs that don't like to be left alone for
great periods of time. They really need interaction
with their people, whether it's walking, swimming, playtime
or naptime. The natural intelligence of the breed and
their tendency to be anxious to please make them ideal
for obedience training and for learning new tricks.
Training is everything with this dog and most who regularly
handle these dogs seem to agree that firm training must
begin very early. Because these dogs achieve a very
large size fairly early, it's easy to let a Rottweiler's
natural aggressiveness take over his personality.
About the Author
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