What’s in That Black and Tan Body
Being classified as a working breed, you will notice right away an eagerness to get the job done. Exercise, and mental stimulation is a must to keep this breed happy and out of trouble. Centuries of herding, pulling carts and guarding have left a strong will to work, and failing to provide this breed with something to do, will leave a large gap in this breed’s life paving the path towards potential behavioral and even health problems. To sum it up “a tired Rottweiler is a good Rottweiler”.
The Rottweiler is a “molosser”, that means it belongs to a category of large, solidly-built dogs characterized by heavy bones, pendant ears and a short and well-muscled neck. Weighing 70 to 120 pounds and being categorized as a medium/large breed according to the FCI standard, Rottweilers sure needs structure in their life.
You cannot allow this breed to drag you on the leash. Your body may be minute, but your mind must be strong. It’s ultimately all in the head. Rest assured: if you are a consistent good leader, your Rottweiler will follow.
Watch your Rottweiler’s body to see what may be going on in his mind.
Being a herding and working breed, the Rottweiler is a trotter, trotting effortlessly is an asset to a working breed as it offers great endurance, strength and agility. While it may not be agile as Border Collies in agility, this working breed excels in a wide array of dog sports. We will see several of them later on.
The “wait and see approach’’ indicates that the breed will evaluate situations before making major decisions such as who to befriend or whom to perceive as a threat. When imminent danger of its family is perceived, this breed will not hesitate to demonstrate fearlessness in times of danger, a trait that has made Rottweilers succeed as one of the most reliable rescue dogs for the police and military. Well bred and well trained Rottweilers therefore will not bark, growl, or snarl, without a good reason.
Rottweilers may however demonstrate a self-assured aloofness that may cause them to be picky on making indiscriminate friendships. This may make some specimens a one-person dog. Some Rotties however can be social as your average Labrador.
It is in the breed standard for the breed to assume a ”belligerent” attitude towards other dogs. This trait typically shows up as the dog matures. At some point, your Rottweiler may not be willing to befriend all dogs as before. This makes many Rottweilers not good dog park material. However, your Rottweiler should not be lunging, pulling or attempting to attack every dog it sees.
Rottweilers value their family, their pack, with which they feel secure. For this reason they do poorly when left in the backyard on their own or worse, chained.