Rottweilers have a bad reputation attached to their name, their breed, their faces, anything and everything about them. Yes, they are big. They are extremely intimidating without even trying. They're strong, and in the wrong hands, you have an animal capable of serious and fatal injuries.
This is the case for several breeds, with American Pitt Bull Terrier breeds and Rottweilers continually standing out among the rest. No one is arguing the ability of either breed to do serious harm to humans or other animals, but there needs to be more acknowledgement that humans are the only reason why these dogs bite or attack. In England, the Pitt Bull Terrier breeds are known as Staffordshire Bull Terriers, and they were once referred to as "The Nanny Dog." They were known to be extremely affectionate and tolerant of children, and their temperament made them popular family dogs until people started taking advantage of their intimidating looks, as well as their strength, and began fighting these dogs. They were put into pits (hence their name) to fight until only one dog was alive. The owners of the winning dog, and the gamblers placing the right bet, walked away with money. This is when people began training this breed to be more aggressive.
Rottweilers have a defensive instinct – as most dogs do. The difference is in their size. While the Pitt Bull breeds have what is known as lock jaw, they don't have the strongest bite. Rottweilers have the second strongest bite among all breeds (behind Mastiffs). This is the only difference between their bite and a Chihuahua's. Given the right environment, training, and care, Rottweilers can make one of the greatest additions to your family.
Dillon the RottieKerri Caldwell
Here are 5 facts (straight from a Rottweiler mama and dog trainer, but also legit sources) that you might not know about this regal breed that will change your opinion of them:
They make great Therapy Dogs
When describing our Rottweiler, Dillon, we would say that she lived for food and love. That was literally all she needed to be happy. Training Dillon to be a Therapy Dog was about as hard as pulling apart wet paper. The only Rottweiler trait we had to work on was stopping her from leaning on people. She was the perfect height for hospital visits where patients were stuck in bed, but her favorite visits were to the library on Saturdays, where kids would read to her
Dillon the Rottweiler Kerri Caldwell
In 2010, a Rottweiler named Wynd worked and served as a therapy dog with The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, as well as Hampton Veterans Hospital and Suffolk Humane Society's BARKS reading program
Wynd the Therapy Dog Award Winning Rottweiler AKC.org
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/9-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-rottweiler/ Wynd, award winning Therapy Dog
They make even better Service Dogs
In 2015 I was diagnosed with a life-long autoimmune disease, Celiac Disease. In 2017 I came across a Service Dog Training Facility that had successfully trained a dog to detect gluten, and I was skeptical, but after lots of research, I was sold. I was also drawn to them because of the Rottweiler training to become the Service Dog of a former Marine who was now blind-a Rottweiler whose name was also Dillon. However, at 10, my Dillon was too old to start training to be a Service Dog, and it made much more sense for Maggie, my Lab/Beagle/Chessie mix to be used for this specific scent work (and we are currently in our last phase for Gluten Detection Service Dog training!).
Rottweiler Service DogCompass Key
Dillon the Service Dog in Training
They are known to be "loyal to a fault"
Rottweilers are known to be extremely loyal to their people, almost to a fault. Guarding and protecting have been in the breed's blood since the Rottweiler first appeared, so it's not surprising that this behavior is still one of the most significant traits every Rottie owner sees in their dog. Dillon has more of the loyalty and devotion traits in her than guarding or protecting. When herding lessons became a regular part of our lives, we found that she wouldn't work for anyone but me. I had to learn all the commands and movements, but it was just another way for us to bond closer. If we were out at the beach or the dog park, she would make her way around to anyone that would pet her, but her eyes were always on me. If I left the area, she was planted on her feet and could not be moved until I was back in her eyesight, or close enough for her to be able to reach me. I often wondered whether Dillon had any of the trait to guard and protect because she was so lovable, and never showed any sign that she could be threatened enough to get nasty towards someone. I wasn't particularly upset about this, though, because anyone that spent 2.5 seconds with my Rottweiler fell in love with her, and this was all I wanted. However, I will always remember the night she proved she was indeed a Rottweiler. At one point my boyfriend worked a 3 a.m. job, so I was giving my mom rides to work in the morning and then taking her car to work. Sometimes I just ended up staying in my old room at my parents' house, and my boyfriend would stop by on his way to work. There was a sliding door from the outside of the house to my room, and that first time Joey came through it at 2:30 in the morning, my dog actually scared me. He hadn't even gotten to the door yet when Dillon let out a growl I will never forget, and then moved from the foot of the bed and SAT ON ME. I could hear someone at the door, and she had me so scared that I didn't even process that it was my boyfriend just coming to say hello before work. When I heard his voice, he was just as scared as me, and Dillon would not let me up. She eventually realized it was her daddy, and I've never seen a dog look so ashamed and heartbroken that they had acted like that towards one of their people, even though she was protecting one of her other people.
Dillon Kerri Caldwell
They have a strong willingness to work
This trait is not often associated with Rotties, and this is where uneducated owners go wrong. Rottweilers were one of the earliest breeds to be used in police work and have proudly assisted in the military in various ways, including herding livestock for traveling soldiers. As the Roman empire expanded, it needed a way of feeding massive traveling armies of men. They used their dogs to herd livestock and march them along with the army. This was the only viable way for the soldiers to have a steady food supply without refrigeration.
This breed WANTS to work, they need a job that makes them feel like they're contributing to their pack (you). They thrive on mental exercise just as much as physical exercise. They are extremely eager to please their owners and need clear boundaries as to what you expect from them. Boredom, restlessness, and pent-up energy become anxiety and aggression. They will default to the basic instincts of their breed, which is to protect and guard.
Even with proper training and exercise, knowing your Rottweiler's personality and disposition, along with their breed, can literally be the difference between their life and death. Rottweilers who end up surrendered by their owners for any reason often don't get adopted. At one point, around 2 years old, Dillon started doing something strange around dogs that weren't behaving. If a dog came through the gate or doors at work acting a fool, she would peck at their neck with her muzzle-she never hurt them, never used her teeth, never even growled or made a noise, but when a massive Rottweiler comes at your dog and goes for their neck, you can really only assume one thing. She started doing this at dog parks as well, and not only was it random, but not every dog reacted how she wanted (which was to calm down). When one dog attacked her after she pecked its neck, and then she showed her teeth back, I was in panic mode. I'd only just started training dogs and had no idea what had changed in her. A co-worker suggested I take her herding because she had a feeling Dillon was using these instincts in the only way available to her-any dog that acted wild and stupid going through doors and gates.
I wasn't skeptical about the theory, but I was highly skeptical about Dillon herding. This was the dog that hid under the bed when someone broke into our apartment, and when we came home, not only was shit missing, but we had to help her out from under the bed because she was stuck. I was also afraid she was going to maul all the sheep, because I'd witnessed my sweet, goofy dog bare her teeth at another dog for the first time ever. But, this was not the case. Her very first time herding, the trainer took Dillon from me, took off her leash, and led her into a pen full of free-roaming, easy to catch and take down, sheep. As I watched Dillon take off I wondered how much sheep cost, could we afford to replace them, and would I end up in jail after they put my murderous dog down? And then I witnessed my less-than-confident Rottweiler become a whole different dog. She was so focused there was no shouting commands at her, but what was so amazing was that it didn't matter. The trainer didn't have to say anything to Dillon, she used a few hand movements, but mostly her body to direct Dillon in the right direction, and then Dillon directed her herd where she wanted them. It's been 10 years since her first lesson, and it's still one of the best feelings I've ever had in my life. She stopped trying to control other dogs who didn't walk nicely through gates and doors, and she also eased up a little on biting her sister's hind legs when they were playing (which we learned was another herding trait). Sadly, Dillon just wasn't made for competition. If any of the lambs were put in with the herd, she would single them out and try to play with them. The first time it happened, the lamb fell over, stiff and still, and I thought I was going to do the same. My dog just killed a fucking little baby lamb. But, no, it had just fainted, a survival instinct. Still, we couldn't get rid of this behavior, so her trainer said we would just have to be happy with letting Dillon herd her sheep on the weekends, minus any lambs, and forget about competing. We were fine with that.
DillonKerri Caldwell
