Breed characteristics and temperament of the Rottweiler
Prominent characteristics of this breed are their loyalty, fearlessness, strength and reliability. The Rottweiler is a self-confident, extremely alert and attentive dog, with a pronounced willingness to defend itself and a great sense of courage. This makes this dog an excellent protection and utility dog, which is why it is nowadays mainly used by protection services or the police. Despite its appearance, the Rottweiler is a peaceful and obedient dog when trained well. This affectionate, easy to lead and work-loving utility dog is very popular with dog owners, especially the police and military.
Attitude and upbringing?
The Rottweiler is not recommendable for first-time dog owners. They belong in the hands of an experienced dog owner with an appropriate amount of assertiveness. The dog's naturally pronounced self-confidence can easily turn into dominant behaviour. In some federal states (e.g. Hesse, Bavaria, Brandenburg, Hamburg and North Rhine-Westphalia) the Rottweiler is considered a list dog, i.e. it is classified as dangerous due to its breed characteristics. For list dogs, a permission requirement and a character test is necessary. Despite its classification as a list dog, the Rottweiler is a good-natured dog, which is also fond of children and is therefore often kept as a family dog. Reports of biting attacks by Rottweiler dogs occur regularly, but such incidents are mostly due to a bad upbringing and keeping as well as insufficient socialisation of the dogs. Some experts also recommend that the Rottweiler should wear a muzzle in public for safety reasons. If you're considering this, it is best to get your dog used to it early and make sure that the muzzle fits them comfortably. With this dog breed, however, a consistent education from puppy age onwards is of great importance. Only with absolutely consistent behaviour by the dog owner, whom the dog perceives as an authority, it will learn to behave correctly. An early socialisation of the Rottweiler puppies is also part of training. The right behaviour around strangers and other dogs must be learned. If you want to get a Rottweiler puppy, the attending of a dog school is recommended to be able to train your dog correctly. If you are looking for a dog to protect you in tricky situations, the Rottweiler is a good choice, always provided you show them who their master is, otherwise they will take the lead themselves.