If you want to know if Rottweilers are good guard and protection dogs, then this is the article for you.
Rottweiler Dogs are known for their protective instincts and loyalty. They’re also fearless, loyal, and eager to please.
These attributes make them a popular breed of dog among those who live in smaller towns and rural areas where they serve as a reliable watchdog. However, this same tendency has made them one of the most challenging breeds to keep as a pet.
The Rottweiler is not inherently good or bad; it’s more so dependent on its environment and upbringing.
This means that even if your Rottie has bad habits or is mistreated by its previous owner, with the right training and socialization it can still be a great dog.
However, the opposite is also true: if your Rottie receives the necessary love and attention from an enthusiastic owner from an early age then it can be a wonderful pet regardless of its past.
While some may consider them guard dogs due to their muscular build, size shouldn’t be used to determine whether your Rottweiler will make a good watchdog or not.
Achieving tone with proper training and socialization is more important than body type when choosing a new pet.
That being said, there are several things you need to know before adopting one as a guardian pet.
Table of Contents
Are Rottweilers Good Guard Dogs?
Yes, Rottweilers are great guard dogs.
Rottweilers are large, powerful and loyal dogs who make great guard dogs due to their territorial nature and protective instincts.
However, these dogs are not great with stranger anxiety and are relatively easy to train if you have the correct training techniques and a patient owner.
They are often used as war dogs in Germany due to their protective instincts and the fact that they will usually attack intruders even if they have not been trained to do so.
Rottweilers are very protective of their families, territory and belongings and a person needs to be careful when bringing them into a new environment with a new set of noises and smells that they haven’t grown accustomed to yet.
Although Rottweilers are large, powerful dogs they are also very intelligent and most commonly used as police or military working dogs due to their protective instincts, loyalty and trainability.
They are also common dog breeds used as service dogs. However, they are relatively difficult to house train, are very pack-oriented and require a lot of exercises to prevent them from becoming bored.
What Makes Good Guard Dogs?
When looking at the qualities of a good guard dog you want to look for a few things.
Size: First, you want to make sure that the dog is on the larger side. You don’t want something that is not going to scare an intruder away. You want to make sure the dog can take on a human if the situation arises.
Strength: A guard dog needs to have some strength and confidence so that it can stand its ground against an intruder and scare them off.
If the dog is too cowering in fear the intruder will just push them out of the way and get what they are after.
You also want to consider if the dog is naturally aggressive. Although aggression can be trained out of a dog, it is easier to adopt one that already has a little aggression built in.
An aggressive guard dog will deter most burglars from trying to enter your home, and if they don’t they will be prepared to fight back.
Confident: A good guard dog should be confident and should not back down from a fight. They should know they are strong and they should be confident that they can take on a challenge when needed.
Appearance: A good dog should look fierce and should look intimidating. A person should be intimidated just by looking at their face and size.
Why Are Rottweilers Good Guard Dogs?
Rottweilers have a lot going for them to be a great guard and personal protection dogs.
Territorial – The great thing about Rottweilers as guard dogs is that they are territorial by nature and protective by necessity.
Natural instinct – They will instinctively want to protect their families and territory from any threat. This means that if you live in a particularly risky area or someone is targeting you specifically, you can get a dog like this who will protect you with their life.
Size – Rottweilers are large, powerful dogs with a territorial nature, meaning they will protect their family and territory with their lives if need be.
The average Rottweiler is between 110 – 130 pounds, females being smaller in size.
Trainable – Rottweilers can be trained very easily and they make a great guard or watch dog if you live in a dangerous area.
Appearance – Rottweilers are a muscular and broad-chested dog breed. They look intimidating to strangers.
Loyal – They are very loyal dogs who love their owners and want to protect them. They may not be the best choice for families with small children because they are large, strong dogs who could accidentally knock a child over.
Fearless – Rottweilers are fearless and confident dogs who can be intimidating to anyone who isn’t expecting a huge, strong dog.
Strong – They can be great guard dogs because they are strong and they can defend their family or home without any hesitation.
Alert – Rottweilers are very protective of their owners, family and territory, and will usually alert you if someone is approaching your property and let you know if someone is on your property even if they are not allowed there.
Who Is A Rottweiler Good For?
Rottweilers make excellent guard dogs for single people due to their territorial nature, high activity levels and willingness to protect.
They can get along quite well with other pets if raised with them from a young age and are very protective of their owners if someone tries to break into their home or property.
However, they may interpret other people approaching the house as a threat and will alert their owners as well as protect their property from intruders.
Rottweilers are not recommended for families with young children because of their high activity levels and territorial nature.
Rottweilers are not recommended for apartment living. They need a lot of space to run and express their energy and are very difficult to house train.
Rottweiler origin
The Rottweiler name is connected to the city of Rottweil in Germany where they were used as herding dogs by the people of the city.
The first Rottweilers were found to be working in mines where they were used to guard the equipment against the dangerous gases in the mines.
In the 1900s the Rottweiler Club was founded and the Rottweiler was recognised as the official dog of the German Empire.
In the 1930s Adolf Hitler’s police force used Rottweilers for guard work and the Rottweiler was recognised as the German national dog.
Rottweiler Personality and Behavior
As a guard dog, the Rottweiler has a lot going for him. He is large and powerful, has a protective nature, is extremely loyal to his family, can be vocal when alerting you to the presence of intruders, is territorial and can be trained relatively easily.
Rottweilers have a loud and clear bark that can be very intimidating to someone who is trying to break into your home or property.
Rottweilers are excellent guard dogs when properly trained and raised. If they are not properly socialized from a young age and trained from an early age, they can be very aggressive towards strangers and can be very territorial towards their owners.
Rottweilers require a lot of socialization from a young age, proper training and exercise to prevent them from becoming bored.
Should you get a Rottweiler as a guard dog?
You should ask yourself if you are a confident and strong dog handler?
Do you have experience handling smart, active, large dogs?
Do you have time to train, exercise and socialise with your Rottweilers?
If the answer to these is no, then you should seriously think twice before getting a Rottweiler.
Rottweilers are clearly built for guarding, but they can be a little too confident in their ability to intimidate smaller dogs and intruders.
If you want your Rottweiler to be a little more cautious around other canines, he needs to be socialized while he’s still young.
That way he won’t be so aggressive toward other dogs and people when he’s an adult. Rottweilers can be intimidating and intimidating intruders may be a little out of character for a Rottweiler, especially if you live in a place where there are lots of other small dogs for him to meet.
You don’t want him to get too aggressive over other dogs because he’ll know they’re not a threat to him or his home.
Things To Remember When Using A Rottweiler As A Guard Dog
Stubborn – Rottweilers are known for their stubbornness and strong-headed personality. If they do not see you as alpha, then they will not listen to your commands and they will not obey you.
Barker – Rottweilers are not recommended as first-time guards because of their tendency to bark excessively, which may alert nearby intruders to the presence of a dog.
Aggressive– A Rottweiler is capable of defending a home against many different threats, including wild animals and thieves.
However, even experienced Rottweilers will likely react aggressively to uninvited guests and may unintentionally injure these individuals in the process (either through defensive bites or by chasing them off).
Because of this, it is important that you ensure that your Rottweiler knows how to control his or her aggressive behavior before employing him as a guard dog.
Training – Training is essential. – A Rottweiler isn’t naturally going to know that someone on your property is a threat. They have to be taught to differentiate between normal activity and something suspicious.
Early socialization – Socialization is important. – A Rottweiler is naturally a calm and relaxed dog. They don’t have a high energy level and are content to chill out most of the time. They don’t make good guard dogs if they are stressed out or anxious.
Give attention – don’t forget to give your Rottweiler plenty of attention. While they are excellent family dogs, they are very affectionate and loving.
They thrive on attention from their human family members. This is how you show them that they are doing a good job. It will also keep your Rottweilers happy and healthy.
Treat them nicely – remember that your Rottweilers love affection. They rely on you for everything from shelter to food.
If you forget to feed them or give them water, they will weaken and eventually die. This goes double for their medical needs.
While most Rottweilers are fairly healthy and don’t require a lot of medical attention, all dogs can catch diseases.
Crate Training – Rottweilers puppies should be kept in a crate until they’re 8 weeks old. This will prevent their muscles from growing too large and hinder their ability to hunt once they become adult dogs.
Crate training will also help prevent your Rottweiler puppy from chewing on your furniture and other valuables while they’re still growing.
Make sure to give them plenty of chew toys, both while they’re in the crate and after they’re fully grown.
Exercise – Rottweiler puppies require exercise and mental stimulation. Investing in lots of different toys and taking them to the park on a regular basis will help them release their energy.
However, good thing is that they are not high-energy dogs so you will not need to spend a lot of time exercising your Rottweiler.
Will a Rottweiler attack an intruder?
Yes, a Rottweiler will attack an intruder especially if he is properly raised and trained from an early age or feel threatened.
If a Rottweiler is not socialized properly, he may be aggressive and dangerous towards humans if not properly trained.
This can be avoided if a Rottweiler is raised with humans from a young age as a companion and protector.
A properly trained and socialized Rottweiler will be loyal to his owners and territorial towards strangers that try to break into your property.
He will alert you to the presence of strangers, let you know if they are approaching your property and protect your family and property with his life if he has been properly raised and trained.
A Rottweiler can be trained to be a great guard dog but they must be raised from a young age and socialized properly from an early age to be safe to be around.
Will An Untrained Rottweiler Protect Their Owners?
Yes, a properly socialized, trained Rottweiler will protect his owners from intruders and warn them of the presence of strangers approaching their property.
However, the same can be said of most dogs when they are not properly socialized and trained from a young age.
A properly socialized Rottweiler will be friendly towards strangers and territorial towards his owners. A Rottweiler must be properly socialized from a young age and trained from an early age to be a safeguard dog.
A Rottweiler who is not properly socialized will be friendly towards strangers, may alert his owners to the presence of strangers and let his owners know if they are approaching their property.
Rottweilers should be socialized from a young age, trained properly and kept on a leash when they are not under their owner’s control in a fenced-in area.
Male vs Female Rottweiler: Which Is A Better Guard Dog?
Both Rottweiler males and females make great guard dogs but it is much more common for a Rottweiler male to be used as a guard dog than a female.
This is because the Rottweiler is more commonly used for guard work than as a pet. This means that the Rottweiler male is more likely to be used for guard work than being petted and used as a pet.
A Rottweiler male may make a better guard dog than a female depending on the environment that he lives in.
A Rottweiler male may be better for a more aggressive environment where he will be used for guard work and protection from intruders.
A Rottweiler female may be better for a more passive environment and may be better appreciated as a pet in a less threatening environment.
Are Rottweilers territorial?
Yes, Rottweilers are a naturally territorial dog breed.
Rottweilers are territorial by nature and will try to prevent other dogs or humans into their territory. They should also be leashed when they are off their owner’s property and under their owner’s control.
Rottweilers will usually alert their owners when a dog is approaching their territory and let their owners know when they have been spotted entering their territory.
Also read:
Will Great Danes guard you and your family?
Are Tibetan Mastiffs a protection dog?
Will Bullmastiffs protect and guard you and your family?
When do Rottweilers go into Heat?
Conclusion
Rottweilers are loyal, intelligent dogs that make good guard dogs but they aren’t great at keeping intruders away from their property unless they know the intruding person/s very well such as if there is someone they trust who lives on the same property whom they can alert when there is a disturbance.
Rottweilers are also very sensitive dogs that can become easily overwhelmed. They need to be around people but also have a yard so they can run and get the exercise they need.
Rottweilers that are kept inside all the time can become anxious and/or destructive. They are very loyal to their owners but they can be suspicious of new people coming into their environment as well as cautious with strangers if they don’t know them very well.
A Rottweiler may not make a good first pet for a child who doesn’t understand dog behavior yet because he may bite when he feels threatened or worried about something new entering his territory and home quickly train him before signing up for doggy daycare or dog training classes until he learns that his new surroundings are friendly too.
