Rottweiler Pros and Cons: 11 Things To Consider Before Buying

Getting a new dog is a big decision, and a Rottweiler is a popular choice. Before going any further, it’s best to review some of the Rottweiler pros and cons to ensure you’re making the right decision. 

Rottweilers’ pros are that they are excellent guard dogs thanks to their alertness and strength. They’re also highly loyal to their owners and families, intelligent, and extremely active. On the downside, the breed isn’t the most family-friendly choice and often has aggressive tendencies.

Since adding a Rottweiler to the family can be life-altering, we’ll examine some benefits and drawbacks of owning this dog breed.

What Are the Pros and Cons of a Rottweiler?

Dogs are the most prevalent pets in our homes. For centuries now, they’ve deserved their famous title as people’s best friends.

Owning a dog is known to have many advantages for humans, but dogs also have traits that may challenge their owner’s patience, increase their financial stress, and burden their time management.

Like all dogs, one should weigh up a Rottweiler’s advantages and disadvantages, so here’s a tabled view of the pros and cons of Rottweilers.

Rottweiler Pros

Let’s look at some pros of Rottweilers to help you figure out if this breed is suitable for you and your household.

Rottweilers Are Excellent Guard Dogs

Rottweilers are listed as some of the best guard dogs in the world, so it’s no surprise many people choose them for this purpose alone. Once a Rottweiler gets to know its owners, it becomes highly loyal and willing to protect them if an intruder comes in.

Expect a Rottweiler to bark ferociously and attack in dangerous situations. It’s no surprise that they’re good guard dogs considering they were originally bred to drive, herd, and guard herds of cattle and other livestock and protect their owners and their property. 

Rottweilers Are Loyal

One of the great pros of Rottweilers is that they are incredibly loyal and protective of their owners and family. Expect to grow a deep bond with your Rotty if you show affection and attention.

Their loyalty is certainly a positive trait, but it can become bothersome if they begin to bark or attack strangers and guests. Training a Rottweiler as early as possible is imperative to ensure it doesn’t get over-protective and aggressive toward innocent people. 

However, many owners are happy with their well-behaved, loyal Rottweilers. So as long as you train it well and know how to handle it when things get dicey, you shouldn’t run into any significant issues.

Rottweilers Have High Intelligence

A smart breed, the Rottweiler is easy to train, especially if starting from a young age. However, due to its naturally more aggressive nature, owners should set a rigorous training schedule and stick to it. 

When training a Rottweiler puppy, you’ll quickly notice how fast it learns commands and develops skills. Use repetitive words and positive reinforcement to ensure your Rottweiler gets the most out of each training session.

Many people also like to train their Rottweilers to guard their homes and yards because of their high intelligence.

Rottweilers Are Highly Active

A Rottweiler will be an excellent companion if you enjoy long walks, runs, and other outdoor adventures. These energetic dogs require a lot of exercise each day, so you’ll need to set plenty of time aside to ensure they get tired out and burn enough calories.

You should ideally aim for two walks a day — one in the morning and another in the afternoon/evening. Each walk should be approximately one hour long, but the exact amount of time will depend on your dog’s lifestyle, diet, health, and age. Some may need more than an hour per walk, and some might need less than 20 minutes.

Either way, a Rottweiler requires a great deal of attention and activities throughout the day, so make sure you’re ready to take on that responsibility before making a final decision.

Rottweiler Cons

Since Rottweilers are a rather popular dog breed, you may have heard of how aggressive they can get. But apart from that, are there any other downsides? Let’s find out!

Rottweilers Have Aggressive Tendencies

While Rottweilers can live fulfilling lives without hurting anyone, it’s impossible to ignore that they have more aggressive tendencies than many other breeds. According to a Science Direct study, Rottweilers are one of the main breeds that cause aggression issues.

Forbes also classes Rottweilers as a dangerous breed because of the number of reported aggressive incidents they are involved in each year. If you have children and plan to add a Rottweiler to the family, be sure to teach your kids not to provoke it by pulling its tail or hitting it, as these are likely some of the main reasons it’ll attack.

Plus, it doesn’t help things that Rottweilers have mighty jaws. Since German Shepherds are my favorite breed, I wrote an article comparing the Rottweiler’s strength to that of a German Shepherd.

Rottweilers Are Not the Most Family-Friendly

Although plenty of families have Rottweilers with little to no issues, they’re generally not considered the most family-friendly, so keep that in mind if you have young children.

However, if you purchase the dog from a reputable breeder and train it correctly, there shouldn’t be any issues having it around your young family, but it’s always best to be cautious.

Never leave young kids alone with a Rottweiler because you never know what it might do, even if it’s well-trained. Children can accidentally provoke a dog, leading to severe injuries or worse.

This study documented the instances of pediatric dog bites in a range of children, with Rottweilers being one of the most common breeds that bit the examined children. So, if you want to get a Rottweiler but have young children, consider their safety above all else.

Swimming Is Not a Natural Skill

If you like to swim and go to the beach regularly, a Rottweiler may not be the most appropriate choice. Unfortunately, they’re not naturally good swimmers, as it takes a lot of strength for them to support their muscular bodies. 

Owners interested in bringing their Rottweilers swimming will need to put effort into training them, which can be a long process. Plenty of other breeds are natural swimmers, including poodles and English setters.

However, if you’re up for a challenge, you can train your Rottweiler to swim. It requires patience, time, resilience, and effort, so don’t go into the process lightly!

Rottweilers Have a Bad Reputation

Another major con of the Rottweiler is the fact that it has a less-than-desirable reputation. Of course, there are many Rottweiler enthusiasts out there. 

But you also can’t ignore that many people have negative feelings toward the breed.

Many people (including dog lovers) associate Rottweilers with being aggressive, dangerous, and difficult to control. So, be prepared for certain family members, friends, and even strangers to be weary of your new furry pal.

You can prove people wrong by making smart decisions, such as:

• Going with a reputable breeder. There are plenty of untrustworthy breeders out there who simply don’t care about the conditions of the dogs’ and puppies’ homes. You may realize your Rottweiler has serious behavior problems after getting it from an untrustworthy person, so always do your research before.
• Starting a training program right away. As soon as you bring your Rottweiler home, you should focus on training it, thereby reducing the chances of it being aggressive.
• Disciplining bad behavior. If you continuously allow your Rottweiler to act up, it will never stop. You must always deal with bad behavior or put it in timeout to fix the problem.

Rottweilers Are Banned/Restricted in Certain Regions

It might seem surprising, but Rottweilers are banned in certain countries. There are also countries where they are restricted.

Below are examples of regions where Rottweilers are banned and/or restricted:

• Banned: Ecuador 
• Banned: Bermuda Islands
• Restricted: Ireland
• Restricted: Portugal
• Restricted: Romania
• Restricted: Singapore

Of course, if you never plan to bring your pooch to the above countries, these rules don’t matter. However, it should be a red flag that this breed is banned in certain places due to its aggressive nature caused by a lack of training.

Hard To Control While Walking

They might not be the strongest dogs in the world, but they’re certainly not the weakest! Rottweilers can be difficult to control on the leash, as their body strength will pull a lot. As a result, leash training can be tiresome, and a great deal of skill and patience is required if you want to teach your pooch how to walk appropriately.

It’s important to note that not all Rottweilers are extremely difficult to control during walks, but you must be prepared for some pulling. If you’re not ready for the task, it can be challenging to pull back and gain control of the situation.

It’s good to invest in a robust harness, especially if your Rottweiler pulls a lot during walks. A good harness I like is the Auroth Tactical Dog Harness (from Amazon). This harness is perfect for an adult Rottweiler due to its size and adjustability.

Using a harness ensures your pooch doesn’t injure its neck when pulling on the leash.

Rottweilers Require Plenty of Space

As mentioned, Rottweilers are highly active, requiring plenty of space to roam around throughout the day. While smaller, more placid dogs are happy to lie in a small area for hours, that’s not the case with a Rottweiler.

Small apartments aren’t ideal, so you should reconsider if you currently live in one. It’s also best to have plenty of space in the backyard for your Rottweiler to explore and burn energy between walks.

For the most part, only people with large enough homes and yards should consider Rottweilers as pets.

FAQs

Are Rottweilers Good for First-Time Dog Owners?

Rottweilers aren’t always good for first-time dog owners because they’re a lot to handle. Only those experienced with handling and training strong-willed dogs should consider Rottweilers as pets. If you have no experience with dogs, consider a tamer breed first.

Of course, it’s possible to train and control a Rottweiler as a first-time dog owner, but it won’t be easy. A dedicated Rottweiler owner should know exactly how to react to different behaviors. 

Are Rottweilers High-Maintenance?

Rottweilers aren’t high-maintenance compared to many other breeds. Thankfully, they don’t have to go to the groomers because their coat doesn’t grow long. Brushing is necessary to keep them tidy, and their nails will need to be trimmed now and then for comfort and hygiene.

Although they aren’t high-maintenance, there are a few things to consider, including:

• Shedding. While they don’t shed a lot, they still shed moderately, meaning you’ll need to vacuum and sweep regularly to keep up. Hairs may also cling to clothes and other things around the home.
• Drooling. Many Rottweilers drool a fair amount, which can cause a mess around the house. Regular cleaning is necessary to get rid of excess drool on the floor.
• Attention. Rottweilers like and need attention from their owners during the day, so you need to set aside enough time for them. Otherwise, they may become stressed or aggravated.

Can Rottweilers Be Left Alone?

Rottweilers can be left alone if they’re well-trained and don’t have any separation anxiety issues. Leaving Rottweilers alone for short periods when they’re young can get them used to being alone as adults. 

If you spend most of your day with a Rottweiler, they’re more likely to become anxious when alone because they’re not used to it. Dogs can destroy furniture in these situations, so training them early is essential to avoid such issues.

While leaving them alone is OK, you should avoid leaving Rottweilers alone for more than four hours at a time. The longer they’re alone, the higher the chance of them going to the toilet indoors and becoming anxious.

If you’re wondering if they can be left alone with children, the answer is a resounding no. 

Not only should children not be left alone with a Rottweiler, but they shouldn’t be left alone with any dog. Even the most well-trained pooch can turn sour in an instant, causing things to go wrong.

Final Thoughts

Rottweilers are intriguing dogs that many people are interested in due to their loyal nature and protective instincts. However, it’s essential to consider the above Rottweiler pros and cons before making a final decision.

While they’re generally friendly with their owners, Rottweilers can become aggressive if not trained correctly or provoked, so care must be taken when handling them. Unfortunately, Rottweilers are not the best family dogs.