Five universal personality traits of the Rottweiler

The Rottweiler is a large, muscular breed of dog that has a distinctive black and tan coat and business-like appearance, and that is often portrayed in films and on TV as an aggressive, untrustworthy menace! However, the much maligned Rottweiler is one of the most personable, loving and steady breeds of dog available, and while they can be trained for guarding and defensive roles, they are not by nature unpredictable or aggressive.

A popular family pet with people from all walks of life, the steady, reliable Rottweiler does not have the most onerous exercise requirements of all dog breeds, and makes for a calm, protective household pet.

Every Rottweiler will of course have their own individual traits and little quirks, but despite this, there still remains several virtually universal personality traits of the Rottweiler that can be found across all dogs of the breed. In this article, we will look at five universal personality traits of the Rottweiler in more detail. Read on to learn more!

Rottweilers are very loving

Rottweilers might be large and imposing looking, but they are among the most affectionate and loyal of dogs, forming strong bonds with their families and soon becoming morose if they do not receive enough attention.

They are excellent with people of all ages, including younger children, being tolerant, calm and kind around small people, and generally with other dogs too, assuming that they are properly socialised.

The Rottweiler likes to be involved in all aspects of family life, and doesn’t like being left out of things! They enjoy cuddling up on the sofa to watch TV with their favourite people, and are generally quiet and well behaved within the home.

They do everything at their own pace

The Rottweiler is a large and stocky breed that is built for strength and endurance rather than speed, and the Rottweiler tends to do everything at their own pace, which is generally a slow one! While the breed can be both entertaining and playful, they are more apt to lumber around than sprint, and even their full out running gait is not particularly fast, and cannot be maintained for very long!

They can make for good hiking and jogging partners, but they are not one of the breeds that needs to be outside and running around for the larger part of the day.

They can be stubborn

Rottweilers can be very one track minded and almost obsessive about some things, and can be quite possessive over their toys and other resources. If your Rottweiler has gotten hold of something that they should not have, you may have difficulty getting them to release it, although starting training and conditioning the dog when they are young can help with this!

Rottweilers are very tenacious, and once they set their minds to something, will not be keen to leave it alone, and this persistence makes them a good choice for a wide variety of working roles, and so has positive as well as negative applications! If your Rottweiler has had enough of something and doesn’t want to cooperate, they are apt to take a seat and simply refuse to move, making their feelings about it all quite clear!

They are protective and brave

The Rottweiler is a naturally protective breed, which needs no training in order to learn about defending their property and family. They are watchful and territorial, and will consider all of their human pack as under their protection. This makes them excellent working dogs for security and police work, as the dog will not back down in the face of frightening situations or threats, but it does mean that within the domestic home, the dog must be taught not to attempt to scare off visitors!

Rottweilers have even won awards for their bravery, both working dogs of the breed and domestic pets from family homes.

They are honest and loyal

The Rottweiler has a very clear range of body language, and this makes them honest and reliable when it comes to interpreting their moods and reactions to things. What you see is what you get, and the Rottweiler is not a breed that will mute or mask their feelings, or otherwise prove hard to interpret.

They are very loyal to their families and will follow their handlers into all sorts of unknown situations with trust and confidence, and they are not one of the breeds that is apt to make a quick friend out of someone who offers them a treat in preference to their family!

While the Rottweiler definitely enjoys tasty treats and is fairly food orientated, their love and loyalty cannot be bought, and the Rottweiler has high standards when it comes to choosing their friends! Once you have earned the trust and affection of the Rottweiler, however, they will remain your firm friend for life, come what may, and follow your commands in virtually any situation.