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Ten Myths about Rottweilers and The Truth Behind Them

By Eric Forrest on August 23, 2017

Alexandra Seagal is a prolific and widely-read dog blogger who we’re happy to have communicate these myths about one of our favorite breeds, Rottweilers! You can find more of her work on her website, Animalso.com, the Huffington Post, and other places. Thanks to Ms. Seagal for writing this post for us!

Rottweilers are amazing, don’t listen to the rumors. Bring them up correctly, and you’ll have the dog of a lifetime!

The Evidence – Take it from me! I’ve been a proud Rott owner for more than twenty-years.

The Rottweiler is a fantastic, yet all too often misunderstood breed. As the proud owner of one myself, I have had to witness first hand the stares and whispers when walking around town.

With a lifetime of experience with this breed, I decided to take a look at the most common myths, and put them to rest once and for all!

1. They’re Vicious

The Rottweiler developed a reputation for being vicious, and unruly in the mid 90’s.

This was due to a rapid gaining in popularity. Less than stellar breeders began to crop up to meet the demand.

Solely in it for the money, they’d sell their pups to anyone. Regardless of whether they would make responsible owners or not.

More than one-hundred-thousand Rottweilers happily live among the general population. The few cases of mistreated/neglected Rottweilers having aggressive outbursts. Unfortunately, hit the newsstands – and stuck.

2. They’re Terrible With Kids

Apparently, Rottweilers are terrible with children. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth, with Rottweiler cross-breeds being one of the post kid-friendly options out there. When raised well, Rottweilers are loyal, loving bundles of joy for humans of any age to enjoy.

Children being children, they often test any dogs patience. You can see Rottweilers in many Youtube videos dealing with these unruly youngsters. From those attempting to ride them, dress them up, and even sleep with them in their dog beds! All while maintaining their calm, and loving attitudes which ultimately led to their initial rise in popularity.

3. They’re Untrainable

This rumor baffles me. Rottweilers are one of the most obedient dogs I have ever owned. In fact, they have long worked as police dogs, and service dogs. The Rottweiler is ideal for such a task due to their trainable, loyal, and protective nature.

4. They Can’t Live With Other Animals

If you plan on introducing your Rottweiler to other animals, then fear not, they can live in harmony. I grew up in a relative menagerie, with Llamas, Meerkats, Ducks, Rabbits, you name it – we probably owned it! And suffice to say, my Rottweiler has always been at home in amongst them. Even with ducklings chasing her around, or lambs deciding to sleep on top of her!

5. They Can’t Be Trusted

You hear the saying “They’ll turn on you one day” thrown around as though it were fact. But unless your dog happens to have rabies or distemper – there is no evidence of a well brought up dog of any breed “turning” on their owner.

Rottweilers are true family dogs; they will do their utmost to protect and love every member of the household, human, or otherwise, for as long as they live.

6. They’re Aloof With Other Dogs

At dog parks, or within social situations. Many non-Rottie owners will comment on how reserved the Rottweiler is. Not automatically running off to play with the other dogs, instead; preferring to stay with their owner.

A lot of this comes down to obedience. Rottweiler owners know the misconceptions of their great, big, eyebrow sporting dogs.

Because of this, we can be more careful when allowing our dog to run free. Lest they get blamed for a play fight injury. When we know full well, should two labradors be in the same predicament. Their owners would shrug it off as “dogs will be dogs.”

7. They Belong Outdoors

We’ve all seen the TV shows and movies depicting Rotts as junkyard dogs. But they are in fact better suited to living indoors.

Rottweilers are sociable dogs and prefer to be close to their family. With some suffering from separation anxiety when left home alone.

8. They Don’t Shed

Oh, how I wish this were true! Rottweilers do have short coats; so they shed a lot less than their fluff ball counterparts. But, I hate to break it to you; they do – especially in spring when losing their winter coat.

9. They Need To Be Firmly Disciplined

Not at all. Rottweilers take it to heart. Often just having a “disappointed” tone will be enough to reprimand your pooch. With your dog likely heading into bed to feel terrible about what they’ve done for hours – or until you tell them that it’s ok!

10. They’re Not Affectionate

This one is the most laugh worthy on this list. Rottweilers are the most affectionate, loving, fun, and happy dogs.

They love to please, and this is what makes them such great family dogs. They’ll happily play with the kids, hang out with grandma while she does some gardening. Or keep you company while you take the garbage out.

Conclusion

Rottweilers can be great big energetic goofballs for the high-energy owners. But they can also be couch potatoes for the more sedate owners. They mould themselves to fit the lifestyles of their owners!

For anyone who is thinking about welcoming this wonderful breed into their home. I’d wholeheartedly recommend the Rottweiler! But don’t blame me, if you end up with a houseful of them!

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