Why does my Rottweiler attack other dogs?

If your Rottweiler is aggressive towards other dogs then it will be something that you’ll want to stop as soon as possible. This post will help you to figure out why your Rottweiler does it and how to stop it.

So, why is my Rottweiler aggressive towards other dogs? Possible reasons are a lack of exposure to other dogs, dominance, overly enthusiastic play, it’s being protective or that the other dogs previously mistreated it.

Your Rottweiler might be doing it for a number of different reasons and it could be due to a combination of causes. However, there are a number of things you can do about it.

Why your Rottweiler is aggressive to other dogs

Below are some possible reasons why it does it and what would make them more likely to be the main reason.

A lack of exposure to other dogs

The reason why it does it could be that it did not get to socialize much with other dogs as a puppy. As puppies, they would normally get to interact with their littermates on a daily basis. This allows them to learn that other dogs will not attack them, that they are friends and it also teaches them how to control their bite. If your Rottweiler didn’t get to do that then it will still have it in its nature to be cautious of other dogs.

Dominance

The reason why your Rottweiler does it could be that it is being dominating. This would be more likely if it tends to do it with smaller dogs and if it does other dominating things such as to try to position itself to be higher than you. Rottweilers can have a strong prey drive so it is important to be very cautious when it is near small dogs.

In this case, it would help to give it lots of training, to get professional help and to follow the other tips mentioned below.

Overly enthusiastic play

It could be the case that it is actually playing with the other dogs but it is in an overly aggressive manner. This would be more likely if it shows less aggressive signs such as showing its tongue, not biting or growling etc. Regardless this is still something that you should try to stop with training or the help of a dog trainer.

Protecting territory or owner

Rottweilers can be a very protective breed and it might be the case that it does it because it is being overly protective. This would be more likely if it does it around other people as well and if it does it before it has even interacted with the other dogs.

A lack of training

If you have not given your Rottweiler much training, it will behave the way that it feels like behaving. The way that it feels like behaving is unlikely to be the way that you would like it to behave. This is why it is important to give it lots of training. Some tips are mentioned below about how you can train your Rottweiler to be less aggressive towards other dogs.

How to get your Rottweiler to stop being aggressive

Below are some options you have when getting your Rottweiler to stop doing it.

Teach your dog to positively associate other dogs with rewards

One option would be to use positive reinforcement training to get it to learn that being well behaved around other dogs results in it getting rewards. This is where you reward your Rottweiler when other dogs are around and it is being well behaved causing it to have positive feelings towards being around other dogs.

One way to do this would be to give it rewards when you are approaching other dogs and it is being well behaved and then to stop rewarding it as soon as it starts being aggressive. Doing this should help to teach it that being aggressive results in it not getting rewards.

You can see more tips on this in the video below:

Try a “growl” class

If you cannot get it to stop doing it one option would be to make use of a growl class which is where dogs are taught to be better behaved around other dogs.

Take it to vet or dog behaviorist

If it has started being aggressive around them suddenly, it might be a sign that it is injured and that it is taking the frustration out on other dogs. In this case, it would be likely that it would have started behaving abnormally in other ways as well and the best option would be to take it to a vet.

If you cannot get your Rottweiler to be better behaved around other dogs, it would be best to get help from a professional dog trainer or behaviorist. By doing so you will be able to see why it is doing it and how to train it to stop doing it safely.

Things to consider

Use positive reinforcement training

It would help to avoid punishing your Rottweiler for misbehaving unless necessary since it could make matters worse. Instead, it would help to focus on reinforcing good behaviors by rewarding them with the use of positive reinforcement training.

Be patient

When training your Rottweiler, it is important to be patient. It is not likely that you will be able to get it to be well behaved all the time with just one training session. But, if you train it consistently, you can get it to be much better behaved over the course of weeks and months.

Avoid reinforcing bad behavior

It would also help to avoid rewarding it when it is not well behaved. If you give it things that it wants when it is naughty, it might encourage it to do it more.

Stay calm

When interacting with your Rottweiler, it would help to be calm. Rottweilers can be highly responsive to their ownerss emotions and being highly emotional around it might cause it to behave even worse.