It can be quite frustrating if your Rottweiler keeps barking at you. This post will show you a number of reasons why it might be doing it and what you can do to get it to bark at you much less.
So, why does my Rottweiler bark at me? Possible reasons are that it wants your attention, you have been inadvertently encouraging the behavior, it’s bored, it’s excited, it is being aggressive or that it is being possessive.
Your Rottweiler could be doing it for a number of reasons and it could be due to a combination of them. However, there are a number of things you can do to get it to stop and there are some things you can consider when trying to figure out the exact reason.
Why your Rottweiler barks at you
Below, I will show you a number of reasons why your Rottweiler might bark at you and what would make them more likely to be the main reason.
It wants attention
The reason why it does it could be that it is looking for extra attention. This would be more likely to be the reason if it tends to start barking when you have not been giving it much attention, it shows signs of excitement when it does it and if you tend to give it extra attention when it does it.
Instead, it would help to give it attention throughout the day by training it, exercising it and playing with it. But, it would also help to avoid rewarding it with attention when it barks unless necessary.
You have been encouraging it
If your method of getting it to stop barking at you is to give it things it wants such as toys or treats, it could be the case that it has learned that barking at you gets it rewards.
Instead of giving it things such as attention, toys or treats when it barks, try to reward it when it is well behaved and to redirect its attention before it starts barking.
Boredom
Rottweilers are supposed to get exercise on a daily basis. When Rottweilers don’t get enough exercise it can cause them to behave abnormally and it might be part of the reason why yours has been barking at you.
This would be more likely if it tends to bark at you when you would normally walk it and if it does it more on days when it does not get much exercise.
Generally, it is recommended for them to get an hour of exercise per day when they are healthy adults.
Excitement
Sometimes, dogs will bark when they are excited and Rottweilers are no different. If your Rottweiler tends to bark in situations such as when you are about to walk it or when you come home then it would be more likely that it is barking to show its excitement.
Aggression
The reason why it has been doing it could be that it is being aggressive.
This would be more likely if it shows signs of aggression such as its teeth when it barks at you and it moves stiffly from side to side.
If it is the case that your Rottweiler seems to bark at you in an aggressive way then the best option for you would be to get the help of a dog behaviorist in your area.
Possessiveness
The reason why it does it might be that it is being possessive. This is where it is trying to protect something that it thinks belongs to it such as its spot on the bed or the food it is eating.
It would be important to be careful in these situations since dogs can become aggressive when they are resource guarding. If your Rottweiler is a puppy then it would be very important to train it out of this behavior now while it is still young.
You can watch the video for some advice on what to do about your Rottweiler resource guarding. It would also be advised to seek professional help since they can become aggressive in situations involving resource guarding.
It is being dominating
It might also be the case that it does it because it is being dominating. This would be more likely if it barks in situations such as when you sit where it would normally sit and if it is reluctant to follow your command.
In this case, it would be important to give it lots of training so that it learns how to behave.
Things to consider
Below are some things you can consider when trying to figure out the exact cause of the barking.
When it started barking
If your Rottweiler has not always barked at you, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it.
Things to consider would be:
- If it might have gotten injured
- If you moved home
- If someone moved away
- If someone was aggressive towards it
- If you rewarded it when it was barking
When and where it barks
It would also help to consider if there is a certain situation that it tends to bark in since the timing might also have something to do with it.
For example, if it barks more at around the same time that you would normally walk it then it might be trying to remind you to walk it.
The way that it barks
It would also help to consider the body language that it shows when barking.
If it seems to be doing it aggressively or you feel like it is warning you not to go near it then the best option would be to get the help of a dog behaviorist who will help you train it in a secure manner.
How to get your Rottweiler stop barking at you
Below are some things you can do about your Rottweiler barking at you.
Positive reinforcement training
One option is to use positive reinforcement training. This is where you encourage the behaviors you want to see by rewarding your Rottweiler when it displays them and avoid rewarding it when it does not.
To use it to get your Rottweiler to stop barking you would do something such as:
- Stop giving it attention when it starts barking at you
- Give it attention when it stops barking at you
- Stop giving it attention again if it starts to bark at you again
- Repeat the above and reward it with treats when it does not bark at you when it normally would
You can watch the video below for some more positive reinforcement tips.
Avoid encouraging the behavior
As mentioned above, it might be the case that you have been encouraging the behavior by giving it things it wants when it barks.
Instead of giving it things that it wants when it barks, try to stop rewarding it when it barks and to reward it when it does not bark.
Get help from a trainer
If you can’t get it to stop barking or it is aggressive, it would also be an option to get help from a dog trainer or behaviorist. By doing so you should be able to see how to train it to stop and what is causing it to bark at you.
Be consistent
When training your Rottweiler, it is important to train it consistently over the course of weeks and months. If you just train it once or twice, it is not likely that you will be able to change its behavior much, but by training it consistently over the course of weeks and months, you can get much better results.