Why does my Rottweiler bark at strangers?

If your Rottweiler keeps barking at strangers, you might be wondering why and what you can do to get it to stop.

This post will show you a number of reasons why it might be doing it and what you can do to get it to stop barking at strangers.

So, why does my Rottweiler bark at strangers? Possible reasons are that it’s being protective, it didn’t socialize much as a puppy, a lack of training or that it was mistreated by people that it didn’t know in the past.

Your Rottweiler might be doing it for a number of reasons and it could be due to a combination of them. However, there are some things you can consider when trying to figure out the main cause and there are a number of things you can do about it.

Why your Rottweiler barks at strangers

Below, I will show you a number of reasons why your Rottweiler might be doing it and what would make them more likely to be the main reason.

It’s protecting its territory or owner

It could be the case that it has been doing it because it has been being protective. This would be especially likely if it does it when people it does not know are in its home.

If it does it when you are walking it then it could still be the case that it is being protective but it could also be that it sees them as a threat. In this case, it would help to implement the training tips mentioned below.

A lack of socialization

As puppies, Rottweilers will learn who and what to trust and who not to. The reason why your Rottweiler barks at strangers could be that it didn’t get to interact with many people when it was a puppy. This would be more likely if you adopted your Rottweiler from a shelter.

A lack of training

If you have not given your Rottweiler much training, it will not know how it should behave and it will behave the way that feels most natural to it. This is not likely to always be the way you would like it to behave.

This is why it is important to spend time training your Rottweiler to behave the way that you want it to. If you have not already done so then it would be best to start with the basics such as to sit and then build up from there.

Mistreatment

The reason why it has been doing it could be that it was mistreated by people when it was younger. If it was, it could be the case that it sees strangers as a threat or that it is worried that a similar thing will happen to it as happened in the past. This would be more likely if it is adopted from a shelter.

Reinforcing the behavior

The reason why it has been doing it might also be that you have inadvertently encouraged the behavior. If your method of getting it to stop is to give it things that it wants then it will likely to it more in order to get more rewards.

Instead of giving your Rottweiler things such as treats when it barks at strangers try to recognize when it is about to start barking and to redirect its focus.

How to stop your Rottweiler from barking at strangers

Below are a number of options you have when getting your Rottweiler to stop barking at strangers.

Teach it to associate other people with rewards

One option would be to train it to associate other people with rewards. To do this you would give your Rottweiler special treats when you are approaching other people on a walk and then stop when it starts barking.

By repeating this process your Rottweiler will be able to learn that barking at people causes it to stop getting treats which should get it to stop doing it.

Desensitize it to other people

Another thing you could do would be to get it used to being around other people. To teach it to stop barking you would reward it when it does not bark around them and stop rewarding it when it does bark.

Teach it to listen to your command

It would also help to train your Rottweiler to be more responsive to your command. By training it you will be able to get it to listen to your command and it will be easier to control your Rottweiler when it misbehaves.

Avoid encouraging the behavior

It would also help to avoid reinforcing the behavior by making sure not to give it things that it wants when it starts barking. Instead of giving it things that it wants, when it barks, try recognizing when it is about to bark and to redirect its focus onto you.

Try a growl class

If there is one in your area, you could try taking your Rottweiler to a growl class. This is where dogs are trained to not bark at other people and other dogs.

Get help from a dog behaviorist

If you can’t get your Rottweiler to stop barking at strangers, it would also be an option to get help from a dog behaviorist. By doing so, you should be able to see why your Rottweiler has been doing it and how to get it to stop.

Be calm with it

When interacting with your Rottweiler, it would help to do so calmly. Dogs will often become reactive when their owners are anxious and Rottweilers are no different.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider about your Rottweiler barking at strangers.

When it barks at strangers

If there is a certain situation it tends to bark at strangers in, it might be the case that the timing has something to do with it.

If you notice that it only barks when strangers are around the house then it would be more likely that it is being protective.

Whereas, if it always does it then it would be more likely that it sees them as a threat, a lack of training and not socializing with many people as a puppy.

When it first started barking at strangers

If it did not always bark at other people, it would also help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it since it could be the case that there was an event that caused it to start.

If it did start doing it suddenly then it could be because someone mistreated it or because you inadvertently rewarded it for barking.

Be consistent

When training your Rottweiler, it is important to be consistent with the training. If you are consistent with the training, you can get much better results over the course of weeks and months.