Why is my Rottweiler quiet?

Even though a quiet Rottweiler might seem good on the surface it can still be worrying for the owner especially when the Rottweiler is normally active. There could also be a number of reasons for your Rottweiler being quiet.

So, why is your Rottweiler quiet? There could be a number of reasons but the main ones are a quiet personality, it’s not comfortable with its environment (yet), previous experiences,  age, illness or injury, previous training, and boredom or sometimes depression.  

There are actually many reasons why it might be being quiet and it could be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are also a number of things you can consider when trying to figure out the main reason. There are also a number of things you can do about it.

Reasons Why Your Rottweiler Is Quiet

Each of the different reasons why it is quiet will likely come with some clues. Below are a number of possible reasons why it might be being quiet and what would make them more likely.

Personality

If your Rottweiler has always been quiet, it could be the case that it is naturally quiet which is not uncommon in Rottweilers.

This isn’t such a bad thing since it means that it won’t cause you too much stress by constantly misbehaving.

It also means that when it is loud you will know that it is something important and you will be more likely to help your Rottweiler when it really needs it.

If it does have a quiet personality then there are a number of training tips that you can use to change its behavior that I will mention in the section below.

It’s not comfortable (yet)

If you have recently gotten your Rottweiler it could be the case that it is not yet comfortable in its new environment.

In this case, it would be more likely that it will begin to be less quiet as it becomes more comfortable. However, it would help to give it positive attention, training and to exercise it.

Previous experiences

It could also be the case that your Rottweiler has had previous experiences that have taught it to be quiet. If your Rottweiler is a rescue Rottweiler then this would be more likely.

The reason for this is that if, in the past, it was made to be quiet when it was loud or it was punished then it will associate being loud with bad consequences.

If this is something that you suspect then you should take measures to allow your Rottweiler to become more comfortable with your presence, to train it to become more vocal and you might even want to get help from a certified dog behaviorist.

Age

As your Rottweiler gets older its hearing will gradually get worse this will cause your Rottweiler to be less responsive to noises that it did in the past since they aren’t as noticeable as they once were.

Previous Training

The reason why it has been being quiet could be that it has been trained to be quiet in the past.

If it has been taught, in the past, that being quiet will get it what it wants then it will likely behave in a more quiet manner.

If you think that this might have happened then you could take measures to teach it to be a bit more vocal as mentioned below.

Illness or Injury

The reason why it has been being quiet might be that it has gotten an illness or injury. This would be more likely if it has started being quiet suddenly and if it has been showing other signs of being ill or injured. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.

Depression

In some cases, Rottweilers will become quiet because they are depressed.

It can be difficult to diagnose when Rottweilers are depressed but other symptoms would include changes in appetite, spending more time sleeping, a loss of interest in doing things, excessive paw licking and avoidance or hiding.

If you think that this is what is causing your Rottweiler to be quiet then you should get help from a vet.

What To Do About It Being Quiet

Below are some options you have when getting your Rottweiler to be less quiet.

Allow it to adjust

If you have recently introduced your Rottweiler to a new environment, giving it some more time to adjust to its new environment should help. This is because it should become more comfortable in its new environment after a few weeks.

If it doesn’t start to get louder after a few weeks then you should consider using one of the other methods below.

Help it to become comfortable

If you do think that your Rottweiler isn’t comfortable with its new environment then you should take measures to allow it to become more comfortable.

This can include showing it around the area, giving it more attention, giving it toys to chew on and allowing it to get lots of exercise in the new area.

Ensure that there is not an illness or injury

If it has started doing it suddenly or it has been showing other signs of being ill or injured such as coughing a lot, the best option would be to take it to a vet. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular Rottweiler and to rule out illness or injury as a cause.

Give it exercise

If illness or injury is not the cause and it is healthy, it would also help to make sure that it is able to get the daily amount of recommended exercise. Generally, it is recommended for Rottweilers to get at least an hour of exercise per day as healthy adults.

Give it training

You could also try training it to bark with the use of positive reinforcement training. This is where you encourage the behaviors you want to see by rewarding your Rottweiler when it shows signs of displaying them.

To use it to get it to bark more, you could reward it when it shows signs of barking as shown in the video below.

Things to consider

Avoid physical measures

It would help to avoid punishing it physically for being quiet. If you punish it physically, it might not know why it is being punished and it could cause it to develop behavioral issues. Instead, it would help to give it positive reinforcement training so that it learns how it is meant to behave.

It could just be a more subdued Rottweiler

It could be the case that your Rottweiler is naturally quiet. This would be more likely if it has always been quiet. This would not be such a bad thing since it means that your Rottweiler will be easier to manage.

Give it a wide variety of ways to communicate

If your Rottweiler is more naturally inclined to be quiet then you might want to give it other ways to communicate such. This could include things such as putting bells on the patio door attached to a string that your Rottweiler can tap when it wants to come in.

When it first started being quiet

If it was not always quiet, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started being quiet since it could be the case that there was an event that caused it to start.

If it did start being quiet suddenly, it would be more likely to be due to things such as illness, injury, becoming depressed or being in a new environment.