Why is my Rottweiler so aloof?

If your Rottweiler has been acting aloof or distant, it is probably quite frustrating for you.

This post will show you some possible causes and what you can do to get it to be more interested in you.

So, why is my Rottweiler so aloof? Possible causes are that it is bored, was mistreated by previous owners, you might have inadvertently rewarded the behavior, an issue with its diet, a medical condition or it could be due to a lack of training.

There are many reasons why it might be being aloof and it could be due to a combination of reasons. But, there are some things you can consider when trying to figure out the exact reason.

Why your Rottweiler is aloof and distant

Each of the different causes will likely come with some clues in the way it does it. Below are a number of possible causes and what would make them more likely.

You have inadvertently trained it to be that way

The reason why it has been acting that way could be that you have inadvertently encouraged it to do it by giving it things it wants when it does it. If you tend to give it things such as extra attention, toys or treats, when it is aloof, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards.

Instead, it would help to reward it when it shows signs of interest and to avoid rewarding it when it is aloof using positive reinforcement training to change its behavior instead.

A lack of training

If you have not given your Rottweiler much training, it will not know how you want it to behave and it will behave the way it feels like behaving. The way it feels like behaving is unlikely to be the way that you would like it to behave so it is important to give it training.

It would help to start by training it to do simple things such as to sit in an environment without distractions and then to build up to more challenging things.

Boredom

Rottweilers are a breed that is meant to get daily exercise. If yours has not been getting much exercise, it could be contributing to the behavior. This would be more likely if it tends to be more aloof when it has not gotten any exercise. Generally, it is recommended for them to get at least an hour of exercise per day.

Mistreatment by previous owners

The reason might be that previous owners mistreated it and it has learned not to show so much interest in people. This would be more likely if you adopted it when it was no longer a puppy.

In this case, it would be likely that it will improve over the course of weeks and months. However, you could help by giving it lots of exercise, training and by playing with it. If it doesn’t improve, it would help to talk to your vet about it and to consider getting the help of a dog behaviorist in your area.

The weather is too hot

If it has started being aloof since the weather has become hotter, it might be the case that it has been acting that way because the weather has been causing it to feel fatigued.

In this case, it would help to give it access to a cool room, shade and water whenever it needs it.

Illness or injury

The reason might be that it has become ill or injured. This would be more likely if it has started acting that way suddenly and if it has been showing other signs of being ill or injured.

Not getting the right diet

The reason why it has been doing it could also be that there is an issue with its diet. This would be more likely if it acts that way when it is fed certain foods or if it has started behaving that way after a change in its diet.

It would help to make sure that no one else has been feeding it without telling you and it would help to talk with your vet about its diet when you next see them.

Nature

It is not uncommon for Rottweilers to be quite lazy, it might be the case that your Rottweiler is naturally calm. This would be more likely if it has always acted that way and it has not suddenly started doing it.

Age

If your Rottweiler has gradually become more aloof as it has become older, it could be due to it becoming more fatigued due to age. When dogs get older, they will naturally become lazier since it takes more energy for them to move around.

Depression

Dogs can become depressed like humans can and it could be why yours has been being aloof. This would be more likely if it started doing it when an event occurred that might have caused it to start being depressed such as someone moving away or another pet dying.

Things to consider

When it first started acting that way

If it has not always acted aloof, it would 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 started being aloof suddenly, it would be more likely to be due to things such as becoming ill, a sudden diet change, the weather becoming hotter or something causing it to be depressed. In this case, it would help to seek the guidance of a vet.

When it becomes more aloof

It would also help to consider if there is a certain time that it tends to be aloof since the timing could also have something to do with it.

For example, if it becomes more aloof after being fed then it could be that the food has something to do with it. Whereas, if it does it more when it has not gotten much exercise it could be the case that it needs more.

What to do about your Rottweiler being aloof and distant

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

Give it more exercise

If your Rottweiler is healthy, it would also help to make sure that it is able to get the recommended amount of daily exercise. Generally, it is recommended for them to get at least an hour of exercise per day as healthy adults.

Avoid encouraging the behavior

It would also help to avoid rewarding it when it is aloof. Instead, it would help to reward it when it shows signs of not being aloof and to give it lots of positive reinforcement training.

Use positive reinforcement training

Positive reinforcement training is where you train it to behave the way you want it to by giving it rewards when it shows signs of behaving that way.

If you want to get it to be more affectionate then you would reward it with a treat when it does things that show signs of being affectionate. For example, you might reward it with a treat for coming and sitting with you.

Give it positive attention

It would also help to encourage it to show more interest in you by giving it attention throughout the day. Ways to give it attention would be to train it, play with it and to exercise it.

Ensure that its diet is right

As mentioned above, it could be the case that there is an issue with its diet. It would help to talk to your local vet about its diet when you see them next. You can also look here to see what you should and shouldn’t feed it.

Take it to a vet

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

Get help from a dog behaviorist

If you cannot get your Rottweiler to listen to you, it would also help to get help from a dog behaviorist or trainer. By doing so you should be able to see why it is doing it and how to train it more effectively.