If your Rottweiler is dumb you might be wondering why and what you can do about it.
This post will show you some reasons why it might be behaving that way and what you can do to get it to be smarter.
So, why is my Rottweiler dumb? Possible reasons are that it needs more training, it didn’t socialize much as a puppy, training it the wrong way, needing more exercise or you might have inadvertently rewarded the behavior.
Your Rottweiler might be acting dumb for many different reasons and it could be the result of a combination of different reasons. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the exact cause and there are multiple things you can do about it.
Why your Rottweiler is dumb
Below, I will show you a number of reasons why it might be being dumb and what would make them more likely to be the main reason.
Nature
There are some things that dogs will naturally do that seem stupid to us such as to eat dirt. However, there are often reasons that they do it.
For example, many experts think that dogs sometimes eat dirt since it can contain nutrients that they need or so that they make themselves throw up.
If there is a particular thing your Rottweiler does that seems dumb then it is likely that other dogs have done it in the past. It would help to see if there is an explanation for it online or if it seems unhealthy it would help to consult with a vet.
As puppies, dogs will learn a lot about how to interact with other people and dogs. If your Rottweiler didn’t interact with other people or dogs much as a puppy, it might not have learned how to interact with them in a normal way.
You haven’t trained it
If you don’t give your Rottweiler training it will not know how it is meant to behave and it will behave the way it feels like behaving. The way it feels like behaving is unlikely to be the way you would like it to behave. This is why it is important to give it lots of training by starting with the basics and building up from there.
You trained it the wrong way
If you did train it, you might have trained it the wrong way which has resulted in it not knowing what you want it to do. When training your Rottweiler it would help to start by training it to do simple tasks and then gradually building up to training it to do more challenging things.
You haven’t trained it in multiple locations
When training your dog it would help to train it in multiple locations. The reason for this is that new locations have different distractions in them and the distractions can make it difficult for your dog to keep its focus on you.
It needs more exercise
Rottweilers are a breed that is meant to get a lot of exercise on a daily basis in order to be fully stimulated. If your Rottweiler is not getting enough exercise, it might be causing it to struggle to keep its focus on you.
You have been negatively reinforcing the behavior
It might be the case that you have been encouraging the behavior by rewarding it when it is dumb. If you tend to give it things such as toys, treats or extra attention when it does dumb things then it will likely do them more in order to get more rewards.
Instead, it would help to use positive reinforcement training and to reward it when it behaves the way you want it to but to avoid rewarding it when it is dumb.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider about your Rottweiler acting dumb.
Consider how it is dumb
It would help to consider the way in which your Rottweiler is dumb.
For example, it is normal for dogs to bark at things that don’t move. Whereas, if it is dumb in that it doesn’t follow your command then it would be more likely that you need to train it more.
What else happened when it first started being dumb
If it has not always been dumb, it would help to consider what else happened at around the same time that it started doing it.
If it started being dumb suddenly it could be due to things such as a change in its diet, getting less exercise or it could be due to medical causes. In this case, it would help to take it to a vet.
How old your Rottweiler is
It would also help to consider the age of your Rottweiler. If it is still a puppy then it will naturally do more dumb things since it won’t have learned how to behave yet and due to curiosity.
If it is an adult, it could be being dumb for any of the reasons mentioned above.
How to get your Rottweiler to be less dumb
Below are some things you can do to get your Rottweiler to start behaving more intelligently.
Train it using positive reinforcement training
If you have not given it much training, it would help to start giving it positive reinforcement training by starting with basic exercises and building up to more challenging ones.
You can see more about positive reinforcement training in the video below.
Avoid reinforcing bad behaviors
It would also help to avoid giving it rewards when it misbehaves. Instead, it would help to reward it when it is behaving the way you want it to and to use positive reinforcement training to change its behavior.
Ensure that you are feeding it correctly
It would also help to make sure that it is getting the right diet. You can look here to see what you should and should not be feeding it and it would help to make sure that no one else has been feeding it without telling you.
Ensure that it is getting enough exercise
It would also help to make sure that it is getting daily exercise. It is generally recommended for healthy, adult Rottweilers to get at least an hour of exercise per day. If it is getting exercise, you could wear it out more by getting it to do things such as to play fetch.
Take it to a vet
If you can’t figure out why it has been being dumb, it has started doing it suddenly or 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 will be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular Rottweiler and to rule out the possibility of medical causes.