Are you thinking of adopting a Rottweiler as a pet but you are wondering if they are good with kids?
Are Rottweilers good with small children? Are they safe with children?
I know these are some of the many questions that you are probably asking yourself as a responsible pet parent.
So, there are a number of myths about Rottweilers and this is a breed that most people tend to think is dangerous and aggressive. This myth makes many parents with a household full of kids pretty hesitant to bring home a Rottweiler puppy or dog.
You need to know that Rottweiler puppies are just like any other dog breeds. They are no more dangerous to any kid like any other dog. All you need to do is train them and raise them properly. When you train a Rottweiler puppy well, they grow up to be very protective and would probably make the best companion to your children.
Rottweilers are loyal dogs, very loving and when treated with love, Rottweilers will always be very kind and would never turn his back on you.
Today, I would like to shed some light on this topic and probably answer some of your questions concerning Rottweilers and kids.
Table of Contents
How is a Rottweiler’s temperament like?
When we go down memory lane, back to the history of Rottweilers, we see that Rottweilers are a breed that descended from the Great Mastiffs of ancient Roman Legions.
Rottweilers make great playmates and protectors because of how attached they become to close knit family circles.
You can be well assured that Rotties will always be alert of what is going on around them hence this trait makes them good watchdogs for your family and kids.
It comes as no surprise that Rottweilers are one of the most popular breeds in the US. The ultimate reason being, Rottweiler dogs are extremely loyal to their owners.
Well, this might be so for all dogs as the famous simile goes, “As loyal as a dog”, but when it comes to rotties, you can never go wrong.
If you do own a Rottweiler, you may have noticed that they are dogs that love to be in the company of kids and other pets in the house. This essentially means that if you are thinking of adding a Rottie to your pets, then you need not be afraid because they do get along well with other pets.
If you have a household full of kids, Rottweilers will also fit in very well. All you need to do is conduct proper and thorough training of your furry friend as well as your kids. You also need to train and teach your kids how to handle a Rottweiler puppy. They will definitely bond and make friends in no time.
As watchdogs, Rottweiler dogs are among the best breeds to be guard dogs. You even feel secure when your Rottie is within the vicinity.
When your kids are playing outside or in the park, you can relax and enjoy a good read if your well trained Rottweiler dog is with them. This is a personality trait that is so evident in Rottweilers.
In fact, you will notice that when you introduce something new to a Rottweiler, he will proceed with so much caution rather than excitement just to be sure that it is safe. If this is a natural protective instinct that Rottweilers have, then you can be sure that they can be very good guardians of your little ones.
Most people therefore confuse their protective nature to be “aggressive”. People mostly misunderstand Rottweilers and are pretty ignorant of the fact that family is and always have been a Rottweiler’s priority.
A Rottweiler will definitely change from calm to dominant very fast if he feels that his family or people he loves are threatened or in danger.
However, in their deepest selves, Rottweilers are quite silly and playful. If you have children in the house, they will quickly bond with a Rottweiler and establish a very strong friendship.
Rottweilers were just not exceptional guard dogs, they were known to be hard-workers too. Originally, you would find a Rottie out in the fields, herding cattle and other animals.
In the present day, Rotties are confident dogs, sweet temperament, quite assertive and they do have personalities that are very powerful.
I can say that one of the most adorable and cutest things about Rottweilers is that they seem to be unaware of how gigantic they are compared to other breeds. For that reason you might find that your Rottweiler wants to cuddle with you on the sofa, bed or wants to even get on your laps!
How adorable it is when you see your Rottweiler cuddling with your kids. Train your children to be very gentle when handling a Rottweiler and they will be the best of friends. This will also give you the assurance that none of them will hurt the other.
Are Rottweilers good with babies?
Did you just bring a new-born baby home? Are you wondering how your Rottweiler will react?
Well, as I earlier said, Rottweilers tend to be really cautious with new things and this includes babies. So what do you do?
The best thing that I would advise you to do is to try and orient your Rottweiler puppy before you actually bring the baby home. This you can do by giving them a heads-up like taking them for a tour in the baby nursery, letting him sniff the new baby’s clothes, allow him to feel the new sounds and smells that you can associate with a baby.
One very important part of a Rottweiler’s training is having you socialize him well with kids and other people in the house. This is something that you need to do even while they are still a puppy.
When your Rottie learns to be with kids from a very young age, they will carry on with this trait for the rest of their lives. So if you bring home a new baby, your canine friend will understand that they need to be gentle and friendly to the baby.
However, if your Rottweiler never had the chance of growing up around kids, worry not, you can still get them to bond with your kids. You can still introduce your Rottweiler to your kids gradually. Within no time, they will get acquainted to each other and become the best of friends that are truly inseparable.
So, before you actually bring your bundle of joy home, give your Rottie puppy a blanket or hat or just something which has a baby’s scent.
Make sure that you allow your dog to smell it and get used to it. This will help your Rottie lower his guard down a bit when the baby comes, remember what we said about Rottweilers and new things.
You should also try to include your canine friend as much as you possibly can. Of course, any dog will become jealous if they were once the centre of attention then all of a sudden that changes.
Make sure that you supervise all interactions between your Rottweiler and your baby. Never allow them with the baby alone.
As I highlighted before, Rottweilers do not understand their size and that of the baby, neither do they comprehend how strong they are. So it is very important to always be there just to keep an eye on them both and also to make sure that your canine friend doesn’t accidentally hurt your child.
Here are a few rules that you could put in place to make sure that your Rottweiler puppy understands how to behave when around children:
1. Always make it very clear to your Rottweiler dog as to the areas of the house that they are not allowed to come in. This could be the baby’s room or any room where the baby is laying on the floor.
2. Be sure to train them never to jump or play with the baby.
3. Try to make your Rottie understand that there will be some periods of time that they will have to be alone as you take time to also nurture the baby. This should not worry you because Rottweilers are able to be left alone for a few hours.
Are Rottweilers good with Toddlers?
I believe that there is some information that I have already shared that can still apply here. For instance, making sure that the time your Rottweiler spends with your child is supervised and such like stuff.
When it comes to Rottweilers and toddlers, there is no better way to foster a good relationship between them than allowing your child to get involved in taking care of your dog.
Well, if you do have a Rottweiler puppy, you need to be aware that most often than not, puppies tend to view kids as they do other puppies, they are playmates.
Let your child be involved in taking care of your Rottweiler. Teach your toddler some of the most basic commands he should use to guide your dog. This will also help your Rottweiler to recognize your child as a figure with authority hence he should follow commands.
Train your kids how to handle a Rottweiler
We are all in agreement that kids can be stubborn and fussy if they meant it.
I know that there are parents who wouldn’t like to hear this but I will simply call a spade a spade and not a big spoon.
There are children that are naughty in nature. These kids will easily throw tantrums all over the place, throw themselves on the floor, and hit you with their bare hands just to get your undivided attention. This might not augur well with your Rottweiler, especially if he is not really acquainted to kids and how they behave.
Your canine friend might just retaliate if your kid constantly bullies him and does naughty things like tagging his tail and teasing him.
Your Rottweiler probably has been trained to be gentle and whatever your child is doing to him is nothing close to being gentle. This might elicit some unwanted reactions from him that might not end well at the end of the day.
Your young child might still be thinking that everything around him is either food or a toy to play with. They probably don’t view your Rottweiler dog as a pet that can bite if pushed to the wall.
Just to help you out, here are a few things that you can teach your child on how to handle your Rottie puppy:
1. Train your child not to play while pulling your Rottweiler’s ears, fur coat or tail.
2. Teach your kid not to smack or mishandle your Rottie puppy.
3. Also teach your child how to pet your dog gently.
4. Let your kids learn not to shout at your dog. Screaming and yelling is a no-no when it comes to Rottweilers.
Train your Rottweiler well
Training should start as soon as you bring your Rottweiler puppy home.
In fact, according to professional animal training experts, training your dog as a puppy is much easier and convenient. It makes him to grow up with good manners and with the ability to obey and follow commands easily.
Mostly, when you come across an aggressive Rottweiler, it simply boils down to how the owners have trained the Rottie. You can be assured that any dog can grow up to be vicious depending on how they have been trained and brought up by their owners.
Training is one very important aspect of your Rottweiler’s life if you want him to grow up well-mannered and obedient. Young Rottweilers are easier to train as they tend to retain almost everything they learn.
Again, don’t listen to the myth that Rottweilers are difficult to train, this is not true! Just like any other dog that you nurture, training is a must if you want your furry friend to be well disciplined and obedient.
Teach your Rottweiler basic commands like “Come!” “Stay” “Sit Down!”.
These simple commands should be consistently used by all your family members. The last thing you want to do is to confuse your Rottie puppy with different people telling him different words to mean the same thing. It is also very okay for you to seek the help of a professional dog trainer to help you train your Rottweiler.
Involve your kids in the training. It is also a very good way to ensure that your kids bond with your Rottweiler puppy. This will also teach your children how to take good care of the Rottweiler, interact with them and generally how to care for them.
Let your Rottweiler exercise with your kids
This is probably one thing that your kids and Rottweiler have in common, they both love actively running up and about and playing.
Rottweilers need to get plenty of physical exercise to enable them stay healthy and strong. This dog breed is a huge one and very energetic as well. You need to make sure your Rottie utilizes this energy well.
Socialize your Rottweiler with other animals
Most pet parents also ask, “Are Rottweilers good with other dogs?”
Well, this depends on how you have trained him. You need to socialize your Rottweiler with other dogs to make them acquainted.
A Rottweiler that has been exposed to other dogs since he was a puppy has no problem when it comes to getting along with other dogs. Otherwise, if you do not socialize your Rottweiler with other dogs, they may start seeing other dogs in the house as threats hence may be aggressive.
Similarly, you may wonder, are Rottweilers good with cats? Well, most Rottie puppies have grown alongside cats. If your Rottie has never been around your cat, then you better introduce them to each other when the Rottweiler is on a leash because he is likely to view your cat as prey.
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Are Rottweilers good with older children?
Rottweilers have a sweet temperament and personality and are good with older children as well.
The best thing you can do is to train your children to handle and take care of your Rottweiler well. Let them help in making the rules and schedule that your dog needs to follow.
Involve them in washing the Rottie, let them serve him his food. Conduct interactive training sessions with them and also let them bond further by allowing them to play outside together.
This will help your Rottie get along well with your children and of course will be their loyal guardian even when you are not around.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, Rottweilers are large dog breeds that also have tall personalities. They are very protective of their owners and families. They are always aloof and make very good watchdogs.
Rottweilers have a dominant nature which makes them very confident, assertive and appear very powerful. How adorable is it to see this gigantic dog cuddling with your kid on a sofa. They really don’t seem to be aware of their big size.
Make sure that you are always around to keep an eye whenever your Rottie is playing with your kid just to be safe but otherwise there is nothing much to worry about if he is well trained!
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