Owning a Rottweiler can be rewarding as these animals are great companions and have awesome personalities. However, before getting a dog, one of the things most people wonder about is how much barking they’d have to put up with.
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How much do Rottweilers bark? Rotties, despite having large sizes and intimidating appearances, are not known for barking unnecessarily or excessively. This breed is mostly quiet and will bark only when there is a reason to do so, say, for instance, an intruder or a threat.
In this article, we’ll look at the various reasons why your Rottie could be barking unnecessarily and what you can do about it.
Normal Reasons Why Rottweilers Bark
As mentioned earlier, Rotties are quiet dogs that will bark mostly when there is a reason to do so. So long as your pet is not in distress or anything like that, the animal will bark if there is a cause for it, after all, this is the major way they communicate with people. However, the barking should not be continuous enough to become annoying. ‘Normal’ reasons why these animals bark includes the following:
Intruders or threats
Rottweilers are very protective of their owners. Protectiveness is one of the many traits of this dog breed. Therefore, if your Rottie detects anything that it feels might pose a threat around the house or around you and your family, you can expect the dog to bark or growl loudly to get rid of this threat and to alert you to it.
To show excitement
Rotties, like many other dogs, will bark loudly and repeatedly when they are excited. Say, for instance, you just got back home after running errands or something like that, it is perfectly normal for your pet to bark in greeting and as a welcome. Or, perhaps you just got a new toy for the dog that is causing the animal to be excited, you can expect your Rottie to bark in excitement.
This behavior is especially common when Rotties are still puppies because puppies cannot control their emotions and excitement, as well as adult pooches can. This reason is obviously completely normal, and once your pet’s excitement has calmed down, the animal will stop barking.
Alarm
When something unexpected, such as something falling and crashing down with a loud sound happens in the house, it is normal for any dog, including a Rottie to become alarmed in that instance. The pooch may bark, but not for long, and will stop barking immediately after the panic subsides.
What Causes Rottweilers to Bark Unnecessarily?
There are other reasons why your Rottie would bark that could indicate that the animal is in distress or you are not carrying out your duty as a pet owner as well as you should. If this is the case, your Rottie could start barking in an annoying and continuous way, even though this dog breed is not one that usually does that.
Knowing why your dog is barking unnecessarily can help you address the issue and nip it in the bud. The following are reasons why your Rottie may be does this:
Separation anxiety
Rotties, like all dogs, are affectionate animals that love to spend time with family members. These dogs will follow you around, want to play and make great cuddle buddies.
You should think twice about getting one if you are a busy type who does not have enough time to spend with the animal or you do not have someone to keep your Rottie company while you are away.
Leaving your pet alone in the house while you are gone all day will cause the dog to start to miss you and cause separation anxiety, which the dog could show by barking incessantly. This can be very distressing for your dog and can cause problems between you and your neighbors and so, it is best to provide a source of entertainment for the dog during your absence or look for other solutions.
In fact, apart from barking and growling, your pet may begin to exhibit destructive behaviors such as ripping curtains off, chewing shoes, scattering furniture, and destroying other things in the house while you are not around.
Boredom
All dogs, whether they are a large-sized, small-sized, energetic, or non-energetic breed, require some amount of exercise to prevent boredom and to keep the animal in tip-top shape. Rottweilers, being a working and energetic breed, will require nothing less than one hour of exercise per day to prevent boredom.
The American Kennel Club has this to say on the activities and energy requirements of the Rottweiler, “Rottweilers love swimming, walking, and trotting, especially with their people. The breed is muscular and athletic and should have the opportunity to exercise on a daily basis. If there are jobs to do, Rottweilers learn easily and are excellent workers in herding, tracking, and obedience.”
A Rottie that is bored can begin to bark loudly, and if you haven’t taken your pet for its daily exercise, you should do so.
Pain
Rotties will bark often when they are in pain. If you notice that your pet keeps barking unnecessarily and it is not due to any of the reasons stated above, check the animal for signs of injuries. A common sign is limping. It is also best to rule out any health challenges. Signs of health challenges include tiredness, reduced activity, etc. take your pet to see the vet if this is the case.
How to Stop Unnecessary Barking in Your Rottweiler
Loud and insistent barking can quickly become problematic and may even cause problems between you and your neighbors, especially if you are not at home to stop the animal when it starts barking. While it is not possible to stop your pooch from barking completely, doing the following will help stop unnecessary barking in the animal:
Exercise your dog regularly
Rottweilers are an energetic dog breed, and so these animals need exercise every day, both to get rid of their excess energy and to prevent boredom. It is left for you as a Rottie owner to exercise your pooch. Daily walks of at least one hour are recommended.
Also, you can play games with your pet to aid its mental stimulation. Your
Rottweiler will also enjoy other activities like swimming a lot, so always find the time to do stuff with the animal.
Train the dog
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As a good dog owner who wants a well-behaved dog, you should train your dog that barking in certain situations is not ok. Setting clear boundaries early on around barking will help you stop nuisance barking. Remember it’s not possible or desirable to eliminate barking altogether, but it is important that your dog’s barking is not out of control.
For example, if your dog barks or jumps when you get home, you should remove your attention, or even leave. Repeat this until your dog realises that barking or jumping will lead to your attention being removed.
For nuisance barking there are also humane corrective collars that recognise your dog’s bark through sound and vibration and either emit a sound or smell that interrupts your dogs bark.
What to Do if You Are Going to Be Gone All Day and Have to Leave Your Rottie Alone
We know that it’s impossible to be with your pooch 24/7, and you have to work or even run errands. During those times, you’ll have to leave your pet alone, and that is usually no problem as long as your pet is trained.
The problem comes when you have to do it for long hours at a stretch. If you’re going to leave your pooch alone for long stretches, try to do the following so that the animal does not get separation anxiety and begin to bark:
Get someone to stay with or visit your dog
You could arrange for someone to come and stay with your dog, or at least spend some time with your pet. Of course, it would have to be someone your pooch knows and trusts, like a neighbor, relative, or friend. Alternatively, you could drop your pet off at their place.
If you are not going to be gone for more than 6 hours though, and you have a well-trained dog, your dog should be fine for that length of time alone, provided you have provided toys and everything the animal needs to prevent boredom.
Provide toys for your pet
If you are not going to be gone for more than six hours, providing toys for your pooch to play with while you are away will keep the animal occupied and prevent boredom to a large extent.
Toys are great tools for keeping your dog entertained and will minimize barking in the animal, especially when you are not around. Always get durable toys that will be able to last even when your pooch uses its strong jaws on them. Puzzle toys are good for Rotties as they help to stimulate the animal mentally, as well as occupy it.
Get a dog walker to walk your pet
You can get a dog walker to come to walk your pooch in your absence. There are apps that you can use to find a good one. Simply go through the walker’s ratings and reviews to know if the person is good at their job.
Put your dog in a dog daycare
Dog daycares are another wonderful option to consider if you’re usually away for longer periods than a Rottie should be left alone, and you have no one to check on your pet. Your dog will have company in the form of other dogs and can play with them and not be bored instead of staying all alone at home.
Conclusion
Rottweilers are not dogs that tend to bark a lot. Rather, this breed takes its time to access situations and decide if the situation warrants barking. However, due to some circumstances mentioned above, your pet may begin barking unnecessarily. It is left for you as its owner to pinpoint the cause of this barking and tackle it as necessary.
Common causes of a Rottweiler’s barking in an unusual and persistent way include health challenges or injury, boredom, separation anxiety, and pain. You can stop this type of barking by providing toys for your Rottie, exercising the animal, treating it in case of injuries or health challenges, and getting someone to visit the animal or enrolling it in a dog daycare while you are away.
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