Rottweilers are the ultimate guard dogs and are ever on the alert when a stranger enters their owner’s premises. Their perception is strong enough to immediately detect the presence of a stranger. But their reaction may seem inconsistent. Some people may be at the wrong end of their hostility while they remain silent at others. Studies have revealed the reason Rottweilers bark only at some people.
This burst of anger may indicate a defensive stance, anxiety or even a surge of aggression. But why does their reaction vary towards different individuals? Do they see or perceive things that we cannot? Few can answer for all dogs in general as each dog is different. But seeing the world from their viewpoint may shed light on the problem.
Each individual gives out a different scent and only dogs, especially guard dogs like the Rottweiler, can discern accurately as their sense of smell is between 10,000-100,000 times stronger than humans. Naturally, we cannot fathom the vast amount of data they can process. Trained dogs can even detect the difference between identical twins, even when they are exposed to identical environments. They can even detect where each individual has visited and who they have met. This explains why Rottweilers bark at certain people.
READ: Rottweilers Can Identify Liars and They Don’t Trust Them
A Rottweiler may react to a certain smell and become aggressive but it could be that the person has handled another dog before. Since the Rottweiler is fiercely territorial, it will react in a hostile manner to the scent of another dog. The owner can only guess. The use of odor over vision among Rottweilers creates this confusion.
Further, a Rottweiler’s sense of recognition is sharper than its owner’s. Some feature in a person’s face may remind the Rottweiler of some past threat which it instantly processes in its memory.
The differences in stance, gait, size, and features are all factors that only guard dogs like Rottweilers take into account.
They associate unnatural noise or movement with a threat, even something as simple as closing an umbrella.
Certain events in its earlier life may be a contributory cause towards certain groups of persons.
Rottweilers are also territorial and protective. They thus react strongly when they think that their space is being invaded. They are also astute judges of character and if they dislike a person, be on your guard.
READ: Malaysian Man Tried To Steal From House, Didn’t Realise Owner Owned A Rottweiler
If you are sure of a certain person, train the Rottweiler to back away at your command. But if it persists in its aggression you should consider the possibility that there is real ground for its hostility. It explains why Rottweilers bark only at some people.
