Other than that, this is not the only reason why Rottweilers grumble. There are multiple reasons why a Rottweiler can growl at you, including if they’re happy, fearful, playful, or suffering from deep pain. But, in all that, you must remember that not all growls are aggressive. Some growls can be aggressive depending on the situation, but most of the time, they’re a form of communication.
So, how will you know when a growl or rumble is happy or aggressive? For that, you need to understand your Rottweiler body language and see what type of situation they’re in. So whether it is rumble, growl, or bark, there are multiple possibilities for why your Rottweiler is displaying such behaviour. Let’s explore what these reasons are!
What Are The Reasons Why My Rottie Rumbles Or Growls At Me?
Rottweilers are famous for their natural instinct as a guard or police dog. Because of this, your Rottie may sometimes growl, even if they don’t mean any harm. Sometimes this growl can be because they’re being protective of their surroundings, and sometimes it can be because they’re simply happy.
If you pet your Rottie regularly, you may have noticed them growling. Well, that type of growling is happy growling. Here, your pet is saying that he enjoys petting, and you should continue doing that. Besides, a puppy can growl if they’re in pain and want to inform its owner about that. So, it’s not always an aggressive growl, and you should not get frightened in such situations. Instead, try understanding your pup and see how you can deal with the problem effectively.
Let’s take a deeper look at all the reasons why a Rottie can growl so you get a better idea about the different scenarios.
Rottweiler Growls Or Rumbles When Happy
Every dog wants to spend most of their time with their owners. And, if you own a Rottweiler, you know how much they love to spend time with you. Now, when they see you, they expect different things from you. This can include wanting you to pet them, play with them, or take them on walks. And, with all this going on, your Rottie becomes extremely happy.
It is entirely normal for a Rottweiler to growl when they’re happy. But, for an inexperienced dog owner, this growl can mean many different things. You may assume that your dog is angry at you, but they’re not. So, try to become aware of your Rottweiler surroundings instead of thinking of the worst scenario. If you do that, you will know that your pup is only growling because he is excited and happy to see you.
Also Read:- How Do I Get My Rottweiler Puppy To Stop Biting
Rottweiler Growls Because Of Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is one of the common things that pets suffer from. If you leave your Rottweiler alone for a long time working outside, they may face separation anxiety. Suppose your Rottie growls whenever you leave your house. In that case, it signifies that your furry friend is unhappy or facing separation anxiety.
If such a situation continues, your Rottie may suffer from high-level anxiety. Thus, your pet may act aggressively, and rumbling is a way for your dog to express its anxiety.
Rottweiler Growls In Excitement To See You Again
In the continuation of the previous point, your Rottweiler may growl in anticipation of seeing you again when it is time for you to return back home. They may act with excitement and to show their feelings; growling is their best way to express such feelings or release energy.
Rottweiler Growls When They Greet You
Have you noticed your Rottie wagging its tail and barking whenever you return home after long hours at work? Well, you will be happy to know that your paw buddy loves your presence. And all that barking they do is their dog’s way of greeting you and waving at you!
Now, you might be surprised to know that your dog has a circadian rhythm. Because of this, your pet knows when you will return home and is always ready to say hello to you.
Rottweiler Rumbles When Protecting The House Or Territory
Rottweilers have the instinct to protect their territory. They do this in order to protect the house from any suspicious invaders. Therefore, if a stranger appears around your home or enters it, your Rottweiler may growl and bark at them. This usually starts with a growl which later turns into the bark, so the stranger runs away from their place.
Rottweiler Rumbles When Feeling Scared
Now, most of the points regarding Rottweiler’s grumbling that we mentioned above were on the normal side. Such grumblings are natural and don’t cause any harm if managed at the right time. However, some Rottie rumbles because they’re scared and want you to know.
Your Rottie can grumble if he is scared or thinks of something as a threat. Common scenarios where your pet feels scared are when there is a thunderstorm or burst of firecrackers. This occurrence of loud sound can trigger your Rottie’s natural instinct, which results in them acting fearful.
Your dog, in this situation, will use growling as a form of defence from this threat. Furthermore, your pet will rumble in order to get your attention regarding any potential anger in the current surroundings.
Other than that, Rottweilers can growl if they have been mistreated in the past or suffered physical damage from a person or a situation. So, if you’ve adopted an adult Rottie from a shelter, make sure you know about their past and trigger points.
Rottweiler Rumbles To Assert Dominance
Another normal behaviour Rottweilers have, asserting dominance whenever they come in contact with some other pet. This is normal whether they meet another pet inside their house or on the street.
So, in order to show dominance over another dog or pet, Rottweilers will growl to scare them off. By performing the growl, they simply want to pass a message that they’re the ones who will be dominant here.
Rottweiler Rumbles When In Pain
While your Rottie may love to be dominant around other pets, sometimes this may get them into trouble. If a fight happens between your pet and another dog, chances are your pet may suffer some injuries. So, if they incur some injury, your Rottweiler growls to express the pain they’re suffering from. Additionally, if you place your hand on that injury, your pet may direct its growl toward you.
Other than that, a Rottweiler can even rumble because of health problems like elbow dysplasia or hip dysplasia. Therefore, if you confirm that your Rottie is in pain from health problems or injury, don’t wait to call a vet near you. Ensure you don’t spend too much time waiting, as it can increase their suffering. This way, you’ll be able to provide your pet with the proper treatment without them suffering much.
Rottweiler Growls Because Of Food Aggression
Well, you may be familiar with this saying: “sharing is caring.” However, that’s not always true for your furry friend. Rottweilers’ natural instinct prevents them from sharing their food with someone else. It’s the same as how carnivore animals protect their food from other animals in a jungle.
So, if you have other pets too in your house, it is pretty common that they will try to steal your Rottie’s food. And, for that reason, your Rottweiler may growl at them if they see them as a threat to their food. Also, if you own a stray Rottie, chances are they will have more aggression toward saving their food. This is because stray Rottie consider their food as their last meal. That’s why such growling behaviour is more common in them.
So, if you’re feeding your Rottweiler, especially if they’re stray, ensure your other pets are not around them. Send your pets to another room or wait until your Rottie finishes eating his food.
Rottweiler Rumbles Due To Survival
When you adopt a Rottweiler puppy for the first time, it is common for your pet to growl at you. Now, this growling can occur even if you did nothing wrong to them. They do this because they have come to your home after weeks of fighting with their siblings for water and food. Furthermore, as dogs are blind at birth, they have to compete with their siblings for their mother’s milk.
Your Rottweiler growling behaviour will continue for weeks, as it will take some time to adjust to your home. Furthermore, for them to stop growling when you’re near their food, it can take around three to four months. In most cases, the growling is because they want to protect their food.
How Can You Train Your Rottweiler Not To Growl? Follow These Four Steps
As already mentioned, Rottweiler grumble or growl is not always bad, but if this continues for a long time, it can become bad for you. So, it is vital you get your Rottie socialization training when they’re young. Training your puppy is easy compared to training an adult. You will be able to get them comfortable around other dogs and strangers through the socialization training.
A Rottweiler with no proper training will act scared around strangers and other pets. And your pet may continuously bark at them, even if they don’t mean any harm to him. Therefore, training your Rottweiler not to growl in these situations is crucial. So, let’s see some ways by which you can prepare your Rottweiler for this:
Don’t Panic When Your Rottie Growls At You
One thing that Rottweiler owners do is that they react negatively to a Rottweiler rumbling. Instead of panicking, you should try to stay calm to your Rottie grumble. You can do this by staying still or taking deep breaths. Furthermore, never try to deal with this problem with anger or frustration. If you act like that, your Rottweiler will become more aggressive and growl more than before.
Your Rottweiler will learn from how you react in these certain situations. If you try to stay calm, your pet will also observe this behaviour; chances are, they will calm down with you. However, if you try to use any other method to control your Rottweiler growing, it may not end up as you expected. So, try not to use aggression or anger on your Rottie and get the situation under control by staying calm.
Make Use Of Positive Dominance
Now, once your Rottweiler calms down, you want to make sure that they learn that you’re in charge of this house. If we talk in dog terms, you want to make them understand who is the dominant one in the pack. The best you can do this is by using the positive dominance method. This method involves giving your dog orders and instructions using hand gestures and a firm voice. You need to show your Rottie that you’re the head of this house, not him.
Furthermore, when you give these commands to your dog, ensure you use a firm voice and avoid shouting and yelling at them. Let them know with a light voice that they should stop growing, as it is unnecessary.
Expose Your Rottie To Triggers
Although this may sound harsh, it is essential that you expose your Rottie to triggers that cause them to bark. Your Rottweiler may not like this at first, but if done correctly, it will help your pet greatly.
This will become difficult to handle if you have an adult Rottweiler, as they’re more aggressive and strong. Exposing a Rottie puppy to the triggers is way easier, and with this, your dog will learn how to cope with these triggers.
Repeating this exposure will help your Rottweiler realize that the thing they’re seeing will not harm them. Once they learn it’s harmless to them, your Rottie will no longer growl at it. This is because your pet is no longer anxious or worried about those triggers.
Use Treats To Praise Their Positive Behavior
Positive reinforcement is one of the best approaches that every Rottweiler trainer uses to train Rottweilers. If your Rottweiler has started listening to your commands to stop growling, you must praise their behaviour. The best ways you can praise them is by petting, using praises, or giving treats.
As your Rottweiler no longer growls or rumbles seeing the triggers, you need to be generous with your praise.
Conclusion
There can be many reasons why rottweilers growl when happy, and this growling is not limited to when they’re happy. Other reasons why Rottie growls include sadness, excitement, anxiety, scared, and anticipation. So, it should be clear to you now that not all growling is aggressive. As a Rottweiler owner, you will experience your Rottie rumbling many times, but make sure you don’t assume it is aggression.
Instead, don’t panic and control the situation by staying calm in front of your pooch. Use positive reinforcement or seek professional Rottweiler training, which can help you significantly.
At Vom Hause Stan, we provide training to our kennels Rottweilers. Our Rottweiler trainers are veterans and can train your Rottweiler for different things, not just growling. So, if you’re considering adopting a Rottie and want to train them to follow your commands, contact us at VomHauseStan@yahoo.com or dial (425) 329-9996. Want to meet us personally? Visit us at 29225 188th Ave SE, Kent – Washington 98042.