Are Rottweilers Good With Other Dogs? Solid Answer According To Their Traits

Last Updated/Info Checked on October 18, 2023 by Scott

Rottweilers demand respect because of their formidable looks. Standing at a not-very-humble height of 27 inches, the dog’s outer muscular shell looks promising enough to rip apart any other dog.

Its large muzzle has all the providence for transferring that kind of power to the bite. 

So, are rottweilers good with other dogs? Yes, they are. But it’s truly based on early socializing and training. A well-trained rottweiler could prove loving to other dogs and cats around the house. However, its interaction with animals outside its home has to be supervised. 

Related: Are Great Danes good with other dogs?

Related: Are dachshunds good with other dogs?

Rottweiler Traits That Show Aggressiveness

You wouldn’t have guessed what made them aggressive.  

1. Vigilance – How Alert Is It? 

Vigilance score: 5/5 

Just from the score, you could guess how vigilant rottweilers are. They could easily be triggered by things that they consider strange or a threat.

That could be a passing car, a stray cat that has found its way in, your first-time visitor friend, and his dog. 

Let’s not blame the breed because it was bred to be a guard dog. It will react to a stimulus that threatens its job.

Most of the time when I receive a client whose rottweiler has become unruly, their tendency to guard well seems to be the cause. 

2. Openness To Strangers 

Reserve Score: ⅗ 

Breeds that are open to strangers think everyone is a best friend. The rottweilers, however, hang in the middle.

That is, if you’ve socialized with others before, they will behave well, otherwise, every stranger will be viewed as a threat. 

This is also not location-based. Breeds such as these hanging in the middle of the score spectrum tend to not act according to the location or mood.

Anywhere you–his job to protect–go, you’ll see how it turns on things that come near you. 

3. Energy Level 

Energy Score: ⅗ 

These dogs are in the middle part of this spectrum as well.

You won’t see them lying around the couch asking for anything for food, but you’ll also not see them running around 24/7. There’s a lot of gray area that you could use to your advantage. 

However, when a breed only dispenses its energies on select tasks, you could expect it to do that job well. Even if that means fighting with another animal. 

4. Needs Stimulation 

Stimulation Score: 5/5

As I said, these dogs were bred to do a job. You could use it as a nanny for your kids, a guard to your house, or a fetching machine during a hunt.

It will do all these jobs with commendable accuracy. 

But deny it a job and it will find one. Whenever that happens, you won’t like it at all.

Usually, when I have to train a client’s rottweiler that has gone out of its way to irritate them, I see if it’s been given a job. As I found most of the time, the owners aren’t trained or knowledgeable enough to do that. 

The ensuing menaces of dogfighting, nipping, biting, or eating away at anything that comes its way make keeping the dog unbearable. 

Does all of this make the dog bad with other dogs?

5. Behavior With Other Dogs – Do Rottweilers Get Along With Other Dogs?

Dog aggressiveness score: ⅗ 

Rottweilers leave room for you to intervene when it comes to making them accept other breeds because their temperament with other dogs isn’t the best out there.

Again, I’ll say here that training has a lot to do with taking that balance towards a full score.

Once that happens, you’ll see how the dog stays happy with your other dog or cat because it will consider them a family. 

I must tell you that Rottweilers are great with their families. Their family score is a full-on 5/5.

Also Read: Are Australian Shepherds Good With Other Dogs?

Also Read: Are French Bulldogs Good With Other Dogs?

So, Should You Own A Rottweiler With Other Dogs?

The answer is fairly simple. Given you have adequate resources to train the dog to accept other breeds, you should go for owning one.

I recommend owning a puppy if it’s your first time. Puppies are easily socialized from day 1 with other animals.

But again, think a lot before bringing one to your home because it’s a great responsibility. Even a small gap in the training could prove harmful to your entire household. 

The good news is that Rottweilers are highly trainable. 

Related: List of dog breeds that are good with other dogs

1. Trainability Is All-Time High 

Trainability score: 5/5

The dog may seem like a brute from its looks but deep inside its personality (if groomed well) defies that.

This breed could be easily trained. The answer to this lies in their breeding purpose. They are intrinsically made to listen to their owners because they are the ones who assign jobs to them. 

Your Rottweiler is eager to please you. Therefore, give it adequate time and train its abilities for the better. 

2. Rottweilers Are Not Good for First-Time Owners

Yes, you heard it right. Rottweilers are not recommended for first-time owners. They require a lot of time and attention, not to mention training to be able to be good boys.

However, if you still wanna own them, go for the puppies and learn a lot about training them. Know that you may have to hire a trainer or invest in training gear in the long run. 

3. Rottweilers Are Good With Kids

They are good with kids. As I said above, their family score tops the spectrum. They could prove good guards to your kids but also wonderful playmates.

Here’s a video showing how a Rottweiler copies a baby’s each move:

What Dogs Do Rottweilers Get Along With?

Generally speaking, Rottweilers do well with German Shepherds, Bloodhounds, Labradors, Great Danes, Great Pyrs, and other Rottweilers. You should consider owning an easy-going breed that knows its boundaries but is also lenient enough to forget unwarranted advances.

At What Age Do Rottweilers Calm Down?

There’s no definite age when your dog will “calm down”. Any dog can calm down at any age and it can become aggressive similarly. It all boils down to how well you train your dog right from puppyhood. But if I have to give you a number when the Rottweiler becomes an adult, it’s about 2 to 3 years of his age.

Are Rottweilers Good With Other Dogs? Wrapping Up

Rottweilers are good with other dogs only if you focus on early socializing. They could prove to be wonderful companions and consider other breeds or animals a part of their family.

However, a lack of training could trigger their aggressive behavior. They are quite strong, so your other dog may not stand a chance in front of him. Even after the training, make sure your dog’s interaction with other breeds is always supervised.