| I agree that not barking is a normal response for Rottweilers. I've never had one who particularly barked at the doorbell ringing or the UPS guy coming to the door etcetra. THese dogs simply wait and see.
My current female will bark at unknowns if she's on our deck and they appear to be "strangers" to her. She's also a bit of a fence barker because she can see the side street from through the fence and before the leaves come in on the trees. The good news is, we've taught her the 'enough' command and 'quiet', which means to 'shut up now'. She will not bark when we arrive home as she knows the sounds of our cars in the driveway as they approach.
Our newer male will not bark at all. He's a very laid-back dude and besides his joy in playing and running in the park or on hikes, he's normally placid. The temperament of this guy is very similar to our first Rottie many moons ago. That dog seemed to be the biggest marshmellow until someone tried to break in while I was home alone. At approx. 2.5 yrs of age then he became a snarling, foaming, barking, stiff legged maniac as the door lock was being jostled and the guy on the other side [I had a peep hole, which I highly recommend to everyone] heard that racket and slunk away. Would he have attacked, minus any personal protection training? Don't know but he didn't need to at that point, his racket did the job and burglar ran away. I did praise and treat him, because that was a response I liked given the circumstances. The dog remained a placid, calm, friendly dog until his death at 9.6 yrs of age and seemed to even prefer small children. He never bit anyone but he did his "maniac" routine a few more times over his life, each time with success.
Maybe your dog is waiting for a genuine threat, which is a good thing.
Cathi M.  |