Pet companion? Or, a security companion dog?

[German Vanegas]

Originally posted by DixieGrl113
My dogs are the greatest alarm squad I could wish for. They all sleep in different parts of the house. So they've got it covered. I don't think I've ever felt so safe sleeping at night or being home alone. They definately give the shady people a second thought. If I didn't know my big male, Zeus, I think he'd be pretty scary. He is just so solid and thick. And that face, he's so handsome. :D

Ooooooh yeah! An impossing looking Rottweiler is a force to be reckoned with. A well-bred Rottweiler commands admiration and respect

[German Vanegas]

Originally posted by Neeta
She is a true Family dog... She has always been gentle, and protective towards the kids, I socialized her alot for the first 2 years of her life. I never really thought of her as a security dog, in the way that she would be a guard dog that would attack. My opinion was that just the size, and reality that a Rottie lived here would be a deterent to intruders.
One night comes to memory when the kids and myself where home alone, my husband was out of town. Leah was warning me by a bark that I had never heard before. I had checked it out, and found that a vehicle full of guys where staking out the neighbourhood.. they returned 3 times, over an hour time period. Each time, she would alert me, by a bark that was unfamiliar to me. She gave me a new sense of security that made me feel even more secure. than ever before...

This is another example of how a good Rottweiler can provide companionship and security ;) :)

[RottnKid1]

Originally posted by German Vanegas


Absolutely. The main reason for dog owners to have a dog should be companionship. No question about it. However, many dog owners get dogs for security purposes too. So, a good Rottweiler (loyal, alert and protective) can become your buddy and bodyguard, both! There is nothing wrong with that

I absolutely agree. I just meant to point out again (as you stated) that JUST because the dog is a Rottweiler or other protection/guard breed, it doesn't mean the dog will automatically be up to that task by virtue of the breed, though these breeds, even if they'd let someone in and help them carry out the loot, are good deterrents. Well bred and well raised Rottweilers can and should be capable of being wonderful companion animals as well as protectors.

[MrsBoats]

Sam is a rescue and it will be two years that we've had him this April. He's a companion dog and a pet. My husband is in the Coast Guard and he is literally home only half of the month. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out his schedule too. I wanted a dog that people would see through the window and pass up our house to do no good.

He and I are really getting into obedience and we go faithfully at least one night a week to our club. Everyone tells us they can't get over the change in Sam since we've started to take obedience to the next level. I have such a good time and he and I have been building a deeper bond because of it.

Originally posted by JonandMichelle
And here I thought I was the only person who does this;) I have taught Raja to "be alert" when I whisper "what is it." She goes in her "alert" mode and goes from window to window..door to door until "I" tell her "it's OK or easy."

Sam does this too....if we say "who is it?" he will leap up from whatever he is doing and go to the windows and scan the area. We taught him to do that exactly as German described earlier. Sam knows when people should be doing and when they should be doing it. We live on the end of the street and there isn't a house across from us and we have a park on one side of us. Last night some kids are screwing around up in the park and about 11pm they park outside of my house and get out of their cars. Sam heard their doors shut and to the windows he runs. Sam lets out a couple of loud barks to let them know he's watching them.

But, here's the great story I'm proud to tell of Sam's watch dog skills. Back in July, Mr. Boats wasn't home and it's about 1:30 am. I wake up to Sam barking up a storm and I can hear him beating the daylights out of the living room window with his paws. It's wasn't like a "woof, woof...I see you" bark. It was a "I'm going to bust through this god d*mn window and kill you!!" bark. I get up and run window and I don't see anything. I go back to bed and I hear Sam occasionally barking. I thought it may have been a skunk or a deer on the lawn. The next morning I wake up and see all of this paper and trash by my neighbor's mother's car. When Mr. Boats comes home I tell him that Sam was freaked out about something the night before. The next morning when he goes into the CG station he calls me to tell me that Sam was most likely barking at some stupid neighborhood kids (who the cops did catch). Apparently they broke into all the Coasties' cars on our street. If they didn't break into them and steal stuff, they busted up the locks so you couldn't get into them. My jeep was the only one that didn't get touched...it was totally unlocked and not a thing was missing or trashed. They got into my neighbor's Mom's car and that was all of the junk on the ground.

I sleep so much better at night knowing that Sam watches over the house and me when I'm alone!

[German Vanegas]

Originally posted by RottnKid1
Well bred and well raised Rottweilers can and should be capable of being wonderful companion animals as well as protectors.

I concur entirely :)

[German Vanegas]

Originally posted by MrsBoats
...Apparently they broke into all the Coasties' cars on our street. If they didn't break into them and steal stuff, they busted up the locks so you couldn't get into them. My jeep was the only one that didn't get touched...it was totally unlocked and not a thing was missing or trashed. They got into my neighbor's Mom's car and that was all of the junk on the ground.

I sleep so much better at night knowing that Sam watches over the house and me when I'm alone!

What a wonderful and effective companion watchdog you have, indeed :)

[gparcels]

Its funny and I would not have expected it but my 7 month old female the other day showed her first signs of a protection dog. I was out in my yard running her on a long lead when an electric co. meter reader came on to the property unanounced, she imediately ran in front of me barked and growled at the person and stayed there at attention watching his every move. Any of the males I have did not display this bahavior until over a year of age, she is one tough dog.

[rottix2]

As usual German an excellent and interesting post. Both of my rotts are rescues and although neither has the right temperment to be trained for protection, as you wrote, they are superb companions. Although my husband occasionally comes along, I hike and snowshoe a fair amount with only the two dogs for company. As I am female, it is reassuring to have my dogs with me. I believe they are a very good deterent and actually have had one or two experiences when their presence was a Godsend. They will also alert bark at home when a vehicle pulls into our driveway and bark with a totally different tone if a person actually gets out of the vehicle. Truly cannot imagine living without at least one or two rottweilers.

[RottnKid1]

Reputable rescue organizations have very fine dogs to offer. The temperament testing is extensive and anyone not looking for a dog for show should consider a rescue dog. I have several and they are outstanding representatives of the breed - they may not have perfect conformation, but they're wonderful none-the-less. And rescue organizations often have pups - not just adults.

[German Vanegas]

Originally posted by gparcels
Its funny and I would not have expected it but my 7 month old female the other day showed her first signs of a protection dog. I was out in my yard running her on a long lead when an electric co. meter reader came on to the property unanounced, she imediately ran in front of me barked and growled at the person and stayed there at attention watching his every move...

Did your pup actually stood up on her ground to the meter-reader man?...

[German Vanegas]

Originally posted by rottix2
I believe they are a very good deterent and actually have had one or two experiences when their presence was a Godsend. They will also alert bark at home when a vehicle pulls into our driveway and bark with a totally different tone if a person actually gets out of the vehicle.

They sound allright to me! ;)

[German Vanegas]

Originally posted by RottnKid1
Reputable rescue organizations have very fine dogs to offer. The temperament testing is extensive and anyone not looking for a dog for show should consider a rescue dog. I have several and they are outstanding representatives of the breed - they may not have perfect conformation, but they're wonderful none-the-less. And rescue organizations often have pups - not just adults.

I agree. In my opinion, anyone that cannot afford a well-bred Rottweiler, should rescue one rather than to buy a puppy from a backyard breeder, a puppy factory, commercial breeder or pet store. You will be doing a good deed and probably getting a fine companion pet.

[Atauwoduhi]

I totally agree with the threads that I have read here, I too own a female Rottie as most of you know. Granted she is ONLY a 7 mo. old companion, she wasn't brought home for PP, Breeding, etc. JUST for a companion/pet. But I don't expect her to show ANY signs of protection at her age. She'll learn that as she gets older, she does know the difference between friends/family and strangers thought and I don't promote any acts of viciousness towards others whether animal or human.
"Elsa" does alert me though day/night of ANY strange noises or unknown vehicles in our driveway/yard. All I tell her is it is okay or good girl!!
BUT I do feel sorry for ANY intruders of our home, if the person/persons are uninvited intruders that my fiance or myself have NOT allowed/permitted into our home, they may enter but guaranteed they won't be allowed to exit without the sound of alarm!!! "Elsa" is the VERY vocal one of our dogs and "Harley"(Amer. Pitbull Terrier) is the SILENT one of our 2 dogs. I think if I was the intruder I'd be more aware of/afraid of "Harley":D But "Harley" is also much older than "Elsa" too, he's 1 1/2-2 yrs. old. He can tell the difference between a good person over a bad person by just watching the person.

[LORHEL]

Excellent topic again, German. I did not get a rottweiler for protection, either, but it is nice and appreciated just the same. We have a very sweet girl who I have to say has just about the lowest drive (except for our cats, but she is getting better) I have seen. We got her in October, and at the time, she was recouping from a fractured leg after being struck by a car. The day I brought her home, I did not hear a word out of her, she was calm and quiet for pretty much the first week. Slowly, we are bonding very nicely, and she has become very alert to the surroundings of our house, barking to let us know when someone is outside..she goes everywhere with me in the car, which is nice especially at night...and alot of times it is just me and her and I appreciate knowing that she would probably try to do her best to protect if she needed to.

I did not think she would have adjusted this well so soon, coming from a different environment, and recovering from her surgery, but she is coming along quite nicely, and we do walk at night sometimes, and I feel totally safe.

I do not know her background, but she is true to the rottweiler characteristics, and has the wait and see attitude. She doesn't bark at everything she sees, she seems very confident in just being a dog, and able to judge situations from right and wrong. She is actually a little more laid back, such as when we go to people's house, she will meet everyone and then go about her business, alot of times ending up napping on their floor..



I guess my point is there are some real laid back low drive dogs such as ours, who do also make good watchdogs also, maybe not as intense as ones who have been bred so, or with higher drives, but good enough for people like us. :)