For dogs barking is a natural way of communicating and they do it for numerous reasons. When you have decided that it's time to stop Rottweiler barking in your home, you'll probably be aware that there are only a limited amount of possibilities to solve the problem. After all, a dog is born to bark. In spite of upbringing and sophistication over the past centuries, they still possess that compelling desire to express their feelings and needs. There's actually only one sort of dog, the Basenji, that doesn't bark at all.

So, before you can put a stop to your Rottweiler barking problem, you need to comprehend the reason of their barking and what types of barking you can master.

The Origins of Rottweiler Barking

When you take a look at the history of the Rottweiler you can see that over the years he was used in many ways, like herding the cattle, as police dogs, as guard dogs, even as messengers. They used the Rottweiler in all these various roles because of its intelligence and alertness. For that reason he is also more sensitive to bark faster. They can bark because they are excited, or angry, or even when they are scared. Here is a summary of situations when Rottweilers might start barking:

Alarm Barking
Frustration Barking
Territorial Barking
Greeting Barking
Attention Seeking Barking
Injury or Illness Barking
Compulsive Barking

Well, as you can see, barking is an important part of your dog's personality. Therefore it's not possible to bannish your Rottweiler barking completely. They still have to express themselves occasionally, despite of what you do to prevent their behavior.

How to Stop Rottweiler Barking

If your Rottweiler refuses to stop barking, you first have to ascertain if his behavior is justified. In most cases, it is disproportionate and can be dealt with. If you've determined that your Rottweiler's barking can and should be kept under control, ask yourself the following three questions:

When does he bark?

What is he barking at?

Is there a specific cause of your dog's barking?

When you conclude that your Rottweiler is barking because of territorial protection or that he's simply upset by something, do not simply shout at your dog to let him stop. Actually, negative reinforcement for territorial barking often leads to biting or other aggressive behavior. Your Rottweiler stops the barking but does not know what you are trying to tell him, so the territorial problem remains.

The best thing you can do is to create a situation in which your Rottweiler will not feel that territorial stimulus to protect itself. First you have to make clear that you are the leader of the pack. That way your Rottweiler will see that you are the one in control of defending that area. Further, you can easily decrease the dog's capability to see those apparent threats to its territory. Just simply draw your blinds to prevent he can see the mailman coming, add an opaque fence so they cannot see outside the yard, and be sure that the windows are not within the dog's reach at any time.

Stop Rottweiler Barking with Anxiety

When your Rottweiler has anxiety problems, his barking is probably a symptom of something bigger. They want to reach you and will bark incessantly until you react. In many cases, this is because you've rewarded them for this behavior in the past. When you return home and your dog is excited, you give them attention right away. Instead of rewarding them immediately, you should ignore your Rottweiler for at least 10 to 15 minutes so that they don't connect your return with attention.

Lastly, to stop your Rottweiler barking, you should teach him how to speak and be silent. By developing a clear command that permits you to control the behavior, they will learn to master the urge to bark when it is unnecessary. An advantage of this is that, if there really is an intruder or something you want your dog to bark at, they'll still alarm you.

Rottweiler barking doesn't have to be the burden of your community that it now is. When you learn to control it in an early stage you don't have to be afraid of your neighbours banging down your door each day when you get home.