Do you live in an apartment and wonder if adopting a Rottweiler would be alright? Well, a simple answer to this question is – yes.
Just like any other dog breed, Rottweilers too can adapt to living in a small space. The only thing is, make sure that they get enough exercise and are trained according to your apartment rules.
How Big a Living Space Do Rottweilers Need?
As a general rule, the smallest of apartments are big enough for you and your dog to live in. This is because most dog breeds get drowsy and docile indoors and don’t require much space.
If you’re planning to adopt a Rottweiler and live in a small space, just make sure to build a schedule around your companion. As long as a Rottweiler gets enough exercise and pee breaks, they can live anywhere.
The size of the apartment itself does not matter since Rotties are usually inactive inside. What matters is the amount of time they spend outdoors to exercise, play, and relieve themselves.
As long as your Rottie gets vaccinated timely, has a healthy diet, and get adequate exercises, do not worry about the size of your house.
Rottweilers as Family and Guard Dogs
Contrary to popular belief, Rottweilers are extremely playful and affectionate. They love being around their family so much that they take the phrase “follow you around like a puppy” literally.
Living in an apartment is great for Rotties because being near their family reduces their chances of getting separation anxiety. They won’t need to follow you around and will know that you’re around.
Rotties are also extremely protective. They tend to get ferocious in their family’s defense. This makes them perfect guard dogs. However, they do not often know how to distinguish between aggressiveness and protectiveness.
Consistent training helps them distinguish between threat and friendly guests or neighbors. This is an important distinction to teach since; otherwise, the Rottie will become vicious and dangerous for everyone around your apartment.
Creating a sense of trustworthy leadership with your Rottie is amazing and necessary. Otherwise, a breed as powerful as Rottweiler will act as the top dog, making him unsuitable to be domesticated.
Another important thing to remember is that your Rottie needs extensive attention. Do not leave him chained and forget about him. As a loving dog by nature, the feeling of abandonment will cause the Rottie to lash out and get aggressive.
Related: Are Rottweilers Good With Kids?
Rottweilers and Exercise
It is a well-known fact about Rotties that ancestrally they are guard dogs. Their quality of life and ability to live indoors is reliant on whether or not they get a satisfactory amount of exercise.
If your rottweiler doesn’t receive adequate exercise, they will likely destroy the furniture in your house to let go of bottled energy. Rottweilers generally need at least an hour of exercise each day.
Extra energy and boredom are the leading causes of aggression and disobedience in rottweilers.
The following things will help keep your Rottie engaged enough to not go berserk.
Walking Your Dog At least Twice a Day
Walking is crucial for your Rottie. Going out and getting to play in the grass gives them time to exercise. This is great for their overall wellbeing.
Not only will this be beneficial for their health, but it will also tire them enough to mostly doze all day.
Play with Your Dog
Playing is a crucial part of bonding with your dog. Playing with your Rottweiler regularly will help them bond with you, which will make them more likely to obey you.
Learning new tricks and commands is health for a dog’s mental health. Their mind stays engaged and focused on the newly learned things, which keeps them calm and well-behaved.
Give Your Dog Time to Run Around
Even when you take your dog outside to poop, give him time to run around afterward. This will not only will bring out the playfulness of a Rottie, but also give him an energy outlet.
Playing fetch with him or taking him to a dog park is also a fun idea. When a Rottweiler befriends his neighboring furry friends, he will get less dependent on you to entertain him in the house.
Training Your Rottweiler to Live in Apartments
Believe it or now, Rotties will have to be trained to live in an apartment. They have to be taught to be at peace with surrounding noises and behave well in the house.
You might also have to train your Rottie to follow certain rules in the house so that they do not have accidents inside. Given below is a list of a few things you should surely teach a Rottweiler.
Not All Sounds are Bad
A usual thing that your Rottie will have to get used to is the sounds surrounding your apartment. Be it loud neighbors or neighboring dogs, and your Rottie will have to learn to distinguish between regular sounds and unusual sounds.
If this is not done, the dog will not stop barking from inside the house. He will get alert at every sound around him, which is not a good sign.
You can teach him to get accustomed to the sounds by early socialization. If you adopt a Rottweiler puppy into your apartment, they will adjust to the sounds than adults.
Socialization with other dogs and humans outside the family will also get them accustomed to his surroundings.
Take your Rottie for frequent walks and dog parks. This will get him the exercise he needs and make him get used to loud noises.
Chewing and Playing Only in His Designated Area
It is good to assign a designated place to your Rottie, where he can do whatever he wishes to. The canine can go to chew on things, play with his toys, and sleep blissfully in his own space.
With a designated place where he can do whatever he wishes, you can teach him to be well-behaved in the other places of the house.
Crate training is perfect for training a dog to learn apartment rules and lets them get some privacy when they need it.
Develop a Schedule
Create a healthy eating, relieving, and walking schedule for your dog. Begin with taking them out 5-6 times a day to poop, and reduce the frequency to 2 times a day.
Do not feed your dog at haphazard times. Feed them only a little while before you’re going to take him for a walk.
The dog will slowly get used to the fixed timing and will not need to be fed or poop at other times. This is necessary to prevent the Rottie from peeing or pooping inside your apartment.
This kind of routine is preferable to build with all breeds of dogs and not only with Rottweilers.
Building Your Routine Around Your Rottweiler
For people who work from home, this can be an easy thing to do. However, if you have to go out to work, make sure that your Rottie gets accustomed to your absence.
As mentioned earlier, separation anxiety is common in Rottweilers. Therefore, they might get scared in the apartment in your absence.
If you work from home, devote designated time to play and relax with your Rottie. If you work outside, give extra treats and love to him when you return home.
Giving about 2 hours to your Rottweiler’s exercise and entertainment in a day is a must. However, the more, the merrier.
Difference Between a Puppy and an Adult Rottweiler
Puppies are much more physically active and physically demanding than adults. Adult dogs adapt to home environments easily. Puppies, on the other hand, require extra care.
Even as a puppy caretaker, you should not designate pooping places inside the apartment. This will get them bamboozled when they will eventually have to transition to pooping outside.
Taking your puppy to poop outside is advisable anyway since it will help the Rottie get some of his energy out.
Puppies are curious, while adult Rotties are calmer both outside and inside. Puppies might cause a ruckus in the house as they learn what they’re supposed to do what they’re not supposed to do.
Puppy proofing your house is advisable to prevent sustaining severe loss and damage.
Adult Rottweilers are usually inactive for most of their in-time. That is not the case with puppies, however. Living in an apartment can be advantageous as puppies will have fewer places to go wondering. They’re easily trackable in a smaller house.
As your Rottweiler grows older, he will not care about the size of the house. This is because he’s probably well accustomed to his schedule and daily schedule. In the case of puppies, make sure that they get enough time outside and enough socializing so that they can build an adjusting temperament.
Final Thoughts
The size and nature of your house do not matter to a Rottweiler as long as they’re well-fed, hydrated, loved, and exercised. A deficit in either of these factors will cause problems, regardless of the space they have inside.
Rottweilers are great to have in the house since they’re extremely friendly and loving if trained properly.