Are Female Rottweilers as Good at Guarding as Males?

nick davis: Are female Rottweilers as good as males at guarding?
What should I do? Get a female 7-week-old Rottie now or a 5-week-old male Rottie in 2 weeks? I need a big dog. I also want the companionship my Chihuahua does not give. But the question is can females be as good or better at guarding and companionship as males? Also, should I go with the female now or wait 2 weeks for the male?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Cappy
Females are often more territorial

Photo Credit: PublicDomainPictures/Pixabay

Answer by littlemindymoo
That would depend on whether or not you had your pet spayed or neutered. Both make good guard dogs, and the males get larger, but I personally think that females are more protective of YOU, not just their territory.

I disagree with what some vets say about spay/neuter not affecting the personality, I have seen that it does. I have been fortunate to find a vet that has spayed my female dogs so that the ovaries are left intact, no pups possible, but she does still come into 'heat' twice per year.

On the other hand, we have two male dogs, one we neutered, the other we did not. The neutered one is much less protective and has put on weight, compared to the intact male. Having said that, the sweetest, the most protective dog I ever had was a female Great Dane, she thwarted a burglary once, and thwarted a possible rape attempt another time.

They are a short-lived breed, however, and only average an 8 or 9-year lifespan. (She lived until 10 years, and I miss her still!) ( We had her spayed and left the ovaries on her as well, never had the apathetic old fat dog syndrome happen to her either)

btw, after reading some of the other posts I thought that I should add that 7 weeks is a perfect time to get your pup. The reason that it is illegal to sell a pup at 8 weeks is to protect the pups from stress when sold to retail stores.

In most states, it is legal to buy a pup at 6 weeks if it is going directly into a home environment from the breeder's house. However, due to developmental reasons, it is best to wait until 7 weeks for the pup to be better socialized with its littermates.

Answer by Lorraine
You should NEVER get a male Rottie of 5 weeks old. 7 weeks is bad enough but 5 – never.
It will miss out on important skills learned in the litter that could come back as behavioral problems later.

If you want a dog that just barks and looks the part then Rottweiler is fine, but if you give a Rottie the position of "guard" then you give it leadership and you will regret that.

I would say get the b*tch. The only difference is usually the size and not really attitude.
I'd rather mess with a hundred dogs than one stroppy b*tch …lol...

Rumble Video: Django Rottweiler Protecting Backyard

Answer by Billie
I have had female dogs all my life, and whilst I have nothing against male dogs, I have found that the females are more protective and loving to their owner and owner's family, guess it's the feminine thing really. That's not to say a male dog would not make a good guard dog, but there is something about the female that does make them more territorial to their house and home and its owners.

They are also more tolerant of children too – again it's that mothering instinct in them I guess.

Answer by Horse Lover
It does not matter what sex the dog is. What matters is the training involved in a personal protection dog. It is not cheap either.

Also, did you know that in most states it is illegal to sell or remove a pup from the mother before 8 weeks of age!

You may also like:

• How Can I Train My Labrador Into A Guard Dog?
• Is a caucasian shepherd dog good for guarding and a good pet?
• What dog breeds have hairs that stand up when "guarding"?
• 7 Best Guard Dogs for a Young Woman in an Apartment

Answer by paige
Never ever buy a puppy under 8 weeks ever you will have many behaver problems arise in the future!
mom brought home our 7-year-old when she was almost 7 weeks she is a bitter bitch! thinks she rules everything and he snappy does not know how to greet properly I have to retrain her
know that I'm 16 and have done a good job but seriously think before you spend your money
Rotties are great family dogs and good to scare of ppl just by looks
sex is sex does not matter which one, I think you need to do your homework cause I'm 16 and clearly know more

I have done way more homework and I'm still not sure if I should get one cause I am still not going to spay/neuter it just cause that's how I feel about it, and cause of that I am researching more and more and I won't stop even after I get my pup
research is key cause another dog does not need to be put to sleep cause of stupid owners who bought him/her for guarding/wrong reasons, I foster many dogs that have been put in that problem and are the hardest cases to train out of it! get a book about Rotties or find a local reputable registerable breeder and go visit they are more than willing to help!?

my pug cocker spaniel male is worse than a pit bull and my friend's chihuahua is nasty little shit! it's not the dog or the breed it's the owner and the time and training.

oh and I would rather wait to get my Rottie when nits 12-13weeks when he is more developed so I can go meet his personality and pick one that suits my family etc sex does not matter!

Answer by Sparhawke
I have had both a male and a female rottweiler and though I didn't have them primarily for protection or looking hard I must say that the female was far better suited.
The male simply had too many power issues to be much good, I never knew if one minute to the next it would simply attack me for looking at its food in the wrong way.

Get a female, they are much more even-tempered. Male rottweilers simply have too much interest in being alpha than actually doing what they are supposed to do, and that includes making sure you don't get where you are supposed to be going through their territory.
Know better? Give your own answer to this question!