The Rottweiler is often seen as a powerful and bulky dog. More recognised for its guarding ability, most people assume that the breed is not really overly active. However, if you look into the history of the Rottweiler then you will see that it has always been a working breed. This means that it has plenty of energy and if that energy is not used up then it could potentially cause behaviour problems in the dog.
Why Agility Could be the Answer
In order for a Rottweiler to be a good family pet, it will need to be trained properly. You will also need to spend plenty of time with the dog and provide them with plenty of exercise. Without it you could end up with a dog which:
Constantly barks
Chews the furniture and anything it can get its teeth into
Becomes aggressive
All of the above are traits which the Rottweiler could develop if you did not spend the time exercising and giving them something to do.
One particular good activity that your Rottweiler may enjoy is "Agility". It is a fairly new activity that Rottweiler owners have been trying out and it does seem to be extremely effective. The Rottweiler is an intelligent breed and armed with something such as Agility to keep them occupied, you could end up with a very contented dog.
The key to owning a happy Rottweiler is to keep them busy. Agility pushes the dog to the limit both physically and mentally which means that when they arrive home again they are more than likely going to just fall asleep rather than cause any trouble! There are a number of obstacles that your Rottweiler will have to overcome in order to compete in Agility including tunnels, a see-saw and an A-Frame. It will mentally tire the dog out but they will enjoy doing it.
Of course not every single Rottweiler will like Agility but you never known unless you try. So just try to make the activity fun and if the dog doesn't take to it do not make a big deal out of it. There are plenty of ways to keep your Rottweiler busy, but Agility is definitely one of the best.
When you think that the Rottweiler used to be used for herding cattle, you will realize the energy levels that the breed actually has. You do tend to mainly picture Rottweilers just wandering around, waiting for unsuspecting visitors to arrive and keeping a lookout for any trouble. However, there is so much more to the breed than that and most behavior problems with the breed stem from not enough mental and physical stimulation.
Overall Agility is an excellent activity for you to take part in with your Rottweiler. You should notice that once they understand the obstacles they really enjoy taking part.
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