Instructions
Understand pack behavior. While all of your dogs should respect you, they will not respect each other equally. Dogs live with a rigid social structure within their family group. There will always be a dominant member and one or more submissive members -- each of whom should look up to you, the pack leader. The dominant dog expects to get treats and food first and have first access to you and your attention. Any time a new dog is added to the group, there will be a series of disputes, usually minor ones, that occur as the group restructures itself. Look for cues of dominant and submissive behavior that can help you understand the social structure of the pack and deal with disputes appropriately: for example, a dominant dog might try to hold another dog down with its paw, while a submissive one will display its belly in an attempt to appease you or another dog.
Demonstrate appropriate social behavior. As the pack leader, you are responsible for making all of the pack decisions and providing guidance. Set clear rules and be prepared to enforce them. Acknowledge the superiority of the dominant dog. Doing so does not mean encouraging ̶0;jealousy̶1; among the other dogs in the group, but the dominant dog is entitled to first access to all resources, including your time, even if a new puppy is in the house and tempting you away from the established group. Reinforcing the pack structure will help you maintain order in the group.
Train your dogs. The rottweiler requires at least basic obedience training to be an ideal family pet. All of your dogs should know what it means to sit, lie down, stay, come to their name and walk politely on a leash. Your dogs also should be able to stay in a crate for up to several hours at a time. Not only does obedience training give you more control over your dogs, but crate training also gives you control over your dogs when you are not present. If for any reason your dogs do not get along together when they are alone, separate them into their own crates when you must leave your home. Your dogs̵7; crates can be your best friends in terms of keeping the peace and preventing vet bills.
Keep your dogs busy. A tired dog is a happy dog, whether it is a singleton or lives in a group. Remember, your rottweilers are working dogs that have centuries of work bred into their genes. If you are unable to provide the dogs with sheep to herd or criminals to catch, you should at least provide them with engaging activity for at least 30 minutes twice a day. Because rottweilers are high energy dogs, these periods should provide more exercise than provided by a walk around the block. Agility training, tracking and other energetic sports provide more appropriate exercise for your rottweilers.
Recognize your limitations. If you have a dog that seems as if it would be aggressive to a newcomer due to dominance or aggression issues, it might be best to avoid another dog in your pack. Sometimes a dog can display ̶0;same-sex aggression̶1; because it is so similar to another member of its breed and may have difficulty backing down. Because groups larger than two must always have at least two members of the same sex, some rottweiler breeders prefer to keep only two dogs, one each of the opposite sex.
Consult the professionals. Take any dog that seems overly aggressive to the vet for an exam. If there are no physical issues and your dogs refuse to get along with each other despite taking precautions, consult a behaviorist for help. These professionals are able to diagnose problems and find solutions not obvious to other dog owners.
How to Live With Multiple Rottweilers
Rottweilers are large and powerful animals once used as drovers' dogs, or driving livestock, as the Roman army swept through Europe. The rottweiler is a self-confident, intelligent and trainable breed that should not be shy or aggressive with humans. Like many working dogs, however, the rottweiler is independent and may show some aggression to other dogs of its breed or sex. This behavior is normal for the breed but must be addressed early in your dog̵7;s life to prevent any serious issues that might arise in adulthood.