Last Updated on April 24, 2024 by Dr. Julie
Do Rottweilers have lockjaw? This is a question most pet lovers like to know before adopting one of these lovely dog breeds.
Rottweilers are a much loved and powerful breed. It is popular for its guarding abilities making them stand out with its ability to take down predators.
But even with these lovely qualities, some people do not like keeping these dogs because they have lockjaw.
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So, What Is Lockjaw?
The term lockjaw is used in two instances in a dog’s life.
Lockjaw or tetanus is an infection that affects people and dogs. Your Rottie can develop lockjaw from tetanus that can lead to serious health problems. Lockjaw is called so because one of the most common signs of tetanus is tightening the jaw muscles and not opening the mouth. Rotties are susceptible to tetanus; consult your veterinarian immediately your dog gets it.
Lockjaw is also used for dogs that lock their jaws when they bite and do not release. Some people classify Rottweiler as a dig that has a lockjaw. True or not, let’s study its behavior.
Do Rottweilers Have Lockjaw?
Naturally, these dogs do not have locking jaws. Rotties may have a powerful bite, but they will let go eventually. Especially if directed by their alpha, they quickly let go and obey.
How Strong Are Rottweilers’ Jaws?
Rottweilers are among the top 10 breeds with the strongest jaws. It has a bite strength of about 328psi, strong enough to inflict severe damage on anything it bites.
This breed is generally gentle with their loved ones and other pets. However, when threatened, they jump into their defense mode with little to no warning. A stranger behaving hostile towards this dog’s family and loved ones could get a bite.
Rottweilers have a strong bite; thus, proper training and socialization should be emphasized. This active dog loves to be involved with their family’s lives. You must ensure you have a well-trained dog to make a good family member and overall companion.
Younger Rotties, in particular, need extra training and socialization to ensure that they understand all the boundaries. Puppies and young dogs are mostly unaware of their strength and can potentially injure children or elderly family members.
Learn more about: How To Tell If Yours Is Full-Blooded Rottweiler Puppies
When your Rottie learns appropriate boundaries for biting or nipping behavior, it will be easy for every family member to enjoy being around it. You will also have to deal with dog biting accidents around your home.
Do We Conclude That Rottweilers Lockjaw Is A Myth?
Yes. We can conclude that the Rottweiler lockjaw is a myth that most people peddle around without knowing the truth. Many stories of Rottweilers biting power are normally exaggerated, making others believe that their bite is worse than sharks.
To put things into perspective, Rottweilers have a 328 psi bite, and a shark has a 600 psi bite strength. These two have no comparison whatsoever. A shark remains to be the worst animal to bite you.
The one reason people believe that Rotties have a locking jaw is misuse by the dogfighters who use these dogs in the wrong way. The dogfighting business has created a deplorable reputation for some of these good breeds, and that’s why it’s mostly outlawed in many countries.
As if that’s not enough, Rottweilers have also been featured as villains in a few horror movies. Even though such storylines are fiction, these movies mostly leave viewers with a lasting impression of the dog used.
Dog lovers need to know that the way these dogs are often portrayed has no basis in reality. The poor reputation that these dogs often get is disproven through interaction with one of them. Most people who have had the chance to keep Rottweilers have a better impression of these furry friends.
How To Keep Your Rottweiler From Biting
- Train them early enough. Rottweilers can be stubborn if you don’t train them and socialize them from an early age. This trait gives them the advantage of being guard dogs but can also be used against their family or loved ones. It would help if you found a proper balance for this dog’s temperament, both the good and the bad. Early training and socializing will keep your dog’s dominant attitude away. When a dog has a dominant streak, it is likely to act aggressively and engage in behavior like biting.
- Be assertive. Be assertive when dealing with any biting behavior. It teaches the dog that you are in control and that was bad behavior not to be repeated.
- Supervise the dog around children. Supervise young children because they may do something that could irritate a dog, causing it to bite. Activities like running around screaming, poking at the dog with painful elements, ear or tail pulling, etc., may encourage aggression.
- Supervise new dogs that your dog meets. Rotties easily get aggressive around other dogs of the same sex. It is a dog’s thing of territorial fights and all. Any time you have time at the park, supervise your dog, so it doesn’t get into biting behavior with other dogs. Also, it’s important to start socialization early enough to reduce such chances when you meet other dogs in public.
- Keep your Rottie indoors. Allowing your Rottweiler to live indoors with your family help decrease the biting risk. Dogs that leave outdoors mostly regard everything as a potential threat. A dog living indoors has a more balanced view of other people in its life than the one outdoors.
Conclusion
So to answer your question – do Rottweilers have lockjaw? Our take is Rottweilers, and other breeds do not have locking jaws, despite the common myths.
However, these dogs have strong bites that need to be discouraged as early as possible. Socialization and training will help you make the most significant difference between pets and those used in dogfighting.
Keep working on your relationship with your furry friend! Rottweilers have been bred as guard dogs for many years, and they are known to form strong bonds with their owners. The bond you form with your dog will cause it to behave in the right manner all the time.
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