Last Updated on March 6, 2022 by
Rottweilers are a breed of dog that needs constant mental stimulation, which is why some owners wonder what are the best jobs for Rottweilers. Rottweilers are a supremely intelligent breed and they need their owners to work with them almost every day in order to maintain mental health, otherwise, they’ll become grumpy and easily agitated. In today’s article, we’ll be taking a look at the best jobs for Rottweilers and other ways to entertain your pup.
Table of Contents
Importance Of Mental Stimulation
Rottweilers are some of the most intelligent dogs on the planet. In that, they are not only able to understand many things that would surprise you, but they’re able to comprehend commands and functionality of a command. This doesn’t only mean that they have the potential to be smart – they also have the need for mental stimulation.
It’s like an itch that they have to scratch – these dogs are very intelligent and they need you to work their brain, similar to how you would work a muscle out, in order to stay healthy. If you don’t stimulate these dogs, they’ll probably make you pay for it. They can possibly become more easily agitated, maybe even aggressive (although that is rare).
What’s certain is that they’ll definitely take it out on something, so you might be seeing your Rottie ripping your couch apart because you’re not working with it enough. A similar rule applies to physical stimulation, as these dogs are very physically advanced and need to work out regularly.
What Are The Best Jobs For Rottweilers?
There are quite a few things you can do to mentally stimulate your dog. We’ll talk about dog jobs later, but what we’re discussing now are games you can play with your dog that will induce actual cognitive effort.
Firstly, we have the game of fetch. This is possibly the most popular game of dog and owner, and that’s not without reason. Even though it might seem very rudimentary to you – the game of fetch is actually very pleasant to your dog. The goal is to track, find, take and bring back an object, which all requires cognitive effort.
Read more about: How Much Exercise Does a Rottweiler Need?
Another popular game is, hide and seek – this might be a little more difficult, especially if you’re not a creative person and you don’t know how to hide well, but a dog that’s actively looking for you will need to fully concentrate to find you, which is great for their brains.
There are also many games where dogs have to recognize objects and colors or connect certain objects with certain colors to get a treat. You can buy these games at dog stores and they’re usually a very powerful stimulant of your dog’s brain.
Jobs For Rottweilers
It’s impossible to give your Rottweiler an actual job, of course – not only would that be illegal but dogs also can’t comprehend the idea of working for money. The primary motivator in a dog’s life is food – not even shelter, food. Everything revolves around food and they’ll do anything to eat.
This is why most “jobs” you can assign to your Rottweiler revolve around food and snacks. Your dog will start to see these jobs as a means of putting food on the table. For example, training your dog to bring in the newspaper will teach them that they’ll get a treat every time they do that, and in their mind – they’re working for that food.
Even though the actual reward is the mental stimulation they’re getting.
Another great option is swimming. If there’s a small lake or a stream nearby, teaching your Rottie to swim (these dogs are good swimmers, so you don’t have to worry about drowning or something like that) can be used as a reason to give an award. Very soon, your Rottie will learn that every time they cross the stream, they’re getting a treat.
Additionally, you can improve that lesson by following the swimming trip with an entire dinner instead of just sticking with a treat.
Learn more about: The Best Life Jacket For Rottweiler When Swimming
What’s important to understand is that dogs see everything through the prism of food. So, whatever it is that your dog is doing, they have to be rewarded after it with food. You can buy toys and puzzles that, when the dog solves them, release a treat. Or you can build an obstacle course with a treat at the end of it.
Additionally, know that there are very few things you can have your dog do that will be productive for the home. If you’re wondering if there’s an actual job your dog can do around the house for a treat – it would take extensive training to teach a dog to do anything but the basic, rudimentary tasks.
FAQ
What jobs can I give my dog?
Bringing in the newspaper is a classic dog job, but dogs can't be trained to do many jobs that are actually useful for the home since most jobs require a dexterity that dogs don't have. Sticking with rewarding and challenging games and training methods is the best way to stimulate their brains.
How do you entertain a Rottweiler?
Entertainment is very important for Rottweilers as they're very intelligent dogs that need much stimulation to stay healthy. It's best to play games like fetch, take them running and swimming, but also keep them in constant command training.
What is a working Rottweiler?
A working Rottweiler, or any breed of working dog, are dogs that are constantly working in some form of traditional dog employment - military, police, search and rescue, etc.
To Summarize
Although a working Rottweiler is a common sight, there are very few things you can teach your dog to do in the house that will actually be useful. Dogs aren’t as dexterous as humans and they don’t have the abilities they would need to accomplish most tasks. However, keeping them stimulated through training, games, and play is a great way to stimulate their brains.
Rottweilers are incredibly intelligent dogs and they need constant brain stimulation, which includes entertainment, in order to stay mentally well.
