Reputed to be loyal, protective, and even tenacious, Rottweilers can be your best friend. Yet, they do tend to act a bit strange sometimes. So, it’s perfectly normal for some Rottie-owners to think of questions like – why does my Rottweiler sit on me? 

As odd as it sounds, Rottweilers do like sitting on people. Now, if you’re dealing with a Rottie pup, then it’s all good and cute. But, when you have an adult Rottweiler trying to cuddle, things can get a little dicey. 

There’s no need to panic, though, because we’re here to assist you. We’ll tell you about the reasons that generally dictate such behavior in Rottweilers, and what you should do about it. 

Why Does My Rottweiler Sit on Me? 

Rottweilers are natural learners and were bred to work as herders with their owners.  So, they do love being and working close to their owners.  

But, if your Rottie has suddenly developed the tendency to sit on you then, this behavior is due to a specific cause. And, it is your job as a concerned pet-parent to discover the reason behind the change. There are some distinct factors behind why your Rottweiler is behaving in a particular manner.  

Let’s take a look at what these reasons may be. 

Your Rottie Has Separation Anxiety 

Leaving your Rott alone often causes them to become more anxious. Rotties love cuddling and laying with their owners, and they need their daily bout of exercise.  

But, if you’re always out, then your dog may feel abandoned. And, presumably, jump on you every time it feels that you’re about to leave it alone again. 

(Sometimes digging can be another sign of separation anxiety.)

Your Rottweiler Is Feeling Blasé 

Your pet may have grown up to a particular routine. And, if it finds that schedule disturbed, it may sit on you to tell you that it’s time to exercise or play. 

Also, the tell-tale signs of boredom are obvious. Your Rottweiler will be on you the moment you enter the house. It’ll probably be more hyper than usual, with a playful set of eyes urging you to get up and have some fun. 

Your Rottie Just Wants to Show You Some Love 

There is a consensus that Rottweilers can look ferocious. But they are, in truth, affectionate animals, who are very generous with their love.  

Rotts are often seen tail-wagging, licking, and even heard ‘purring’ around their owners. Not the ‘purring that you would hear from a cat. The ‘purr’ of a Rottweiler has a low rumbling sound to it. But it’s just as endearing to hear a purr from your Rottweiler as it is from your pet cat. 

So, if your Rottie often plunks down on your feet or plops on your lap. Consider it a blessing. And, if the weight is just too much for you, redirect your best bud to the spot next to you. 

Your Rottweiler Is Spreading His Scent on You 

Owing to the territorial nature of Rottweilers, your dog may simply be sitting on you to leave its scent. Also, Rotts are very protective of their owners, so this behavior may come into play when your pet is feeling insecure.  

Sometimes when you introduce a new pet or human for that matter, Rottweilers can exhibit possessive behavior. This behavior can manifest in excessive sniffing or leaning. If you happen to be the proud parent of a Rottweiler, then you might just find your baby in your lap more often than you like – especially when a stranger is around. 

Your Rottweiler May Be Showing Dominance 

Your dog may be a big bag of cuddles, but it may exhibit dominant behavior sometimes.  

This means that your Rottweiler will sometimes sit on you, to show dominance. This behavior is something to watch out for because it can be followed by a display of other aggressive responses too.  

Your Rott may show an intimidatory manner towards other animals or people. Or even be seen to be licking himself obsessively. Such behavior needs correction immediately. 

But always remember – behavioral changes require a stern, but loving tone. The point is to establish the fact that you are the alpha, figuratively speaking. 

You’ve Spoiled Your Rottie Rotten 

It’s one of the best feelings in the world to have your furry friend snuggle and cuddle you. And, most owners love to keep their Rottie pups as close as possible. 

But this is where you may have unknowingly encouraged your Rottweiler to sit on you. An adult Rott sitting on you can be a cause for concern. The average weight of a Rottweiler is around 40-55 kgs(90-120lb).  

Hence, that kind of weight resting on top of you can hardly be relaxing. So, it’s reasonable to assume that you would want your tail-wagger to learn some manners. 

You may also notice that a spoiled rottweiler will begin barking or growling, as well as a whole other host of bad behaviors.)

How to Stop Your Rottweiler Sitting on You? 

It is recommended that you ought to train your pet from an early age. As a matter of fact, many dog trainers make it a point to suggest that you start training and socialization from the moment your pup opens its eyes. 

Rottweilers are known to be willful, so it’s a smart move to get them used to training and socialization. But, if you’re worried that you’ve missed that boat, then you couldn’t be more wrong. We’ve discussed why your pet dog may want to sit on you, but now it’s time to discuss the methods you can employ to control your Rottie’s behavior.  

So, let’s get to it.  

Train Your Rottie 

There’s no such thing as – you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. 

The first thing to do is to identify the reason that your dog is sitting on you. If it’s showing you love and attention or feeling anxious, then all you have to do is to train it to sit close enough to you, but not on you.  

You can train your pet to understand this by simply using the repetition technique. Therefore, every time your dog sits on you, tap on the space next to you to make it understand that it needs to sit there. By doing so, your dog will not feel cast aside. 

Remember training a dog needs determination, duration, and direction. With a Rottweiler, you have to add devotion to the list too. 

Respect Your Dog 

Rottweilers are house pets. Early training and socialization are vital. But, the Rottie is a very intelligent animal. And, it does have an independent streak. So, remember to treat it with respect. 

Your Rottie is a member of the family and should be made to feel that way. Keeping your pet away from the house, and family members will only promote the dog to be more aggressive. 

Formal Training 

The sooner your Rottie is trained to behave, the better it will be for you and your furry friend. Formal dog training involves behavioral, obedience, and agility training. 

You can even take it a step further to teach your pet vocational training. Now, pet owners are novices when it comes to training. Therefore, if your dog is demonstrating assertive behavior, then formal training can do a lot of good.  

Here are some types of training you should know about. 

Behavioral Training: teaches dogs to be well behaved around other animals as well as people. The goal is to make your Rottweiler a good citizen, with a firm hold on basic commands and a grip on minor issues, such as excessive barking or chewing. 

Obedience training: is more advanced. This is where the trainers try to identify certain aggressive tendencies in your pet. It is then their job to undo the prior negative training and retrain your dog.  

Agility training: is meant for dogs that participate in dog sports. And, when we say sport, we mean the Olympics for dogs (almost), so peak physical fitness is crucial for both the dog and its handler/trainer. 

And, as luck would have it, the Rottweiler is a star when it comes to agility training. But, if you really want your Rottie to flourish, get it into vocational training. 

Vocational training: is where dogs learn a different set of skills. They may learn to herd, assist the disabled or even, do search and rescue work. Rottweilers even work with law enforcement Agencies. 

Herding is particularly ideal for Rottweiler as they were originally ‘drovers.’ It means in the past, Rotties used to protect cattle and other livestock on farms. In these training programs, canines are taught specific techniques to hone their senses and be able to communicate with the people to accomplish the tasks at hand. 

Interested In Training Your Rottweiler The Right Way?

If you haven’t trained your Rottweiler properly, then this is the perfect time to start. Whatever bad behavior your shepherd has, whether it’s barking at night or other bad behaviors, using the right training program is the key to having an obedient and happy pup.

The training program I love and highly recommend is Brain Training For Dogs.

With Brain Training For Dogs you’ll save yourself a ton of time and effort. Instead of banging your head against the wall trying to figure out why your dog won’t listen, you’ll follow a path that has been tried, tested, and most importantly, that’s given proven results. Not to mention the fact, you’ll be able to fit the course around your schedule, not fit your schedule around a trainer or obedience class.

So instead of worrying about whether they’re going to be well-behaved or not, you’ll only have to worry about how much fun you’ll have with them!

And in most cases it’s still going to be:

• Cheaper than hiring a professional.
• Cheaper than replacing everything they might break.
• And definitely cheaper than a lawsuit against you, if they decide to bite someone.

Just imagine how great it will feel to finally be able to trust your Rottweiler completely and never worry whether they’ll be naughty or not. Instead, you’ll have the peace of mind that you have a well-behaved pup, and the boundaries you set for them, will always be there, EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT. 

And the best part is it also has a 60-day money-back guarantee! So there’s no reason not to give Brain Training For Dogs a try!

So if you’re tired of your dog’s bad behavior, or how they react around other people and pooches, then give it a try! You’ll be amazed by the results!

(You can also check out a full review here, to learn exactly what the course has to offer!)

What Should You Avoid Doing to Stop Your Dog Sitting on You? 

As a pet parent, you can get things wrong occasionally too, and there’s no harm in that just as long as you realize the error of your way (proverbially speaking) and work to fix it. 

What we mean is, your behavior may be encouraging your pet to sit on you, and you should not do these things to get your Rottie to behave. 

Avoid Encouraging Negative Behavior 

Your dog feels bored and sits on you, and instead of stopping your pet, you get up to go play with it. Congratulations, you have just encouraged negative behavior, and you should always refrain from such actions.  

But, if your dog sits on you and you get it to sit beside you or you manage to get your pet to sit on the floor close to you, then you should reward your doggie’s good behavior. 

You can treat your Rott by playing with it because a good game of fetch goes a long way. Or, you can give your furry best-friend its favorite treat. 

Don’t Overlook Your Dog’s Behavioral Changes 

As mentioned above, you need to understand why your Rottweiler sometimes sits on you. 

For instance, if you see your Rottie make ‘whale eyes,’ you ought to know that he’s anxious. Whale eyes are the term used for when your dog’s eyes are bulging, and the white around the iris is visible. 

When you see your pet with Whale eyes, you need to calm your Rottweiler down. You can do so in some ways. For instance, your undivided attention will calm your Rottweiler’s anxiety.  

Attention doesn’t mean snuggling with your dog the whole day. Your Rottweiler needs training, exercise, and some playtime. Taking care of its needs regularly manifests into love and attention. 

Although there are circumstances, your Rottweiler may need more than just love and care. If your pet is showing aggressive behavior, coupled with trying to sit on top of you, then your dog needs formal training. 

Conclusion 

If you were in a dilemma, hopefully, we’ve solved the mystery of why your Rottweiler loves to sit on you. 

As a caring pet parent, it is essential to identify the behavioral changes in your loyal companion. Be it stress, anxiety, a show of affection, a display of dominance, or even simple boredom – such changes can trigger your furry friend to behave oddly.  

Sitting on you is just one way for your best bud to show you that it needs your care and attention. Not to mention, with a bit of proper training, your Rottweiler can do a full 180 and become an outstanding canine citizen of the community.