Rottweilers are seen as extremely athletic dogs with their stocky build and muscular appearance. They are known for loving and needing lots of exercise, whether that’s extensive training or a walk around the block. They even enjoy swimming.
But people have a lot of questions about their athletic ability, such as, how high can rottweilers jump? This could be a key factor in deciding if you want to add a Rottweiler into your family, so let’s get into it.
How High Can Rottweilers Jump?
Rottweilers can only jump about 3 or 4 feet in the air on average. They were bred for pulling carts and guiding livestock, which doesn’t lend itself to the need for jumping.
There are instances where a Rottweiler can jump higher, if they feel motivated enough to. They are prey driven, so if a bird is flying low enough or if they see a squirrel in a tree, they may try to leap at it to catch it.
With motivation and training, you can teach your Rottweiler to jump higher, but this is only if you wish to and isn’t a necessary trick to teach for your Rottie’s survival. They are menacing on their own, and pretty adept runners, so jumping high is not likely a life skill they will ever need to use to escape danger.
Can a Rottweiler Jump a Fence?
As we’ve established, there is a limit to how high a Rottweiler can jump. This means if your fence is around 5 or 6 feet, your Rottweiler is unlikely to hop straight over it, even with a running start. A 6 foot fence is generally recommended if you’re going to leave your dog alone in the yard by themselves.
You should also have the yard fully fenced in to where the Rottweiler is not going to be distracted by the nature around them. If a Rottweiler is feeling particularly risky and sees a prey that they absolutely want to chase down, almost nothing will get in the way of them trying to hunt it.
This is where proper obedience training comes in. If your dog was consistently trained since they were a puppy, they will typically listen to you when you try to stop them from chasing down everything that moves.
So while it is unlikely your Rottweiler will just hop straight over a tall fence, it is still possible and you should keep an eye out for them while they are outside, even if they’re on a leash.
Can Rottweilers Climb?
Since Rottweilers will let nothing get in the way of them catching a fresh meal, they do learn to adapt to not being able to jump over the fence. This involves them jumping as high as they can, and then using their paws to climb the rest of the way to get over and start running.
While this is likely to happen, they can’t climb super high fences, and some materials make it harder than others, but we will get into that soon. Besides climbing the fence with their strong legs, there is a chance that they’ll try to use the full force of their body to knock a fence over if they think it’s weak enough
Climbing is commonly seen in Rottweiler athleticism contests, where they have to jump and climb super tall fences. Climbing to this extent does need to be taught and trained into them, and is not necessarily a natural instinct.
There have been pet owners with particularly daredevil Rottie’s that report them being able to climb trees- and sometimes not able to get down on their own! This is not a common trait among the breed, but it definitely can happen if they get a good enough grip.
Can Rottweilers Dig Under Fences?
Yes, Rottweilers are known to dig from time to time, especially under fences when they want to escape. Again, they will mainly be digging because they sense prey, or maybe even a friend, on the other side of the fence.
If you have close neighbors on the opposite side of the fence with dogs, or even cats, this could motivate your Rottie to start digging to try and befriend or chase them. Rottweilers are smart dogs, so as soon as they find a way to get what they want they will give it their best attempt.
To prevent digging, you’ll most likely have to extend the fence a few feet under to ground to convince the Rottweiler that they cannot dig their way under. You can do this with extra fence panels, concrete, or even hardware cloth.
Chicken wire is also a possible material you can place underground, but could potentially cause harm if played with too much. If your Rottweiler continues to dig regardless of the fact that they aren’t getting anywhere, consult a vet.
Sometimes dogs will dig to ease anxiety, and female dogs can start digging as a sign of nesting when they get pregnant.
What is The Best Fence For a Rottweiler?
Jumping fences can be dangerous and harmful for Rottweilers, both on the way up and the way down. If your Rottie were to jump, you’d want a material that is less likely to cause harm to them. There are a couple of fence options that are preferable for Rottweilers.
The easiest way to keep your Rottweiler in the yard is an electric fence. However, this leaves them open to their environment. While they cannot get out, other animals or people can still get in. They also are strong enough to ignore the shock from the collar if they have enough motivation to escape.
Two other great options are vinyl or wood fences. These will block the surrounding environment from your dog’s view, as well as make it slightly more difficult for them to jump and climb over. Vinyl and wood are both smoother materials that are hard for a dog’s paws to get a good footing on.
Wire and metal fences should be avoided, as they are very see-through and can provide a good grip for a Rottweiler to hold onto and manage their way over. They are also likely to injure your dog during the process because of the harsh material.
Coyote rollers are also an option. These are places along top of the fence and make it virtually impossible to get over. However, it won’t prevent a dog from attempting the jump, and will usually just make them stumble and fall back down, potentially causing an injury.
Conclusion
Your Rottweiler’s protection and safety should be one of your top priorities. This is why it’s necessary to know that while they aren’t great jumpers, they still are able to make their way past a fence or any obstacle when they feel motivated enough.
Prey, dogs, and even humans can pose a reason for you Rottie to want to dig under, or climb over, the fence. With this in mind, you should prepare to have a fence that is in both you and your dog’s best interests .
