My Rottie growls whenever we show affection

 

by Mikki
(Elgin, TX)

Texaco

Texaco

We have noted that our Rottie growls whenever we hug or show him physical attention. He is not aggressive and will show that he loves the attention ie. rubbing his ears, scratching his back above his tail, rubbing his chest. Is this normal? Is this is way of vocalizing his approval? Is this a common behavior with Rotties? I should note that he doesn’t nip, bite or jump towards your face.

He is a happy and well socialized dog, sleeps with our cats and 4 Australian Terriers. His temperament fits the AKC quides to a tee. Thanks.

Hi Mikki
Rottweilers tend to ‘talk’ quite a bit, it’s a low rumbling, grumbling sort of sound and to me it’s an equivalent of a cat purring. Often new Rottie owners, or people unfamiliar with the breed, think a dog is growling when he or she is doing this, but it’s not the same thing at all.

However, each dog is different and sometimes a dog may growl if he doesn’t like being touched in a certain spot, or is objecting to the affection. It sounds as though he’s got a great temperament and is very loving and non-combative so chances are he’s just enjoying the attention. However, you know Texaco best, and are the best judge of whether this is the case or not.

Hope this helps, best of luck with your dog.

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About The Rotty lover 2159 Articles
My name is Dr. Winnie. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Duke University, a Masters of Science in Biology from St Georges University, and graduated from the University of Pretoria Veterinary School in South Africa. I have been an animal lover and owners all my life having owned a Rottweiler named Duke, a Pekingese named Athena and now a Bull Mastiff named George, also known as big G! I'm also an amateur equestrian and love working with horses. I'm a full-time Veterinarian in South Africa specializing in internal medicine for large breed dogs. I enjoy spending time with my husband, 2 kids and Big G in my free time. Author and Contribturor at SeniorTailWaggers, A Love of Rottweilers, DogsCatsPets and TheDogsBone