Rottweilers and Great Danes are two of the more powerful and protective breeds getting around. Are their similarities enough to cause them to clash? Or can these two giant breeds learn to get along?
In this article, we’ll explore the potential for a Rottweiler and a Great Dane to peacefully coexist in your home. We will look at their temperaments, size differences, and general care requirements to determine whether owning both breeds is feasible. Let’s get started!
Do Breed Differences Affect Their Ability to Get Along?
Breed differences can certainly influence whether two breeds are likely to get along. It’s certainly not unusual for two breeds to happily play together for hours if they have a lot in common.
However, when there are major differences between breeds, this is where it gets interesting.
As an example, imagine a chihuahua and a Great Dane meeting for the first time. There are clearly some major differences between the two. One is massive, the other tiny.
The Great Dane is powerful and dominant; the chihuahua is weak and submissive. Would they immediately get along? Or is the Great Dane likely to use its prey drive and dominate its smaller counterpart?
This scenario is not uncommon. It highlights the importance of understanding the differences between certain breeds. It also means that certain steps must be taken to ensure they get along.
Let’s explore the key differences between the Rottweiler and the Great Dane. We’ll compare their key traits, behaviors, and needs to understand whether they are likely to get along or not.
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Size Difference
While anybody who has seen a Great Dane knows that these are giant dogs. What you may not know is how big they are compared to other dog breeds.
It’s a fact, Great Danes are the largest domestic dogs in the world! Believe it or not, the world’s largest dog is a Great Dane named Zeus. He is recorded as being 7 feet tall on its hind legs!
While it may surprise you, Great Danes are gigantic, and depending on gender, they can weigh up to 200 lbs! They are also very lean and muscular.
This means that when it comes to mixing this breed with other dogs, caution must be exercised when considering the size of the Great Dane’s counterpart.
Rottweilers, on the other hand, are also large dogs. However, they are almost insignificant when compared to the huge size of the Great Dane.
Rotties can weigh up to 120 pounds or more and will typically develop a rather muscular and athletic physique.
Now, can you imagine if an excitement-fueled Great Dane started running around with 200 lbs of pure muscle behind them toward the smaller Rottweiler?
“With both breeds being fiercely confident and determined, it could get messy very quickly!”
When pairing a Rottweiler and Great Dane in the same home, the best way to avoid size conflicts is to look for a smaller Great Dane and a larger Rottweiler.
This way, one of the dogs is less likely to become injured in a play session with the other.
Also, as long as both dogs are neutered/spayed, it’s often recommended to get a female Great Dane and a male Rottweiler as the size difference is more likely to be similar.
Temperament
When comparing the differences in temperament between Rottweilers and Great Danes, there are several differences between the two breeds.
First, the Great Dane is generally considered to be one of the most laid-back dogs around.
They are gentle giants that love playing with their family members, and they also have a relaxed nature.
It might take them longer than other dogs to forgive you after you leave them alone for several hours. However, in the long run, they hope to please you and show you how much they adore you, even if it’s not easy at times.
If there’s anything this breed wants more than anything else, it’s to sit on your lap! This is kind of ironic when you consider their huge size!
On the other hand, a Rottweiler may not be as relaxed as the Great Dane. However, they are still very gentle and loyal at heart!
They love being around their family members, whether it’s relaxing with them or playing a game of fetch.
Having said that, Rotties need an outlet for all of their energy after several hours alone at home.
It might be worthwhile to consider hiring a dog walker if you work long hours during the week. This will help ensure your Rottie stays happy throughout the day.
Guarding Instincts
Another important thing to consider about these two breeds is their guarding instincts.
While both dogs are very large, they both come from fairly similar backgrounds.
The Great Dane was initially bred to protect country estates. However, they’re primarily family pets these days, even though they are still hugely protective of their owners.
While they are laid back and docile, this breed is an exceptional guard dog that scares off most intruders!
Meanwhile, Rottweilers were used as guard dogs in farms and businesses to protect livestock. They have also evolved and are commonplace in many family homes these days.
Their protective instincts are almost unmatched! They have a deep sense of loyalty and devotion to their owners and will protect them at all costs. This makes the Rottie one of the best guard dogs of all time.
Dominance
When it comes to bringing two dog breeds together, it is recommended to have one more dominant dog than the other.
This may seem scary at first glance. While you may be thinking that the dominant one could seriously injure the other dog, the truth is that unless the dominant dog has a reason to attack, it won’t.
That being said, the Rottweiler is a dominant dog breed. They are very strong-willed and easily become bored if put into situations that don’t challenge them.
“They also require a lot of mental stimulation to feel fulfilled, so this breed is not recommended for the average dog owner.“
On the other hand, the Great Dane can be aloof at times, However, they are also noble dogs who often choose one person to follow around almost exclusively.
The good news is that even though the Great Dane may seem fearsome at first glance, he’s an incredibly gentle giant. He would much rather curl up beside your chair than scare anyone away.
These friendly giants are also rarely dominant; therefore, the Great Dane pairs pretty well with the average Rottweiler in terms of dominance!
With only one dominant dog, the chances of conflict are far lower.
Energy Levels
When it comes to comparing the energy levels of Rottweilers with that of Great Danes, there is clearly a difference between the breeds.
This is mainly because the Rottweiler was bred for herding, guarding, and even weight pulling. Whereas the Great Dane was bred for hunting large game.
This means that the Great Dane is much more energetic than the Rottweiler.
However, this doesn’t mean that they can’t get along! It’s just important to consider how much energy your dog has before bringing home any new furry friends.
“As an example; if you have an extremely hyper dog, then it might not be a good idea to introduce them to another very high-energy breed.“
However, even though their energy levels are different, there are ways that you can help these two adapt quickly!
When introducing them, make sure your Great Dane is on a leash, and your Rottweiler isn’t.
This will help them get used to each other without being able to go at it full force!
Once you feel comfortable letting your Great Dane walk around with a loose leash, then you can try taking them both for a walk together.
If your Rottweiler seems very energetic, just let the Great Dane have free reign while walking to tire out some of that extra energy!
To keep things from getting too out of control, you should always supervise any interactions between your two dogs.
Even though they might get along so well, there’s always a chance something could happen if they’re left unattended together!
Training Needs
The level of training provided will impact whether Rottweilers will get along with Great Danes.
Rotties are typically easy-going until they get protective. They may not do well with children and other animals unless they are socialized.
On the other hand, Great Danes love to play, and that energy needs to be expended, or they become destructive.
Socialization is essential here as well, but also because these two breeds need to learn how to coexist peacefully.
Both breeds need a strong pack leader. The modern-day dog has evolved from their wolf ancestors, who lived in packs led by an alpha male and female (yes, dogs can breed amongst each other without human intervention).
“A dog will naturally want his place in the pecking order; if he doesn’t receive leadership from you, he will assume his place at the top of the pecking order.“
On a separate note, both breeds are quite large, so they need to be trained to walk on a leash without pulling.
This is also good training for your dog’s general health because you’re not just teaching him how to heel; you’re making him work out by dragging his entire weight.
Great Danes especially pull hard, so low impact strength training using a leash can go a long way in keeping them healthy and happy throughout their lives.
Both of these dogs are known for learning rather quickly; however, they each have their strengths.
Ensure you consider this before attempting to train them at the same time.
Unfortunately, this may not be a viable option as they will learn things at their own pace and may be rather difficult to handle at the same time!
Are Great Danes & Rottweilers Compatible?
So, do Rottweilers get along with Great Danes? The answer is yes!
Although these two breeds have their differences, they can be a good match and have the ability to live under the same roof in peace.
While the Great Dane has the upper hand in terms of size and energy, the Rottie makes up for it in terms of dominance and protective instincts.
As long as both breeds have been socialized from a young age and carefully introduced, they should have no problems getting along and becoming great companions!
