Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Rottweiler Rumble

Anybody have this go on in their household? Is a daily thing at my house. Was very worrisome at first, but after 5 years in, it's just the way he is. One of his littermates is the same way (mixed breeds of unknown background).




He only does it when he gets affection and petting/scratches. If you stop, he'll relax his face and paw at you to scratch him, then the snarling/growling and the teeth come right back. He pretty much looks like he's about to kill you, then he'll stop and lick your face. Eldest daughter loving on him in that pic.


Turns out this a very common thing for dogs with Rottweiler blood and is known as the Rottie Rumble. Some weird part of the breed's known behavior. Perhaps my big pup (110lbs) has some Rott in the bloodline....

It's just a warning.....

Yes I have seen it. Not a fan.

Wife does that.

Is that your hog dog?

Interesting. I bred Rotts for many years and have been around them my whole life and never seen a Rott do that.

No, that would be the little pit bull girl. He’s more of a “biscuit hound”.

He is smiling - got it from his humans. Which is totally contrary to dog language where bared teeth is a threat - but they learn, and imitate.

My brother had a Chessy that did that- scared the crap out of me when I walked up to his place- no one home, never met the dog before.

A month later my Lab was doing it! Learned it from her. Neither accompanied it with growls tho.

the Dachsund does that without (mostly) the smiling. It's play. I had to teach play growls to Honey Half-Lab after I got her from the rescue place. She didn't make a sound (except once, in attack mode) during the first 2 months I had her. Like a kid, you can't shut her up now- she "talks" a lot!

So cute until one day it decides to bite your face off just for giggles.

I am a long time lab owner so seeing that is very disturbing. All my dogs show pleasantness by beating me with their tails. They can wipe clean a coffee table in the blink of an eye.

He’s done it since a little pup. Such a good-natured dog that I’ve never seen him bare teeth in anger. We were surprised to find that it’s an actual thing.

One of our other dogs used to lift an upper lip on one side to smile at you when you walked in the room. Looked like Elvis or Billy Idol. It was a sign of love if he gave you “snarly face” as the kids called it. But it was rather low-key with no growling.

Looks and sounds much like crossfireoops dog, Gracie. First dog I ever saw like that.
Red Healer, IIRC - and a sweetheart wanting attention.
I miss 'em both.

Rottwielers and pit bulls make me laugh. My dog "Sparky" has killed 2 of those fierce dogs. It is true, they both choked on Sparky when they had him in their mouths. He didn't suffer any wounds that have impaired his good looks either...

Casey, our old Jack Russell mux used to do that.
It meant she was passed and you needed to do something different.

With me it never went farther,
can't say that for others.

Amazing how stupid folks can be, see those damn fangs of hers and think it's cute.

"She ain't being cute, she's telling you to back off. You won't like what comes next,
but she probably won't open you up. Keep it up, you'll be bleeding."


Loved that dog.
She didn't look for trouble, but she darn sure wasn't afraid of it.

Now that's a good dog.

That describes my wife to a T!

I had a Rottie for 8 years but never saw that. RZ.

That dog will keep the riff-raf away.

First cousin raised one from a puppy, she loved that dog, when it got 6yo though it decided to take a chunk out of her thigh the size of its mouth. She was a big girl so had some meat to spare but still.