Rottweiler training is mostly the same as training any other dog, with a few exceptions. Just make sure you follow all the basic recommendations, such as properly socializing your puppy and focusing on positive reinforcement training techniques to get the best results. It is especially important in your case, because an untrained dog the size of a Rottweiler can lead to very bad situations. Your dog will grow quickly, more quickly than you can probably imagine. More than one owner has gotten his puppy a small dog bed only to find out that he can only use it for about a month!
Proper socialization can be found by enrolling your puppy in a puppy training class. These classes usually focus on only the most basic of commands such as come and sit, so the main value is in the chance for your puppy to be exposed to other puppies to learn how to properly interact with other dogs. This is even more important if your puppy is the only dog in your household. You don’t want to raise a dog-aggressive Rottweiler, so getting proper socialization for your puppy is vital! This is the foundation for all your future Rottweiler training success.
The next phase of training can be completed either on your own or as part of a paid training class. If you are a novice, it is best if you enroll in a professionally-run dog training class in which you participate, because what many people don’t understand is that dog training class is at least as much about training the OWNER as it is about training the dog! You need to learn the proper techniques that you should use to successfully train your own dog. The dog trainer should watch as you engage your dog in training exercises, and they will give you feedback about your own training skills. The class is to teach YOU how to teach your own dog. If you only do this once, you will still gain the skills necessary for basic obedience training, and you can use it on any future puppies you might have.
The specifics for Rottweiler training include realizing that your dog may be more bull-headed or stubborn than many other breeds. Many people think of this as the dog being “thicker”, or less intelligent, but that is not the case! Rottweilers are quite smart. They just tend to be a bit more aloof and independent than many other breeds, and, especially as adolescents, they think they get to run the show. You have to establish early on that YOU are in charge, and your task will be much simpler. This does not necessarily include dominance exercises such as rolling your puppy on its back and pinning it to the ground, as recommended by some trainers. Establishing dominance can come from simple things such as food control. Your dog doesn’t get to eat unless it is behaving. To establish this control, put your puppy in a sit/stay. Make your puppy look you in the eyes. Put the food into the puppy’s bowl. If the puppy begins to move to the food, pick up the bowl. Do not let the puppy eat until it successfully manages to sit in position and look you in the eyes until you tell it, “OK! Take!” The “take” command means that the puppy gets to eat now. You can use any word you prefer as long as you are consistent. If you do this every day throughout the puppy’s life, on into adulthood, it is clear that you control the food, and so you are the dominant one in the relationship. This can only make your job of Rottweiler training easier.
