Obedience Training: How to Train Your Rottweiler

Your fearless and loyal Rottweiler may do anything to please you. They just need some assistance from you to become one of the most awesome and adorable pets one can ever have. With some basic obedience training, this medium breed would become much easy to care and handle.

Before starting off do remember that the key to a rewarding training experience is your patience and your consistent efforts. Give time to your dog. Let it get proficient in one trick at a time. And never, that is never hit the dog as it will not serve your purpose. Rather keep the training sessions short, fun, and training practices consistent. These will help you in making sure that the dog remembers and obediently follows your commands.

• Sit

It is a very basic and very useful command and should be the first step towards teaching discipline to dog. ‘Sit’ command would also assist in forming a base for other commands. Call out your dog’s name, and in a clear cool voice tell it to ‘Sit’. Then, push the rear part of the dog down, firmly but gently. As the dog sits, pat it, praise it and offer it a tasty reward. Show happiness in your voice by being a little loud and cheerful. The happiness of your loyal Rottweiler lies in your happiness. Now, practice the command; push the dog only when the dog doesn’t sit on its own.

• ‘Shake’ or ‘Paw’ command

This command can be taught right after the dog learns to ‘sit’, as it is in sitting position when you can best teach it. You can use either of the words – shake or paw, or device your own word to tell your dog to stretch one of its paws towards you. Make the dog sit and take one of its paws in your hand. As you hold the paw, praise the dog and give it a treat straight away. After going over the sit-pat-praise-treat ritual a few times, try to make the dog paw without you lifting it. Besides being a good style of introducing your dog with your friends or kids, the ‘Shake’ command would also make clipping of dog nails easier.

• ‘Lay Down’

This is how you are going to tell your dog to take it easy. Bring the dog in sitting position and in a very gentle tone say ‘Lay down’. Now take hold of both paws of the canine and bring them forward smoothly. Lying in this position, reward and compliment the dog for being so wonderful. Practice it till the time dog stretches on the floor on its own. This command would come handy at times when you need to calm an excited Rottie.

• Stay

Your Rottweiler loves to be around you all the time. The ‘Stay’ command would help you maintain distance when the need be. Firstly, make the dog sit. Sitting would make staying easier for the dog. Praise her and tell her to ‘Stay’ in calm but a firm voice. You may also show your hand wide open, right in front of its face to convey the non-verbal sign to stop/stay. Now slowly move away from the dog. Your Fido is more than likely to get up and follow you. Say ‘No’, take the dog back to its original position and tell it to ‘Stay’ with your hand across its face. Start moving away while repeating the command. And if the dog follows you again, go over the previous steps yet again.

Please note that, in order to reward the dog for its successful compliance go to the dog and offer it the treat and praise. Calling them up towards you may confuse the dog. Let them stay where they were asked to stay.

• Come

Tie a collar and leash to the dog. Bring the dog to the ‘Sit’ or ‘Stay’ position. These postures would help the dog in learning the trick more easily. Now, go a few steps away from the dog and say ‘Come’ in a friendly and cheerful tone. Give a slight pull to the leash. When they successfully come to you, encourage them with your praises and treats. After some sessions, do away with the leash, and also keep increasing the distance; keep practicing.

Start Young, and keep it positive all through

As far as training of dogs is concerned, it is always better to start young. However, this intelligent breed can learn even in its later years, but there is no gain without pain. You need to be more patient, and continue with your efforts with love and dedication.

Moreover, patient and loving support to the dog (puppy or adult) during training would also make your love bond stronger. Harassing the pet may work for a while but it is bound to cause some sort of behavioural problems later on.

Continuous process

At different locations or situations your dog may behave differently. It may not obey you properly. The outside distractions can make the dog forget some of its teachings. So it is always better to keep reinforcing the instructions at different locations, to keep refreshing the training.