Rottweiler Puppy Training
Every Rottweiler puppy owner wants a dog that is both well-behaved and obedient. Certainly, genetics are involved, though proper surroundings and rearing techniques are also crucial. There are certain important developmental stages that your Rottweiler reaches between birth and maturity. Known as 'critical periods', what happens in these stages is vital for determining what kind of adult dog your Rottweiler will be, and how he will respond to training. The events that occur during key moments in a Rottweiler puppy's upbringing will have an enduring impact on the dog's aptitude, contentment and overall disposition. This is the reason why Rottweiler puppy training should begin as early as possible.
Rottweilers are prone to a number of challenging behaviors that can develop if sufficient Rottweiler training isn't implemented from a young age until right through to adulthood. By consistently implementing Rottweiler puppy training you can work towards eliminating the undesirable behaviors that less conscientious Rottweiler owners commonly face. These problems include aggression and biting, barking, pulling on the leash, as well as destroying furniture. These problems are made more challenging by the large, powerful build of Rottweilers.
It really is fundamentally important to train Rottweiler puppies from a young age. Doing so will help to ensure that your Rottweiler puppy establishes good habits right from the beginning, and will help eradicate the undesirable behaviors that your Rottie might otherwise develop.
Rottweiler puppies respond best to non-violent training methods based around the use of rewards (such as food treats and verbal praise) for good behavior. I highly recommend that Rottweiler owners avoid training techniques that are based on the use of punishments, especially violent punishments. Punishment based methods always seem to end up causing more problems than they solve, and can sometimes lead to extremely serious situations such as your Rottweiler biting someone. Do yourself (and your dog) a big favor and avoid encouraging aggressive behavior.
Successful Rottweiler puppy training consists of several core elements that focus on common behavioural problems that young dogs are prone to develop. It also lays the foundations for on-going Rottweiler obedience training. The core elements of Rottweiler puppy training are, establishing yourself as pack leader, housebreaking, and socialisation. Each of these topics are discussed in detail in the sections below.
Rottweiler Puppy Training Step 1 - Establishing yourself as the 'Alpha Dog' in the pack
It is vital that your Rottweiler puppy accepts you as the sole pack leader from the moment they enter your home. In their natural habitat, dogs live their whole lives in a structured society known as a pack. Even when they are young, puppies start to comprehend the social structure of the pack, and with time, they find their position in the hierarchical order of the pack.
In every pack there is a leader, one who dominates the other members of the pack and makes all of the decisions. In the wild, the dominant dog is referred to as the 'alpha'. The 'alpha' is the decision maker and all members of the pack are expected to obey him. This is how your dog must see you.
A professional trainer will tell you that there is no point in even attempting to train your dog unless they consider you to be the alpha of their pack. Also, if you don't assert your authority, your dog may well start to believe that they are in charge. If this happens, your dog will be very difficult to train, and may start behaving in an unacceptable way. Make your life easier by establishing yourself as the leader of the pack on day one.
Rottweiler Puppy Training Step 2 - Housebreaking
Housebreaking needs to start the moment you take your new dog home. Rottweiler puppies have to eliminate (go to the toilet) about six times daily, but don't have the muscle control to "wait" until 12 weeks (84 days) of age. Thus, it is important to take young dogs outside right after they eat, because full bellies and bladders lead to inevitable consequences.
Prior to toilet training your Rottweiler puppy (from 12 weeks old onwards), you need to get your puppy used to a regular housebreaking routine. Doing so will help prevent your dog from relieving him or herself throughout your home each day. Also, keep your eyes out for signs that your puppy needs the toilet, such as your dog turning around in circles.
By taking your puppy outside when he or she needs the toilet, they will soon learn that outside is where they should relieve themselves. Other good tips if you don't want your entire house to become your puppy's bathroom, designate an area of your house for him/her to stay in, or consider using a crate. You can learn more about crate training by heading to the Rottweiler Crate Training page of this website.
Rottweiler Puppy Training Step 3 - Socialization
During the first 49 days of a Rottweiler's life, a puppy needs to be with its mother. It also needs to interact with other littermates. This will ensure that a Rottweiler puppy learns basic dog manners, how to speak dog language, how to interact properly with other dogs, and a whole host of other important life lessons, such as how it feels to be bitten.
Rottweiler puppies that are taken from their mother before they've been able to learn these lessons usually end up identifying better with humans than with dogs. It is thought that these dogs are not aware that they are actually dogs. This can result in problems that include difficulties in housetraining, gnawing and nipping their owners, excessive barking, aggressive behavior towards other dogs, anxiety, and an unhealthy connection to people. All aspiring Rottweiler owners should therefore be wary of obtaining a Rottweiler puppy from a breeder who has removed the puppy from its mother and siblings too early.
While it is very important to avoid taking a Rottweiler puppy away from its mother too early, it is equally as important not to let a puppy stay among its littermates too long. When a puppy is about 7 weeks old its brain development has progressed to the point that it is capable of properly bonding with people. Beyond 7 weeks, the longer a puppy stays with its littermates and/or its mother, the harder bonding with people will become. It also becomes harder to train Rottweiler puppies the longer your leave it with its mother and siblings beyond 7 weeks. Other potential problems include the puppy only caring about other dogs and not people, and difficulty in teaching the puppy to take responsibility for its behavior.
Early socialization is a prerequisite for your dog to become friendly and mild mannered as an adult. Once your puppy reaches 7 weeks old, he/she needs to start interacting with both dogs and humans in order to develop the skills needed to be a great pet. If he doesn't get this these opportunities, your dog may behave unpredictably when in the company of other people or dogs. In some cases, your puppy could become frightened or possibly even aggressive. Also, unless your puppy gets used to interacting with children when it is young, it may be nervous or untrustworthy around kids when it grows up.
As your puppy is developing, introduce it to as many different people as you can. Try to include children and elderly people. Allowing your Rottweiler to meet other dogs is important as well. When your Rottweiler is an adult you will be grateful that he/she had these early experiences. One of the way that puppies learn is through spending time with other dogs, so make sure they get the chance to do this. Go out of your way to regularly expose your puppy to other dogs of all ages. There are dog parks in many communities where dogs are able to socialize and play with each other, and I recommend taking your dog to one. Should you be interested in enrolling your dog in obedience training, entering him or her in shows, or using your dog to breed, he or she must have get used to being around other dogs. If you take the time to do this now, it will help boost your dogs confidence and make your job of training them that much easier.
Rottweiler Puppy Training - Basic Commands
As your puppy gets older, the focus of your training needs to start shifting towards obedience and encouraging the types of behavior that you want your dog to exhibit as an adult. When your dog reaches three to four months old, your Rottweiler puppy training routine should start to incorporate teaching your dog basic commands. Easy commands to teach a young dog include sitting, staying, lying down, heeling, and not pulling on the leash when out for a walk.
When you implement Rottweiler puppy training, the most important thing is to remain consistent, as well as disciplined. Patience is something you will need a lot of during the puppy training process. Be sure to invest as much time as possible implementing the Rottweiler puppy training advice in this article. As your dog gets older, you will be really glad that you did.
Good luck with your Rottweiler puppy training efforts.
