Training a Rottweiler: features, rules and recommendations

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The Rottweiler breed is one of the oldest in the world. The ancestors of these smart, hardy dogs were the fighting dogs of the Roman legionnaires. For all the time of its existence as an independent breed, Rottweilers have changed just a huge number of "professions". For a long time these dogs were used as herding dogs. Later, the German police caught criminals with their help. Traders often took Rottweilers with them on long journeys.

This popularity of the breed is explained primarily by its intelligence, endurance and great physical strength. Training a Rottweiler is not difficult even for a beginner.

What you should know

Innate character traits - this, of course, is something with which training should be carried out. The Rottweiler belongs to a small group of dogs with a very balanced character. The processes of excitation and inhibition in these dogs are exactly the same. The only thing is that the transition from one emotional state to another is somewhat slow. This is how they differ from thepopular German Shepherds. However, such a small drawback is easily balanced by the persistence of the developed skills and the reliability in executing commands.

Rottweilers are very intelligent and sensitive dogs. They do not tolerate loneliness well, and therefore from time to time they require attention from the owner. In the family, the Rottweiler always chooses one owner. Usually this is the most confident person. The fact is that Rottweilers, despite all their sensitivity, have very strongly developed leadership qualities. And such a dog simply will not obey a weak-willed person.

When to start?

Of course, many owners of such dogs are interested in the question of at what age their training can be started. The Rottweiler is currently most commonly used as a guard dog. Therefore, the training of representatives of this breed can include three main stages:

• basics;
• general course (OKD);
• protective guard service (ZKS).

That is, the same skills that are usually instilled in German Shepherds can also be acquired by a Rottweiler. Raising and training a puppy with learning the simplest commands, of course, should begin from the very moment the dog appears in the house. Animals take special complex courses from a certain age, usually under the guidance of an experienced specialist. So, Rottweilers are most often taken for OKD from the age of 8 months. Only 1 year old dogs can take CCA courses.

ABCs:first teams

How should training begin? The Rottweiler is a smart dog, and you should start learning the simplest commands with it immediately after acquiring it. A small dog can also be taught certain skills. From a month and a half with a Rottweiler, they usually begin to learn commands such as:

• "Come to me".
• "Place".
• "No way".

Of course, when training, you should not shout too loudly at the puppy, let alone beat him. This can make a dog very nervous even in a balanced and calm breed like a Rottweiler.

Puppy training will be much more successful if the owner prefers to use not only punishment, but also praise in the process of education. You can reward your dog with some treats. Punishment should only be used as a last resort. If the puppy flatly refuses to obey, you just need to take it by the withers, lift it up and put it back on its feet.

Come To Me Command

The first rule that a dog breeder must remember is consistency in literally everything. There is an acquired puppy of the Rottweiler breed, the training of which is not too difficult, but requires patience, you must immediately accustom it at a certain time and in the right place. The animal must have its own bowl.

Before pouring food into it, the owner should lightly knock it on the floor. Such actions should be repeated periodically. After a while the puppythe Rottweiler will understand what this sound means and will run to the kitchen to the filled bowl. Subsequently, the knock will simply need to be supplemented with the “Come to me” command. This technology will help develop a stable skill in a puppy.

Team "Place"

Training a Rottweiler at home at first, of course, involves maintaining consistency not only in feeding. A dog must have its own place in the house.

In no case should a small Rottweiler be allowed to sleep in a chair or on a sofa. It will be extremely difficult to eradicate such a habit in an adult dog. The puppy should definitely buy his own mat and lay it in a secluded place. Every time the dog tries to climb into a chair or bed with the owners, he must be persistently carried to the rug, saying “Place”.

Dog training: Rottweiler. Fu team

Also, at a young age, you can learn the “No” command with a puppy. Each time the puppy tries to bite the hands or feet of one of the family members during the game, he must be gently pushed away. In this case, the command “Fu” or “No” should be pronounced.

General OKD course

Mature dog owners should give to the kennel club. A specialist, of course, will conduct a better training. The Rottweiler, however, is a quick-witted breed, and you can try to learn some, even complex, commands on your own. Very often, the owners themselves teach their pets, for example, to follow orders"Stand", "Sit", "Lie down", "Next" and "Aport". In this case, it is better to start classes only after the dog is 6-8 months old.

Also at this stage, Rottweilers are trained to refuse food and slow down when overcoming obstacles. In professional courses, the dog, among other things, can be given swimming lessons.

Nearby

This command is the first skill usually taught to older Rottweiler puppies. Training and education in this case should be carried out systematically, without interruptions. After pronouncing the command “Next”, the dog should walk to the left of the owner so that his shoulder is at the person’s leg.

To develop this skill in a dog, first use a short leash. The dog is placed at the foot. Then they give the command “Next” and accompany it with a slight jerk towards you. When trying to move away, the dog is pulled back. At the same time, the command is repeated in a strict voice. When running ahead of the Rottweiler, you can lightly whip the leash on the front legs, reining him back.

Sit

When practicing this command, the Rottweiler, whose training requires perseverance, should be to the left of the owner. The dog is taken by the collar with his hand and at the same time pressed on his sacrum. At the same time, the command "Sit" is pronounced. You can also just hold the dog by the leash, lift some treat over his head and lead him back.

Lie down

To practice this command, the dog is pulled down by the leash with the left hand,and with the right, her front paws are carefully pulled forward. After the dog learns to lie down easily under the influence of the hand, you can begin to develop the skill from a distance. To do this, having laid the dog down, you need to remove your hand from it and, without taking your eyes off it, slowly move back. In this case, the command should be pronounced simultaneously with a hand gesture from top to bottom.

"Stand" and "Fetch"

In order to learn this command, the dog should be seated at the left foot. Then the Rottweiler needs to be pulled up: with the right hand - by the collar, with the left - under the stomach. The word "stand" is pronounced at the same time.

The "Fetch" command is worked out as follows:

• they place the dog at the left foot;
• throwing an object with the right hand;
• give the command "Aport";
• make a hand gesture in the direction of the object.

As soon as the dog picks up the thing, you need to call it to you and command: “Give it.”

How to teach a Rottweiler to refuse food

This skill will protect the guard dog from poisoning when intruders try to enter the courtyard of the house. Also, Rottweilers trained this way never pick up food waste from the ground.

Refusing dog food is taught in two stages. First, they develop the skill not to pick up anything from the ground, and then not to take food from the hands of strangers.

Start training by placing a bowl in front of the dog. When he tries to start eating, they say the command “No” or “Fu”, holding the Rottweiler by the collar. After 10-15sec. the dog is released. At the same time, the command "Eat" is pronounced. The time of holding the dog by the collar is gradually increased to 1 min.

Do not take food from strangers Rottweiler is taught with an assistant. This skill can only be trained by an experienced specialist. The trainer's assistant should hide somewhere in the bushes and, on a signal, come out, holding a piece of meat in his right hand, and a rod in his left behind his back. Further, naming the dog's name, this person should offer her meat. When the dog tries to take food, he is not hit too hard with a rod. Then the assistant goes into cover again.

After a few minutes, the lesson is repeated. But this time, when trying to take food at the same time as hitting with a rod by an assistant, the trainer must pull the dog back with a jerk and say “No”. As soon as the one who offered the meat hides again in his shelter, you should say “Fas”. The exercise must be repeated daily, changing the assistant.

Some of the skills described above can be taught to a Rottweiler on your own. If the owners have a desire to teach the dog and other complex skills, they should contact the kennel club. Training a Rottweiler professionally, at the ZKS courses, involves the development of not only the skill not to take food from strangers, but also such skills as, for example, searching for things by smell, protecting the owner from attacks, detaining an evader, etc.