Training a Rottweiler at home: commands and education

• Rottweiler

Raising a dog is about developing correct behavior.
This is the basis for successful training. Training is a set of activities aimed at training specific teams. It is necessary to start raising a puppy from the very first days of his appearance in the house. If you work with your pets from a very early age, then you are on the right track. Rottweilers are considered one of the most ancient breeds. They drove herds, guarded houses and borders. Much was left behind and, in the city of Rottweil in southern Germany, they became the best working breed. Rottweilers are classified as mastiffs and played an important role in the development of the Dobermann much later.

1. Country of origin : Germany
2. Height at withers : male: 61–69 cm, female: 56–63 cm
3. Weight : male: 50–60 kg, female: 35–48 kg
4. Lifespan : 8-11 years
5. Use : Service Dog, Watchman, Companion Dog, Shepherd
6. Other names : Roti, butcher's dog, Rottweiler-Metzgerhund

At what age do you start training?

Puppy training must begin from the very first days

the presence of a dog in your home. Because already from infancy, the puppy must learn the rules of behavior in your house, what is allowed and what is forbidden, how to behave with all family members, even the smallest and oldest, what he can play with and what he can’t, where to go. toilet and much more.

And we are talking, first of all, about the proper upbringing of a Rottweiler puppy, and you can start training and learning commands when the puppy is completely comfortable in your home. As a rule, one week is enough. By this time, the puppy is already filled with curiosity and is diligently exploring the world around him. If, after this time, the puppy remains fearful and does not make contact well, then it is better to seek help from a dog handler-animal psychologist, because This behavior is not typical for puppies of this breed.

When can you start training with a dog handler?

The beginning of the puppy's training coincides with the time of the first exit to the street. When the first two vaccinations have already been done, the quarantine (lasts 7-14 days, depending on the vaccination) after them is over. It is not at all necessary to train your puppy only outside; the first sessions are best done at home, where there are fewer distractions.

Often new puppy owners worry that training from the first days will be excessively stressful for the dog. This is only possible if outdated, rigid methods are used, and with the right approach, training from the first days will, on the contrary, be very useful, since it allows you to immediately establish contact

with the puppy and build a trusting relationship.

You can start raising a puppy from the first days of its appearance in your home, and training and classes with a dog handler can begin simultaneously with the start of walks, when quarantine ends after the second vaccination.

Why you don't need to wait up to 6 months

You often hear that Rottweilers, like other dogs, cannot be trained before 6 months, because training is stressful. This opinion remains from the times of outdated methods based on cruel coercion and intimidation of the dog. Unfortunately, there are still plenty of dog handlers using similar techniques today. But fortunately, science does not stand still and modern techniques make it possible to train a puppy from the first days in a new home. Therefore, you should not wait until your Rottweiler puppy has established unwanted behavior; you can start training much earlier.

Rottweiler training: features, rules and recommendations

The Rottweiler breed is one of the oldest in the world. The ancestors of these smart, hardy dogs were the fighting dogs of Roman legionnaires. Over the entire period of its existence as an independent breed, Rottweilers have changed simply a huge number of “professions”. For a long time, these dogs were used as herding dogs. Later, German police used them to catch criminals. Traders often took Rottweilers with them on long journeys.

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

Training at 2 months. Upbringing

At 2 months old, your Rottweiler puppy is still at home, in quarantine after the first vaccinations, and he is not yet allowed to go for walks. Therefore, it’s time to start raising a puppy in the home conditions that are already familiar to him.

Toilet training

The first step is teaching the puppy to go to the toilet in a diaper . You should not rush to teach going to the toilet directly outside, bypassing this stage, because puppies are not physiologically ready for walking twice a day. This ability is developed in Rottweiler puppies no earlier than 6 months, and in some up to 1 year.

It should be remembered that any learning is a rather complex thing and, seeing the first positive results, you should not think that your puppy has already understood everything, but you should continue training according to the method, so that after a while you do not have to start all over again.

Collar and leash training

The second important point will be to accustom the puppy to a collar and leash . Yes, yes, this should be done at home, so that by the time the puppy goes outside for the first time, wearing a collar will not be additional stress for him, but is already a familiar thing, and he can start exploring the world around him, rather than trying to get rid of an unknown object.

What to allow a puppy and what not

The third point, which causes the greatest difficulty for new puppy owners, will be determining the puppy’s boundaries of what is permitted. Often, many novice dog owners think that the unwanted behavior of a Rottweiler puppy will “go away on its own, outgrow it.” But, unfortunately, the behavior that is allowed for a puppy will be taken for granted later by an adult dog.

.

Any unwanted behavior in a puppy WILL NOT go away on its own, but will only become stronger over time.

Therefore, it is necessary to start defining the puppy’s boundaries of what is permitted now. You will need:

• Teach to play only with your toys, and not with your things;
• Explain that you cannot bite your hands even in a game;
• Establish the correct daily routine, establishing the rule that in the morning you need to sleep and not wake you up;
• Stop chewing furniture, clothes, walls and baseboards;
• Teach to stay home alone, knowing that your absence is not a reason to bark or howl.

IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO KNOW: constant and excessive punishments that follow almost every action of the puppy have a detrimental effect on his fragile psyche and can lead to the fact that the Rottweiler puppy grows up cowardly and embittered. For normal natural development, a puppy must have the opportunity to explore the world around him, which is currently limited to your apartment or house.

Introduction to Basic Commands

Already now you should begin to familiarize yourself with the initial obedience commands in a light playful form, while focusing on rewards for execution, because the puppy’s psyche is still quite plastic and excessive severity and exactingness can lead to the puppy being intimidated and cowardly. Therefore, it is necessary, first of all, to try to interest the puppy by offering him a toy or treat, and sometimes just praise.

Principles of socialization in modern interpretation

In modern psychophysiology, several concepts can be identified that make it possible to reconsider the established concept of socialization and cancel such a categorical verdict on “dogs that are not socialized in a timely manner.”

1. "Brain plasticity." This phrase means the constant adjustment of the animal’s emotional and behavioral reactions to the changing conditions of the external and internal environment. Throughout its life, the dog is forced to learn something new, changing “non-working” patterns and restoring forgotten information in memory. In an opportunistic sense, the process of socialization can be compared to adaptation, and it lasts not just a few weeks at a particular age, but a lifetime.

Accordingly, we can distinguish primary (in puppyhood) and secondary (in adulthood) socialization. A Rottweiler can be considered an adult only at 2 years of age, but in some bloodlines the final formation of the body and psyche is delayed for another year. Undoubtedly, the plasticity of the brain in young individuals is much higher, which ensures the highest learning efficiency in puppies. But all adults and even elderly animals are also capable of changing their behavioral patterns, demonstrating amazing metamorphoses.

For example, adult aviary Rottweilers, who by the will of fate find themselves in an apartment, initially refuse to enter the elevator and move up the stairs, do not want to wait until walking, spoil the owner’s things under the stress of a long stay in a confined space of the room, bark and howl alone, but gradually learn new rules. Moreover, many of them are turning into “indoor intelligentsia” before our very eyes: for example, not wanting to walk for a long time in bad weather or choosing soft sofas for sleeping, despite the fact that since childhood their home was a booth and their bed was a straw bedding.

Let us note that our dogs inherited the mechanism of such permanent learning from their wild ancestors, ensuring survival in a merciless primitive world - after all, a quick response allows us to timely identify threatening phenomena and avoid danger. Thus, in order to extinguish the dog’s reaction to a particular stimulus, you should make it background and habitual, transferring it from the “strong, bright, sharp” category to the “neutral” category.

1. “What is trained is what develops.” This law of physiology allows us to compare the brain with skeletal muscles, which become stronger and hardened during regular physical activity. The poverty of mental work leads to mental degradation and dullness. And, conversely, the more active and inquisitive the brain is, the easier it is for it to learn new things.

With emphasis on the above, socialization can be understood as the process by which a puppy is accustomed to various external stimuli, including visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory and tactile stimuli. We should not forget that the dog perceives most of the information through smell and hearing, illustrating the saying: “The dog walks with its nose.” But the more sense organs are involved, the more powerful and complete will be the flow of information coming from the outside and processed by the central nervous system.

Traditionally, as part of socialization, puppies are walked through city streets with rumbling traffic, flashes of light and a mixture of smells, crowds of assorted people and dogs. But with all this, it is impossible to predict the entire range of irritants and stimuli that a dog may encounter on its life path in order to provide them for familiarization in puppyhood. Undoubtedly, variety adds experience, but it is much more important to give the puppy the opportunity to get used to the permanent effect of novelty, developing a positive attitude towards the world and self-confidence.

It is important that the world around the dog does not resemble a frozen, unchanging scenery. And then the brain will become insatiable in relation to new, fresh stimuli, and the need to change life pictures will become commonplace. This allows you to raise a dog that, at any age, retains an interest in life, loves to learn, and quickly adapts to changes occurring around it.

The authors advise changing not only the direction of movement in a familiar environment, but also the environment itself, for example, by exercising along quiet suburban streets, through a city illuminated by lights at night, or even going out into nature. Daily walks along the same route, even in the center of a big city, are full of mechanical actions. The dog turns and stops “automatically”, steps with its paws on the familiar surface, smells familiar smells and sounds, the sensitivity to which has already been dulled.

Expert

Elena Gurnakova

More than 20 years of experience working with Molossian dogs. Training, mental correction, breeding, veterinary medicine. Author of the book by AST Publishing House “Dog Training. Theory and practice

A striking example of a “mechanical dog” are sports dogs, day after day working out the same program at the stadium. The slightest inconsistency in the behavioral chain of memorized actions (for example, a barrier moved to another place) can seriously disrupt the entire well-functioning algorithm, not to mention a sudden change in the “scenery”.

The behavior of dogs living in a fenced area in the private sector is extremely specific. In Western countries, there is a special term for this: “cottage dog syndrome.” Such animals feel like the absolute masters of the yard, garden and lawn, they behave confidently and adequately there, but when taken out of the gate and finding themselves in an unfamiliar place, they lose their composure and become uncontrollable.

In contrast, a self-confident and people-oriented companion dog demonstrates good performance and unconditional vocal control anywhere, at any time of the day and in any weather.

1. “Festina lente” (Latin for “hurry slowly”). Normally, the breed psyche of Rottweilers provides high resistance to stress, and the novelty of objects and phenomena spurs the orientation instinct. However, an excess of impressions and an abundance of transcendental signals from the outside world can play a negative role in the formation of the puppy’s psyche.

Afraid of missing out on the period of socialization, the owner begins to force the process, literally bombarding the immature pet with unfamiliar sights, sounds and smells. And overexcitation of the nervous system invariably leads to fatigue and failure of adaptation. Being in a state of mental discomfort, the puppy remembers the new stimulus as something unpleasant, which leads to the opposite effect of socialization.

They say that a certain German trainer gathered in one place a group of several dozen (!) puppies, who would have a lot of “entertainment” throughout the day: from outdoor games and swimming in the lake to getting acquainted with a rumbling tram and riding in a horse-drawn carriage. Needless to say, overcrowding of animals, general fuss and excessive duration of events led to the development of stress and nervous exhaustion. As a result, some puppies fell into a stupor of fear or literally collapsed from fatigue, while others began to fight with each other and snap at their owners who were trying to force them to participate in yet another obligatory action. Having been imprinted in the memory, such an extreme experience undoubtedly influenced the psyche of the “experimental animals”, giving rise to persistent nervousness and self-doubt in some, and aggression and hostility in others.

Modern dog trainers who profess the principle of conflict-free training suggest introducing the puppy to sharp, possibly frightening stimuli very gradually, offering at first a weak version of this stimulus for only 2-3 seconds. As you get used to it, the intensity of the stimulus increases. If the puppy does not show any signs of nervousness and fear, but is indifferent to the impact, continuing to go about its business, or, on the contrary, shows a clear positive interest, then the strength of the stimulus is chosen correctly.

For example, if you notice that your Rottie is afraid of thunderstorms, try using the above training method. To do this, download the sounds of thunderstorms and rainfall to your computer or smartphone and play them in the room where the puppy is - but, note! – turn on very quietly and only for a few seconds. If the little brave one does not experience discomfort, then the sound and duration gradually intensify. Undoubtedly, you will need more than one week to teach your pet not to be afraid of a full-fledged thundering overhead, but this knowledge will be obtained without negativity and stress.

1. “Fear is a bad teacher.” Some dog trainers who preach forced psychological conditioning and quick relief from fears believe that a puppy should “be afraid once” in order to radically change his attitude towards a frightening situation.

For example, an owner with a puppy that is unsociable and afraid of being touched deliberately walks in a crowd of people who are talking loudly, laughing, touching each other and the puppy, petting and pawing him. After some time, the shock of what is happening goes away - the puppy stops twitching on the leash from side to side, huddling towards the owner’s feet and avoiding the hand reaching out to him. He seems to resign himself and get used to what is happening.

In fact, as physiologists say, nervous overexcitation naturally gives way to inhibition, manifested by the extinction of mental reactions.

Thus, the axiom “knocks out fire with fire” cannot be unconditionally transferred to the adaptation process. It is not a fact that if a dog finds itself in a similar situation over time, it will retain the necessary “settings”. On the contrary, as experience with emotional and timid animals shows, we risk aggravating stress and imprinting a negative mark on the student’s memory for a long time.

The modern approach to socialization promotes positivity and eliminates “shock therapy.” In this case, the first place comes to the discovery of hidden abilities and the acquisition of new skills aimed at achieving goals and satisfying needs. The persistent beneficial effect of this method is determined by the replacement of a negative reaction with a diametrically opposite one, which should become the key one in the situation under consideration.

For example, to teach a dog not to be afraid of the sounds of gunshots and firecrackers, a method of positive reinforcement is used, during which the clap of a firecracker becomes a signal for dinner. Naturally, at first the firecracker explodes at a considerable distance from the dog, after which the owner commands in a joyful voice: “Eat! Eat!”, providing an opportunity for a hungry pet to enjoy something tasty. Gradually, the distance is reduced, and the dog develops a chain of conditioned reflex: cotton (conditioned stimulus) → joyful anticipation of a treat → food (unconditioned stimulus).

Returning to the situation with an unsociable puppy described above, it would be safer to use the method of getting used to strangers through regular feeding. At the same time, it is important that the initiator of rapprochement is the puppy himself, and not a large and scary stranger hanging over him. Remember, in the language of animals: “Caution is not cowardice,” and any touch (even light touching and stroking) is regarded by the dog as an act of trust.

Gradually becoming familiar with unusual objects and phenomena, the puppy satisfies its natural interest in life, experiencing pleasure from such contacts.

1. "Man is a dog's friend." This aspect implies the establishment and strengthening of social contact, mutual understanding and mutual trust. It is important to constantly monitor the dog’s reactions to a particular stimulus and appropriate correction of the resulting negative state.

Animal psychologist Olga Kazharskaya , describing the modern approach to socialization, emphasizes that: “Social connection plays a decisive role in the formation of the brain. Warm relationships in which the dog feels supported by its owners lead to the production of social bonding hormones. These hormones contribute to the full development of various parts of the brain, the development of stress resistance and the development of emotional control. Therefore, the quality of the social connection between the owner and the dog is the basic factor that determines the success of raising a dog" ©

This does not mean that the owner should deliberately narrow or limit the world available to the puppy. Hyper-custody does not bring anything good, as does unlimited permissiveness. For example, a puppy who was never let off the leash, deprived of toys, communication with peers and in every possible way suppressed independence, grows up to be a slow-witted lack of initiative or a neurasthenic coward. Physiologists use the term “deprivation” in this regard, implying isolation from stimuli and a reduction in the ability to satisfy basic psychophysiological needs.

Isolation and any restriction of freedom aggravates congenital mental defects, in particular, weak temperament and instability of nervous processes. An unstable and insecure dog is unable to fully adapt to life, has difficulty learning, experiences phobias and constantly creates problems for its owner. You need to work with such an animal a lot and carefully, without stress and pressure, gradually and step by step teaching independence.

For example, let the puppy determine for himself whether he can cope with some physical obstacle: steps of a ladder, a low fence, a large heavy branch. If the student clearly shows timidity and wants to leave, do not force him to do what is required right now. It is better to return to the unsolved problem after a short rest, choosing a different method for solving it. Don't worry that such caution will instill in your dog the bad habit of literally avoiding trouble. The ability to cope with difficulties and process new information develops gradually. The time will come - and psychological endurance will increase by itself.

You should not forcibly hold a dog for stroking by a stranger, since in this case trust in the owner, who represents the center of comfort and safety in the eyes of the pet, may be violated. It is much more correct to give the puppy the opportunity to sniff a calmly standing stranger without forcing any approach. If the dog does not want to approach a stranger and is nervous, sit him at your feet and continue the conversation without focusing on the dog. A trusting pose, in which the pet presses its side against the owner's shin or sits on his feet, serves as a sign of good contact and acceptance of the situation.

Any nervousness, uncontrollable physical activity or panic that appears should be stopped as quickly as possible. Some puppies benefit from monotonous quiet speech, while others benefit from “sweets” or affectionate stroking. With a fetcher, you can instantly defuse the situation with a toy or stick. Some owners successfully switch their pets with commands from an obedience course.

Animal psychologist Olga Kazharskaya writes: “Many people say that a dog should cope with different situations on its own. It is believed that by supporting a dog when it is afraid, the owner encourages its feeling of fear. Someone completely ignores the dog’s condition, as if it is not there. If you are a proponent of this approach, try to remember that your dog is a highly social creature. One of the basic needs of social animals is to realize a sense of security and a sense of belonging to a family. Therefore, in any situation, she remembers first of all the facts that show how these conditions are met. In addition, stress is a physiological state that cannot always be dealt with on your own.” ©.

It is important not to leave a dog unattended in a nervous state, believing that the excitement will go away on its own. An adequate and controllable Rottweiler must be able to “turn on” and “turn off” on command, which is achieved through targeted psychotraining. Accordingly, with new skills new opportunities open up, further motivating them to learn.

So, the speed and success of adaptive changes are determined by:

• the age of the dog;
• individual mental characteristics, such as temperament, type of defensive reaction and level of stress resistance;
• the volume and variety of past experience;
• the presence or absence of targeted psychological correction and comprehensive assistance in the adaptation process.

Adaptation will be very difficult in those animals that:

• endowed by nature with a weak type of higher nervous activity, which implies a timid character, a passive type of defensive reaction and a low stress threshold;
• throughout their lives they were kept exclusively in the same constant conditions (for example, in a fenced local area);
• during periods of change they are forced to be alone or among ill-wishers.

Training at 3 months. Socialization

Three months is an important stage in a Rottweiler puppy’s introduction to the outside world. Your first walks should be short and not too tiring for the puppy. You should start with 15 minutes, gradually increasing the walking time to 1 hour.

Correct formation of the nervous system

At this age, the puppy’s nervous system is forming.

. It has been proven that raising puppies in isolation during this important period contributed to the development of pronounced cowardice in them later. It is necessary to show the puppy as much as possible: noisy streets, large crowds of people, etc. Everything that he will have to face in later life.

This must be done very carefully, gradually, over and over again increasing the time spent in noisy places, so as not to overload the puppy or frighten him.

The territory of a country house, cottage or village are places with a minimum amount of external stimuli for a city dog. Therefore, if you plan to keep a dog in an urban environment, “growing up” a Rottweiler puppy in such conditions depleted of irritants is unacceptable.

A city puppy must grow up in the city, in conditions that are saturated with external stimuli, such as: noisy streets, large crowds of people, other animals, birds, cyclists, cars, etc.

Meeting people and dogs

It is necessary to introduce the puppy to friendly dogs and people

so that later the puppy does not develop aggression or cowardice caused by the fear of new things and the inability to communicate and make new acquaintances. Currently, unfortunately, this is not uncommon in the behavior of adult dogs, but a fairly common problem with which people turn to our specialists for help.

Puppy behavior on the street

The emergence of new places leads to new rules that need to be consolidated:

• Now you can and should go to the toilet on the street, and not stoically endure it, carrying everything home;
• Not every new person or dog wants to communicate, so you don’t need to run headlong to meet everyone;
• Not all food is healthy, so it should only be taken from the owner’s hands.

Training and practicing commands

Training a puppy follows the same principles as at 2 months. It should be remembered that at this age puppies develop conditioned reflexes quite easily, but they are forgotten just as quickly, so you should not scold the puppy for not following commands, especially if they have not been repeated for a long time, but you should pay more attention to learning new things and repeating already covered material .

Basic rules of training

To avoid misunderstandings when training a Rottweiler, the animal must know that fulfilling the owner’s requirements is mandatory. Otherwise, there is a danger that the dog will develop disobedience.

Precision when issuing commands

Training to follow orders must be clearly structured so that the dog does not get confused, otherwise the Rottweiler will not obey. If the pet makes a mistake, this indicates the trainer’s mistakes. Commands given by the trainer must be clear, short, and with a certain intonation.

When working with an animal to follow commands, you should monitor not only the dog’s physical condition, but also its mental state. If the Rottweiler is not feeling well, training is postponed until he recovers.

Trusted contact

If training requirements are too high, the Rottweiler may refuse to follow commands. You should also not allow deception during training. If after the order “Go for a walk!” the owner does not think about taking the dog outside, the trusting contact between them will be broken. In addition, there are several other important factors that influence the success of training:

1. Clean execution of commands. The pet must strictly follow the owner's orders. In case of an inaccurate landing after the command “Sit!” Difficulties will arise when making a level exhibition stand.
2. Game form. In order for training to be a joy for both the animal and the owner, it is advisable to carry it out in nature, in the format of a game 3-4 times for 15 minutes.
3. Pleasant emotions. To have them, you need to maintain a balance in training. When and how long to train depends on the weather, the well-being of the trainer and the dog.

Important! At the end of the lesson, it is recommended to carry out a command that is well known to the Rottweiler, after which the animal must be praised and rewarded with a treat. The success achieved will give your pet a joyful anticipation at the next lesson.

Training at 4 - 5 months

By this time, the Rottweiler puppy has already become accustomed to your home and usual walking areas, and no longer needs your support and care so much. He begins to flirt with other dogs, pretend that he does not hear you when you call him, and show a certain persistence and disobedience when performing various commands.

This means it's time to move on to full training . In classes at this age you can already be persistent and demanding. At the same time, the most important thing is not to overdo it, remember that classes should bring joy to both you and your dog, and only then you can achieve the desired result.

Required commands in 4 months

What commands are practiced by a Rottweiler puppy at 4 months:

• Calm movement next
  to the owner with and without a leash, with landing when stopping, with a change in pace and direction of movement
• Return to you
  upon request
• Staying
  in a free or certain position (sitting, lying, standing) for a long time: if necessary, wait for the owner on the street, when visiting a store or other establishment
• Indifferent attitude towards treats scattered on the ground
• Inhibitory command
  to stop unwanted actions
• Execution of a set of commands “sit”, “lie down”, “stand”
  at a distance and near the leg, when giving commands by voice and gestures
• Stop barking
  on demand.

Nuances of education and training

To raise a loyal guard, before you start training your Rottweiler, you need to pay attention to a number of features. For a dog to feel protected, you need to become an authority for it by showing:

• persistence;
• subsequence;
• patience;
• love for animals;
• respect for the pet's needs.

Such qualities of the owner will come in handy, since dogs of this breed are stubborn and disobedient. A tired dog may become angry and ignore the owner's words. It is strictly forbidden to deceive a pet during the training or educational process. If you give an animal the command to “walk”, but in fact take it for vaccination, then it will no longer trust its “fraudster” owner.

At what age to start

Raising a Rottweiler begins from puppyhood, since it is perfectly trainable from one month, when it can learn to respond to a nickname, relieve itself in a litter tray and wear a leash. The character of an animal is formed in several stages, so it can be carefully guided in the right direction. The first few months after birth, the baby is raised by his mother, who also teaches him the skills necessary for later life. After acquiring a puppy and separating it from its mother, responsibility for how to raise the Rottweiler rests with the owner.

Raising a Rottweiler at home is organized so that by the age of 4 months the baby understands the boundaries of what is allowed to him. Within a month, the pet shows waywardness and stubbornness, so it will have to be trained consistently.

Punishment and reward

After correctly following commands, the Rottweiler should be praised and treated with treats, so that until the next training he will have a pleasant feeling that he has achieved success. When practicing commands, you should use tidbits in the form of:

• apple slices;
• slices of hard cheese;
• special treats from the pet store.

Rottweilers are famous for their strong reactions to food, so tasty foods will help reinforce the acquired skills faster. Such encouragement will establish a trusting relationship between the dog and the owner. Food will support the dog’s active behavior during training, so the animal will feel good after the educational process. For a tasty morsel to help train a baby, he must be half-starved, so training begins after eating 3-4 hours.

Treats can be easily replaced with stroking, patting, but in a friendly manner. At the age of six months, the Rottweiler shows character, easily loses his temper, and becomes uncontrollable. If friendship and rewarding treats do not help in education, then the puppy will have to be adequately punished. If the Rottweiler disobeys, you can punish:

• lifting by the withers;
• light shaking;
• words in a stern tone;
• deprivation of treats or affection.

When punishing, the main thing is not to overdo it, since the owner who causes severe pain loses the trust of the animal. If the dog gets angry, it is difficult to regain his trust.

Training from 6 months

At this age, the puppy begins puberty and the real rebel awakens in him. He begins to re-test the boundaries of what is permitted and, sometimes, deliberately does not respond to your commands, only in order to look at your reaction. If she is not what the puppy expects to see, then he may decide that now he can no longer carry out your commands.

Remember that a puppy is still a child.

, and excessive harshness can forever undermine his trust in you.

At this stage of the Rottweiler puppy's growing up in training, all the shortcomings made at the previous stages, which were smoothed out by his young age, become clearly visible. And if they appear, it’s time to correct them.

In many training schools, there is an opinion that a puppy needs to be trained in two stages, the first at an early age, and the second at 8 - 10 months, in order to “consolidate” what has been learned. This is not an entirely correct position; this opinion appeared when newer operant training methods began to be added to the old “DOSAAF” rigid training methods, where they began to work with the puppy strictly after 6-7 months, including working with the method of pointing and following the “target”.

Their weakness was that they were two different techniques.

, which began to be used without adapting to each other, having a huge gap between their tools for developing training skills. The difference between them is like between choreography lessons in kindergarten and army drill training. Therefore, they required training in two stages, which were in no way connected with each other.

Modern methods based on zoopsychology make it possible to train a puppy in a single system , when no additional stages of training are required.

Are Rottweilers trainable?

Dog trainers say that training a Rottweiler is not easy. He does not grasp science on the fly, but he will always carry out what remains in his memory. Skillful training of a Rottweiler will reward the owner with the devotion and love of a strong, intelligent four-legged friend.

The Rottweiler does not experience hostility towards pets if they have been raised together since childhood. Aggression on the part of a dog can come from violence against the owner from the outside; in other cases, the animal does not even bark.

Our dog handlers

Rottweiler training specialists

Alexander Chaplygin Dog psychologist-zoopsychologist

Experience: 37 years Read more..

Ekaterina Panova Dog psychologist-zoopsychologist

Experience: 34 years Read more..

Yaroslav Morozov Dog psychologist-zoopsychologist

Experience: 25 years Read more..

Lada Yurtseva Dog psychologist-zoopsychologist

Experience: 21 years Read more..

Victoria Fox Dog psychologist-animal psychologist

Experience: 14 years Read more..

Ekaterina Budkina Dog psychologist-zoopsychologist

Experience: 13 years Read more..

Evgeniy Bravinsky Dog psychologist-zoopsychologist

Experience: 17 years Read more..

Vitalia Bravinskaya Dog psychologist-zoopsychologist

Experience: 10 years Read more..

Kira Ageeva Dog psychologist-zoopsychologist

Experience: 19 years Read more..

Evgenia Zuber Dog psychologist-zoopsychologist

Experience: 12 years Read more..

Tatyana Melnikova Dog psychologist-zoopsychologist

Experience: 10 years Read more..

Alexey Melikhov Dog psychologist-zoopsychologist

Experience: 22 years Read more..

* Check with the managers for the possibility of a specific specialist visiting the area you specified. If the desired dog handler does not work in your area, then we can offer you another specialist from the above.

Basic mistakes in parenting

Raising a Rottweiler correctly, without making mistakes, is very difficult. Especially if, on the one hand, there is a novice dog breeder, and on the other, a puppy or an adult Rottweiler.

An owner who adopts a dog must be prepared to educate himself.

Here are some common mistakes that owners make when raising Rottweiler puppies or older pets:

1. Under no circumstances should an animal be punished when called. When a pet runs up to its owner when called or at will, the owner is obliged to forget what he was going to scold and punish the dog for. There is no need to praise a four-legged animal if it approaches its owner after an offense, but it is also unacceptable to punish it.
2. Taking out anger and bad mood on a puppy is unacceptable. A person must be able to control emotions. If your pet has misbehaved, it is necessary to punish him. Punishment is an instruction, not a release for the owner’s feelings.
3. It is necessary to punish a pet only after catching it directly at the crime scene. Otherwise, the dog simply won’t understand why. And over time, he will stop trusting his owner because of such punishments for no reason.
4. When raising a puppy, the owner must be consistent in his requirements. Punishment should always be done when necessary.
5. Sometimes the strict command “Fu!” it will be enough for the animal to correct itself. Do not rush to use physical punishment.
6. All family members should make the same demands on the dog. Then the result will be stable.
7. You cannot demand everything from a puppy at once.
8. It is a mistake to think that a grown dog does not need games and entertainment. They are extremely important for the physical development, health and emotional relief of the animal.
9. Close contact between the owner and the four-legged pet is the main condition for successful education and training. This applies primarily to Rottweiler owners.

Training a Rottweiler puppy in

When you turn to our dog training center for help in training a Rottweiler puppy, you can be sure that a real specialist in his field

and will provide training at the proper, highest level.

• A dog trainer will come to your
  home at a time convenient for you.
• Classes are held 1-2 times a week
  , depending on the program.
• Instructors work from 9:00 to 21:00
  , on weekends inclusive
• The training program is drawn up at the first lesson,
  taking into account the breed, age, personal characteristics of the dog and your wishes for training
• Some classes take place at home
  , some
  outside
  , depending on the topic of the lesson.
• Puppy age
  from 2 months

Our Center employs dog handlers - animal psychologists who have experience in working with Rottweiler puppies and training adult dogs from 10 to 35 years old, who know all the nuances of their behavior

and features of training at each stage of a dog’s growth. Therefore, your pet is guaranteed to learn to carry out your commands the first time in any conditions, and will become your faithful and reliable companion.

Tips from a dog handler

Even the basic commands “Aport!”, “Place!”, “You can’t!” or “Come to me!” require a certain approach and consolidation. Try to train at the same time every day without changing location. Let your pet get used to the activities. If your pet suddenly begins to get distracted or does not even perceive the “Fetch!” command at all, take a break and, if necessary, return to training the next day. Patience, severity and calmness are qualities that will help you develop a balanced character in your Rottweiler.

We recommend this article:

11 must-have commands for dogs and extraordinary tricks

Team "Place"

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

Under no circumstances should a small Rottweiler be allowed to sleep in a chair or on the sofa. It will be extremely difficult to eradicate such a habit in an adult dog. Your puppy should definitely buy his own mat and place it in a private place. Every time the dog tries to climb into the owner’s chair or bed, he must be persistently taken to the rug, saying “Place.”

When to start?

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

• basics;

• general course (OCD);
• protective guard service (PSS).

That is, the same skills that are usually taught to 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 undergo special complex courses from a certain age, usually under the guidance of an experienced specialist. Thus, Rottweilers are most often accepted for OKD from the age of 8 months. Only one-year-old dogs can take CCD courses.

Basics: first teams

Where should training begin? The Rottweiler is a smart dog, and you should start learning simple commands with it immediately after acquiring it. A small dog can also be taught certain skills. From the age of one and a half months, a Rottweiler usually begins to learn commands such as:

• "To me".
• "Place".
• "It is forbidden".

Of course, when training, you should not shout too loudly at the puppy, much less hit him. This can make a dog of even a calm and balanced breed like the Rottweiler very nervous.

Training a puppy will be much more successful if the owner prefers to use not only punishment, but also praise in the training process. You can encourage your dog with some treats. Punishment should only be used as a last resort. If the puppy flatly does not want to obey, you just need to take him by the withers, lift him and put him back on his feet.