Rottweiler owners, how can I train my Rottweiler?

Question

He's not like other dogs, you cant get his attention just by being the dominant one. He's so intelligent, he's more like a child. If I tell him off he sulks! I'm used to other dogs fawning and doing their best to do as they're told, my Rotty is just too independant! I need help with how to get through to him to begin teaching him to do basic things like come when called, walk on the lead without pulling like a train and not jump up all the time. He's a 2 year old rescue dog, we had him off friends who rescued him and had him as a guard dog for a year. He's lovely and very loving but completely oblivious to why he should do what I ask him to. Any advice please? There are no dog training classes that can help in my area, they're for agility and obedience dogs that want to compete.

Answer 1

First off all you need to realise your dog is not human he is a dog, he does not sulk when you tell him off, its just the way you interpret his look at that time, because its what you want to believe, that is not an insult to you its a fact that many dog owners also think.
There is a difference between being the "dominant one" as you call it and been a Pack leader.
Been dominant does not mean your dog respects you as its leader.
Some simple steps to initiate pack leadership are... always have your meal before feeding your dog.Always make sure you make him sit before you feed him. Always make sure you make him work for his food, they have to in their natural habitat.By this I mean take him for a good walk before you feed him.
How much exercise does he get? he should be walked for at the very least 45 Min's every day twice a day.
His walks should be varied,they do get bored with the same walk.It is also useful because of his breed to maybe get him a dog backpack, place in that a bottle of water on each side and this makes the dog work harder on the walk and therefore makes him more tired. A tired dog is a better behaved dog.
He is 2 years old and his actions up till now have not been corrected so you have a bit of work in front of you, more so because of his breed. They are quite determined dogs when they set their mind to it.
In order for him not to pull on the leash, then you have to make him sit before you leash him, then make him sit until he is calm when you have him leashed. Only when he is calm you can go to move, If he pulls straight away make him sit again, then dont move until he is calm. For a start you may not even get out the door, but he is learning all the time. If he wont do as you ask, then unleash him and then totally ignore him, no looking at him, no touching him or no talking to him.
Once he is calm then try again. YOU have to go out the door first never the dog ok, once outside, then walk the dog on your left and keep him right at your side,do not allow him for the first week to sniff the ground or anything, he has to be totally focused on you and only you.If he pulls, again make him sit and wait until he is calm, after time usually a week or two he soon learns that if he wants to walk he has to do it on your terms and your terms only, this is pack leadership not dominence.It does take time Hun, but it is worth it.
You will soon see a difference.
To teach your dog to come on command is easy to do with two people ok,You need to be in a park and have your dog on a very long leash. Get your friend to hold your dog on the long leash but very close to her, you walk away, then turn around and your dog should be totally focused on you, he should be eagerly starting to pull on the leash to get to you, once he is focused on you and pulling you get down on your haunches and open your arms wide and call COME, if this is the command you wish to use. get your friend to release the leash enough for the dog to reach you but still hold onto it. Once the dog has come to you, reward with praise and a treat. Repeat many times over the course of a few weeks he will get it. Never take him home right after the come command or the dog sees the come command as end of fun, so always play with him for a while after the come command.To stop him jumping up people, leash him and again get a friend to walk up to you, as soon as you see your dog focusing on your friend a quick jerk to towards you or upwards(as this is the most sensative part of the dogs neck) and a command of hey or no whichever you use, but be consistent with the one word.So correct him before he jumps, repeat as needed over and over till he gets it.
Never use your dogs name when correcting him, only when praising him. Exersice, discipline and affection in that order make for a well balanced well behaved dog. If you need any more help e mail me.

Answer 2

I would recommend obedience class. You do not have to compete. What happens in obedience class is that YOU learn how to work with your dog. And don't just sign up for one 6 or 8 week group of classes. It should be ongoing.

Training usually is 2 ten to fifteen minute sessions a day. But of course your interaction with your dog is 24/7. Please talk to different dog schools to make sure you get the kind of training you want. Be upfront about the problems you have with the dog. There are also trainers who will come to your home and work with you and the dog there. Look in the phone book. My dogs absolutely love going to school. it gets expensive but we go every week, one dog to obedience (a 3 year old Pit Bull Terrier) and one to agility ( 9 year old Chesapeak Bay Retriever mix). And since all training is very positive, we have happy tail wagging training sessions. And the Chessie girl is a tough cookie who at first when we started obedience in 2001 I thought she was hopeless..

Answer 3

Hi there, what a gorgeous dog, I had one & she was an amazing girl. Rottweiler are such a powerful breed you are doing a right thing by wanting to continue with training. You can Google some training tips on Rottweilers or get a book or even better joying training programs for dog in your area if you have one but if there is nothing like that in your area look in white/yellow pages for one, or try police/army training. You would not regret it.

Answer 4

A basic obedience class is perfect. You do not have to compete. Believe me alot of dogs can't, even after the class. You must not confront but make things interesting. To come: Have two treats in hand. Throw one on the floor. While he is scarfing, step away very quickly and call him. He'll come a runnin for that treat. Make it further and further. When he pulls on lead, back up. Yep, just back up. It takes awhile for them to get that one. Treat in hand closest to him helps too. If food will get you the behavior you need right now, use it. He's jumping up for a reason. Is he greeting you? Wanting attention? Catch him before liftoff. Good luck.

Answer 5

Go onto e bay. There are some books on there with dvd's that tells you the history of the rottweiller and how to train it. This is a very good book and it worked for my dog, but she was younger than yours. I did take her to classes though just to socialise her more than anything. I do not have my book to hand, but I will find it and if you wnat to e mail me I will tell you which one it is and if you cannot obtain it, I will send it to you.

Hope this helps

Answer 6

There are training classes everywhere you just need to know where to look. There are also a lot of companys who will set one up near you if there isnt one, you just need to tell them there isn't one! If you are in Kent, then get in contact with Pet Paradise and they will sort one.

Also try looking for a Behaviourist who will do a one-to-one session with you. They should be able to see the dog in his home and give some suggestions.

Answer 7

We tend to think of dog training as a series of steps for teaching particular behaviors. To teach a dog to stay in a particular position, you reward her as she remains in place for gradually longer times, at gradually greater distances, with gradually increasing degrees of distraction. Read more https://tr.im/0a3Mv

Now, this is fine, training does involve teaching dogs specific behaviors with a step-by-step approach. This week, though, I’m going to discuss three mental habits that will not only enable you train more effectively but also make life pleasant for both you and your dog.

Answer 8

get him professionally trained because of his size. but the trainer will also teach you ways to keep up his confidence so he can be told off but still learn from it

Answer 9

for the treat make liver cake for him..he'll do absolutely anything for it as its really a big favourite for all dogs.