How to Train a Rottweiler

Rotties have breed specific behaviors. They were bred to herd livestock to market. Cattlemen would tie their earnings in a pouch around their Rottweiler’s neck for the walk home. This would ensure no one would steal their earnings.

Rottweiler training, as with all dogs, does not require responding with dominance or punishment-based dog training techniques. Rotties understand consequences and will respond quickly when set up for success. Pushing, pulling or forcing a Rottweiler to comply with a behavior while training will mostly likely result in a dog bite or your Rottie will become afraid of you. This is not our goal as Rottweiler owners.

RELATED: How to Train a Rottweiler

3 Rottweiler Behaviors Your Dog Should Know

• Polite Greetings: Rottweilers are big and powerful dogs so they need to learn polite leash and greeting manners. Rottweiler training should begin when he’s a puppy. Exuberant jumping on people can be dangerous. That being said, your dog should learn to keep all four feet on the ground at all times.
• Polite Leash Manners: Due to their large size, Rottweilers can lead you to places you wouldn’t want to be. When this happens, you want to teach your Rottie to not pull on his leash by remaining still. If your dog does not pull, then you may both walk forward. A front clip harness helps control pulling until you can teach your dog polite manners.
• Body Handling: It is important to teach a Rottweiler to allow body handling, such as looking into his ears and mouth. Touch your Rottie’s ear, then click and treat. Touch his nails, then click and treat. For best results, do this for one minute everyday. The objective is to get him used to being handled when he is taken to the veterinarian.

VIDEO: How to Train a Dog Body Handling

Rottweiler Training Tips

You should socialize your Rottie at an early age. They should meet many people and dogs before reaching 16 weeks old. When watching Rottweilers play with other dogs, their play style is mostly like a bully breed. Rottweilers like to run full speed and body slam, hip check and shoulder check. Not all breeds think this is fun play so it’s vital to find dogs with similar play styles as a Rottweiler. Bull terriers, Pit Bulls and Rotties generally play in a similar way.

Rottweilers are not an aggressive breed. This is a myth that has been debunked. In my 20+ years of dog training, I have learned it’s not the breed of the dog. Rottweilers are an impressive and majestic breed. When they fall into the wrong hands, Rottweilers can be exploited.

Post pictures of your Rottie on our Facebook Page.

Learn about Rottweiler rescue at National List of Rottweiler Rescue Groups.
Find out more about Rotties at American Rottweiler Club.