Bringing a puppy home is a matter of joy for the family and if the home is comfortable enough and the people care for him, then for the puppy all is well. A crate is a great aid to teaching a puppy prohibition from relieving itself in the home, it is where he sleeps and becomes his safe zone, whether he likes it initially or not the puppy will stay in his new home, if inside. However, a few lessons in Rottweiler puppy training will definitely go a long way in making things simpler for the puppy as well as for the owner in the long run and you should be open to the idea of taking it in.
This was Lesson 1.
Lesson 2: Always praise a Rottweiler puppy for its good conduct- this will undoubtedly help in the reinforcement of good behavior. However, more than verbal praise, physical contact- as in a pat- is more crucial as dogs seeks contact and it takes time for a new puppy to get used to your verbal directions. Physical contact is more direct and easily understood.
Lesson 3: Never ever cuddle a Rottweiler to into believing something is alright when it is not- dogs take time to trust and when it is established they remain loyal for a lifetime. But they have to know that no harm would come to them by trusting you and it takes both parties to establish this loyalty because like humans, dogs too have a Flight or Fight drive.
Lesson 4: It is important to teach your dog to come to you whenever it is called- the operative command being “Here” rather than the more common “Come”. When shouting over long distances, say a 100m, the intonations of “Come” change, it has to be shouted out and the dog might feel threatened as opposed to “Here” because the tonal modulation in this case remains almost the same, whatever the distance may be.
Lesson 5: Never call the dog to you to admonish it or chastise it. It will grow a feeling of resentment towards you by thinking that the call would mean chastising. That would only be the source of problems not the least of which would be that the dog would stop coming at your call.
Lesson 6: Maintain eye contact with your dog while disciplining it and do not look away until he does. It goes a long way to show who is in control. When it is done, walk away briefly and then call it to you again and play with it briefly. That will remove any feeling of resentment.
Lesson 7: Dogs long for contact from their owners and this means an actual pat and verbal appreciation, not to mention eye contact while doing so. Food can only be a reward and can be used as in incentive for good behavior but that is not enough. In fact, when used wrongly, it can also reinforce wrong behavior. Contact, on the other hand, can help the owner gain a lot of love and respect from the dog which is more long lasting.
Lesson 8: Positive reinforcement in Rottweiler puppy training is extremely enough for disciplining. At the same time, holding back positive reinforcement when the dog is wrong can also be instrumental. For example, do not pat the dog when he does something wrong, make him do the thing correctly and pat it immediately to reinforce that the good conduct will invite rewards. That however, does not mean that the dog has to be ground into submission. Instead, almost like humans, give them twenty four hours to think what they have done and you will find that they are doing the right thing without even being asked.
Lesson 9: It is important to keep in mind 5 important words during Rottweiler training.
A pat should be used with it immediately whenever applicable for best results.
Lesson 10: While giving instructions to them, keep it as simple as possible. A Rottweiler is smart when it comes to general intelligence but that does not mean they understand human vocabulary as well as we do. You can spell out 50 words and it will only respond to one may be, so it is important to keep this in mind.
Lesson 11: When your dog comes to you uninvited for a pat, tell him “No” or “Out” whatever the chosen command may be. When he goes, call him back 5 seconds later for the pat. It just goes to show that you are in control and not him. But it is also important to know what is going on with your dog- and you a comforting pat might just be what he needs at the moment. And it is alright to indulge your dog once in a while as well.
Lesson 12: Dogs are animals and their instincts are more primal or basic, something which the complex societal norms prohibits the humans from understanding anymore. To maintain a good relationship with your dog, it is important to think and act in a simple manner like them, rather than giving in to instant gratification. Take it slow and steady and there is always a next time.
(1 On 1 Training Available By Appointment for Obedience And Socialization. Any Further Training Requires Satisfactory Obedience.)
This is very brief, perhaps more a statement of attitudes, than actual training however if you use these statements as a guide it should help you raise stable and secure dogs that will be a credit to the Rottweiler breeder and yourself.