While the Rottweiler might have a reputation as a “dangerous” breed, if you own one of these dogs, you know just how sweet and loyal they can be. However, they do require training and socialization from a young age to make sure they get along with people and other animals. But just how easy are Rottweilers to train? Does the fact that they need a great deal of training mean that they’re overly challenging to train?
Not at all! Rottweilers are among the smartest breeds out there. In fact, they are often used as working dogs due to their high trainability and intelligence. While they can be independent or strong-willed at times, training your Rottweiler shouldn’t be an overly challenging task. After you’ve learned the positives and negatives of training these dogs, along with when and how they should be trained, you’ll find the process to be manageable and very rewarding.
The 4 Traits That Make Rottweilers Easy to Train
What about Rottweilers makes them easier to train than other breeds? There are a few qualities they possess that enable them to take to training well.
1. Intelligence
Did you know that judges from both the AKC and the Canadian Kennel Club ranked Rottweilers as ninth out of 79 breeds when it came to intelligence? That’s smart! That high level of intelligence means your pup can learn commands and routines efficiently with consistent training, making your job much easier.
2. Loyalty
If you’ve bonded with your dog, you’ll find your Rottweiler to be incredibly loyal to you. That loyalty can support strong engagement during training and responsiveness to their owner. Rotties love to do well for their owners and will frequently respond well to clear, consistent cues, despite their occasional independence.
3. Desire to Work
The Rottweiler is a working breed, meaning they want and enjoy having a job to do. They were historically used as drover dogs to move and protect livestock, and later developed roles in guarding and protection work. This is one reason that Rottweilers are so often used as police and military or service dogs nowadays. This natural motivation for purposeful activity can support focus and engagement during training.
4. Love of Praise
These pups live to be praised, a trait that ties into training. Since they are so fond of encouragement, they will do their best to be rewarded in this manner. That means you should focus on positive reinforcement instead of punishment-based methods when training. Head scratches and kind words will go a long way in helping to train your Rottweiler
What Makes Rottweilers Difficult to Train?
All animals have some negative traits, just like us humans. Luckily, the Rottweiler only has a few that might present challenges during training.
Size
Rottweilers are big dogs! They can weigh anywhere between 80 and 130 pounds and stand nearly 2 feet tall. That’s a lot of canines to manage during training. Even if your Rottweiler is the sweetest pup around, the fact that they are so strong means you may have difficulty controlling them if they become overexcited, fearful, or have not yet learned reliable leash or obedience skills when you need them to.
Strong Will and Stubbornness
Rottweilers can be stubborn. They can also get bored with repetitive tasks. If this happens during training (the epitome of repetition), they may decide they’re finished, whether you are or not. Luckily, using short, varied, and reward-based training sessions can help maintain motivation and focus.
Likewise, your Rottweiler may be strong-willed at times. They may try to make their own choices or ignore cues if training is inconsistent or unclear, so be sure to provide clear guidance, consistent structure, and positive reinforcement early in training.
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The 3 Tips for Training Your Rottweiler
As you can see, the positive traits of a Rottweiler when it comes to training definitely outweigh the negative. Now that you’re aware of the good and bad of training your pup, here are tips to get you started.
1. Start Early
First and foremost, you will need to start training your Rottweiler from a very early age. The quicker you begin, the better off you’ll be, so make sure you’ve started by at least 8 or 9 weeks of age. Of course, if you adopt an adult Rottweiler, you won’t be able to begin at that point. Still, you should be sure to start working with them quickly to form a bond and establish a clear structure and consistent expectations.
2. Socialization Is Key
Getting your Rottweiler puppy used to people, animals, and sounds is vitally important in helping reduce the risk of fearful or reactive behavior in public (something that you want to avoid at all costs). Early, positive socialization experiences are especially important during the sensitive socialization period (approximately 3–14 weeks of age). If your pet came from a breeder, they should have started this socialization before you even got your pup. Once you have your dog, it’s up to you to continue it. One great way of doing this is to take them to obedience classes or doggy parks so they can get acclimated to other dogs and people.
3. Make Good Use of Their Love of Praise
Rottweilers love to be praised for doing well. Using positive reinforcement during training—such as encouragement, pets, and treats—will soon make them realize what behaviors get rewarded. However, they won’t respond well to punishment-based methods, such as harsh corrections or yelling. This will only make them anxious and nervous around you; it won’t teach them how to behave. Plus, if training becomes stressful or inconsistent, you could end up with a dog that’s less engaged and less likely to respond reliably.
The Round-Up
If you train your Rottweiler the correct way, using plenty of positive reinforcement, you shouldn’t have much trouble. Due to their intelligence and desire to work, these dogs are easier to train than many other breeds. While you will need to watch out for independent or strong-willed behavior, a strong bond and consistent training will help improve cooperation and responsiveness over time.
Remember, the key is to start training them while they are very young. The AKC has a timeline for Rottweiler training you can use, so you know exactly when you should be doing what training. If you think that you’re not entirely up for the job, you’ll want to hire a reputable professional trainer to do the work.
- See also: Are Rottweilers Good With Cats?
Featured Image Credit: everydoghasastory, Shutterstock
The 4 Traits That Make Rottweilers Easy to Train
