Rottweilers are a loyal and loving bunch. Like all dogs in the working group category, they need regular physical activities and mental stimulation. With enough exercise, Rottweilers can become less fussy. Thus, when you get a Rottie puppy, you also get extra responsibilities.
It’s exciting to think about training a Rottweiler. Proper training can turn rowdy pups into obedient, intelligent dogs that are ideal for family life or fieldwork. All Rottweilers generally have an eager-to-please temperament and are highly trainable. But just like humans, each pup has its own personality. Getting yours to follow simple commands at a certain age may be more challenging than with another Rottweiler pup.
So, read this article before teaching your Rottie puppy some tricks. You must know the proper time and age when to train one for the best results.
- Six Weeks And Below
In the first few weeks of a Rottweiler’s life, there’s nothing much you can do yet. During this period, your priority is ensuring it sleeps enough, eats well, and gets its mandatory shots. But as soon as a Rottie hits 21 days old, events start happening quickly.
While three weeks old is a little too early to send your puppy to dog training facilities, you can start letting your pup experience new things. At this age, a puppy will begin learning canine social cues. It’ll learn these lessons from its mother, so it’s best to keep your Rottweiler pup close to its mom. Separating them could cause future behavioral problems, which will be difficult to remove later in life.
Your job is to observe in the meantime. Make sure mom and puppy’s area is clean and free of anything that may hurt them.
- Seven To Twelve Weeks
When your Rottweiler puppy turns seven weeks old, it’ll begin socializing with you and other humans. The fear imprint happens when a dog is around eight to ten weeks old. So, to prevent behavioral issues when it gets older, use this time to assert dominance. Your Rottie must know that you’re the boss of the pack as early as possible.
When your pup is around this age range, it’s old enough for you to take it on brief walks. Take this excellent opportunity to introduce it to a leash. A walk around the neighborhood is the perfect way to get a Rottweiler puppy used to seeing different people, animals, and types of terrain. The outside world is also a haven for new sights and smells, which all dogs enjoy.
Seven weeks is the earliest age a puppy can attend dog training in a reputable facility. Don’t expect your pup to get everything right away though. Puppies this young still have a short attention span, but they’ll soon start following basic commands. You can eventually repeat these to your pup at home and see the results.
Seeing a pet groomer is another activity puppies at this age should experience. Train your Rottie to get used to bathing and grooming by bringing it to a professional groomer. Rottweilers, luckily, only need a bath once a year. But like most dog breeds, they require regular nail clipping which scares away many pups.
- Four To Eight Months
A Rottweiler puppy at this age who has gone through obedience training should now know commands like ‘sit’ and ‘stay.’ During this time, you and your pup’s trainer can introduce new, easy-to-perform tricks such as:
- Shake
- Fetch
- Give a kiss
- Roll over
You can also include helpful commands like ‘come’ and ‘go potty’ to make home life for your pup much more manageable. Practice positive reinforcement when training your Rottweiler puppy. Most dogs become scared and withdrawn when scolded too often. Your dog will listen to you better if you treat it well.
- One To Four Years
When a puppy is over six months, it’s sexually mature but not yet physically. So, your Rottweiler may still move like a puppy, even though it’s technically an adult. It’s still at a trainable age when you should continue to socialize your Rottie with other dogs and humans.
Even if your puppy has graduated from formal training at this age, you shouldn’t stop teaching and repeating basic commands. Consistency is crucial, and training is a form of mental and physical exercise, especially for a large dog breed like the Rottweiler.
A Rottweiler is very much part of your family as it is your pet. As its favorite human, you must maintain a presence in its life. Make enough time in a day to train and care for it despite being busy at work or your pup is still at school. Only then will your Rottie continue being the intelligent and lovable dog people know the breed to be.
Final Thoughts
The Rottweiler is a favorite breed among dog lovers because of its great temperament, trainability, and overall charm. You can train one to play roles like a herding dog, service dog, or police dog. Thus, it’s vital to know the right time to begin training it. If you start at the appropriate age and stay consistent, your precious Rottie may give you favorable results.
