We all know that Rottweilers are strong, powerful animals that need discipline to keep them in check. But they’re also loving and playful with the proper upbringing. Do you find your rottweiler is disobedient? Have you tried taking them on walks, playing games together like fetch or tug of war, but nothing seems to work?”
This blog post will discuss how one should discipline their rottweiler to get them back under control. We’ll talk about what types of punishments are appropriate for a dog this size and give examples of things that have worked for others in the past.
The best way to discipline a rottweiler is to take control, be consistent and firm, act early through positive reinforcement, and remove privileges where necessary. Good behavior should be encouraged and reinforced through doggie treats and rewards.
Let’s take a deeper dive into how do you discipline a Rottweiler, with 13 Useful Tips explained!
1. Take control and be consistent.
One of the most critical parts of disciplining a rottweiler or any dog is taking control and being consistent. Your rottweiler needs to know that they cannot do whatever they want whenever they want it, whether you’re home or not.
Whether it’s your fault for not having an effective training system in place, or if it’s because of something else, one way to put more stress on your Rottie is giving in to their every demand. Rottweilers are large, powerful dogs that can be intimidating with proper breeding and socialization and physical and mental exercise.
They require a lot of attention and devotion both from you and other members of your household, so everyone must stay on the same page when training them. If you allow your rottweiler to jump on you, your children must also let them to do this.
If you’re okay with letting them scratch at the door when they need to go out, then that’s what everyone in the family should be OK with as well.
Consistency is key because an inconsistent household can lead to significant behavioral issues between your dogs and other pets in the house or, worse, your dogs start problems with people entering your home.
2. Try taking control of their food and eating habits
When it comes to disciplining a rottweiler, taking control of their food and eating habits plays a big role in training them.
Rottweilers need to eat 3-5 cups of dry dog food per day, depending on the size, age, and metabolism of your Rottie. This is roughly 300-500 calories per day which can add up quickly when feeding multiple dogs or puppies at once.
Instead of giving them one meal in the morning and one meal at night, try breaking these two meals into four separate ones if needed.
3. Be firm when giving commands and expect them to be obeyed
The number one thing everyone needs to know about disciplining a rottweiler is that they need to be firm and authoritative when giving commands and expecting them to be obeyed.
It may seem as though your rottweiler is just playing or goofing around because of their large size, but as we all know, looks can be deceiving.
Always let your rottweiler know who’s in charge by using a stern tone of voice and making sure to use the exact words every time you tell them “no” or “come.”
If you want your dog to stop jumping up on people, then it doesn’t matter whether they’re at the front door saying hello or standing next to you offering you a paw, be firm with them on the “no jumping” rule.
If you let them know they can get away with it at one place, then they’ll continue to do so elsewhere, knowing that you’ve turned a blind eye to their actions.
4. Hire an experienced trainer if needed
Let’s face it; not everyone has the time or patience it takes to properly train their rottweilers without some expert help along the way.
While plenty of people have successfully trained their dogs by themselves, some owners may need some extra guidance to stay consistent and keep up with training sessions.
The benefit of hiring an experienced dog trainer is that they know all about effective discipline for your breed of dog. It will be able to give you some actionable advice regarding your specific situation.
By hiring a trainer, you’re helping yourself become a better owner and assisting the rottweiler in learning what’s expected from them to get along with others successfully.
5. Give your rottweiler plenty of exercise, both mental and physical
One of the essential parts of disciplining a rottweiler is ensuring they have an outlet for their energy, whether going on long walks or giving them a spacious area to run around.
Rottweilers were bred as working dogs, so they need a heavy amount of exercise every day to release pent-up energy and calm themselves down from excitement or stress.
They require plenty of physical activity and mental stimulation if you want them to behave appropriately when inside the home.
Keeping up with their daily exercise ensures that they’re healthy both physically and mentally, making your job as a pet owner easier with having a well-behaved dog.
6. Give him enough attention and affection when appropriate
Your rottweiler loves being around their owner just as much as you love being with them.
They crave the attention and affection that they receive from you because it’s their way of showing that there is a bond between the two of you.
Giving your rottweiler too much attention can end up backfiring. Rewarding good behavior such as sitting on command or coming inside when called is always a great way to show your dog that they’re doing something good and not bad.
Rottweilers are very intelligent dogs and want nothing more than to please their owners.
So spending some quality time together either through playing Frisbee outside or simply cuddling up and watching a movie at night will go a long way towards keeping your rottweiler satisfied while also disciplining them when needed.
7. Stop any unwanted behavior early on
Like many other dog breeds, Rottweilers are very smart. They can pick up bad behaviors if their owner allows them to happen repeatedly without correcting them at all.
This means that you need to put a stop to your rottweiler’s bad behavior right away before they get used to doing whatever it is they’re misbehaving about in the first place.
You can’t expect them not to jump or sit down on command if you haven’t told them what you want from them yet, so make sure every part of your training plan is followed through with consistently if you want positive results.
Have a starting point where the behavior begins and end the behavior before it progresses.
For example, if your dog jumps on guests when they come to visit, train them to sit down instead of jumping so they understand that sitting will get them what they want (attention from their owner), while jumping will bring them nothing.
8. Remember that Rottweilers are very intelligent dogs
One of the biggest problems with most dog owners is that they give their dogs too much leeway with misbehaving because they don’t want to be mean or cruel towards them.
Rottweilers are very intelligent dogs and will follow your lead to get what they want out of you. If you’re upset at them for something, they’re going to know it whether you tell them verbally or not.
They’ll learn that if they misbehave, there’s a good chance their owner won’t like it. Things like treats and other rewards might not happen as often anymore, which can cause an overweight rottweiler since withholding food as a form of discipline isn’t recommended.
When discouraging bad behavior amongst your pet, keep this in mind and always remember that they’re just like you in many respects. They want to please their owner just as much, so ensure that your actions towards them reflect that.
9. Stop bad behavior early on before it becomes a habit
Like most dog breeds, Rottweilers are smart enough to pick up on bad behavior that gets rewarded over time.
This means that you need to set boundaries early on, so your rottweiler understands what’s right and wrong before it becomes a habit that’s hard to break.
If they come running for food every time they hear the refrigerator open, they’ll also run towards the front door expecting food when hearing the sound of people outside.
One way around this is to keep them inside where there are no distractions. But if you’re not able to do this, try taking them for long walks or runs to tire them out enough that sleep takes over instead of misbehaving.
10. Teach your rottweiler how to behave through commands and rewards
Teach your rottweiler appropriately by giving him a command, then rewarding him afterward if he does as he is told.
For example, if your rottweiler is getting a little too rowdy while playing with another dog, give him a command to sit down.
After he complies, immediately praise him and offer a treat as a reward for good behavior. Repeat this as necessary.
Use a “leave it” command to keep your rottweiler from jumping on guests and other people nearby.
If you notice that your rottweiler is getting overly excited and wants to jump up on the next person he sees, give him a firm “no!” command and immediately pull him away from whatever interested him.
This will stop him from doing whatever was making him misbehave. Afterward, praise your rottweiler for complying with your wishes and then give him a treat as a reward for good behavior.
11. Practice obedience training classes using positive reinforcement methods
If you’re having problems teaching your rottweiler how to behave appropriately, consider enrolling him in obedience classes with other dogs as well as their handlers.
This will help provide more socialization for your rottweiler as he learns how to follow commands from you and others while building confidence around other
12. Punish bad behavior by taking away privileges
Punishing bad behavior by removing privileges such as going outside, playing with toys, etc., until the dog learns what is expected from him again.
If your rottweiler misbehaves, take away his privileges for a set period until he learns how to behave again.
For example, if you notice that your rottweiler is barking excessively while you’re trying to sleep, shake him gently to get his attention and immediately tell him to stop.
If he does not comply with this, try using a firm “no” command and then give him gentle shakes when he continues barking after hearing your “no” command.
After several attempts at this were ignored by your rottweiler, go into another room (if possible) where he cannot see you.
Wait a minute or two for your rottweiler to calm down and then return, but without greeting him. If he gets up once you return, immediately shake him again and repeat the “no” command as necessary.
After your rottweiler ignored a few attempts at this, go back into the room where you went before and wait for another few minutes so that your rottweiler can calm down even more.
Return once again but do not greet him when arriving back in the room. If he tries to get up from his resting spot after returning yet again, gently shake him until he or she is lying back down on the floor – but do not harm him in any way.
If your rottweiler gets up once again, shake him until he or he lies back down and return to the other room as mentioned earlier for another few minutes of rest.
Repeat this process as necessary if your dog continues to bark excessively after you have tried several times to get his attention.
13. Avoid using physical or abusive punishment
Avoid using physical punishment or yelling at your pet; use a stern tone instead.
If your rottweiler is misbehaving, avoid yelling at him and immediately punish bad behavior by following the tips mentioned above.
The use of physical punishment should be avoided as these techniques could cause your dog to resent you in some way or form.
It’s also important not to yell at your rottweiler because this will only further increase his anxiety levels while doing nothing to correct any inappropriate behavior he may be exhibiting.
Final thoughts
There are many methods that people use to discipline their rottweiler. The best way is the one that works for you and your dog, but it doesn’t hurt to try a few different techniques before settling on just one.
We recommend trying each of these thirteen (13) tips above until you find which methods best suit your needs.
