Learning how to teach a Rottweiler to heel is an important part of obedience training and requires patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement.
This skill not only enhances the bond between you and your Rottweiler but also keeps them safe in public places.
In this blog post, we will delve into the techniques and tips on how to effectively teach a Rottweiler to heel.
Start by Teaching your Rottie to Sit
Sit is an important and easy command to start with. It builds a foundation for many other commands for later on in training.
First, get your rottweiler’s attention by calling out their name. Then, use the command “sit” in a calm, confident voice.
Once you’ve said the command, lightly push down on your dog’s rear until they sit, and provide them a treat once they do so.
You can also add some words of encouragement and act as happy as possible. They can read your emotions and will want to please you as much as possible.
They can’t understand words, but you can treat them like a toddler and express your emotions as you speak.
Keep repeating the training for a good session, and repeat the sessions as often as you can until your rottweiler seems to understand the command.
Reward your Rottie with a Treat or Praise
As we mentioned with teaching them to sit, it’s crucial to provide both a treat and praise when they do the task you’ve asked of them.
Rottweilers will respond to treats primarily, but they are also highly motivated by pleasing their owners. Therefore, they will be trying to read your face and the sound of your voice during training to figure out what you want them to do.
The combination of treats and praise is the most effective when they are learning obedience training. You can even put in head pats for a nice bonus!
Teach a Rottweiler to Heel on Command
As with other commands, make sure you have their leash, collar, and a lot of treats before beginning training. Using the following technique is sure to get them heeling with you on walks in no time.
- Call your dog’s name and point where you want him to walk (left is the traditional ‘heel’ side).
- Once they come up beside you, say “yes” in a firm and calm voice. Then reward them with a treat.
- After a few times doing this, try without the name and pointing. They should still try to come beside you. When they do so voluntarily, reward them with a treat again.
- Over time, they should begin to walk beside you often for treats.
- Now you can try varying your pace and turning rapidly. Try moving from side to side to see if your rottweiler will keep pace. If they keep finding the heel position, keep rewarding them. If not, go back a few steps and try again.
- Always use a “yes” when they heel correctly to help them understand they are correct.
Teach a Rottweiler to Heel Without a Command
Heeling is a bit different from other commands because it is meant to occur naturally over time without repeating the command.
That’s why you’ll want to begin weaning them off the command and calling their name as soon as possible in training. It can be beneficial to also train them with a “come” command in case of emergencies.
Give your Rottweiler a Treat Every Time They Heel
In the in-between phase, the dog will still stray from your walking path often, especially when there is something that interests it nearby. Keep giving them treats every time it comes back to heel. Eventually, they’ll understand to do it without the need for the command.
It does get a bit trickier when it comes to other dogs and people. You’ll want to have your Rottweiler well-trained on heeling without these distractions before you try to get them to heel with people and other dogs around.
It is essential to give out treats and show them praise when they do heel after you command it with another dog or stranger around.
Praise and Pet your Rottie after they Heel.
Always continue to praise and pet your rottweiler when they heel, even after the initial training stages are over. You want to keep reinforcing your dog throughout its life so that it knows it’s doing the right thing.
Reward your Rottie for Good Behavior with Food and Toys
You can also reward them for a particularly good walk with food and toys when they get home, or perhaps some extra playtime. Continuous positive reinforcement will get the training to stick in the long-term and is especially important when they are young.
Start Adding Distractions
You can move from training to heel with no one around to having friends and family walk past to distract the dog during the training phase. This will get them used to socializing with other people while heeling.
This is a big step and one of the hardest for the dog during training. However, they need to get used to people in a safe environment before heading out into the wild and having them chase down a person without you having control.
Repeat this Process until your Rottie is Fully Trained
If you find that your Rottweiler isn’t taking to the training, you can always go back a couple of steps to the first parts of training to reinforce the fundamental behaviors from the beginning.
Check if your tone of voice and frame of mind are ready for the training before entering it. You must remain calm and patient throughout and act very consistently during the training.
Training is a type of conditioning, and the more precise the process, the better and faster your dog will learn.
Other Tips to Help with Dog Obedience
Clicker training
Clicker training can be a great tool to help with obedience, as it focuses on positive reinforcement.
Instead of a “yes” or head pats, you can opt for a clicker to have a particular sound that signals your dog they have done the training correctly.
Essentially, your rottweiler will begin to associate the clicker with getting treats, and using it alone will strongly reinforce good behavior.
Plenty of Exercise
A well-exercised puppy will be more hungry for treats and better able to train. It also prevents them from getting too aggressive during training by tiring out their worst instincts.
Socialization
Another aspect of obedience training is socialization with other people and dogs from a young age. The more your rottweiler gets to know other dogs, the better they will be when they grow up and see other people and animals.
In particular, they will better understand when a person or animal is friendly vs. when they are a threat.
Positive reinforcement
Almost all dog training in the modern day is done through positive reinforcement, which yields the best results. Treats, praise, attention, toys, and petting are all forms of positive reinforcement you can give your dog when they do an action you want to reinforce.
Final thoughts
Learning how to teach a Rottweiler to heel doesn’t have to be a challenging experience. On the contrary, it can be quite fun.
They are an obedient breed, and they should get the trick of it fairly quickly, whether young or old.
Follow our instructions, look over our tips, and your Rottweiler should be trained without too much effort.
