Basics Of Rottweiler Training

There are running debates within the veterinary behaviorist community about whether undesirable behavior in dogs is a result of nature or nurture. Many behaviorists are strongly in the nurture camp, insisting that most all dogs can be turned into good pets with the right training and environment. Others lean to the nature side, insisting that dogs are born with most of their personality traits; training and environment will merely shape what's already there.

Dogs are indeed born with certain characteristics that will be expressed to some degree regardless of how they are raised. Some dogs are more extreme in the expression of their inborn characteristics. However, almost all behaviors can be accentuated or reduced, depending on how one interacts with the dog. While we don't know the exact mix of how much genetics versus environment contribute to a dog's disposition, we know environment will have a major impact on certain areas such as how confident your dog is (rather than timid or fearful), how well-socialized she is, how well she follows your directions, how trustworthy she is around other people and children, and whether she is well-mannered.

FIRST RULE OF DOG TRAINING
Dogs speak with their bodies. Unfortunately, humans are very good at misinterpreting what dogs are saying. We often ascribe our own thoughts, feelings and values to our pets. That is often not accurate, and can cause some real confusion for us and the dog.

SECOND RULE OF DOG TRAINING
Dogs live in a pack. Dogs living with humans interact with the family members in the same fashion they do with other dogs. To a dog, where they are in the pack (that is, are they the top, or alpha, dog [dominant] or the bottom dog [submissive]) is a primary concern at all times. The dog interprets your behavior as your indication of where you are in the pack, too. Bearing this in mind, let's look at some examples.

1) A dog that keeps trying to put his paw over your arm is saying:
A) I like you.
B) Please pet me.
C) I want to dominate you.
D) I have to go outside.

Most people guess A or B. The real answer is C. This dog is trying to control interaction with you. If you allow the dog to determine the starting or stopping of games, you may enable certain dogs to dominate you. Dogs express dominance to each other by putting their heads, paws, or entire bodies over each other. So by gently placing your hand over your puppy's head and shoulders frequently, you let him know that you are the leader. That gives him a comfortable place in his family "pack", which he craves. If you allow him to put those paws over you, and reward him by petting him, you've reinforced the idea that he's in charge and does not have to listen to you. This does not mean you should try to dominate dogs by forcing them to the ground. To do so is to endanger yourself and the dog. If you are working with a dominant, aggressive animal, you should call a veterinary behaviorist.

2) A strange dog is greeting you with ears erect and forward. He's standing very tall with all his weight shifted to the front of his body. His tail is erect, and moving slightly from side to side. He's staring at you directly. Would you walk up and pet him?

A) No of course not. He's showing me assertiveness or aggression.
B) Of course, there's no problem. He's regarding me with friendly curiosity.

The answer is A. These are direct physical indicators of a dog telling you to leave him alone.

3) When your dog greets you, she slinks toward you with her head lowered and her tail tucked under her legs. As soon as you lean over her, she rolls on her back and keeps looking away from you. What's going on here?

A) She's done something naughty and is looking guilty.
B) She's a wimp.
C) She's acknowledging your leadership and is soliciting attention respectfully.

The answer is C. Instead of being grateful that they own a dog that has automatically accepted their leadership, some people are convinced this properly respectful dog has done something wrong and is acting guilty. The poor dog has no idea why you, in their mind the alpha dog, are yelling. As far as the dog knows, you're yelling at her for greeting you. So next greeting will be even more submissive and the dog may even start urinating submissively on greeting to show you that she's really no threat so you, the alpha dog, won't yell.

If your dog chews on objects during your absence, punishment after the fact will not stop her from doing this the next day. You have to determine the causes (separation anxiety, puppy chewing, etc) in order to treat this successfully. If you punish this submissive dog, this becomes a self-perpetuating problem, unless you break the cycle by recognizing your dog's behavior as submissive.

4) You have a 1-year-old Irish Setter. You take her for a walk on a leash for at least 30 minutes each morning, and for 45 minutes every night. You walk fairly briskly. During the day, she's alone in the house. You now have to keep her in the bathroom because she's destroyed every other room in the house. Now she's started to lick the skin raw on one of her paws. What's happening?

A) She's just a bad dog. Send her back to the breeder
B) She may suffer from a behavior problem, like separation anxiety.
C) She's being spiteful, to make you feel guilty for working all day.
D) She needs more exercise.

Both B and D are correct. This is a very high-energy dog, bred to go at a brisk pace for hours. She needs a job compatible with her high energy level. Walking by itself is inadequate exercise for her and most dogs, especially working breeds. Your brisk walking pace may be slow plod for her. Dogs may develop a variety of behavioral or even health problems if they are not given a lot of vigorous exercise daily. In addition to the daily walks, allow off-leash exercise in safe and designated areas, encourage play and social interaction with other dogs, and/or train the dog to provide additional physical and mental stimulation (obedience, tracking, agility, etc.). Visit our sections on "FunStuff.html" and "PosDisc.html".

Talk to your veterinarian, go to obedience training clubs, find out from veterinary and behavioral experts what normal behavior is for your dog and how to interpret what your dog is doing. That's the first step to getting your dog's behavior and your relationship with her back on track. Work with the experts or join an obedience training club to learn how to effectively communicate with your dog, how to prevent problems, and how to work through problems that already exist.

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Basics Of Rottweiler Training

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