Figure Eight
Figure eight is a lot like heeling on leash, except your rottweiler must heel on leash around two obstacles. The obstacles are actually ring stewards, who are there to assist the judge. Unlike heeling on leash, there are only two commands: forward and halt. Your rottweiler must sit when the judge calls out “Halt!” and you stop.
The trick to success in obedience is not just training — socialization is important, too. Your rottweiler will be much more at ease if he's comfortable in strange environments. Dog shows and obedience competitions are about as strange as environments come!
You and your rottweiler must walk in a figure-eight pattern without the dog lagging or sniffing. Figure eights are tricky because you cannot adapt your pace to your rottie's pace or you will receive a nonqualifying score. Likewise, you can't jerk your dog forward. When training for figure eights, you need to encourage your rottweiler around the obstacles and slow down for the straight sections. In this way, your rottie learns to maintain one speed at all times.
