Setting Rules
The groundwork for good behavior in your rottweiler comes from communication between you and your dog. Unfortunately, most owners speak bad “dog,” and as a consequence, most dogs don't have a clue what their owners actually want. It is tempting as a dog owner to think that your dog is doing a certain behavior just to spite you. However, this kind of thinking is often mistaken, as what you are doing is anthropomorphizing the dog's behavior. The owner thinks up punishments intended to fit the crime, but the dog just doesn't seem to “get it.” So, the owner thinks the dog is doing this to spite him.
Dogs don't feel guilty the way people do when they're caught. When you catch a dog doing something bad, he's likely to act submissive because your body language and tone of voice suggests that you're displeased. Dogs don't think in terms of “right” or “wrong.” Instead, they think in terms of what causes good things or bad things to happen. Even so, they may not associate a punishment with a behavior. For example, your rottie will not understand that you withheld his food as punishment for chewing your shoes.
Bad Dog or Bad Owner?
Dogs don't set out to be bad. Most dogs behave inappropriately because the owners never communicated properly with them and then punished them for things they didn't know they had done wrong. This causes the dog to misbehave out of frustration. He may try several different behaviors in an attempt to figure out what you want, or he might repeat the same behavior because he doesn't understand the punishment.
Once you set the ground rules for your rottweiler, don't let him get away with something “just this once.” Dogs have an extraordinary memory when it comes to breaking rules. If you let him up on the bed once, he'll come to expect it. What's worse, once he knows that he can break rules and get away with it, he'll try again.
“I know he knows he's done something wrong!” the owner shouts. “Look at him! He looks guilty!” The problem with statements such as this is that dogs don't feel guilt. Guilt is a human emotion. The dog, anticipating a punishment from an angry owner (he can read body language very well) or expecting a punishment whenever the owner comes home (no, he doesn't associate your chewed-up shoes with the punishment), acts submissive, which is a dog behavior.
Setting the Ground Rules
So if punishment doesn't work, what does? Being consistent in your training and setting rules — that is, setting rules that your rottweiler can understand and learn. For example, if you don't want your rottweiler to chew your $200 pair of shoes, you must not allow him to chew your son's old sneakers. Your rottie cannot differentiate between the two. Before you allow your rottie to do something, think of the ramifications. Chewing an old sock may lead to chewing laundry. Chewing a piece of firewood may lead to chewing furniture. Mouthing your hands may lead to biting later on. Sitting on a chair may lead to raiding the table or counter. Opening the refrigerator to get a bottle of water can lead to raiding the refrigerator. Setting rules and enforcing them consistently are the keys to training a well-behaved dog.
Some owners think that their dogs should come with some sort of preprogrammed knowledge of what is expected of them. Without training, your rottie is in essence an immature wolf, with most of the behaviors associated with a wolf. If you invited a wolf to your house, how would you expect it to behave? Don't expect your rottie to come hardwired with house-manner expertise.
Think about what you're willing to allow versus what isn't appropriate. If you allow your rottie to jump up on you when you're wearing your old sweatshirt and blue jeans, you're also allowing him to jump up when you're in your business suit. You're also allowing him to jump up when your friends come by. Think your actions through. If you allow your rottie to sleep on the old sofa, what happens when you get a new sofa?
Before you get angry at your rottie, look at what you've done to cause the behavior. Have you given him full control of the house without properly training him? Is he bored? Does he really understand the rules?
Don't let this soft demeanor fool you. Rottweilers are known for their great strength, athleticism, and loyalty.
Teaching Good Habits
It is easier to teach good habits than train out bad ones. If your dog doesn't have the chance to be bad, chances are that he'll still be good even if a golden opportunity to misbehave comes his way. Dogs are creatures of habit. They love routine, and they look forward to having everything orderly in their lives. If you've kept your rottie confined at home, the time that the gate is accidentally left open, he may decide that staying around home is a better idea than running loose.
