Once you have decided to undertake obedience training with your Rottweiler, you should be prepared for quite a bit of demanding work. By following just a few easy tips though, you can make the entire process much easier, rewarding and even enjoyable for both you and your Rottweiler.

While it make be tempting to immediately dive right into the basic commands like Sit! Stay! Heel! Or Come!, reading and understanding these tips will give you a good idea of what you can expect. The following five tips are a fantastic start toward a better understanding of Rottweiler obedience training that will give you a leg up (pardon the pun) before you begin:

1. Patience pays off - Obedience training with your Rottweiler can be a trying experience, but it is important not to lose your patience. It may be easier to quit, but doing so will not be helpful to you or to your Rottweiler. Avoid venting your frustrations by shouting or yelling at your dog, as raised voices will only instill fear and not the confidence and trust that are tantamount to effective obedience training.

2. Build and strengthen your relationship - Trust and respect are necessary components for a strong bond with your Rottweiler and without them your dog will be far less likely to accept any obedience training from you. Prior to attempting any actual training, spend as much time as possible simply playing, having fun and getting to know each other before you attempt to change your Rottweiler’s behavior in any way.

3. Establish your Alpha Position - It is very important that you establish your role as the lead dog or ‘Alpha’ as early in the relationship as possible. Claiming your position as the dominant will take some time, but doing so is not only necessary, it will help to further your obedience training efforts. Without it, your Rottweiler will not accept that you are in charge and he will be far less likely to obey any commands whatsoever because you will be viewed as an equal as opposed to being your Rottweiler’s leader.

4. Consistency is key - Possibly the most important rule of thumb that applies to Rottweiler obedience training is consistency. Your training schedule must be consistent and regular if your Rottweiler is expected to learn and retain anything. This requires time as long as you repeat your commands the same way each and every time, your dog will learn quickly and adapt to the correct response to your commands. Inconsistency on your part will lead to confusion for your Rottweiler and improper behaviors that will first have to be unlearned before proceeding.

5. K.I.S.S. - That’s right, “Keep It Simple, Stupid! The old saying applies here possibly more so than in any other area of your life, most especially at the start of your Rottweiler obedience training sessions. You should begin with only one or possibly two commands; Sit! and Stay! are a good starting point. Only after these have been mastered should you continue on to other commands such as Come! and Heel!. Keeping the process simple and deliberate will help you and your Rottweiler to build a strong and solid foundation of basic commands.

Finally, there is one thing to bear in mind before and during your Rottweiler obedience training. Each and every dog is different. They possess personalities just like their human counterparts. Some dogs may pick up one command quickly and have difficulty with others. By following these five simple guidelines your training will not only move forward, the bond you share with your Rottweiler will grow many times over.