While a large number of Rottweiler owners prefer to train their dog themselves, sometimes the assistance of a pro is necessary to deal with and to eliminate behavioral issues with your pet. As challenging as your Rottweiler’s problems may be, the process of finding the right dog trainer for your Rottweiler can be even more so.
Qualifications
Look for dog trainers who are well qualified to do the job. Many professional dog trainers have affiliations with like minded organizations such as the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT).
Observe and Ask for References
Many dog trainers don’t have direct experience in working with Rottweilers, and this can be a serious obstacle in the training process. Rottweilers can be quite strong willed, and you will want a trainer who has experience in dealing with these situations when they should arise.
When you are interviewing potential dog trainers for your Rottweiler, ask to sit in on a session as an observer. This will give you a good idea of the personality, temperament and style of the trainer you are considering, and any qualified dog training pro will have no qualms about allowing you to watch him/her at work.
Next, ask for references of clients who have had their Rottweilers trained by them. If they are unable or unwilling to provide them, my suggestion is that you move on until you find a dog trainer who will.
What to watch for
No professional dog trainer should ever, under any circumstances, use negative reinforcement techniques, including yelling, hitting or kicking. This should go without saying, but you wouldn’t believe the number of so-called dog trainers out there who use much more force than is necessary because of the size of the Rottweiler.
When you inquire about a dog trainer’s qualifications and training, don’t take their responses at face value. Instead, make phone calls or send emails to the organizations or schools that the trainer mentions and ask them. Misrepresenting qualifications is one of the most common problems with many dog trainers and your Rottweiler deserves better.
If a dog trainer recommends that they do the training for you (in other words, instead of you), once again you need to move on. This technique doesn’t deal with the real world situation. In other words, your Rottweiler will be learning a pattern of behavior from someone they will likely never see again, instead of learning them from the person they will see every day for the rest of their life.
One final thing to look for; if the training is to be done in a group setting, check to make sure that the trainer asks that all dogs be properly vaccinated prior to meeting in the group setting. Ask your vet which vaccines may be required.
A skilled dog trainer should be hands on, but should only serve as an instructor and guide who assists you in training and handling your Rottweiler. ‘Dog training’ may actually be a misnomer in this instance, as the dog trainer is actually training the dog owner, who in turn will be better able to train their own dog.
