FREE Puppy Training Tips
a new owners guide to puppy training

If you're the proud owner of a new puppy, you'll find that a reliable source of free puppy training tips makes the next few weeks a whole lot easier.

Puppy training begins the day you get your little guy or girl home...... and when you start out the right way, it makes the whole process much quicker (and less stressful for everyone).

That little bundle of fur may be a baby right now, but you'll be amazed at how quickly he grows.... and a Rottweiler puppy is going to grow A LOT!

If you want him to grow up to be a happy, well-adjusted, sociable, and obedient dog you need to take some time right now to teach him some basic manners and obedience commands.

An untrained or unruly/disobedient puppy will become an untrained unruly/disobedient dog, and that will not lead to a happy life for anyone - dog or owner.

Many dogs are abandoned every year for 'behavioral' issues (such as housebreaking problems or excessive biting and so on). The majority of these could have easily have been prevented in the first place with a little bit of time and effort.

So don't let your puppy become a statistic! Instead, take advantage of these free puppy training tips and give him the gift of a long, happy family life.

How To Train A Puppy

Training a puppy isn't difficult, and it should always be fun (for both you and your puppy), but there are some basic guidelines that you need to follow if your want your puppy training efforts to be successful.

There are two main types of puppy training that you'll be concerned to begin with...... house training or house breaking and basic obedience/manners.

House training involves teaching your puppy to eliminate outdoors (or if necessary, but not recommended, on pee pee pads/litter tray indoors) and you'll find all the information you need (and more free puppy training tips) about this aspect of puppy training on my Housebreaking A Puppy page.

Basic puppy obedience training and 'manners' needs to be taught at the same time, and you'll start out slowly and build up.

Depending on how old your puppy is when you bring him home, and what sort of environment he spent his first few months of life in, you may even have some re-training to do, or some behavior problems to deal with.

Learning to be sociable and confident with other people, dogs and situations is also an important aspect of your puppy's lessons. You'll need some free puppy training tips to cover this area too.

Although your new puppy is a smart little guy, and is eager to 'soak up' all the experiences and lessons that he can, he has a very short attention span! Any 'teaching' at this age needs to be given in very short 'bursts' and the key words here are 'little but often'.

Rottweilers are very intelligent dogs, and they're always eager to please. I have owned other breeds, and I can honestly say that in my experience Rottie pups make great (and very willing) students :o)

Here is a list of some important free puppy training tips that will help you start out the right way.......

Your puppy loves you no matter what, but in order to fully trust you he has to feel that you know what you're doing and that you are able to take care of him. He'll look to you for leadership, direction and answers, and if you can't provide them he'll make up his own. That is not what you want!

Free Puppy Training Tips - Obedience

You don't want to wait for your pup to start attending a Puppy Obedience Class before he learns his first commands.

Start him off on the right paw by helping him understand some of the basics at home.

Here are some free puppy training tips for this category.......

Name Recognition

Although you probably spent lots of time and energy looking at Rottweiler names for your puppy, he doesn't even know (or care!) what his name is. So, the first thing you want to do is get him to learn that when he hears his name he needs to pay attention.

Most puppies LOVE treats, and food makes a great reward. Choose quiet moments when your pup is paying attention to you and say his name, then give him a tiny treat. Do this half a dozen times. Once he's familiar with this and has learned to associate his name with a treat, try saying it when he's not already paying attention to you (but not when he's fully absorbed in a tasty bone or playing with the cat). When he responds by looking at you, then give him a treat. If your practice this daily, your little guy will learn his name very quickly.

The 'Sit' Command

This is usually the easiest basic puppy obedience command to teach. Here's a simple way to do it....

Get a handful of tiny, tasty treats and then get your puppy's attention. Hold one of the treats right in front of his nose and ask him to 'sit' in a firm, calm voice. Then move the treat slowly up and back over his head. Your little guys' nose will follow the treat upwards, and his rear end will go downwards! As soon as his little butt hits the floor, tell him "good sit" and give him a treat and praise. Again, practice a few times each session.

The 'Recall'

When it comes to teaching your pup to 'come', the following free puppy training tips could be lifesavers! That's because the 'recall' is probably THE most important puppy obedience command there is. The aim is to get your pup to repsond to your 'come' command without hesitation, and without even thinking that there's an option.

Just think about it. If you open the front door and your puppy slips through and is off down the street in the blink of an eye, imagine what kind of trouble he could get into. But, if he's learned that when he hears "Brutus come!", he needs to stop in his tracks and do just that - he'll be a whole lot safer.

The most important of the free puppy training tips related to the recall, is NEVER to practice this if your puppy has an option to ignore your command. Puppies are creatures of habit, and learn through association. If your little guy gets into the habit of coming to you everytime you say "Brutus come", it will be 'hardwired' into his brain. He'll do it instinctively. The same applies if he learns that he can ignore you!

So, always practice the recall with your pup on a long training leash (or even a long piece of light rope). Get his attention by saying his name, and then in a happy, excited voice, say "Brutus come" and crouch down, clap your hands or do whatever you can to encourage his little legs to get him to you asap. Give him a tasty treat and lots of praise as soon as he reaches your arms.

You can do this inside your house to begin with, then move out to the yard, then even the street or local park etc. (once he's had all his canine vaccinations of course), but always have him on a leash. He needs to be 100% reliable, no matter what the distraction, before you can let him off-leash and expect him to come back.

This will be unlikely to happen until he's in an Intermediate Dog Obedience class, so don't rush things.

The 'Down' Command

This can be a bit more difficult to teach, as some puppies resist lying down on command, especially the more 'alpha' or dominant ones. But if you start early, and are consistent with your practice, your little guy should learn pretty quickly.

One of the free puppy training tips I'd like to pass on here, is to leave this command until after your pup has mastered the 'Sit' command. That's because it's easier to get a pup into the 'down' position from a 'sit' than from when he's standing firmly upright on all four paws!

Once your pup is sitting nicely, take another treat and hold it in front of his nose. Then this time, slowly lower the treat to the floor, moving slightly away from the pup and towards you as you do so. Your puppy's nose should follow the treat downwards, and his legs will slide forward to help him reach it better. Aim to be holding the treat on the ground, between his two front paws when he's lying down.

Some pups 'get this' right away, others seem to struggle a bit and try to bend themselves around like a pretzel to avoid lying all the way down. If your pup does this, help him out by using your free hand to gently pull his front legs forward so that his tummy gets to ground level. As soon as he's lying down, say "good down" and give him his treat and a lot of praise. Don't overdo the repetitions on this one, do it 2 or 3 times, and then move on. Just make sure to practice several times a day.

Leash Training A Puppy

Puppy leash training needn't be a struggle if you approach it the right way! Learn exactly how to leash train your pup by visiting my Leash Training A Puppy page.

Find the very best quality and selection of dog training equipment for medium, large and extra-large breeds by visiting the website below. After all, Rottweilers are impressive dogs and they deserve some style!

Free Puppy Training Tips - Last Words

These points are worth re-emphasising.....

• More frequent training sessions are better than longer training sessions.
• Consistency & repetition are vital to your (and your puppy's) success
• Only ever use positive training methods. Always reward rather than punish.

Search here for more information on Rottweilers or anything else you want to know about this breed........

Leash Training A Puppy

Your Rottweiler Puppy

Taking Care Of A Puppy

Stop Puppy Biting

Rottweiler Behavior

Rottweiler Dogs

Return to Home Page from Free Puppy Training Tips