rottweiler training - can a 9 month old be socialized and trained?

by Nicholas
(columbia, mo )

There is a rottie at our local human society, he seems like a very nice dog and very friendly towards people, they say he is submissive and he has another dog (that he's lived with) in the cage with him, he is 9 months old so he's still a puppy but they say he is a little aggressive towards male dogs.

I have read books on rottweiler training and I understand it varies from dog to dog but do you think at 9 months you could socialize him and discipline him to be non aggressive towards other dogs?

thank you






Hi Nicholas
A lot does depend on the individual dog's personality, and that goes back to his bloodlines and genetics - and as he's a rescue dog you won't have the benefit of seeing and evaluating his parents to help you decide what he may turn out like either physically or mentally.

However, the shelter staff will have evaluated him to some extent and he will have been exposed to many different people and dogs so that will show his general behavior and social interactions. Many adolescent or mature dogs can be dominant/aggressive towards other adult dogs of the same sex, especially if they're living in close proximity to each other. This is normal and if you have more than one dog it's always best to choose one of each sex to avoid conflict.

Adolescent pups of the guardian breeds are often a bit unsure of what to do with their protective instincts at first and it takes regular socialization and training to help them learn how to 'play well with others' :) At 9 months of age this Rottie still has a LOT of maturing and growing to do and as long as he has a sound temperament then there's no reason why he can't learn acceptable social behavior even if he never learns to LOVE other adult male dogs he doesn't know.

I would strongly suggest that if you decide to adopt this pup that you get him enrolled in some formal training sessions to help you learn to understand each other better and to help with the bonding experience. In my experience Rottweilers are one of the easiest breeds to train as they are very intelligent, focus well, and are eager to please. They don't need harsh training methods and respond best to positive, rewards-based training. However, they can be stubborn at time and need an owner who is self-confident, calm, fair and loving.

I'd also recommend making sure that you've researched and read everything you can about this breed so that you get a better understanding of how they 'tick' and don't misinterpret their behavior due to the public misconceptions that abound.

I hope this helps and wish you the best of luck with whatever decision you make.