How to Teach Your Rottweiler to Sit

When trained well at an early age, rottweilers develop into loyal dogs with pleasant personalities. Training these dogs requires extra patience and commitment. Start training your rottweiler puppy with the "sit" command before progressing to other orders.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Decide what time of day works best to train the puppy. Make sure it is not when the puppy normally eats, sleeps or plays.

2. Choose two voices to use during the training. Use one voice to command the puppy and the other voice to praise.

3. Put the puppy's leash and collar on. Position the puppy so that he stands directly in front of you.

4. Use the command voice to say, "Sit" firmly while pointing your finger at the puppy. Then gently push the puppy's bottom down to the sitting position. Praise the puppy immediately. Repeat steps 3 and 4.

5. Position yourself to the side of the puppy. Hold a treat over his head. Move your hand slightly to the rear and say, "Sit." As the puppy raises his head to follow your hand, the puppy's body might automatically assume the sitting position. If so, praise the puppy and offer treats.

6. Refrain from praising the puppy if he does not sit. Instead, walk slightly away, return and wait a few minutes. Then try again. Repeat step 6 until the puppy sits each time.

Tips & Warnings

• Never yell at the puppy if he does not listen or does not understand a command. This discourages learning by making the training an unpleasant experience.