At what age Should

[svcrawf72]

At what age should ob training begin? after ob training what should the next training be? Could someone list at what age and what kind of traing is need please.

Example:

6-7 months ob training

or something like that so I can see a schedual.

thanks

Also at what age does the Guard Dog personality kick in?

[spidey]

Training should start with a fun, positive puppy kindergarten class as soon as the pup's had all its shots. Training should continue for the majority of the life of the dog, it's never "done". There is no set schedule, since every dog/handler combination is different, and a lot depends on how much work you are prepared to do. Find a good obedience club - a good trainer will be able to advise you of when you need to move up a level (there are MANY levels of obedience training).

As to guarding, I think you should do some reading here about this subject, since it's a subject that there's a LOT of misunderstanding about. I don't know what you really mean by "guard dog", but it's your job to protect your dog, not the other way around, and most people hugely overestimate how much "protecting" any given dog will do - dogs who truly have the temperament and nerve for protection work (which is training) are very few and far between, and if you truly need more protection than you have, get a better security system for your house. :) Most dogs will alert when someone comes to the door or whatever, but very few dogs will actually risk personal injury when put to the test, nor should you expect them to.

[svcrawf72]

Well I didn't mean for it to sound the way I think you took it.


These dogs are know for "Guard Dog" I have read and every site says "Guard Dog" Not that Guard Dog is the only reason I want a Rottie but one of them. I have a good security system and to comment on that, someone can still break in, steal your stuff, rape your wife and stab you on the way out before the cops desided to show up an hour later. Just because you have a security system doesn't mean when it goes of the cops come running! But in most cases "IMO" if someone breaks in and hears a dog or sees a Rottie running at them chances are they will turn around and get out of the area. "Guard Dog" is just added secuirty "IMO" better security" along with a friend/family member. I would rather have a dog chase someone out of the house then get my gun involved as well. Not saying I feel unsafe where I live, I do feel safe. I was just wanting to know when they start becoming one as I did read but don't know if I took it the way I read it that it can take 2 years. That seems a little long.

[JD102175]

Originally Posted by svcrawf72

I was just wanting to know when they start becoming one

They don't just "become" guard dogs. They need training in order to become a SAFE protection dog, instead of a dog that decides for itself what is a threat and what is not. A dog should NOT be aloud to do so. Also, Rottweilers are a slow maturing breed. It takes up to 3, maybe even more, years for a Rottweiler to become fully mature both mentally and physically. As was said, find yourself a good trainer/ club and start talking to people in those clubs. If you want a protection dog look into some local schutzund(sp?) clubs where they teach protection along with obedience. Not all dogs are cut out to do protection work. If you want that kind of dog start looking into reputable breeders that have dogs active in schutzund.

Jaime

[svcrawf72]

I guess I asked the wrong question, I don't want a schutzund. I don't want a Rottie for the main purpose of Guarding. It was a question to learn more as I am not an expert but you don't learn if you don't ask. A simple anwer like training will lead them to become guard dogs and usually takes 3 years or something like that. I better becareful if I ask another question, I am just trying to learn more about the breed and behavior.

[LavenderRott]

Chase is not a guard dog. She rarely barks at the door. I do think that her size would give someone a second thought.

[Luvs]

Originally Posted by svcrawf72

I guess I asked the wrong question, I don't want a schutzund. I don't want a Rottie for the main purpose of Guarding. It was a question to learn more as I am not an expert but you don't learn if you don't ask. A simple anwer like training will lead them to become guard dogs and usually takes 3 years or something like that. I better becareful if I ask another question, I am just trying to learn more about the breed and behavior.

You are right, if you don't ask you won't learn, so by all means keep asking questions ;)

There is no simple answer. Training will not lead them to become guard dogs unless that is the type of training you are doing. People think that Rotties are natural protectors, but when push comes to shove, the majority of them will NOT back up their bark. It takes a certain type of temperment for any dog to be a good guard dog. The dog that barks at every little noise or strange person is not necissarily a good guard dog. Most of the time the dog is barking because they are afraid of what they see or hear. It looks to us like they are being brave and protective but in reality they are not. As far as a timeline for when your dog will be a good guard dog, well that all depends on his training and his temperment. He may never be a true "guard dog".

You should definately get your boy into basic obedience. Training and socializing your Rottweiler is the MOST important thing you can do for both you and him. Both training and socialization are an ongoing process that should continue thru out the dogs life.

I currently have two 16 month old Rottweilers. They are very friendly and love everyone. I seriously doubt that they would stop someone from coming in my house. Usually when they see someone at the door they get VERY excited. They think the person is here to see them. My Rotties are my companions. It is my job to protect them, not the other way around. That being said, I do think that just the presence of a Rottweiler is a detterent for most people. Whether the dogs are friendly or not, just the fact that they are Rottweilers scares ALOT of people.

[samanthac]

Originally Posted by svcrawf72

I guess I asked the wrong question, I don't want a schutzund. I don't want a Rottie for the main purpose of Guarding.

You may want to reassess your choice of breeds then. There are breeds that are far better suited to the role of guard dog than Rottweiler. Personally I can protect myself and its my job to protect my home, family and dogs from the outside and not the other way around.

Yes, most dogs will issue a warning bark and may even charge a slight bit. But once the dog assesses the fact that they are not going to win, they will turn tail and vacate. Its genetic and its called self preservation. If you are not alive you cannot procreate and that is what it comes down to. Its nature. I have seen people swear up one side and down the other that their dog cannot be run off and then watch as a good helper ran the dog off the field...and that is just in Schutzhund.

The threat is even greater in real life. People should seriously reassess their notion that their dogs will protect them and worry more about viable ways to protect their home, family and property...and dogs! :)

[svcrawf72]

"You should definitely get your boy into basic obedience. Training and socializing your Rottweiler is the MOST important thing you can do for both you and him. Both training and socialization are an ongoing process that should continue thru out the dogs life."

I do not have a Rottie, just asking questions and learning. I hope that is ok here. I was thinking about one and not just as a guard dog but from what I have read they are known as Guard dogs and I thought I would ask this question, I am green when it comes to knowing this breed and I am not going to buy one because I think it is cool or feel insecure where I live. I want a family dog but one that is smart and if the time came where someone wanted to break in that they also would think twice. I am not going to buy a dog to have a dog; I want a dog that fits my life style and some other concerns around the house. If I can't find that dog I wont ever have a dog but asking questions is the only way I will learn and you may take the question wrong or I may word it wrong but I research everything I do before I do it and when I have a question I ask. I don't want to be looked at like I am buying a rottie to fight or be a guard dog. Unless I am 100% sure a dog breed meets all requirements I will not buy. It is easy enough to just buy a dog of almost any breed but ........

[damp]

Originally Posted by svcrawf72

Unless I am 100% sure a dog breed meets all requirements I will not buy. It is easy enough to just buy a dog of almost any breed but ........

Good to see you are researching.

You maybe will find a breed/or description of a breed, that will come up to your expectations. There will still be a long way to go and many, many other researches to do, to find THE DOG, that CAN come up to your expectation. Then again from there, the rest is up to you to train, train, train…………… train the dog coming up to be THE DOG you wanted. It will all depend on you trainer skills, time, dedication, passion and understanding of dogs in general.

You can't buy "prepacked" dogs of any breed.

Good luck. :)

I suggest you stay here and do a research in the archives too.

[spidey]

I also commend you for doing your research ahead of time. And a helpful hint: most breed descriptions aren't very accurate in terms of actual dogs, except in the vaguest sense. ;)

I think the problem is that most people have big misconceptions about how much guarding any given dog will do (as I said). Just because Rottweilers are often described as "protective" doesn't mean they'll put their physical health on the line to save someone - the dogs with the nerve to do this are in a very tiny minority. Most dogs will alert (as I said), especially if you reward them for it - this is normally enough to scare off an intruder, and any intruder prepared to enter a house with a barking dog (ANY barking dog) likely has some way of dealing with the dog anyway (in other words, the protection is in the prevention, not in the stopping-in-the-act, and any dog with a big bark will do). Criminals have just as little idea of how protective most dogs actually are as the rest of the population, so this works to your advantage, everyone thinks dogs will protect their owners. And most people on the street won't mess with you if you have a big scary-looking dog like a Rottweiler, no matter how friendly it is. So that said, get a Rottweiler because you love the breed and can provide the home a dog like this needs (lots of attention, lots of training, etc), not because you want a guard dog (most good breeders hear alarm bells when people say they want a guard dog, by the way, and for very good reason, since it conjures up images of dogs chained in the yard with no socialization - not saying that this is your intention, because I know it's not, but I AM saying that maybe you should rethink what you really want here). This is a working breed, and that means they NEED to work. They are also very much not the breed for an inexperienced owner, since they're very smart and need to work and many will take advantage of an owner who doesn't act like a leader (this doesn't mean pushing them around, it means being a trustworthy, fair, leader). Good luck! :)

[Luvs]

Originally Posted by svcrawf72

"You should definitely get your boy into basic obedience. Training and socializing your Rottweiler is the MOST important thing you can do for both you and him. Both training and socialization are an ongoing process that should continue thru out the dogs life."

I do not have a Rottie, just asking questions and learning. I hope that is ok here. I was thinking about one and not just as a guard dog but from what I have read they are known as Guard dogs and I thought I would ask this question, I am green when it comes to knowing this breed and I am not going to buy one because I think it is cool or feel insecure where I live. I want a family dog but one that is smart and if the time came where someone wanted to break in that they also would think twice. I am not going to buy a dog to have a dog; I want a dog that fits my life style and some other concerns around the house. If I can't find that dog I wont ever have a dog but asking questions is the only way I will learn and you may take the question wrong or I may word it wrong but I research everything I do before I do it and when I have a question I ask. I don't want to be looked at like I am buying a rottie to fight or be a guard dog. Unless I am 100% sure a dog breed meets all requirements I will not buy. It is easy enough to just buy a dog of almost any breed but ........

I think it is WONDERFUL that you are trying to learn BEFORE you get a dog! Too many people get the dog and then realize that there is so much they don't know. By all means, please stick around and ask questions. You will learn a great deal about Rottweilers and dogs in general. Sometimes we may come across as kinda harsh, but thats not how we mean it. We love this breed and try to do everything we can to fight against their negative image. It sends up red flags when someone mentions they want a Rottweiler for a guard dog. I am really glad to see that is not your intention.

If you really want to learn about Rottweilers, this site is a good place to start, but your best bet is to get into contact with a breeder. Go to a dog show and look at the different dogs. WHen you find one you like go talk to the owner and learn more about it. Most owners or breeders are more than happy to talk about their Rotties. I love talking about mine, just ask my family and coworkers ;)

There is such a large diversity when it comes to Rottweiler temperment, depending on the breeding of the dog. If you decide that the Rottweiler is the breed for you then please be sure and find a reputable breeder. Chances are much better that you will get a dog with a stable temperment and less chances of health issues since their dogs are all screened.

Please, stick around and learn about this wonderful breed. No matter what breed you decide on, you will learn a great deal from this site. We are always happy to have new people join us :)