First Rottie

[littlesparrow001]

My Son has a 13 month old Rott that he got from his sister. She moved and couldn't take the dog just because it is a Rott.
I have much more experince with dogs than he does but not sure the best way to train them. I am making progress with the "come" and have "sit" mastered but need to teach to heel. I use treats as rewards. Was only giving as reward but my granddaughter found them and started giving them to him just to be giving them. Should I change treats?

Not going to be anything but a family pet.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Judi W]

Tell your grandaughter to keep her hands off the treats and mean it (and place them where others can't easily get to them). Otherwise you devalue the treats as a training tool (your instincts are correct).

Check around also and see if you can locate a training class. You don't say how old your son is, but I'd suggest that regardless of who has the most experienced, someone needs to really determine who is going to own the dog and be committed to it and that person should do the training so they have an investment in the dog. Rottweilers travel just fine and move all the time so ownership should devolve to someone who is going to keep him. Whoever that is will be greatly rewarded.

[mrsgrubby]

I too would suggest you sign him up for a training class. A 13 month old dog that didn't know how to sit, come, etc, is bad news.

You have alot of time to make up for, and a trainer will get you going on the right foot, and make sure your dog is getting as much as possible out of each session.