How To Train A Rottweiler Puppy Not To Bite? 12 Step Formula
Last Updated/Info Checked on February 18, 2023 by Linda Michaels
Famous as the first police dogs, the strong and tough Rottweilers have now become the perfect family companions owing to their affectionate and caring personalities.
Being calm and confident, they are also the first choice of many owners looking for family guardians.
However, with such a personality comes their habit of biting and nipping. This can scare away many people, even owners, that are trying to show their love to them.
So, to train a Rottweiler puppy not to bite, drain their energies, train them young to obey you by using positive reinforcement accompanied with negative reinforcement, socialize your puppy, provide toys for chewing, desensitize it to the environment, supervise them, and refrain from punishing them.
Why Do My Rottweiler Bites So Much?
Training dogs to modify their behaviors is not a hard task if you know their natural characteristics and tendencies. This backdrop helps you to know where and on what level to start.
Here are some characteristics that would help you how to train a Rottweiler puppy not to bite.
1. Energetic
Score:4/5
Rottweilers are very playful and energetic. Their high energy surges make them active and move about with fervor.
Sometimes when their energies are not being utilized for the right purposes, they become fidgety and aggressive to the point that they may start biting people and even their owners.
2. Moderately Mouthy
Score: 3/5
Though not a very mouthy breed, Rottweilers can sometimes become difficult to handle as some may be overly mouthy. This is why it is not recommended for first-time owners.
Also, they are an intelligent and naturally curious breed which also makes them more prone to the habits of biting and nipping.
3. Highly Trainable
Score: 4/5
Rottweiler’s smart nature packed with love for their masters makes them a very trainable dog breed.
They would try learning new skills and behaviors taught by their masters and would try to please them by putting in some extra effort.
That is reflected in the fact that many police departments train them to work as police dogs and a lot of domestic users train Rottweilers for security and herding purposes.
How To Stop A Rottweiler Puppy from Biting?
Here are some tips and tricks on how to train your Rottweiler pooch not to bite.
1. Drain Their Energy
All Rottweilers pups are enthusiastic when it comes to exercise. They are highly driven by their energy and intensity. That is why it becomes necessary to engage them in playful activities.
When not properly utilized, they will divert this potential into unhealthy practices that include biting and nibbling.
Make sure your pooch is getting enough exercise throughout the day, it can be in the form of dog sports like swimming, fetch, racing, frisbee, or maybe your evening walks. Have a routine and follow it religiously.
This would drain them enough to be calmer and relaxed at home without getting all fussy and biting everyone and everything.
2. Make Them Obey You
Not every dog is obedient right from the start, sometimes you have to make them realize who is the boss here.
A pup that fails to see a dominant personality in the owner would become its own master, following its whims and wishes. This often means reverting to their original habits including biting.
You have to assert yourself through dominant cues. This includes being calm and confident around your pooch and having a firm voice with strong hand gestures while giving a command.
3. Positive Reinforcement
If you’ve been reading my blogs lately, you’d know that I am a huge fan of positive reinforcement techniques.
That is because they are easy and they work!
Positive reinforcement is all about linking a particular behavior or action with a reward so that the dog becomes more and more motivated in adopting that behavior.
This naturally fades away the bad behaviors as the dog now has no motivation for them.
So, whenever your pup tries to bite or nibble, just tell him to stop, and when it does stop, reward him. The reward could be either some food that the pooch likes or some activity that he adores.
And with time, you will not even need to motivate the dog with rewards as it would become a part of the dog’s subconscious behavior.
4. Negative Reinforcement
As opposed to positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement is when an action is linked with negative consequences so that the dog stops doing it.
The best way to do it is to stop giving your dog any attention as a negative result of his actions.
That is to say, when your pup bites you or someone or something you don’t want him to then just ignore him for some time, it could be a minute or so, and you can stop playing with your dog as well.
I’ve recently trained a rottweiler using training collar because he was extra aggressive. So if non of the positive reinforcement works, try using the training collars.
This would make him realize that the said behavior is not welcomed which would motivate the dog to leave it completely with time.
5. Socialize Your Pooch
Some dogs are gentle with their owners while go frenzy with other dogs and humans. This is because they have never been socialized properly.
Take your dog out occasionally to meet other pets and let him socialize. You can also introduce him to people as well.
Remove the dog’s apprehensions about things that are alien to it. You will observe how quickly your dog will start mingling with new people and pets and the biting would be a thing of the past.
6. Chewing Alternatives
Some dogs chew out of their old habits and there is nothing sinister about it.
Buy some chewing toys for your dog. Make sure the dog understands that it is fine to chew at these dogs whenever it wants.
This would keep the dog’s habits intact without creating any trouble for you. You will see whenever your dog is in a biting mood, it would just find the toy by itself without even your intervention and release its frustration on such toys.
7. Desensitize To The Environment
At times, a dog is only accustomed to the environment of the home and any stimuli outside of such an environment make it fussy and it starts to bark and bite.
It could be new sounds, new people, or any other stimulus.
Try introducing your dog to such outside stimuli in a controlled environment in your presence. Make the dog know that it is safe.
Gradually, it will adapt to these stimuli and remain calm and contained without any aggressive behavior.
8. Supervise Your Dog
Some dogs in their initial days as pets act normally around their owners but start biting people when the owner is not around.
This usually occurs when adult dogs are adopted as adults and is relatively rare with pups.
Supervise your pup, do not let him alone with children and other pets until you are sure they have learned to stay gentle with them even in your absence.
9. Train Them Young
It is easier to train pups during the early years of their puppyhood rather than later because behavior patterns have not yet been ingrained into their systems.
Train your pups right from the beginning rather than waiting for them to grow first.
10. Don’t Punish
Dogs don’t learn well through punishments as they do from positive and negative reinforcement techniques.
Also, Punishments leave them with a more anxious and apprehended nature and such pups lack self-confidence.
11. Diet And Sleep
What most people forget is the effect of diet and sleep on a dog’s behavior.
Lack of sleep can make anyone cranky, dogs are no exception. Make sure your dog is getting enough sleep at night and proper daytime naps. Make a sleeping routine for your dog and make it stick to it.
Similarly, hungry pups are never happy, all dogs need a food plan that not only is fulfilling their nutritional needs but also satiates them. Consult a dog nutritionist if you don’t know a diet plan, never guess.
12. Seek Professional Help
It’s never a shame to admit your failure as a trainer or owner and ask for professional help. Some dogs are just too stubborn to be trained by domestic owners. You’ll also get to know when those rottweilers stop biting.
You can take the help of professional dog trainers or even enroll your dog into dog schools for behavior modification courses.
Such courses are specifically designed to train and modify the habits of resilient dogs and they have very positive outcomes.
Moreover, you can yourself be trained by a professional to modify your dog’s behavior.
Also, some people love to use gadgets like E-collars for dog training.
Take the route most feasible for you and give your dog proper time to be trained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Following are some of the questions that I got during my training sessions.
At what age do Rottweiler puppies stop biting?
Generally, a Rottweiler pup would stop biting at about 10-12 months of age. However, some might continue this habit into their adulthood and you would need to train them to stop this behavior.
Why is my Rottweiler puppy biting me?
A Rottweiler puppy can bite when hungry or wants to play. Sometimes they bite out of curiosity and at other times they just do it out of old habits.
You need to find the cause of your pup’s biting to stop them.
Are Rottweilers difficult to train?
No, Rottweilers have an intelligent yet malleable nature and can be trained easily. They show love and loyalty to their owners and would put effort to make their behavior in line with the owner’s wishes.
Wrapping Up
Training a Rottweiler puppy not to bite is not as simple as it sounds. Some pups bite out of boredom and curiosity, some due to hunger and a lack of sleep while others can bite just because they want to.
It’s a habit that you would need to get rid of as early as you want as it becomes difficult once it gets stuck with a dog.
There are various ways as discussed to do so but always remember, every change of behavior takes time. Never be hasty but be persistent with your methods.
With time, most dogs change their behaviors into more acceptable ones, and remember that you can always take professional help.
