12 Ways to Bond with Your Rottweiler Puppy

Bonding with your new Rottweiler puppy is one of the most important things you can do!

But, what does bonding mean? There are some obvious ways of bonding with your Rottie puppy, but there are some ways of bonding you probably don’t really think of as ‘bonding’ time. Here are 12 Ways to Bond With Your Rottweiler Puppy…

Bonding with your Rottweiler puppy is similar to bonding with your human child. Showing them love, attention, respect, security and meeting their needs. Part of bonding means building a strong, healthy, loving respectful relationship.

According to the dictionary, bonding means…

something that binds, fastens, confines, or holds together.
a cord, rope, band, or ligament.
something that binds a person or persons to a certain circumstance or line of behavior: the bond of matrimony.
something, as an agreement or friendship, that unites individuals or peoples into a group; a covenant: the bond between nations.
binding security; firm assurance:

So, bonding means to hold together, bind, unite and firm assurance. Bonding and relationship (dictionary meaning: a connection, association, or involvement) go hand in hand when you decide to bring a Rottweiler into your life and into your heart.

Building a strong bond and forming a loving, respectful, secure relationship with your Rottweiler is one of the most important things you can do! Bonding with your Rottie will help tremendously in training!

If you’re thinking of getting, or already have a rescued Rottweiler, bonding with him or her is essential! They have already been in a ‘bad relationship’ where no bonding has ever taken place.

More than likely, the Rottie has known sadness, hunger, and despair instead. A rescued Rottweiler, puppy or adult, will probably need more time to trust you and form that bond.

So, what are some ways you can bond with a new puppy, an adult or rescued Rottweiler?

Bonding With Your Rottweiler Puppy

Bonding should begin right away. After picking up your new puppy, they will be scared, uncertain and confused. When we picked up Mamus at 9 weeks, he howled a lot on the way home. It was an hour and a half car ride, and I rode with him in the back seat.

If you can have him with you on this first trip ‘home’, that will begin your bond. You are reassuring him that he will be ok. If your new pup is in a crate or carrier on the first ride home, make sure you show reassurance immediately at your home.

Do not hover, grab at him, squeeze him or be loud (as in hollering). This will scare him. I know everyone is excited to see the new puppy, but this is a very traumatic experience for your new Rottie puppy.

Your puppy has been taken from his mother, siblings and all he has ever known. He will be scared, unsure and nervous.

Bonding includes taking care of your puppy’s needs. Your Rottweiler puppy needs to know that you will provide for him.

Bonding With Your Rottweiler Puppy: Meeting Basic Needs

Your Rottweiler will bond most with their primary caretaker. The person who feeds them gives them water and the one that grooms them. Make sure your pup his own food and water bowls, a crate, toys, and healthy food.

This shows your Rottie that he is cared for and that you will meet even his basic need for food and water. It also begins forming a structure for him. Keep his food and water bowls in the same place so he knows where they are.

Bonding With Your Rottweiler Puppy: Grooming

Grooming is a great way to bond with your Rottweiler puppy! When you groom your Rottie, it’s not just brushing them. Full grooming should include a message or ‘feel session’ before brushing begins.

This means that you take your hands from head to tail and feel/lightly massage your Rottie. You do this to feel for bumps, dry spots, ticks, scabs or matted fur. This does three things:

It enables you to feel anything that is on your Rotties skin and in his fur that shouldn’t be there. Catching ticks this way is so important. You can get them off before they suck out too much blood. Finding a cut enables you to be able to clean it and make sure it heals. Feel for bumps are hard patches.
A light massage is a great way to bond with your Rottie puppy and it feels good to them. They grow very fast and massage helps their muscles and joints. Their body may ache… like the growing pains children sometimes get. We love a good massage when our muscles and joints ache…so does our Rottweilers!
Rubbing and light massage also helps your puppy get used to someone feeling him. Feel and look inside his ears, his mouth, paws and in between paws. When you take your pup to the veterinary, they will also feel on him and you will want him to be used to someone doing that. If not, vet time will not be very pleasant.

Building a relationship and bonding means you learn about the other partner….

Bond With Your Rottweiler Puppy: Learn Their Language!

Learn your Rottie’s likes and dislikes. Your Rottie’s body language will show you when he is irritated and is getting ready to bite. Did you know that dog bites are preventable?

One example is lip licking. If your Rottweiler is licking his lips excessively, that’s a sign he is stressed and or uncomfortable.

If your Rottweiler yawns with his mouth wide open (and he is not tired), it is a sign that he is confused, anxious or stressed.

Take some time to learn about your Rottweiler’s body language. They are telling you how they feel, but you can’t see it!!

Learning this will not only help you bond with your Rottweiler but help in the many situations that will come up as you both grow together.

Bond With Your Rottweiler Puppy: Eye Contact

Before training begins, bond with your Rottweiler by teaching him eye contact with you. During training, you want to Rottie to be attentive to you, no matter what may be going on around him.

Teaching ‘look at me’ will help him bond with you and pay attention to you during training time or at any time.

There will be times when you will need his attention on you in the day to day situations. When you teach your Rottweiler to look at you upon command, it means you want his full attention.

Do this by using your index finger to get his attention and point from his eyes to yours. At first, keep your hand and finger at your eyes so he learns to continuously look at your eyes.

When he does look into your eyes, praise him with a ‘yes’ and reward him. Be consistent with it and you will be able to get his attention on command.

Bond With Your Rottweiler Puppy: Training

Bonding with your Rottweiler means training him. Training your Rottweiler will help him please you…and that’s what he wants to do!

Training your Rottweiler at a very early age will teach him boundaries, teach him what is allowed and not allowed in the household. All family members should participate in your Rottie’s training. Being Consistent and persistent.

Begin training very early…the day following your Rottie’s arrival. Begin to teach him (or her) where they can and cannot go, where they need to relieve themselves, where they eat and drink. This provides structure for your Rottweiler…they need structure.

Begin teaching your Rottweiler basic commands. The easiest is ‘sit’. The most important command you can teach your Rottie is the ‘come’ command! You want your Rottie to come when called, at all times.

It’s not difficult to teach your Rottie to ‘come’, but it is something that you must work on consistently. Consistency is key to training your Rottweiler.

A trained Rottweiler makes for a happier and safer household! Not only for you but for your Rottie as well. He is happy when he is pleasing you.

Bonding With Your Rottweiler Puppy: Be the Alpha!

Establish that you are the leader of the pack; you are the one that provides…and can take away. You are the leader.

You must take leadership in this relationship, or your Rottweiler will learn early on how to manipulate you and become the Alpha in the household.

A couple of ways you can show your Rottie pup that you are the alpha is to make them do something for their meal. When he’s little, it can be a simple as the ‘sit’ command.

Another way to take on the alpha role is to always enter the doorways into any structure first. At home, you make sure you go into the house first.

Basically, being alpha means you are in charge. You do not want your 120 pound Rottweiler running your household.

Living in a household where all revolves around your dog that doesn’t listen, isn’t trained and runs amuck, will make for an unhappy, nervous, fearful Rottie, and the humans of the house thinking about getting rid of this big dog that they can’t control.

Bonding With Your Rottweiler Puppy: Socialization!

It’s very important to socialize your Rottweiler! Socialization will help your puppy feel comfortable around you, other people, animals, and situations. Socialization your Rottie will help him behave and listen to you, even when being distracted.

Expose your Rottweiler to all types of new people, by taking him for walks, visiting friends and family, take him to the pet store with you, take him to parks and dog parks. You can take him to puppy training classes as well.

Socialization will continue throughout your Rottie’s life.

I asked a group of Rottweiler owners: How did/do you bond with your Rottweiler puppy?

These are the answers I got…

I’m a trainer…Certainly spending time doing things that the dog finds rewarding-together, teaching that the handler is the source of ‘all good things.’

Being consistent and patient with the puppy and making sure things you want her/him to do are clear-as opposed to focusing on what you do -not- want the puppy to do. Focus on what you want the do to do-don’t want her to jump up? Teach the puppy to sit before being petted.

Teach tricks and play games to help develop confidence.
Walks and playtime
I have a 22-week old female and she goes everywhere with me I can possibly take her. We also do pay and training first thing in the morning and evenings.
Hugs and kisses
Full body massage
My Thor, 11 months, goes everywhere with me. He can’t go guess I don’t go. Hugs, kisses, lots of rewards, eye contact always. Love my boy.
Training
Training walks, playtime, cuddles, treats, petting
Spend quality time with your pet
Everything you do helps to bond with your Rottweiler. There will be no stopping it. You will be close.
Giving them your time
Obedience training really helped me build a very trusting body with my dog. She always loved me but this helped with the bonding.
Enjoy every second! Make it fun, be exciting, cuddles, loving…training, training, training.
Train, snuggle, play, positive reinforcement and lots of putting.

Bonding With Your Rottweiler Puppy: Exercise

Making sure your Rottweiler has enough exercise will bring you closer together and will be the secret to positive training sessions!

Exercise can be playing with your Rottie pup. Here’s a tip…get down to his level. Play with him on your knees. Playtime is also a great time for training. Teaching your puppy to ‘let go’ of toys when you’re playing is very important.

Never take a toy from your Rottweiler puppy and hide it. Doing This consistently will certainly lead him to be possessive.

When playing tug, hold up your hand and say ‘let go’. When he lets go, wait for just a second or two, praise him and go back to playing. You don’t want a 120 pound Rottweiler grabbing onto something and you don’t know how to get him to release.

The BIGGEST TRAINING TIP I can ever give you is to make sure your Rottie has had a little bit of exercise before starting your training session! It can be a game of tug, running in the yard or house, playing with a toy, a game of fetch…anything that will get your pup moving so he will release energy.

Your training sessions will be more positive for both of you and your pup will pay attention to you more.

WALKING IS NOT a form of exercise you want to give your Rottie puppy until he learns HOW to walk properly. Walking will be a form of his training and you’ll want to exercise him BEFORE you teach him how to walk on a leash.

Bonding with your Rottweiler Puppy: Patience

Developing a loving relationship with your Rottweiler puppy will require patients, just like any loving relationship with a human. It will take time for your Rottie puppy to learn the rules of living in a human home.

Your new Rottweiler puppy has a lot to learn! There will be days when he may not listen to commands so well, be stubborn or not catch on to what you’re trying to teach him. But, be patient! He has to learn what is acceptable and what is not, boundaries, social behaviors, commands, potty training…that’s a lot.

But, your Rottweiler loves to learn and to serve you!

Along with patience goes consistency…

Bonding With Your Rottweiler Puppy: Consistency

It’s important to be consistent with your Rottweiler as well. If you tell him ‘no’ to something, don’t give in and then let him do the thing. He will learn that no doesn’t really mean no. If I ….do whatever he did to get his way…then he knows he will get what he wants. Your whole family needs to be consistent too.

Training doesn’t always have to be formal either! There are little commands you can use every day to continue his training. Make time for training and teaching every day and make sure all family members are teaching the same way and with the same commands! If not, your Rottie will get confused.

Bonding With Your Rottweiler: Praise Often

This is so easy to do, but unfortunately, punishment sometimes outweighs the praise we give. This is true with our children as well. Kids and puppies alike thrive on praise!

You should show praise, or a positive ‘atta boy’ to let your Rottweiler puppy know that you appreciate his good behavior. This will encourage him to continue proper behavior.

Praise him for following through on command, waiting patiently for his food, and for NOT doing the behaviors you don’t like. Quick praise is important in training! As soon as your Rottie responds to a command, praise him immediately. You can show praise or give a treat when he goes potty outside like he is being taught.

When teaching my Maximus how to poo outside, we gave him a treat when he did! This made him want to go outside. He’s 2 and we still give him a little tread when he poos 😊 A piece of apple or carrot…it doesn’t have to be a meal, but only a treat. Just something to show him that he did well! You’re Rottie will feel proud too!

Even tell him ‘good boy’ (or girl) with a loving pet will show him that he did good and he will feel proud that he is pleasing you.

I hope this helps you bond with your Rottie puppy, adult or rescue!

Related Topics

To learn more about Grooming your Rottie to strengthen your bond, complete with a Mini Massage Manual included, you’ll want to follow THIS LINK.

You’ll develop your own style for showing your Rottie affection, Find out how he (or she) will show you theirs in “How Rottweilers Show Affection”

*This article has been reviewed in accordance with our editorial policy.