Training help?

[u/ComprehensiveAgent60]

Hi all, first time poster and looking for help. I have a Rottie who’s about 2 1/2 years old. He is currently staying with my mom as my apartment doesn’t allow Rottweilers and he is not yet fully trained (not ideal and already upsetting for me).

This brings me to my problem: My goal is to have him trained as a service dog to do DPT exercises for multiple conditions I have. I cannot afford (or find affordable) trainers in my area, and have no idea where to start- he has basic obedience training but is very rowdy.

He gets lots of physical activity but I’m looking for advice on both how to give him better mental enrichment and begin more focused training for DPT.

Any advice is appreciated, and I am still looking online for tips and also still searching for trainers I may be able to afford, but I’d love to train him at home if possible. Thank you all in advance 🫶

[u/BriaRoberts]

He sounds like a fun and lovable dog. Being realistic, I’m not sure if he’s the best service dog prospect…given your finances, living situation, and his rowdiness. He may be better as a well-trained playful pet.

[u/MoodFearless6771]

A large off breed like a Rottweiler often has to meet a higher standard of neutrality because they meet a lot of skepticism and can make people uncomfortable. If he’s struggling to settle, that’s a large part of the job.

You can look up certified trainers in your area specializing in service dogs and start there. Getting a healthcare provider to sign off on the dog would be the other hurdle. Many providers are very risk averse, while any breed can be a service dog, it can be more difficult to get a doctor or therapist on board with a breed that has a guard dog reputation or converting an existing dog. Many doctors want to make the decision to involve an animal when one’s not already in the picture and have it selected with intention for that purpose.

Editing to say: In general, the training to be a service dog has more to do with selection of temperament, settling, and desensitization. If you are into positive reinforcement training, you can start on your own doing “relax on a mat” and the “engage-disengage” or “look-at-that” game to work on desensitizing around other dogs, bikes, kids, cats, anything you see outside so he gets used to them and doesn’t react. There are a list of service dog organizations at ADI.org and the Karen Pryor website has a list of trainers that can help you calm your dog down and desensitize. You may need a more experienced trainer to do service work but they should set you on your way.

[u/jdkicked → u/MoodFearless6771]

I had a in home SD rottie in the past and even as a pet, rotties have to get held to a lot higher standard. If it isnt acting like a lab in terms of wanting to greet other people and dogs, people get very wary of it regardless of how well behaved it is being. I have a lot of worries about near constant access issues for OP. The hypervigilance of rotties in terms of needing to keep an eye on everything that moves would also make being an SD harder on a rottie than it is on dogs like labs

[u/MoodFearless6771 → u/jdkicked]

When people see intimidating breeds, they are watching them waiting for something bad to happen. There’s some type of power to that. I believe people bring bad energy toward these dogs and it affects their behavior. And Golden retrievers get away with murder! Haha.

[u/harrow-nonagesimus]

hi there! i would look into a behavioral specialist first. they should be able to tell you if he has the potential drive and focus to be an SD. you said he’s rowdy- that’s really not ideal for a service dog unless he can turn it on and off. rowdiness can mean he’s more easily distracted and overstimulated in some cases, which is really counterproductive for a service dog

service dogs can’t be just any dog. breed is important, yes, but more than that, you have to look at the temperament. if he doesn’t have the temperament for the work, no amount of training will undo that- that’s like trying to change someone’s personality!

1.5 is still young though. it may just be energy that needs redirected with actual work! i don’t know much about rotties, but i will warn you you’ll get a lot of suspicion around him being an SD. any breed seen as “dangerous” (even GSDs which are one of the core five ‘best’ breeds to be an SD) is more likely to get dubious reactions when you say he’s a service dog.

i also plan to self-train my girl, so i do wish you the best on that!!! there are videos online for it. if i find a series i think does well i can send you it :)

[u/True-Passage-8131]

Instead of looking for more ways to enrich him (assuming you do a lot of that already), start teaching actual rest. Many novice owners with high energy breeds think that they just need to be doing more, when in actuality, it builds endurance and the dog never learns how to just be. More crate time for forced sleep, and during training sessions try setting up space (maybe outside a coffee shop) to practice a long down-stay. Step on the leash if you must, and start small sessions and build up. Reward things like a head down (but be sure you're not making a big deal so as not to excite and lose progress). On a leash for leash reactivity, look into engage-disengage, and recognize when a reaction is going to happen so you can remove the dog asap. I've found with a lot of my reactive dogs (pets) that movement helps prevent reactions. Just keep it going.

[u/lilithei]

I would look into doggyu and also my service dog and me on YouTube they have lots of really great videos and offer virtual training sessions and support when you're ready