Are Broholmers easy to train? (+Tips)
The large and muscular Broholmer is a typical Molossian. He is a friendly, benign, calm dog who is also very alert. If you want to learn more about this great breed, you are in the right place. In this article, I will go into more detail about whether Broholmer training is easy or complex, what character traits it has, and whether it could be the right partner for you.
Broholmers are uncomplicated dogs that are easy to train. But you have to start right at the beginning with consistent, yet loving, training. Broholmers are and remain a typical Mastiff Type breed, which can be stubborn from time to time. Nevertheless, you have to expect discussions from time to time.
Are Broholmer easy to train?
Often you read that the Broholmer is called a beginner dog, but you must not forget that it grows huge and therefore brings a lot of strength.
Since Broholmers are a typical Mastiff Type breed, they can sometimes be stubborn, making education exhausting. But most Broholmers are cuddly as well.
With our Broholmer female Sansa, even the best treat does not help. If she doesn’t want something, she won’t do it! Orit would be best if you had more patience. But this is not the rule.
It isn’t very good when they are about the 6th / 7th month. That’s where we are now with our second Broholmer female, Arya.
Arya is now nine months old, very self-confident, and headstrong. Everything is discussed and questioned, and much learned seems to be forgotten. You have to bring strong nerves with you.
Complex or, better said, exhausting, it becomes again when puberty sets in. With females, this is the case from the 1st heat and males from the time they lift their legs when urinating.
This is true for all breeds. We think that in any case, you should have a good dog trainer/dog school on your side if you have no experience to avoid mistakes.
In my opinion, it is essential in dog training that the dogs learn who the leader of the pack is and that they orient themselves to you.
Appropriate exercises for this are best obtained from an experienced dog trainer or also at an excellent online dog training*:
As Broholmers grow large and heavy, good training is essential.
At what age does training begin?
The first education a puppy enjoys is already in the puppy house by the mother and the siblings; he learns the basic rules of social behavior there.
When the puppy moves into his new home, he must first learn who his confidants are. Of course, you must set limits right from the beginning to give the puppy an orientation.
So basically, you start with the puppy training immediately. Of course affectionate and fair, yet consistent, because this gives the Broholmer puppy security.
Consistent means nothing else than that unwanted behavior is ALWAYS stopped. If you correct it because he chews on your furniture and allows it because he licks it and it looks cute, he will not learn and understand it.
What is essential in Broholmer training?
What is essential in education, probably every dog owner will define differently. For us, it is not necessary that a dog “sit” or “down” for a treat.
I am the pack leader.
For us, it is first and foremost important that our dogs orient themselves to us and accept us as pack leaders. We decide when to play, when to eat, and when it’s quiet time, and nothing happens.
As puppies, they learned relatively soon after moving in that food is released by us. It is also only released under calm if the food pot is not snatched from our hand. In the beginning, they had to sit until the food was removed.
It is important to us that we can take away the food at any time and that there is no aggressive behavior.
Rest is important!
Another point that is very important for a puppy is that he learns to REST! Rest means nothing else than that. He has to lie quietly in his dog bed and not be entertained.
Playing is the smallest window of time in the day during the first weeks because a Broholmer puppy sleeps 18-20 hours a day. He also needs this time to process what he has experienced and learned.
When the Broholmer puppy sleeps, children should know not to wake him. If he is regularly kept awake by too much activity or long walks, he often becomes a restless and stressed dog when he is fully grown.
You cannot refer to a calm dog breed. Every dog is an individual and develops the way you train it.
Frustration tolerance training
A critical point in Broholmer training, or dog education in general, is frustration tolerance training.
It is simply a matter of creating an expectation in your dog that is not fulfilled. Or to frustrate him. So he learns to deal with frustration and not freak out immediately if he is not allowed to go to the other dog.
Example exercise: Your dog is very happy when you get dressed, put on the collar and take the leash in your hand. He knows: Now it goes out and is happy. You don’t go out with him as usual, but put the leash away and take off your jacket. The expectation “we go for a walk” was not fulfilled. Now your Broholmer has frustration and must process this. You go for a walk with him 30 minutes later.
The dog finds everything more interesting than you! If the dog has not learned patience, frustration tolerance is very low, which could make him a nervous wreck. Which in turn leads to inattention outside and thus damages the relationship.
Basic commands come later.
Basic commands like “sit,”/”down,”/”stay” are not so important in the first weeks. When you start with it, you have to depend on the dog. Depending on how easy it is for the puppy to settle into the basic rules so as not to overtax him.
From 6 months at the latest, basic commands may be emphasized.
To facilitate the start of good training and bonding, you should calmly offer the puppy positive reinforcement when he does something RIGHT. This can happen by praising, stroking, or also by a treat.
Consequences of inadequate education!
The most important thing in dog training is CONSEQUENCE!!! Your Broholmer must also take you seriously at home. Otherwise, he will not do it outside during the walk.
Once the dog has lost trust in you or maybe never had, he will take over because he doesn’t trust you to do it.
Aggression against other dogs
In case of missing or insufficient training, your Broholmer may react aggressively to other dogs to clarify to the other dog that he better should not come closer.
Your dog no longer trusts you to take the lead and means to actively make decisions himself if he perceives the other dog as a threat.
In the same way, the dog may see other people as a danger and try to protect you.
It becomes clear that the human-dog relationship is not correct. Consequently, walks become the purest horror.
Especially with a big dog like the Broholmer, a male dog can weigh 60-65 kg. Thus a vicious circle develops.
Interesting Broholmer articles:
You go out with the dog already stressed because you know what happens in dog encounters. The dog senses your fear and will react more violently because he wants to protect you.
Such behavior could also occur if the dog has had a bad experience in a dog encounter, i.e., he was bitten.
Broholmer wants to run to everyone.
It is also enough if your Broholmer wants to run to everything and everyone. This is also a very undesirable behavior and indicates that he is not well-behaved.
Suppose you have a 50 kg heavy, untrained Broholmer on the leash who wants to go to another dog and pulls you there without consideration. In that case, it is not only embarrassing but can also become dangerous.
Excessive barking
Lack of training and socialization can cause your Broholmer to bark in any situation.
Conclusion: Are Broholmers easy to train?
Broholmers are intelligent dogs that are relatively easy to train, making them suitable for beginners. However, they remain a typical mastiff-type breed that can be pretty stubborn from time to time. Therefore, you must consistently train your Broholmer and demand your commands 100%.
