Distracting Your German Shepherd
This normally works best for territorial dogs, however, it can be used with all different types of barking.
The key to the distraction technique is to distract your dogs attention before they even see the person theyre going to bark at.
There are a few common ways you can distract your dog. If youre walking your dog with an extendable leash, or not on a leash at all, when you see a stranger approaching, begin throwing a ball for them
Your german shepherd will be so distracted trying to get the ball, that he wont pay attention to the stranger approaching.
The second method is best used when youre walking your dog on a lead. Take out some treats and let your dog know you have them. However, dont let them eat them. Keep your German shepherds attention on the treats until the stranger has walked by.
Once the stranger has walked by you can then feed your german shepherd and congratulate them for being good.
Both methods can work even if your dog has started barking already. When your dog is barking firmly say the word you want them to associate with not barking before distracting them.
Once theyve stopped barking say the same word again and reward them. German shepherds are smart and pretty soon theyll understand what the word means.
When they have a good grasp of what it means, begin using it every time your dog is barking. If they stop barking reward them. Keep doing this until the command has sunk in deep enough.
Expressing Pleasure Or Elation
Often times, when something feels good to our dogs, they express their pleasure with a groan. You may have noticed that when you rub your dogs tummy, or scratch behind their ears just right, they start groan uncontrollably.
Groaning under these conditions is just their way of expressing their elation, relaxation, and pleasure from something good happening.
Is It Possible To Train A German Shepherd To Never Bark
Since German Shepherds are known to be a more vocal breed in general, you will want to establish the difference between a normal and an unusual level and volume of barking.
So aiming for the goal to eliminate barking is not just nearly impossible but would likely result in a very emotionally unhealthy GSD. If you need a dog that does not bark, the German Shepherd is not the right breed for you.
So now you know that the German Shepherd dog is more vocal. You also know that training can help resolve barking issues.
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Keeping Your German Shepherd Dog Calm Outdoors
If your German Shepherd Dog barks at other dogs when you take them for a walk, carry lots of treats.
When you see another dog approaching, hold a treat in your hand and allow your German Shepherd to smell it, but not eat it.
Redirect your dogs attention to you and to the treat, away from the other dog If your dog stays silent as the other dog passes, give them the treat.
German Shepherds Chase Their Tails Because They Are Stressed Or Anxious
German Shepherds are easily distressed and predisposed to anxiety disorders, especially if they are not socialized as puppies. There is a theory that tail-chasing causes the release of a hormone in your German Shepherd, which calms them down.
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If you notice that tail-chasing coincides with loud noises, being separated from you , or big crowds, it may be that your German Shepherd is anxious.
If the tail chasing is caused by anxiety, you may notice other signs such as barking, jumping, heightened aggression, whining, or running.
If you have rescued your German Shepherd from a shelter, they might have had a traumatic experience that you do not know about. If something triggers their memories of this trauma, they can become anxious, and there may be no clear indication as to why.
Another anxiety-provoking situation is an illness. Your dog may be feeling distressed because they are in pain or do not feel well.
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Some Interesting Facts About German Shepherd Dogs:
There are many popular breeds of dogs. Some are strong some are cute, while others are huge. Out of these breeds, the German Shepherd is one of the most popular breeds. In fact, this breed of dog is the 2nd most popular dog in the US. These particular reeds of dogs rely on their nose to explore the world. You may have seen them sniffing on your windows, walls, and whatever comes near them. This is why such breeds of dogs are kept for sniffing bombs and drugs by the police force as they are best in detecting things.
Another fact of a German shepherd dog is its smartness. It is also possible that they are far smarter than several human beings. These dogs are intelligent and are capable of learning new things easily. There are even such dogs who were not trained, but they learned the things just by looking. They also have a desire to help humans in their work. If you have or planning to keep a German Shepherd dog, make sure that they need plenty of toys and brain games to keep their mental state healthy. These dogs are confident and are not easily scared in any situation.
This is why this breed of dog is kept as a watchdog or as a guardian in fields and houses. He can forcefully attack any intruder who tries to enter their territory. German shepherd breeds of dogs have natural protective skills, which are not common in several other breeds of dogs. All you need to do is to train them and properly socialize them and let the dog use its natural instincts to make a decision.
S I Used To Alter Charley’s Excessive Barking
- Get your dog excited. Throw his toy, jump up and down or make barking noises. The point here is to get him over-the-top excited!
- Once your dog is barking open and close your hand as shown in the pictures this is your hand signal. Do this while saying the word speak’.
Teach speak’ with hand signals and curb German Shepherd barking
German Shepherd Barking: Use Hand Signals to teach your dog to speak
Note: This is one of the few times giving a hand signal and a voice command from the start is a good idea.
Your German Shepherd will soon make the connection. You can learn more about .
Note: If it takes a while just be patient and persistent. Some dogs are shy when it comes to barking at their owners.
Once your dog gets it’, the next step is not to reward for more than one bark at a time. Mark and reward are important to show him you only want one bark.
Once your dog fully understands the speak command’ it’s time to teach the opposite cue, quiet’.
- Follow the same steps by getting your dog excited and revved up. This will make him bark.
- Once your dog is barking put your open hand just in front of his nose. Now say the word quiet’ in a firm but kind voice.
- The second your dog stops barking mark and reward his behavior.
Your German Shepherd will soon have the a-ha moment’. He’ll quickly make the connection that quiet’ and your hand signal means stop barking’.
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Why Do German Shepherds Not Like To Be Hugged
The act of hugging dogs became controversial because a casual, observational study revealed that it gives dogs anxiety. Indeed, dogs may not like hugs because it practically immobilizes them and makes them feel unprotected. But, many dog parents especially those with German Shepherds would attest to the fact that their pups enjoy hugs.
How To Get Your German Shepherd To Stop Barking Howling And Whining At Night
There are a number of things that you can do to get your German Shepherd to be less noisy at night that I will mention below.
Make sure that you are feeding it correctly
Since diet might be the reason why it gets loud at night it would help to make sure that it is eating the right foods. You can look here to see what you should and shouldnt be giving it. Feeding it earlier in the evening would likely help as well.
Give it exercise
As mentioned above, German Shepherds are a breed that is meant to get a lot of exercise daily. If your German Shepherd does not currently get much exercise then it would help to make sure that it does. You might find that just walking it isnt enough in that case you could train it to play fetch to wear it out even more.
Make its sleeping environment comfortable
It would likely help to make sure that its sleeping environment will allow it to sleep as easily as possible. You can do this by reducing how much noise it lets in, turning the light off, keeping it cool and making it comfortable.
Try crate training
Crate training is where you teach your German Shepherd to learn to be comfortable inside of a crate designed for dogs.
If you crate train your German Shepherd in the right way it will give it a space where it can feel safe. This will give your German Shepherd a space where it will be able to feel secure at night without you being around.
Train it to be less anxious without you
You can see more on how to do this in the video below.
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Do Not Resort To Surgery
Out of all the methods in stopping a dog from barking, this may be the most ridiculous one. And yes, it is painful for your German Shepherd. At the same time, it doesnt solve the core psychological reason your GSD is barking. And it is expensive.
All of these reasons together should be more than enough to convince you not to take this route. Surgically removing your dogs larynx might decrease the sound of their barks, but at great cost to your canine companion.
Instead, we again stress that training is the way to go. If you are willing to spend the money on a surgery, it is a better idea to instead hire a professional trainer to work with your dog.
The cost will be comparable and will produce better, more humane results. How would you like it if your parents surgically removed your ability to speak? This is more or less, the same.
RELATED QUESTIONS:
Why Is It A Lot More Likely Your German Shepherd Barks At Other Dogs On Their Leash
You may have noticed that your german shepherd barks a lot more at other dogs when hes on his leash.
In fact, if theyre anything like my dog used to be, off their leash theyre the friendliest dog in the world. But the moment you leash them and they see another dog approaching they seem almost rabid!
Well, if you get into your dogs mindset youll have a better understanding of whats causing them to act like this.
Leashes Force Dogs To Act In A Way They Wouldnt
When dogs greet each other off the leash for the first time, they normally approach each others sides in an arc motion. This is a lot less aggressive.
In fact, aggressive behavior to a dog is approaching head-on while maintaining eye contact. Which as you can guess, theyre forced to do many times on their leashes.
The Leash Itself Is Restrictive
So not only are they approaching each other in a more aggressive manner, but theyre also being restricted by a leash.
This restriction traps your dog into body language and a mindset that resembles fight mode. So of course, theyre going to do what they can to try and avoid a fight.
Whats one of the best ways they know of to do this?
Barking to scare off the threat.
Youre Feeding Your Dogs Negative Emotions Too
And you may not even be aware of it, but when you keep your dog on a tight leash youre going to be feeding into their aggressive behavior.
Why are you ready to act in their head?
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Can A Muzzle Stop A German Shepard From Barking
DO NOT DEPEND ON A MUZZLE TO STOP YOUR GERMAN SHEPARD FROM BARKING: Some dog companions may attempt to use a muzzle to conceal their dogs barking. Most times, dog companions use anti bark collars and muzzles as a method of punishment for their dog.
German Shepherd Dog Greeting Begging And Separation Anxiety
German Shepherd Dogs bark in greeting. They will come running to you, barking and wagging their tails.
They will bark to ask for something, such as food, to be let outside, or to go on a walk.
In these situations, it is important for the owner not to reward barking with the thing the dog wants.
And barking can be a sign of .
Accompanied by repetitive behavior, such as walking in circles, or destructive behavior, such as chewing up sofa cushions, barking becomes the primary expression of a German Shepherd Dogs fear and anxiety about being left alone.
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Your German Shepherd Is Sick Or Hurt
While dogs have evolved to have many tools to communicate with people, talking in human words is not one of those tools.
So your dog has to resort to other ways to let you know if they are hurt or sick. One of those ways can be barking.
While barking may not be the way your dog chooses to let you know they are sick or hurt, if the barking doesnt appear to have any other cause, it is time to dig deeper.
The health issue may be external or it might be internal. For example, some dogs that are having dietary issues or hormonal issues might become more aggressive or irritable and bark more.
Mood changes are one of the primary signs that your dog may be developing an underlying health issue, and barking more is one of the primary signs of a mood change.
This is the right time to reach out to your dogs veterinarian to report what you are witnessing and, if necessary, make an appointment for your dog to be examined.
What Are Some Training Tips To Control German Shepherds Barking
To control a German Shepherds barking, you need to focus on consistent training and positive reinforcement. Here are some great training tips to help you while you are helping your loyal friend:
To discover what triggers this behavior, you must see the probable causes behind why German Shepherds bark a lot. See what the root cause is so you can take up the appropriate training method for your pet.
Praises, pats, playtime, and treats are all examples of a few of the reinforcements that should be used. Positive reinforcement always works much better than negative reinforcement. Positive training is a safe way to train your pet and is essential for an intelligent, huge, and powerful breed like the German Shepherd.
Being inconsistent in training your dog has many disadvantages, the most important one being that it can tell when you are inconsistent. German Shepherds are the smartest of all dog breeds, so you can expect it to notice if you slack off the training even faintly. Maintaining consistency is one of the most crucial things you need to do to ease excessive barking.
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American Kennel Club Overview
The first impression of a good German Shepherd dog is that of a strong, agile, well-muscled animal, alert and full of life. It is well balanced, with harmonious development of the forequarter and hindquarter. The dog is longer than tall, deep-bodied, and presents an outline of smooth curves rather than angles. It looks substantial and not spindly, giving the impression, both at rest and in motion, of muscular fitness and nimbleness without any look of clumsiness or soft living. The ideal dog is stamped with a look of quality and nobility – difficult to define, but unmistakable when present. Secondary sex characteristics are strongly marked, and every animal gives a definite impression of masculinity or femininity, according to its sex.
There are many reasons why German Sheperds stand in the front rank of canine royalty, but breed experts say their dogs most important attribute is character: loyalty, courage, confidence, the ability to learn and retain commands for an amazing number of specialized jobs, and the willingness to put their life on the line in defense of loved ones. Well-bred German Sheperds of proper training and socialization will be gentle family pets and steadfast guardians eternally devoted to their human flock.
That’s a great description of an ideal German Shepherd.
Mental exercise is even more important for German Shepherds. This is a smart, thinking breed and his intelligence is often wasted in a home that simply wants a casual pet.
Behavioral issues
When Does A German Shepherd Puppy Start Barking
At 2 to 4 weeks old, you might notice your German shepherd puppy trying to vocalize by grunting or whining. Then hell start yipping at around 2 months. When he reaches 4 months old, a German Shepherd puppy usually starts barking properly. Some GSDs may start barking earlier or later than 4 months due to temperament differences.
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