How To Keep A Gsd Busy
There are many healthy ways to keep a GSD busy. Some involve a little extra effort on your part and some may require new toys or special equipment.
The most important aspect, however, is that you tailor your efforts to your specific dogs needs.
Not every suggestion will work for every dog or household, so be ready to try different approaches to find the perfect mix for your German Shepherd.
Do Australian Shepherds Get Lonely
Aussies are very sociable dogs. They can feel lonely when theyre left alone often and are prone to suffering from separation anxiety. This is when dogs feel an overwhelming sense of anxiety over being apart from their owners.;
It is a common puppyhood phase, but can also come about from being bored, lonely, or coming from a background of neglect or abuse. It can also lead to destructive behaviors out of distress, such as chewing or ripping up household furniture, excessive barking, and going to the toilet indoors. This can be especially difficult for Australian Shepherd owners who live in apartments.
No matter how frustrated you feel, you should try not to react angrily to these destructive behaviors, as it is a symptom of a bigger issue that you, as the owner, need to fix. Plus, the attention can actually encourage them. Instead, show them that this kind of behavior gets no attention and try confining them to a safe place in the home until you can fix it.;
To prevent/overcome separation anxiety, you need to instill a sense of confidence and independence in your Aussie. Start by leaving the house for a small amount of time and slowly increase the length of time that you are gone each day. This way, they get to learn quickly that you always come back. Never make a big deal of leaving, but always make a fuss of them when you come back so that they know theres something to look forward to when you go out.
Why Does My Dog Follow Me Around
Do you have a velcro dog?; Does your dog follow you around constantly, even when youre going to the bathroom or brushing your teeth?; You probably think its either really cute or really annoying, especially if youre tired of almost falling on your face every time you step over or around your dog.
Dogs are naturally social animals, and chances are that your dog sees you as the leader of the pack, so its natural for your dog to want to follow you around.; Dogs can be our best friends, and studies show that people who have dogs are healthier and happier, and the more time we spend with our dogs, the better they come to know us, and the more we reinforce the human-dog bond with food rewards, cuddling, petting, going on hikes and other activities.
More often that not, dogs just want to be with us no matter what were doing.; Now some dogs follow their owners everywhere out of sheer love, or it could be due to separation anxiety.; In order to find out why your dog wont leave you alone for one minute, it might be helpful to look at some possible causes of this behavior.
Also Check: German Shepherd Puppy Vaccination Schedule
How Long Is Too Long To Crate A German Shepherd
As earlier discussed the German shepherd is a masculine dog with herding instincts on its system. So, leaving this dog that has lots of energy to dispense for a long duration wont prevail well with your dog.
Its advisable not to leave a German shepherd in a crate or a kennel for more than 4 hours a day. The more hours you leave your German shepherd inside the crate, the closer it is to physical and mental health issues.
Here are some issues associated with prolonged stay for German shepherds inside a crate.
Dont Leave Your Dog Longer Than Their Bladder Can Handle
Another key is not to leave your dog for longer than their bladder can handle.; This is especially important for puppies but also a factor for adult and senior dogs.; If you know your dog can only hold their bladder for 3 hours, you should make sure you can get back in two and a half hours to be on the safe side.;
If your dog has to struggle to hold themselves every time you leave, they will be more likely to not want to be left alone.
Also Check: Who Would Win In A Fight German Shepherd Or Pitbull
Should You Crate Your German Shepherd While Youre Away
Crating a GermanShepherd only makes him feel imprisoned or as if hes being punished. But ifall else fails, use a crate in the following situations:
- Use a crate if your dog cannot be controlled.This is a good way to manage his behavior. Note that you need to take the age of the doginto consideration.
- Use a crate if theres a child around, and yourenot there to supervise. A German Shepherd is a dominant dog, so it is not wiseto leave him alone with a child unsupervised.
- He is still new and yet familiar with hissurroundings.
Making Leaving A Little Easier
We hope this guide has been useful in teaching you how to keep a puppy busy while at work and how long you can leave your furbaby at home alone. Remember, ongoing supervision is the best way to ensure your dog stays happy, healthy and safe. Furbo is a monitoring system, two-way communicator, problem alert system and treat dispenser that is the next best thing to being at home. If you need to leave your furry pal at home some of the time, Furbo lets you know when your friend is barking and lets you check in on your dog at any time with an HD and night vision camera. The Furbo app means you can always check in, no matter where you are.
If you have a furbaby at home, order Furbo today to keep the bond between you and your furbaby strong. Just as you have a cell phone to stay in touch with friends and family, you can use Furbo to ensure you stay in touch with your furriest family member, too.
Don’t Miss: House Training German Shepherd
Solutions Have Higher Cost But Worthwhile Benefits
While some of these solutions involve an additional expense, consider it a normal part of owning a dog. When calculating a budget for expenses related to caring for a dog, owners may figure in the expenses for food, toys, maybe some grooming, and the occasional vet visit. All too often, though, money for training and other services like daycare, boarding, or dog walking tend to fall erroneously into the luxury category. In reality, these are essential services that contribute to meeting a dogs needs more completely.
Maybe weve been asking the wrong question all along. Rather than trying to figure out how to best stretch the amount of time we can leave our dogs alone, we should be trying to help our dogs get more out of every day. This idea might take some getting used to, especially since it suggests that our dogs arent happy. Sometimes, though, its good to question the status quo and ask ourselves if we can do better.
Nancy Tucker, CPDT-KA, is a full-time trainer, behavior consultant, and seminar presenter in Quebec, Canada.
Can I Leave Alone My German Shepherd During The Day
Can I Leave Alone My German Shepherd During The Day?
The answer is no, at least, not completely. It is not advisable to leave our German Shepherd alone for more than 4 hours up to a maximum of 8 locked up, as the chances of it becoming violent and anxious increase enormously.
It is possible to find ways to prevent this from happening or at least to reduce these behaviors to their minimum expression.
The moment a German Shepherd arrives at our home we take great responsibility.
We must make sure that we can cover all its basic needs.
At some point, our German Shepherds are left alone at home, because we work or have activities outside the home and cannot include them in them.
The objective of learning to leave our German Shepherd alone is to reduce the level of anxiety this may cause to it, both in a positive and negative way.
To be clear, we are going to prevent our furry friend from doing damage to itself or having behaviors that it does not regularly have, and that show an altered emotional state.
We must teach our German Shepherd to remain calm, to recognize that there will be times when they must stay home alone and that this does not represent a bad thing.
Contents
Don’t Miss: German Shepherd Baby Teeth
Other Dogs Can Be Fun
If your GSD is used to being your only dog, then this tip may not be a good match. However, if your German Shepherd likes the company of other dogs, why not let him have a playdate?
Even better, if you have the room and the love, get another dog to keep your GSD company while youre gone.
This tip works best with highly socialized dogs and those who were raised around other dogs.
If your GSD has spent most of his life as an only dog, bringing another one home might cause more stress than happiness.
Are German Shepherds Prone To Separation Anxiety
German Shepherds are very susceptible to separation anxiety. The qualities you love about them the most, their loyalty, affection, and protectiveness, are the same things that cause them to miss their owners so much. This type of anxiety can also be triggered by moving to a new home, and changing your routine.;
You can employ these tactics to help curb destructive behavior caused by the extreme stress of being separated from their pack:
- Do not give your German Shepherd extra attention for destructive behavior. Doing so will only enforce that the negative behavior will get the attention your dog is craving. Go out of your way to react as little as possible to such actions. Instead, be sure to give extra praise for good behavior.;
- Help your German Shepherd become accustomed to being alone. Start by leaving your dog alone in another room while youre in the house. Then try leaving your dog alone in your home for 15 minutes. Increase the time away each time you do this. Eventually, your German Shepherd will realize that you will return every time you leave the house. Although your dog will still miss you, their anxiety level will decrease.
- Help your German Shepherd associate your going with something positive. You can give your dog positive attention right before you head out the door. You can also provide them with a treat, a bone, or a toy they love as you leave.
Read Also: What Colors Do German Shepherds Come In
Desensitize Your Dog To Being Left Alone
If you have a Velcro dog, they may know what getting your briefcase, or jingling your car keys means, and this can cause anxiety.;; Helping to desensitize your dog to these actions can make leaving your home less stressful for both you and your dog.
You can help relieve your dogs anxiety by not making leaving a big deal, and to practice those rituals often without leaving. For example, grab your car keys, put on your coat and grab your briefcase several times each day without leaving. Soon your dog will eventually learn to stop associating these tasks with you leaving.
Problems With Gsd In Apartments
If you dont provide your German Shepherd with these 5 basic needs while living at an apartment, you may be in for a rollercoaster ride. And, Im not talking about the fun kind.
A lack of mental and physical stimulation means that your German Shepherd will take it into their own hands to receive these basic needs. Destructive behavior may occur without these key necessities.
This means that your favorite pair of shoe may be torn apart by the time you come home. Or, it could mean that your couch will be ripped open after a long exhausting day of work.
None of these scenarios is something youd want, but it happens a lot with many neglectful apartment dwellers.
Apartment living with German Shepherds is no easy task. However, theyre highly capable of thriving in such a living environment. Its really up to you to provide them with a way to make the best out of the situation.
Some owners even say theyre some of the best apartment dogs despite their energetic temperaments and size.
However, not all German Shepherds are the same. Some will take a little more work while others fit right in. Its up to you to create the best space and life for them.
Are there other tips you have to making apartment life work with a German Shepherd? Leave a tip in the comment section below to let us know! Also, if you have any questions, feel free to ask away.
Posts you may like:
Don’t Miss: German Shepherd For Sale In The Philippines
German Shepherd Puppies And Crate Training Times
| Age | |
|---|---|
| 24 weeks | 6 hours |
Check the age of your German Shepherd puppy to see how long they can hold their bladder before you expect too much from them.
However, just because a puppy can hold their bladder in the crate for as long as the table shows, this doesnt mean you SHOULD crate them this long. Puppies need to interact with you, explore their environments, play, and stretch.
WARNING: Excessive crating leads to mental and physical stress and unwanted behaviors. The crate is used as a temporary tool, not as a full-time containment system.
What Types Of Work Can The German Shepherds Do
The German Shepherds are intelligent and can easily grasp knowledge in a field of work. They can be a great help in terms of assisting people with disabilities or handicaps. These dogs are also fit for security, military, and police.
They are competent, strong and would prefer doing something to prevent possible boredom.
German Shepherds are a great loving companion to families. They are friendly to kids and will do their best to protect their owners. They are good family dogs. Proper training is best for GSDs in an active household.
Recommended Reading: Is A Belgian Malinois A German Shepherd
Being Alone All Day Is Stressful For Many Dogs
Lets start with the most basic of truths: Most dogs will spend time home alone on a daily basis. How long depends on the owners lifestyle and schedule. Someone who works an eight-hour day and has a commute, followed by errands and evening activities, could conceivably leave their dog home alone for 10 to 12 hours in a single day and on a regular basis.
Dogs have historically been left alone for long stretches without a second thought. As recently as a couple of decades ago, if a family needed to be away from home for a day or two, how the dog felt about being left behind whether indoors or outdoors was not an important consideration. As long as he had enough food and water, most owners felt secure in the knowledge that he was all set.
Few people today would admit to leaving their dogs home alone for 24 or 48 hours or more, but leaving the dog home for 10 to 12 hours is not at all uncommon and questioning this practice can sometimes lead to social ridicule. If an owner decides that after being gone all day, shed rather not confine her dog or leave him alone for an additional few hours in the evening, she might be met with less-than-understanding responses. Youre not coming out because you want to be home with your dog? Thats crazy! Youre letting your dog control your life!
Heres the thing, and I wont pull any punches: 10 to 12 hours is too long for a dog to be alone in a single stretch.
Can A German Shepherd Be Kept Outside
As long as a GSD can stay dry and out of the wind, it can stay outside in the cold for longer periods of time. Keep in mind that during times of extremely hot or cold weather, even if your GSD really enjoys being outside, he needs to have the opportunity to come back in from time to time to avoid getting too cold.
Read Also: German Shepherd Potty Training Tips
How To Leave Your Dog Inside When Youre Away
If youre unable to allow your dog to go outside when youre at work or in other places, you can still include them in a particular area of your home. Before you make any kind of decisions, remember that your German Shepherd will undoubtedly need an adequate amount of space.
Leave them in a dog crate
German Shepherds need a crate thats no smaller sized than 48 inches. This plus size will undoubtedly suffice for them to walk around as well as extend conveniently. It would help if you did not buy too little of a crate; otherwise, they might establish joint and muscle problems from being constrained.
And also, you need an excellent crate pad to safeguard their joints, such as an orthopedic one. Please have a look at my suggested equipment web page to see my favorite crate and also place.
My German Shepherd enjoyed her chest and also would certainly frequently most likely to her very own unique area to either remain or chew her preferred toys.
Gate off an area inside your house
You can make use of dog entrances to fence off an area to maintain them contained. Dog gateways enable you to section off different off-limit areas of your home, leaving you to determine how much room your young puppy can have to wander around.
If you do not, such as the suggestion of going them in a crate, its a beautiful alternate option. There are lots to select from, such as these on Amazon to suit your decoration.
Take into consideration letting them wander totally free throughout your home.