With German Shepherd Dogs A Little Barking Is A Good Thing
Your German Shepherd barks to alert you to potential dangers.
The trick is to get your German Shepherd Dog to bark appropriately and then stop, instead of barking at all hours of the day and night and driving you and your neighbors nuts.
German Shepherd puppies like the sound of their own voices. They will bark excessivelyuntil they are trained not to.
Then barking becomes a problem again around the age of eight months, when your German Shepherd Dog is gaining more confidence in his role in the world.
Before we get into anything else, well give you a simple tip for keeping your adolescent German Shepherd dog quiet.
Until German Shepherd Dogs are about eight months old, they are still teething. As you may find out for yourself, they love to chew on things.
Giving a German Shepherd Dog a chew toy as a reward for staying quiet can go a long way toward training her to control her barking later in life.
Facts About German Shepherds
Ranked number two on the AKC breed popularity list, German shepherds are smart, confident and courageous dogs. The bond between a German shepherd and his owner is unsurpassed by other breeds and as such make a great choice as a family pet. This breed is deeply loyal and protective of their family and is well-known for their work in the military, search and rescue, drug detection, and as guide and assistance dogs. German shepherds are active dogs that require plenty of daily exercise, otherwise they can get into mischief.
Here are German shepherd facts:
- Size: The average height of German shepherds is 22-26 inches and the weight range is 50-90 pounds.
- Life expectancy: The average lifespan for a healthy German shepherd is 7-10 years.
- Coat: The German shepherd has a medium-length double coat with a dense and harsh outer coat and softer undercoat.
- AKC group: German shepherds belong to the AKC herding group.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
Dont yell
You have to not yell at your german shepherd. As they will not understand that this means that they should not bark. They will see it as a competition between you and them for who barks the loudest.
The best way is to use a calm and firm voice with commands, gesture, or look that signifies that your German shepherd needs to stop barking.
Dont reward their excessive barking
Dont give your german shepherd attention when they are excessively asking for it. An example would be if you are eating and your german shepherd wants you to walk them. Dont give in. Instead when they do so, walk away from them.
Dont comfort them
Some tough love is needed if you want your training to work and your german shepherd barking problem to go away.
If your German shepherd is barking and you pet them and comfort them, you will reward them for barking which further reinforces the behavior. You have to talk in a calm but firm voice and give them a command, gesture, or look
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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.
Listen Up This Is How The Barking Sounds
The German Shepherds type of barking changes a lot as he ages.
Theres a significant change from puppyhood to adulthood. At first, the puppy bark is quite high-pitched and noisy.
This tone gets a lot deeper as the aging progresses, and it becomes resonant and forceful.
Another problem with a German Shepherds vocalizing is howling. In puppyhood, they discover howling, which can be quite a problem at night. The resolution of this problem is the same as with barking: the right training and lots of it!
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Pain Or Health Issues
It could be that your dog is just hungry or thirsty, and providing them with such resolves the issue. However, if you suspect that barking persists and your dog is in discomfort, this could be the reason behind this behavior.
Barking is common in dogs in pain, with health issues or with a physical injury. Normally you will be able to identify such issues through a limp or through general lethargy, but sometimes its not always obvious.
If you suspect that your dog is injured or has a health issue, then you should look to take them to a vet for a full examination.
Usually, a medical condition or injury brings about a sudden behavioral change to more barking.
Here are some of the most common health problems that this breed is susceptible to and what to look out for:
- Hip Dysplasia
- Inherited eye diseases including cataracts and multifocal retinal dysplasia.
- Epilepsy
- Haemophilia A and B bleeding disorders that stop blood from clotting and cause wounds to bleed more than they should.
Source: PDSA .
If you suspect any of the above through a change in movement patterns or temperament, take your dog to a vet immediately.
Upon examination, they will be able to recommend the appropriate course of action and it may result in a deduction in their barking.
What Is The Best Bark Collar For A German Shepherd
The best bark collar for a German Shepherd would be the SportDOG Brand FieldTrainer E-collar.This product is specifically designed to respond to barking by delivering humane, yet effective stimulation. It utilizes intensity levels that are progressive and based on what youre comfortable with.The e-collar also has an advanced receiver range of 1/2 mile. That means that it even transmits outside your house or yard, through fences or walls, under ground surfaces, or in dense foliage so you can train your GSD where its needed most! This lets them roam free without fear of losing contact with their protective home turf no more issue with pesky wildlife sneaking up on them out in the yard or watching your dog wander away.
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Do German Shepherds Bark More Than Other Breeds
Barking is not always undesirable in a dog. It really depends on the purpose of the dog. After all, a silent guard dog or watchdog likely wouldnt be of much use. In addition, barking can be useful for a small herding dog.
But for owners who simply want a dog as a pet, barking can be a nuisance. And when it becomes too excessive, it can drive the owners crazy. For reference in this article, we will refer to a dog that barks a lot as a vocal dog.
And when it comes to being vocal, German Shepherds have a tendency to express themselves more than most breeds. But why is this the case?
I have a 17 mo. female German Shepherd. My difficulty is that she barks in the car at pedestrians and even passing cars.
Leadlady
Well, all dogs with the exception of the Basenji have the innate ability to bark. It is how they communicate. But because German Shepherds are big dogs with a thick neck and thus, a large vocal cord, theyre able to produce loud and deep barking.
Combine their deeper, louder barks with a higher frequency and you might have a problem on your hands. But, this does not need to be the case.
If you train a German Shepherd and socialize it early on, it will be less likely to bark. In fact, since German Shepherds are so intelligent, they respond extremely well to training.
How To Reduce Barking
A German Shepherd will typically bark as often as its owner allows, or in other words, how much it is trained to bark.
Barking can still be an important tool for German Shepherds. Many policemen or other servicemen train their German Shepherds to bark when it senses drugs, danger, or anything else it may need to alert others about.
German Shepherds take time to train, but they are intelligent and able to pick things up quickly, so long as training is consistent.
There are a few things to try when training a dog to reduce its barking. One method is to train it to bark on command and from there to stop barking on command.
To do this, get your dog energized and excited so that it barks. The open and close one hand as if your hand is speaking, and say the command word, such as speak to your dog. When your dog barks, give it a treat. After it starts to get it, dont reward it for barking more than once so that it understands you only want one bark.
After your dog understand what your command and hand signal means, you can now do the opposite. Get your dog energized and excited again, and get it to bark. Put your hand in front of its face so that it sees, and make a sign for quiet while saying the word quiet, or stop, or whichever command you choose.
Once your German Shepherd stops barking, reward it with a treat. Eventually, it will understand what both of your hand signals and commands mean, and it wont bark when you dont want it to.
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Dealing With Constant Gsd Barking Problems Solved
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A GSD will bark to express its feelings and emotions. However, if its barking becomes irritating and out of control, you need to make it stop.
If you are getting complaints from your neighbors that your dog constantly barks and howls when you are not around, you need to do something about it. You cannot make the barking stop completely as it is a natural way of communication. However, you can try to control it with the help of certain training tactics.
Contents
Step : Use Sight Barriers To Prevent Your German Shepherd From Barking At Strangers
Territorial and alarm barking arise when your dog sees or hears something that excites them. This is why your German Shepherd barks at the living room window or along the fence as strangers walk by.
The fastest method to stop barking at the window or in the yard is to control their environment. Block your dogs view of potential barking triggers, like strangers or neighbors, by physically making it harder for them to see the excitement.
In your yard, install privacy fencing or place reed fencing to fill in the gaps in the fence and cut off views to adjoining yards or activity in the street. Indoors, leave the curtains or blinds closed.
Keep your dog away from the areas where strangers walk past, like your front door and rooms near the street or sidewalk. If your dog barks at strange noises, then install a white noise machine to help blur the background sounds that cause them to bark.
If you arent meeting your dogs energy needs on a daily basis, they are more prone to barking at strangers. Use this guide to exercise your German Shepherd and meet their physical needsto reduce unwanted behavior.
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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
Does A German Shepherd Bark A Lot
German Shepherd Dogs are great companion dogs, but they are not angels. They might have some unwanted behavior like Noisy Barking.
Does A German Shepherd Bark A Lot? German Shepherd Dogs are natural barkers, and they bark to express their feelings. But you can easily train a German Shepherd to bark on command and control their barking. Barking becomes bad behavior when your GSD starts to bark without reason, and it can become frustrating for you and your neighbors.
You cant expect from your German Shepherd to never bark. The problem is that some of them will start to bark excessively.
To understand that behavior, we need to found the root cause of the behavior.
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Are German Shepherds Protective
German Shepherds are often used for police work, military duty, search and rescue, and tracking.
Businesses, such as car lots, construction sites, and warehouse environments even use them as guard dogs.
So yes, they are naturally quite protective.
Their innate eagerness to please owners and perform tasks flawlessly make them great working dogs.
Alertness and courageousness are in their blood. They are also cautious around strangers and need to be given time to read them before deciding if they are safe or not.
But GSDs arent all business all the time.
German Shepherds can actually be quite loving and gentle. They can even serve as therapy dogs or emotional healing dogs due to their compassionate and selfless nature.
That being said, the traits that make them such excellent guard dogs can also make for a dangerous and fearful German Shepherd if it is not trained and socialized properly.
With all of these elements combined, it is no wonder that they are often used for high-stakes work. So, instead of trying to completely prevent your German Shepherd from ever barking again, you need to train your dog to keep its barking under control and to only do so under certain circumstances.
Working On Obedience Training
Controlling your German Shepherds excessive barking can be quite an ordeal. When your dog starts barking when he sees other dogs, he needs to get used to following commands before hes allowed to see or approach the dog he wants to play with.
For example, if he starts barking like crazy when he sees a dog, you can train him SIT and QUIET. When he sits down and stops barking, you can then allow him around the dog that hes so interested in.
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This helps to show your dog that he doesnt control whether he sees the dog or not. You do! He doesnt get to play with the other dog when hes demanding to play with them by barking hell be allowed to see them when he sits and stops barking.
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Get Its Attention And Teach Him To Come When Called
First, You need to teach your Dog the Come command. You have to be able to control your German Shepherd whenever it gets very aggressive and call him back.
Food can be good to get their attention. You can use their favorite treats to divert their attention.
If your German shepherd is barking when there is a stranger person, you should be able to get its attention.
And the come command will work well for you to do that.
For example, If your Geramn Shepherd is barking when he sees your Friend, then call him back, and if he stops barking and comes back, then reward him with the treat.
Always Keep Your German Shepherd on the Leash
You should let him know that he must not bark to everyone, and if he follows your command, then he will get a reward.
Another essential thing to know is that the best way to correct your German Shepherds barking behavior is to do it before it happens.
For this reason it is essential to be able to communicate with your Dog.
For example, put a strange person to who your dog will bark in front of him.
Put Your Geramn Shepherd on a leash and whenever he is starting to bark, call him back, and if he does follow your command and stops barking, reward him.
For some dogs, a treat might not be enough to get their attention.
For example, if your GSD is very concentrated and continuing to bark on the dog on the street, then you might need to take your German shepherd away, or snuggle him etc.
Wait Until your German Shepherd calms down and then start again.
How Loud Is A German Shepherds Bark
They are also quite vocal. According to a test conducted on 26 dogs from different breeds, the bark of a German Shepherd was found to be louder than the sound of a moving truck which emitted 86 decibels of sound. Other tests revealed that some German Shepherds can even make sounds as loud as 106 decibels.
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