What Is The Best Food For German Shepherd
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Do The German Shepherds Naturally Protect Their Owners
Well, the answer to this question will forever be a yes. They are wonderful pets that are always ready to leap to help whenever they feel their owners, or a family member is in trouble.
Great companions as they already are, they have their own space and privacy as well. Responsibility and duty come naturally to them, and nothing can deter them from making you feel protected and secure.
Get a GSD home, and you will never regret the decision ever, confiding in your savior, guarding you all the time.
How Do You Know Your German Shepherd Loves You
Common ways that they will show their love for you will include wagging their tails when you come home, bringing you things, looking to you for direction or making eye contact with you. There are actually many ways that a German Shepherd will show its love for you and I will show you 13 of them below.
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Are All German Shepherds Protective
All dogs are naturally protective to a certain degree, and German Shepherds are no different. However, not all GSDs are actually suited for protection.
Individual dogs should be evaluated for guarding traits, which should be honed and directed properly. Additionally, these dogs are only likely to defend people, animals, and things they value.
Thus, if you expect them to protect you and your home, make sure you treat them well enough to see you as a valuable resource.
Gsds Are Incredibly Smart
If youre a German Shepherd owner, you have a strong suspicion your dog might actually be smarter than you are. After all, what cant your dog do? These dogs are known for their intelligence and many can learn a new behavior in only a few repetitions. In addition, they have a legendary desire to cooperate and work with us, a trait many see as a wish to please their humans. No wonder this breed excels at so many activities and is a top Obedience competitor. Because German Shepherds are one of the brightest breeds, be sure to be consistent, use positive reinforcement-based methods, provide plenty of mentally stimulating toys, and play brain-challenging games.
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How Do German Shepherds Guard
Many inexperienced German Shepherd owners confuse a guard dog for an attack dog and vice versa. Training your GSD to be one over the other can be the difference between peace and harmony within the neighborhood and facing a lawsuit.;
A German Shepherd who guards will serve as the first defense line in the household . Since German Shepherds have excellent hearing, sight, and smell, a guard dog will be the first to notice when somethings amiss. Guard dogs will:
- Keenly watch and listen for intruders
- Bark when an unknown person or animal enters the property
- Chase trespassers and livestock predators
- Pin down an intruder until help arrives
The key difference between an attack dog and a guard dog is in the name. Guard dogs usually dont take the offensive unless their owners, properties, or livestock are in immediate danger.
Why Do German Shepherds Stink
There are many reasons why a German Shepherd may smell bad. He may have rolled into something stinky. Their double coat may also be wet or not perfectly dry. Being very thick, those can develop a bad smell if not cleaned regularly or let wet for a while.
Your German Shepherd may also have dental or skin issues, ear infection, or other health problems. You may want to go to your vet to get him checked.
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How To Get Your German Shepherd To Protect You
There are a number of things that you can do to make it more likely that your German Shepherd to protect you that I will mention below. The best thing for you to do will depend on how you want it to protect you such as on command or when a person is on your property.
Train it using the panic word method
The panic word method focuses on training your German Shepherd to become protective when you say a certain word.
To train it to learn the panic word you would do as follows:
Get some treats that your dog likes
- Give it a small treat so that it knows that you have treats
- Wait for it to bark by teasing it with the treat if necessary
- Reward it when it barks or when it shows a sign of barking
- Continue to do the above each time you show it the treat say the command word so that it learns that the command word means to bark
You can watch the video below to see how it is done
Use positive reinforcement training to get it to protect your home
You can also use positive reinforcement training to get it to become more protective of your home.
You can do this by
- Walking it around the perimeter of your property while rewarding it with treats to teach it to learn that it is its property.
- Rewarding your German Shepherd for barking when someone comes onto your property
You can watch the video below to see how it is done
Train it to learn who is friendly
Be consistent
German Shepherds Are Obedient And Easy To Train
German Shepherds have high intelligence, thus they can be trained for various purposes. German Shepherds are obedient, making them easier to train compared to other dog breeds. Not only do German Shepherd perform well in task training, obedience training wouldn’t be any problem for them as well. They will listen and obey to your commands.
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Are German Shepherds Good In Small Houses
Yes, German Shepherds can live in apartments as long as the owner is responsible and provides the dog with its basic needs. Many German Shepherds all over the world thrive in apartments. However, keeping these dogs in an apartment without meeting these 5 necessities can lead to destructive behavior.
Training Your Dog At Home
There is also the home training option for people with time, or with limited budgets.
You can train your dog yourself at home.
It will require a lot of time and patience. You will have personally to train and reinforce the behaviors you want to see in your dog.
It may be exhausting at the beginning, but it is a good way to spend more time with your dog. And youll learn a lot about dogs along the way.
Luckily enough, there is plenty of content online, free and paid, on how to train your German Shepherd at home.
GSDs are a very popular breed. There is no shortage in information on training online.
And with forums and Facebook groups, you can ask questions and get feedback from other German Shepherd owners.
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How Big Do They Get
German Shepherds are big dogs. They can actually be very intimidating when facing them, thats also why they are great guard dogs.
German Shepherds reach an average height of 22 to 26 inches and a weight of 77 to 85 pounds .
German Shepherds have erect pointed ears, a long body, and a weather resistant coat. Their thick stiff outer coats covered by a softer inner one makes them readily able to withstand extreme climates.
German Shepherds Are Known As A Mouthy Breed
They tend to use their mouths as a hand thanks to that herding heritage. Its even right there in their name, ShepHERD. This mouthing behavior is natural, so expect your GSD to mouth you and chew anything that will fit inside your pets mouth. However, that doesnt mean you should let it go. What might be cute in your small puppy will get harder and stronger as your dog grows up. Training your dog not to chew your hand or the furniture is essential with this breed. Teach your German Shepherd to channel those instincts safely and appropriately.
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How To Tell If Your German Shepherd Loves You
Our German Shepherd Dogs are our best friends for life, theres no doubt about it. We often think of them as our trusted partners and lifelong companion, but do you ever wonder how much they love us? How do they show their affection? The fact is, the cues lie in their body language. Here are some signs indicating your dog loves you:
Gsds Provide Constant Companionship
In truth, German Shepherd owners are never lonely because their loyal canines are always by their side. Although GSDs are sometimes slow to warm to strangers, they are gentle and loving with their families. Their affectionate and dedicated personalities are a bonus of the breed, and they can be particularly fond of children. This means your GSD wants to spend time with you rather than being left alone all day, every day. Allowing your German Shepherd to be with you as much as possible will bring out the best in your dog.
Do German Shepherds Naturally Protect Their Owners
The German Shepherd has a natural protective instinct that does not waver. His deep desire to protect his owner and family is unmatched, and the GSD is even known to put his life in danger to save others. In addition to naturally protecting their human family, German Shepherds are known to protect the home as well.
Are German Shepherds protective of their owners? Well, the answer is yes. A German shepherd is naturally protective towards his owner. He has the protecting temperament; he is intelligent, obedient, loving, caring and acts as a guard dog towards his family.
Are German Shepherds good working dogs? GSD owners understand their dogs were developed as working dogs and can do almost anything. In fact, the ideal German Shepherd has a body and gait suited to the hard work that is considered its primary purpose. This means your dog can excel at almost anything.
Are German Shepherds a deterrent? However, untrained German Shepherds have been known to protect their owners and they are a strong deterrent. There are a number of things that you can consider when trying to figure out whether or not it would protect you. There are also a number of things that you can do to make it more likely to protect you.
German Shepherds Are Highly Intelligent
It is a well-known fact that German Shepherds are highly intelligent. They can learn and do almost every task you give them. Perhaps this is why the largest percentage of police dogs all over the world is German Shepherd. Due to their high intelligence and versatility, German Shepherds are also widely trained as service dogs to aid people with disabilities. Some German Shepherds are trained to compete in dog sporting events.
Are German Shepherds Good With Kids
German Shepherds do make good family pets and will guard the children of their family. They will tolerate the poking and prodding children are prone to do. However, they are sometimes unaware of their size and power relative to a small child and may indiscriminately knock them over.
This is why a German Shepherd and a small child should always be watched to avoid dangerous situations.
How To Socialize A German Shepherd Puppy
For best results, puppies should be socialized and exposed to new things before 12 weeks of age.
This means showing and giving your dog positive experiences with as many things as you can. This should include:
- Unfamilar people
- Places youre likely and unlikely to visit regularly
- Busy streets
- Other dogs
- And more.
Its important that these experiences are positive, and that your puppy feels safe. Otherwise, a long-term fear and nervousness can build up.
And, remember you should never put your puppy on the ground outside before they are fully vaccinated.
So, youll most likely have to carry your GSD puppy when socializing them. If they are too heavy for you, you can invest in a dog sling.
Will A German Shepherd Protect Without Training
To put it simply, yes. A German Shepherd will protect his owner without proper training being conducted.
However, there is a risk involved when letting your German Shepherd become a guard dog all on his own.
You see, a German Shepherd left to his own devices will quickly become aware of who his owner is. And since the German Shepherd breed is a loyal one, they are likely to stick by their owners and want to protect them from harms way.
It sounds like good news, doesnt it? While it sounds like an easy breed to have a protector right off the bat, you might be doing more harm than good without even knowing it. While the German Shepherd will be a great protector, he may end up being overly aggressive and harmful without the right training.
An untrained German Shepherd doesnt know the difference between being a protector and being aggressive unless he is trained to know.
This could mean that a family member comes to close to you, and the German Shepherd sees it as an attack and ends up hurting someone you love. It isnt on purpose; they simply do not know any better.;
German Shepherds As Family Pets
Many people see German Shepherds as an ideal family pet because of their unique blend of high intelligence, protectiveness and playfulness with their family members. Theyre surprisingly gentle with kids for such a large dog, but to make sure theyre good family dogs, they need to be extensively trained and socialized.
Not All German Shepherds Are Naturally Protective
Just because German Shepherds are generally known to be protective, loyal dogs, doesnt mean that every individual will be.
There is natural variation among every dog breed. Even puppies from the same litter can be very different to one another.
Some will be more protective than others.
You might get a puppy that loves everyone they meet! But, its still so important to socialize them well to make the best of their temperament.
Not only will this make things easier for you, but it means your adult GSD will feel confident and comfortable in all situations.
German Shepherds Are Active
German Shepherds have high energy levels. They can spend their whole days outdoor. If you love jogging, hiking and hunting, German Shepherds are one of the best companions you can have. If you have children at home, they can play with German Shepherds as long as they can because these dogs don’t get tired easily.
Encourage Your Dog To Bark At Visitors
You want to make sure your dog stays aware of when people are visiting your home, so training your dog to bark when someone rings the doorbell or parks in your driveway is a key step in teaching them to be a guard dog. Right away, it shows your dog that they are a key player in protecting the home and helps them tell you when someone is at the door.
You also want to teach your dog to bark and stop barking on command as part of this step. Your dog should bark when strangers arrive, but you dont want them barking the entire time. Giving them a command like Stop or Quiet should make them stop barking immediately. Make sure you give treats when they bark at visitors and when they stop on command!
How Do You Hone A Gsds Protective Instincts
Unless they are expected to work in guarding roles, German Shepherds need not get specialized protection training. To hone and enable them to use their protective instincts properly, all they really need is obedience training and proper socialization.
Obedience training involves your dogs ability to follow basic commands like;come;and;stay. But apart from knowing the commands, this involves establishing a means to effectively communicate with each other.
Developing this communication is important so that your dog listens and obeys even in unfamiliar situations. This will ensure that youre in tune with one another should you ever need protection from your GSD.
Socialization is just as important. Your German Shepherd needs to be exposed to different surroundings, people, and animals.
This is how they will understand what good interactions are like and what behaviors are appropriate. In time, this is also how they will learn what makes you uncomfortable and fearful.
At home, it is also important to expose them to guests. Allow them to be familiar with what its like when other people are welcomed. That gives them the knowledge they need to identify an unwanted visitor.
Training Your German Shepherd To Guard
A German Shepherd might have protective and territorial instincts by nature. But that doesnt mean every GSD is automatically a guard dog. If you want your Shepherd to protect a flock or keep watch of your estate, you need to train him to do so.
Here are some tips for helping your GSD along as he begins to work through adolescence:
Some GSDs pick up their protective traits more naturally than others. The video below will show what steps you can take to teach your young puppy to be a skilled protection dog: