German Shepherd How To Train

Guide To Advanced Stay Techniques

Once you are at the full distance of your leash, drop the leash and work on having your dog stay while you move into different rooms. Dont forget to come back to your dog to reward him, so he doesnt develop the bad habit of moving during a stay.

Add in distractions, such as friends walking around while you train your GSD. For the final steps, have your dog on the long leash and train in your backyard.

Extend the leash as far as it will reach and have your dog stay in place for 30 seconds or longer. Move to outdoor training at a quiet park and repeat the steps for increasing distractions.

The Bite Of A German Shepherd

Theres a saying that when a German Shepherd bites you, shes in it for the long haul. An aggressive 70-pound dog pouncing on you can get quite ugly fast.

Think broken bones, damaged muscles, deep lacerations, bruises, scars, and expensive medical bills. Although uncommon, it can sometimes lead to the victims death.

German Shepherds have a bite force of 238 PSI , compared to humans with a bite force of 162 PSI.

In fact, the American Animal Hospital Association lists the German Shepherd as one of the six breeds with the most dangerous bites, based on a US study.

Therefore, training your GSD to inhibit her bite is mandatory as it not only rewards you with a well-behaved dog, but also ensures your safety as well as the safety of the people around you.

A crucial step towards correcting this nasty behavior is to first understand why German Shepherd puppies bite.

Before we move on, take a look at some important and useful information that weve written for you in the following 2 articles:

Getting Started With German Shepherd Training Commands: Work Through The Basic List First

Its never too early or too late to educate your GSD.

With a very young GSD, train for short periods. But train frequently throughout the day. Think of training in short bursts.

Around 6 months of age, your GSD should know the basic commandssit, stay, down, no, and come.

But a young dogs attention span is short, so be patient if your GSD isnt learning the German Shepherd training commands as quickly as you want.

Its a long list and can take years for you to fully train your GSD to advanced commands. But your dog may see too much training at once as punishment, so dont give your dog too many commands or lengthy sessions.

Keep your dogs attention by meeting their physical needs first and making sure their excess energy is spent. Use this guide on the perfect exercise routine for your German Shepherd.

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Simple Ways To Train A German Shepherd To Come When Called

One of the most important skills in owning such an energetic breed is knowing how to train your German Shepherd to come when called.

Its not enough to just get their attention, but your German Shepherd must be trained to a reliable recall so they return to you

without hesitation.

Dont frantically chase your GSD around while stressed and worried about the busy road and speeding cars nearby.

Instead

Learn how to train a German Shepherd to come when called every time using these simple steps.

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Basic Socialization For German Shepherds

Begin socializing your GSD by letting her get to know you and your family. This is easy to doit involved just allowing your GSD to be a part of your everyday life.

Even if she appears to be snoozing by the couch, she is very much aware of whats happening around her. She isnt just sleeping. In fact, she is observing everything and everyone.

She is learning whats normal household activities, how you and your family behave in a normal situation, and what she can expect in everyday life.

She will quickly come to be soothed by normal household sounds like the vacuum or dishwasher, and she wont be bothered by neighborhood sounds.

She will also learn whats unusual in your world. Shell take her cues from you and your family to either ignore the knock on the doorsay, from the main carrieror become very alert to a stranger knocking unexpectedly.

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How To Train Your German Shepherd Puppy Not To Jump

While having your German Shepherd puppy jump up enthusiastically is cute when they are little, the novelty wears off pretty quickly. A 20-pound puppy may be unlikely to knock you over a 100-pound adult is another story.

Luckily, teaching your pup not to jump isnt rocket science. Its a matter of conditioning. The first step in training your German Shepherd pup to keep calm when they greet you is to set the mood: if you are relaxed, your puppy will learn to be relaxed as well.

Here are a few tips:

• Keep greetings low-key. Greeting your puppy enthusiastically and loudly is a great way to encourage them to jump up. Instead, come in the front door quietly and wait a minute or so before saying hello to your pup.
• If your dog jumps on you, ignore them. Resist the urge to pet them. Petting them when they jump up reinforces the negative behavior. Turning away from them when they jump will show them that jumping does not get your attention.
• Only pay attention to your dog when theyre sitting. As soon as you get in the door, tell your dog to sit, and only reward them with attention when theyve done so.
• Be patient. Because your German Shepherd pup is so happy to see you when you walk in the door, it may take them a while to realize that they will only get the attention they want when all four paws are on the floor.

Benefits Of Obedience Training

Most German Shepherds will take to their new family quickly.

As with all dogs, they will be curious and a little apprehensive being parted from their litter and mother for the first time. But they are a breed characterized by adaptability.

Any trainer will be glad to tell you that their receptiveness and natural curiosity makes them a delight to train.

And unless you are very unlucky or, more likely, just making mistakes, they will usually take to obedience training faster than most breeds.

The advantage of an obedient German Shepherd is that they can make for an outstanding family dog.

While famed for their defensive and protective qualities, they will socialize well into a receptive family who keeps them busy and reminds them when needed exactly who the boss is.

You need to get into the habit of using vocal instruction and hand instructions early and constantly reinforce lessons throughout the day. Because a bored German Shepherd will be far more likely to become a disruptive handful.

Positive & Negative Reinforcement Is Crucial

Knowing when to praise and tell off any dog is one thing any owner should invest time in learning.

Arguably, of all the breeds out there, German Shepherds rely on this far more than most.

Reinforcement is an essential tool for communicating with your dog. The idea is that they will grow to understand when they are being rewarded and for what reason.

But how do we punish bad behavior effectively?

So how do you go about achieving this?

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Signs Your German Shepherd Is In Pain Due To Hip Dysplasia

While this is rarely discussed, one of the reasons your female German Shepherd displays aggressive tendencies is that she is in pain. While most sickness types lead to laziness and social avoidance, hip dysplasia is a joint issue that hurts your dog and angers her in the process.

X-rays can reveal it with certainty as experts will notice the ball and socket at the hip not fitting perfectly. Other symptoms may indicate the condition . If two or more of the following are evident, you should arrange a vet visit.

Reluctance to Climb Stairs

German Shepherds are very active and usually dont mind climbing stairs. However, because theyre large, theyre also at a higher risk of hip dysplasia. Latest statistics from The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals assert that 20.6% of German Shepherds suffer from this condition.

If your German Shepherd has hip dysplasia, youll notice her avoiding the stairs and pretty much any other activity that puts pressure on her hind legs. When this coincides with aggression, shes likely quick to anger because of the pain. This is in drastic contrast to aggression that comes from sexual frustration or boredom, both of which increase your dogs activity levels.

Hops When Walking a Long Distance

Weak Thigh Muscles

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Week 1 Training Your German Shepherd Puppy

Sleep training with your German Shepherd puppy shouldnt be too much of a problem. Theyre sensitive souls and like to know where you are so dont worry if they sleep in your bedroom for the first few weeks. You can always get them to sleep where you want once theyre more settled. Check out our articles on how to get a puppy to sleep through the night and Puppy night-time routine to learn more.

• Brushing your puppy that mane should be looking gorgeous we hope

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Stub Out Negative Behavior As Early As Possible

Dogs were not created as domestic animals they had to be tamed. This is why, now and then, they will tend to go back to their wild behavior like biting or insistently barking when food is in sight. You need to tame that as early as possible.

For example, if your puppy tends to demand his meal by barking when you appear with his food bowl, hold on to it, and give the command to stop. Give the food only when he stops. Your pup will quickly learn to associate silence with the food bowl being placed in front of him.

If your puppy is having difficulty mastering his bite inhibition or if you need some help with puppy biting, check out my top article, How to Discipline a German Shepherd for Biting.

Choose Your Learning Environment Wisely

Like you, in order to learn something, your GSD will excel in an environment that is conducive to learning. Ideally, you would not go to the food court of a busy mall to sit down and study for an upcoming exam. Instead, you would choose a quiet room in your home, or perhaps a library or coffee shop. Why would you do this? Because there are no distractions.

Similarly, you must choose an environment that is conducive to learning for your German Shepherd in order to give him the best chance for success. What this means, practically speaking, is that you want to choose an environment such as a quiet room in your home, or even your own backyard. The idea being that it must be some place that your GSD is familiar with and that will not lend itself to distractions.

You should not consider training your GSD around people that he is unfamiliar with or in a new or busy environment, such as a dog park full of other dogs competing for your GSDs attention.

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Tip #: The Best German Shepherd Puppy Training Tip Is

Reward good behavior and ignore bad behavior.

This rule is amazing and will work wonders, besides it is really easy to apply, all you have to do is pay attention to your German Shepherd puppy and reward the good things he does. However, there are a couple rules to keep in mind for it to work:If you notice that the bad behavior is no getting any better, it’s probably because _somehow_ it’s being rewarded! You need to figure out what the reward is and remove it.If ignoring your pooch for the bad behavior doesnt work, then you can train your canine friend an incompatible behavior. For example, when a dog is laying down, it is harder to bark.

How To Train Your Dog To Come

Possibly the easiest thing to teach a dog is to come when called. Its as simple as saying her name and handing her a treat.

Do this up close and sitting on the floor with her at first. She should be near you, playing or being groomed. Say her name, and if she looks at you, give the treat.

Try not to say her name over and over again. Shell learn to ignore it, and thats the opposite of what we want to do.

Once she looks at you consistently when you say her name, you can add the come command. Take a step away from her, say her name and come, and as soon as she moves toward you, give the treat.

You can do the come command at any time, giving her lots of opportunities to come when called. You can combine the come command with sit, down, and stay, too.

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How Can I Stop My Puppy From Biting

It’s important for puppies to learn to control their bites. This is best taught at a young age.Carefully watchyour puppy for signs that he is about to grab your hand. Before he can do that, give him a soft toy or a Kong as an alternative.

If puppy bites you before you can give him a toy, make the squealing sound a littermate would make when it is bitten by another pup “eek” or “ouch”. Then quickly redirect the puppy to an appropriate toy that is “chew safe”.

When a puppy can’t be supervised he should be safely in his crate or an exercise pen with Kongs or other dog-safe toys that can’t be chewed up and swallowed. DO NOT LEAVE STUFFED TOYS IN A CRATE WITH A PUPPY. Talk with your breeder and/or vet about safe toys for puppies.Also, a tired puppy is a good puppy. Be sure your puppy gets plenty of exercise for his body and his brain . Exercise for 10 minutes every hour or so is better than 2 hours at a time. Puppies need naps just like babies.

Start training at an early age in a good puppy class in your area. Puppies of all breeds get your puppy used to other types of dogs.– Cheryl May

For more information: Use Google to search for ‘puppy training’ in your area. Look for local classes that are affiliated with the AKC’s S.T.A.R. puppy training. Also look at our Regional Club listings to see if there is a club that offers puppy classes in your area especially for German Shepherd puppies.

Consider why puppies pull when they are walking:

Understand Your German Shepherds Learning Curve

German Shepherds are smart dogs. In fact, they are very smart and rightly considered one of the most intelligent dog breeds on the planet. This is for good reason, as its also the reason that they are used in so many different applications that draw on this intelliegence.

From military use, to police use, to farm use, to use as service dogs, German Shepherds have served mankind for over 100 years. However, because GSDs are so intelligent, they can also be stubborn. Therefore, training them needs to be approached from an intelligent and loving, yet firm place.

It is very important for you to understand just how intelligent your GSD is. Your GSD is capable of problem solving and is able to function independently. This means that you must allow your GSDs intelligence to work for him and not against him. You can make sure that you are doing this by keeping in mind that your puppy, just like you, has a learning curve.

Give your GSD an opportunity to hit his own learning stride, and do not expect him to learn on your schedule. By understanding how your GSDs intelligence functions in this manner, you will be setting both you and your dog up for training success!

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Signs That Your Female Gsd Is Aggressive Due To Her Heat Cycle

If two or more of the following apply to your German Shepherd, then sexual aggression is likely to contribute to the problem.

If your dog has gone in heat twice already, spaying is not recommended, and you can use other strategies to neutralize her aggression. You can learn what to expect when your GSD is in season in this article, German Shepherd First Heat and Cycle.

Your Dog is Significantly Older Than Six-Months of Age

German Shepherds go into heat for the first time from six months to 12 months of age. Before this, they arent sexually mature enough for their reproductive hormones to contribute significantly to any behavior. But if your dog is older than six months, you cannot rule out sexual frustration as a part of the problem.

Your Dog Pees a Lot

Female German Shepherds urinate a lot more when they ovulate. This is often accompanied by other urine-related behaviors, including but not limited to:

• Sniffing male dogs urine.
• General indifference to soaking in their own urine.

Your Dog Grooms Her Sexual Region

If your German Shepherd constantly licks her vaginal area, then sexual frustration is apparent. She might not hump things or get visibly excited upon being touched, but that does not mean she isnt going through a phase of sexual aggression. It can be challenging to see this if your dog barely socializes with other dogs. The dynamic between your German Shepherd and other dogs will make it clearer that shes in heat.

Theres Vaginal Discharge