German Shepherd Guard Dogs
I will differentiate German Shepherd guard dog training from personal protection for the convenience of categorization. Obviously there is some crossover where another expert could disagree. Im separating them by motivation.
Lets begin by asking Is a German shepherd a good guard dog? and by that I mean a dog that is territorial around the house. German guard dogs already have it in the breed. But by training your GSD to guard youre essentially doing territorial dog training. And a guard dog is just that. He is not protecting you while holding down the fort.
How to train a German shepherd to be a guard dog its probably easier than you think. Does your dog already bark at people when they come over? Does he scan your yard?
A simple exercise would involve a person acting suspicious at your door. You can also stage it where the person steps into the home or into the yard. But the dog should be on a leash and harness. This will build him up to thinking hes tough. Otherwise if your dog was off leash he may not pursue the guy. Once the dog begins to bark, the guy should run away.
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.
Socialisation exercises to do this week | Training to do this week | Husbandry Tasks to do this week |
Let your puppy explore the garden Teach your puppy about surfaces | Name |
How To Train Your German Shepherd To Protect You
When training a German shepherd to protect, its important to understand the actual motivation: Its to protect! Not to defend himself or your house or his back yard or to bite because of prey drive.
German Shepherd protection is very powerful.
Think about it. If someone was threatening you audibly in public you may have plenty of options to run away. But if someone grabbed your toddler you might try to hurt them, quickly and without hesitation. Its very similar to pack animals.
Consider beginning this exercise in a narrow pathway where the dog cannot ignore the situation. A very narrow alley or even a hallway in a building. Have the dog on a leash and harness or at least a very wide flat collar. Leather Collar is best. The dog can either be tied to something, in the control of a family member or a very good friend.
The owner would be acting out as The victim of an attack. The person hitting the owner can use a Styrofoam cylindrical object like a flotation device or even a wiffleball bat. But the attack should look real. The owner should lay on the ground and be completely helpless, squirming and arms flailing.
The instant the dog growls or barks at the attacker they should immediately disappear. Its important to have an area they can go where they are visually not seen by the dog. Its about timing.
Again, the motivation is natural so most dogs will already bark. You do not need to teach
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When To Introduce The 1st Agitator
Some German Shepherd working line puppies Will defend owners or at least themselves at 12 weeks of age. I have personally worked with puppies like this from various breeds that have fiery temperaments, even younger than that. Although for most dogs this is not normal.
Different levels of agitation should be introduced to your puppy at various periods of his development.
hormonal shifts in dogs are around 6 months 1 year and 2 years .
Theres many things that happen around these times. But from a protection standpoint its when dogs become less likely to back down. And the bite gets better. That said, the amount of stress you put on a dog should be measured by their level of maturity.
Every dog is a little different. And the more insecure the dog is genetically, the longer you should wait to do GDS protection training. Ideally, you might consider waiting until 6 months to a year to bring in a agitator that challenges your dog and you. This is where you will truly find out if your German Shepherd will protect you.
Training Helps To Establish You As Alpha
If your dog doesnt respect you, she isnt going to listen to you. This can quickly spiral into an out-of-control problem, especially for larger dogs like German Shepherds.
Its important to establish your position as pack leader within your household. Social order is an intrinsic part of life as a dog. As a dog owner, you need to be able to simulate this order in your home.
One component of establishing your role as alpha is the bond between you and your dog, but its equally important to assert your dominance. The relationship between the alpha and the rest of the pack isnt a mean or controlling one its a relationship based on mutual respect and survival. Your dog will recognize that youre in charge, and youll make sure she stays out of harms way.
If your pup feels that she needs your approval as the top dog in the group, shell naturally want to behave in a way that gains it. The result will be a well-trained dog that has no problem following your commands.
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Easy German Shepherd Training Guide For Perfect Obedience
You dont realize it yet, but in the next 10 minutes, you will learn how quickly this German Shepherd training guide will change your life following a few simple steps.
Imagine what it would be like if you could get your dog to listen the first time, without hesitation.
Instead
they act like you dont even exist.
But it doesnt have to be this way!
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Notable Individual German Shepherds
- The dog on which the breed was founded
- Horand von Grafrath , considered the first German Shepherd and the genetic basis for modern German Shepherds
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Will A German Shepherd Naturally Protect You
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.
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When Should The Training Process Begin
The training process should start as soon as your puppy comes home. This is because the first 16 weeks are the critical socialization period of their life, where they are less fearful and more open to new things.
If you leave their socialization or training too late, it drastically increases their chances of developing behavioral problems in adulthood.
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How To Train Your Dog Like A Cia Officer
Lab in training
Not every dog is cut out for life as a CIA agent, but that doesnt mean every dog cant learn from their example! For those of us with more humble aspirations for our dogs, the CIAs training program offers tips to help train any dog, whether theyre in the field sniffing out explosives or on the couch sniffing out potato chips.
The CIAs 10 most important tips for training your dog:
St Century A Golden Era For German Shepherd
After His glorious history, the entire world started to know him. This Dog has been used as a family pet, guard dog, service dog, and many more functions.
Best K-9 Police Dogs And Service Dogs
German shepherd dogs Have been Considered One of the Best For K-9 Police Forces. German shepherd Dogs help them to detect drug dealers, find lost people and track criminals.
German shepherds are also used to detect explosives.
German Shepherd Dogs are Also used As service dogs. In world war 2 many soldiers had lost their visual capacity. German shepherd dogs were trained to be their eyes and help them to walk and do some daily tasks.
Nowadays German shepherds are used in many service points to help disabled people to do their daily tasks.
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Handguns Shotguns And Rifles
The first practical police firearm, the multishot revolver, was patented in 1835 by Samuel Colt. In the 1850s the British gun manufacturer Beaumont-Adams introduced the self-cocking double-action revolver. In contrast with the Colt, which needed to be cocked before firing, the double-action revolver could be fired by just a direct pull on the trigger. This allowed for quicker fire, at the expense of precisely aimed shots. In the United States and throughout the British Empire, the double-action revolver became, with few exceptions, the police sidearm of choice for more than a century.
In Western-style democracies, the standard police sidearm is strictly a defensive weapon. For offensive operations such as gunfights, more powerful firearmse.g., shotguns and riflesare necessary. Shotguns are capable of firing a variety of ammunition, including buckshot, slugs, tear gas, baton projectiles, and grenades. The pump-action shotgun, which was widely used in police departments from the early 20th century, began to be replaced by the semiautomatic shotgun in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Speak And Quiet Method
In the method, you have to forcefully give the speak command to your dog. You have to then give him a treat every time he barks on your command. Do not give him the treat if he barks earlier or later than your command. Similarly, give the Quiet command loudly when you want him to stop barking. Likewise, follow it up with a treat for correct behavior.
Here is a myth buster for you! Many people believe that the commands are spoken in a code language so that the dog and officer have a secret channel of communication between them while being under attack by an invader.
However, this is far from the truth. As mentioned, many police German shepherds undergo training in European countries and thus, learn their basic commands in a foreign tongue. It is just easier to continue with the terminology rather than retrain the dog in English!
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How Much Exercise Does A German Shepherd Need
German Shepherds are no couch potatoes quite the opposite, in fact. As well as a daily walk, these highly active dogs need lots of stimulation both physically and mentally throughout the day, otherwise they will seek alternative ways of ridding themselves of their excess energy and boredom often by chewing on your furniture and barking. Simple games involving a frisbee a ball or a selection of the best dog toys will engage both their athletic bodies and intelligent minds. If you have a fenced yard, it would be a good idea to let a German Shepherd roam free. Given their insatiable demand for exercise, however, its also necessary to try and keep them on the go inside the house, with regular instructions to fetch and carry alongside ongoing obedience training. The only times owners can relax a little is when the dogs are puppies or heading into old age.
Suitable for: Energetic people living in large homes who want a loyal companion.Not suitable for: Anyone with a busy job who likes to maintain a hair-free home.Temperament: Active, self-assured, protective, intelligent, aloof.Shedding: Heavy
Are German Shepherds Easy To Train
German Shepherd is easy to train. German Shepherd can learn a command just in 5 to 10 repetitions.
German Shepherd loves to train and exercise. It is intelligent, and it will follow you unconditionally.
You will enjoy to train and play with your German shepherd.
He can make your life better and more enjoyable.
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Practice With Distance Duration And Distraction
Remember to include the 3 Ds of dog training in your obedience lessonsdistraction, distance, and duration.
The 3 Ds help reinforce your German Shepherds training and give you more reliability over your dog.
They familiarize your dog with the many ways in which they might get asked to perform their commands. These extra steps are invaluable to the quality of your German Shepherd obedience home training program.
Examples of the 3 Ds of Dog Training
- Increase the time your dog is one position by taking a long time to offer the treat.
- See how long you can have your dog stay while you move into different practice areas and work on increasing the time.
- Try to keep his attention on you during his training despite other distractions in your room, inside your house, or outdoors.
If your GSD seems to have forgotten their command, take them back to the last place they were successful and begin training from there.
Its not unusual for you to have gone too fast or expected too much.
Not all of your days are perfect, right?
So, its not fair if you expect your German Shepherd to be perfect every day, either.
Adjust your training as needed.
Continue building on your dogs knowledge and your desire for a responsive companion and youll see amazing improvements in their good behaviors and
in your ability to control your German Shepherd.
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Be The Pack Leader With Your Shepherd Pup So He Doesnt Become Insecure Later
You will need to be your dogs everything if you want to control protection scenarios. When you think of German shepherds protecting their owners either in class or in videos, consider who is making the decisions, The dog or his owner?
A dog protecting his owner can have mixed emotions. Its not healthy for them to carry a heavy load and think they have the responsibility or anticipation to make decisions. instead, a dog should defend his owner because he was given permission. And he would perceive it that way because he depends completely on the owner.
of course, if a dog is doing advanced obedience training and someone attacks his owner his instinct to defend should override. But in general, he should know his place as a dog.
To establish your role as your dogs pack leader, initiate and finalize interactions involving resources. this will increase your bond by making him dependent on you. Its also how to tell if your dog trusts you.
Initiate affection . Dont allow him to press his nose into you, and as a response, you would pet him. instead, ignore him, let him accept that, then call him to you and pet him for 10 seconds and then finalize it.
However, look at the body language when you give your dog affection. Generally, the ears should be back and the tail doing somewhat of a lower wag.
Another example would be not allowing your dog to bring you a toy. You know the story: my dog brings me toys and its adorable. In this case, the dog is initiating interaction.
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