Make Them Good At Socializing
You might wonder how can dogs socialize.
Well, dogs are very intelligent and socializing animals. They not only socialize with other dogs, but also with human beings.
German Shepherds are very loyal dog breeds. They can sometimes get very protective of who they like!
So imagine you and a friend are just messing with each other and playing around and suddenly your German Shepherd attacks your friend thinking the friend is a threat to you.
They cant be blamed for this as that is their nature. It is very important for a owner to train their German Shepherds from a very young age.
They have to train them on how they can socialize better with people and other animals around them.
When you train them to be social from a young age, they will be less aggressive when they grow up.
Show Them You Are Not The Enemy
When your dog is eating, then you should pet them while they are eating. You should add in more food in the bowl to show that you care for them.
This will make your German Shepherd puppy associate you with good food.
Try to care for them in every way possible. Make sure you dont give them any threatening signals.
Make them understand that you are not their enemy!
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.
Recommended Reading: How Long Does It Take To Potty Train A German Shepherd Puppy
From 9 Months To 24 Months
Dogs of different breeds and sizes mature at different ages, and while one year of age is commonly considered the end of puppyhood in general, a German Shepherd Dog may not reach an adult level of maturity before the age of two or three . So continuing to work on impulse control, improve obedience skills, and advance to training in more focused activities like tracking, scent work, protection work, agility, and herdingall of which are capabilities of this breedmust continue throughout this period and then be reinforced as your GSD reaches adulthood.
Keep in mind that this is a breed that thrives on constant and consistent work and training, and loves to have a jobor many jobs!to do. If you can provide your GSD with outlets for their intelligence and versatility, both you and your dog will reap the rewards.
Yasmine S. Ali, MD, is a cardiologist and writer based in Tennessee, where she lives with three Canine Good Citizens, including an AKC-registered German Shepherd Dog.
Establishing A Bathroom Ritual Is Crucial
Ensuring you do everything the same at the same time each day will reinforce good bathroom habits for your puppy going forward into adulthood.
Many times when a puppy comes inside only to pee again after going outside, it is the result of incomplete training or the owners failure to allow the puppy enough time to finish his business.
You should work the times you take your puppy for a potty break after major events she will remember and begin to associate with elimination.
For example, eating usually stimulates a bowel movement some moments later. Take your puppy outside after any major meal.
With a young puppy that needs to go outside every few hours, try to be as consistent as possible on the times. German Shepherds are smart and will quickly associate particular times with peeing or pooping.
- First thing you do when you wake up
- After breakfast
- After dinner
- Before bedtime
As your puppy becomes older and you feed him fewer meals, you will also be able to take him out for potty breaks less frequently.
Attention to time is important, but if you have a yard, training a specific area may also be desirable. Once you leash train your pup, you can keep her in the corner or patch you would like her to use.
You can even give her some leeway as many dogs will indicate a preference for a certain area of the yard.
Many people only have the goal that their dogs use the same corner consistently so they can keep the majority of the premises clean.
Recommended Reading: German Shepard Teething
Speedy Ways To Train A German Shepherd Shepherd Sense
How Long Does It Take To Train A German Shepherd? How long it takes to train a German Shepherd depends on many factors, for example, if you have a puppy 6 Speedy Ways To Train > >
Jul 2, 2020 Nadia Adams of Oher Tannen German Shepherd Dogs has been a GSD breeder for 15 years and comments, A well-bred German Shepherd How to Train a German Shepherd Puppy: Timeline 8 Weeks to
In addition to being one of the most loyal dog breeds, they are also working dogs that generally enjoy learning. Because German Shepherds have all these traits, 3 Ways to Train a German Shepherd wikiHow
Easy Tips On How To Train An Aggressive German Shepherd
German Shepherds are still one of the most popular breeds and with good reasons.
These stunning dogs are intelligent, brave, and loyal.
Theyre eager to have a job to do and are so versatile that theyre equally good as police dogs and family companions.
However, German Shepherds are powerful and muscular dogs with strong protective instincts.
While no one pays much attention to a barking/growling toy dog, an attacking German Shepherd can scare even professionals.
As such, its important to curb any aggressive tendencies as soon as possible.
Otherwise, you and your German Shepherd can get into a lot of trouble.
Read Also: How To Draw A German Shepherd Sitting
Be In Tune With Your Dog
As you spend more time with your dog, pay attention and observe them closely. Youll notice that they have their own ways to communicate with you.
If you make an effort to listen and figure out what theyre trying to say, youll appreciate how communicative German Shepherds really are, and this is critical for successful training.
What Can Make German Shepherds Difficult To Train
They Are Full of Energy
This is an important one to take note of as you must know what to expect if youre thinking about owning a German Shepherd.
Their high levels of energy are not for everyone: if they arent exercised enough they can become exasperated and misbehave by destroying and chewing furniture, excessively barking, or craving attention in other ways. This can be especially problematic in German Shepherds, since they grow to be so big and strong.
If you are athletic in nature too, a German Shepherd could bring you copious amounts of joy by being your fitness companion.
Champion boxer Manny Pacquito takes his German Shepherd running every morning leading up to a fight, and George Foremans German Shepherd was the only one who could keep up with him when he reached superhuman levels of fitness!
Age!
Age can play a big part in how easy it is to train a German Shepherd. Older dogs may have picked up bad habits during their lifetime as a result of poor treatment, inconsistent training, or a complete lack thereof.
However, it is not always possible to train your German Shepherd from a puppy if you acquired it in its adult life or it was a rescue dog, for example.
Depending on whether the German Shepherd is mildly or wildly misbehaved, it can be doubly as difficult to train an adult, since you must un-train and override their bad habits at the same time.
You May Like: How Much Raw Meat To Feed My German Shepherd
When Should You Start Training A German Shepherd
You should never delay the training process. Most high-quality breeders will start training their puppies before they even adopt them out.
If your puppys breeder started this process previously, you should keep going once your puppy is home. But even if they didnt, you should start the second that your puppy gets through the front door.
German Shepherds like training, even as puppies. Theyre eager to please and love using their brain. You arent doing your dog any favors by giving them a few days to relax after adoption. They will feel much more comfortable learning the rules of the house right away.
Start with the basics and keep the sessions short. You only want to train your pup for a few minutes at a time, as puppies can get overwhelmed and bored. They have short attention spans, just like human children.
Your Dog Does Not Communicate Like A Human
Your German Shepherd will respond to many different stimuli. Your body language and tone of voice being the two most important.
In time, your dog will understand certain commands such as sit, stay and come, drop etc.
But, dogs only understand single direct commands. Use language your dog will understand. Calm, simple commands and body language will make your message crystal clear.
Recommended Reading: German Shepherd Puppy Food Amount
How We Build This Programme: Push Drop Stick
Heres a good resource for you to have the Push Drop Stick game. I like to use this game to see whether puppies are ready to move on in their training, or if they need to spend more practice runs.
Did we need to remind you how intelligent German Shepherds are? Make sure to keep them stimulated by progressively making their exercises more challenging. They really do need to be given a job to do rather than allowing them to be self-employedwho knows how that can end up.
What is Push, Drop, Stick?
Push, Drop, Stick, is a way of systematically raising the difficulty of an exercise or behaviour.
If exercises are always kept too easy, then dogs will keep doing them correctly because they are being rewarded . However, progress will be slower as theyll get stuck at this level.
If lessons are too hard, then its likely that theyll give up since treats wont be coming as easy. Looks like theyd be quite good businessmen as humans.
Push Drop Stick can help avoid both scenarios by maintaining enough momentum: It will keep your puppy winning enough times to keep them interested and not quit, but not so much that they arent thinking about how to be rewarded by trying harder.
How does it work?
Push Go to the next level of difficulty
Drop Back to the previous level of difficulty
Stick Stay at the current level of difficulty
| 3 or 4 out of 5 | Do another set of 5 at this difficulty | He doesnt need you to drop, but he isnt quite ready to be pushed yet. |
Determine The Best Reward
All dogs have a reward that they respond best to. Most German Shepherds are food-motivated, so youll find that treats are effective for reinforcing good behavior.
Others, however, prefer to play as a reward. For such GSDs, you might try tossing them a toy or playing a short game of tug whenever they get things right. Other dogs are happy enough with kind praises and an ear scratch.
Read Also: Do German Shepherds Need Haircuts
How To Train Your German Shepherd Puppy To Go Outside After Puppy Pads
For those who plan on using puppy pads as a temporary solution and want to eventually transition outdoors, we have a few tips that will make it easier.
Teaching The Stay Step
Have your pup in their collar and 6-foot walking leash. Begin indoors in a quiet area free from distractions.
Increase the stay time your dog is in the stay position beginning with 5 seconds and working up to one minute or more. Dont rush them to hold their stay, though.
Next, work on extending the distance between you and your dog while in the stay. Take a few steps back each time you train.
Your goal is to reach the end of your leash while your pup stays in place.
This could take many sessions over weeks or months.
Recommended Reading: German Shepherd Versus Pitbull
When And How To Start Training
You should start training your German Shepherd as soon as possible. Good breeders start with basic training like teaching the dog to come when called and potty training when the dogs are only a couple of weeks old.
As soon as you receive your puppy, you should continue with the training. However, if you havent trained your dog by now or have adopted an untrained German Shepherd, dont give up hope.
Shepherds are smart and adaptable and they train at any age. Here are some essential training techniques that you can start with your German Shepherd regardless of his history.
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.
Also Check: How To Teach German Shepherd To Attack
Establish Yourself As A Pack Leader
You want your German to know you are in control. So it is important your German shepherd sees you leafing. If that does not happen your German shepherd will rather not listen to you. This could turn into bigger problems for you and your GSD.
You want to establish your dominance and leadership as early as when your German shepherd is a puppy. Do not use punishment as a means of correcting your German shepherd puppys behavior. It is too early to discipline your puppy. Punishing your German shepherd puppy will create confusion and stress.
Is It Easy To Train A German Shepherd
Yes, German Shepherd dogs are relatively easier to train as compared to other dogs. This is due to the fact that German shepherds are intelligent dogs and can pick up on your basic commands more quickly as compared to other breeds of dogs.
It should however be kept in mind that each dog is different and unique so training can get difficult, especially if you are training an adult German shepherd.
German Shepherds can get aggressive and powerful when they grow up, and that makes it difficult to train them. So it is ideal to train a German shepherd when it is still a puppy.
On this article we will explain, Why you should train your German Shepherd?How to train a German Shepherd Puppy? And how to train an adult German Shepherd dog?
Read Also: Is A Belgian Malinois A German Shepherd