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How To Calm Your German Shepherd

How To Calm Your German Shepherd

How to stop Dog Anxiety, Aggression, Pulling on the leash! German Shepherd Training Full tutorial

Calming your German shepherd needs patience from you as the dog owner. Remember, if you become angry and start punishing your dog, you will not have resolved the issue you will utmost aggravate the already worse situation.

The AKC has a program thats called STAR that helps dogs to become acceptable family companions

S-Socialization

Such a program will be a cornerstone if you want to have a calm dog.

Never the less here is what you can do

How To Manage German Shepherd Anxiety

Suppose you’re thinking of owning or currently own a German Shepherd. In that case, it’s vital to have anxiety management tools in your arsenal.

When you think of a German Shepherd, what comes to mind? A perched, strong black and white dog with a long snout and muscular shoulders. Or maybe a dog that is standing solid and upright, exuding confidence and bravery. Whether you’re familiar with Rin Tin Tin or Chase , You have welcomed German Shepherds into your home through your television screen. This man’s best friend is the epitome of loyalty and protection. Often the German Shepherd is viewed as indestructible, but there is a chink in their armor. Unfortunately, this breed notoriously suffers from anxious behavior. Unwanted behaviors leave many homes wrecked and owners stressed. Luckily, German Shepherd anxiety can be easily managed by understanding the breed, fear, and investing in calming avenues.

Take Them To Socializing Activities

Baby, thats my friend!

How many times have you had to explain to your German Shepherd that they dont have to be afraid of someone new to them visiting your home?

They could be exhibiting fearfulness or being annoying in one way or another.

According to research, this may be the result of the lack of socialization.

Being hyper and generally uneasy could be caused by this.

Fear of meeting new people and acting up whenever someone new is around is not a desirable behavior in our babies.

What can I do?

You can start off by slowly letting them meet new people.

Begin by introducing members of your family who dont frequently visit and therefore might be new to them.

You can also invite a few friends over so your dog can meet them and be more comfortable with them around.

Generally, youd want to choose people who you already trust.

According to the certified dog trainer, Stephanie Gibeault, dogs can hear what you feel.

Bring people who make you happy and introduce your pooch to them.

This way, your dog can sense your emotions which would be positive overall.

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Husbandry Tasks To Do This Week

  • Get started with grooming and brushing sensitive areas In long-haired German Shepherds, this is typically the case with the face, legs, and ears, which become tangled the most and may hurt when brushed. Remember to brush carefully, do a little bit of brushing on a sensitive area while feeding them treats or letting them have a lickimat, and then brush an easier to brush area. Furminators are good for getting out dead hair, dont go overboard though, we dont want a bald puppy!

Go For A Dog Walk To Redirect Dogs High Energy

KEEP CALM AND LOVE YOUR GERMAN SHEPHERD Poster

If your dog has a lot of built-up energy, a really vigorous dog walk is another excellent way to redirect it where YOU want it to go. Once youve burned that extra energy away, your dog should be pleasantly exhausted and too tuckered out to jump and nip. Without that frustration, hell find it much easier to relax.

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Do German Shepherds Calm Down After Neutering

Theres a common belief that German Shepherds calm down after neutering. Whilst there is some degree of truth to this statement, its not always the case. It will depend on the age they get neutered, and what behaviours they might have already learned to enjoy.

The reason the answer isnt as clear cut as you might think, we need to understand the effects of neutering. Not only does the removal of the male German Shepherds testicles render him infertile, but it will also prevent him from producing testosterone.

A German Shepherd with no testosterone can display some subtle behavioural changes. But that doesnt mean he will necessarily get calmer, and heres why

At around 6 months old, the testosterone levels in a male German Shepherd puppy will rise dramatically. This can lead to behavioural issues such as:

  • Increased aggression.
  • Increased territorial behavior .
  • Increased sex drive.
  • Increased desire to roam.
  • Reduced ability to calm down.

Based on that, you would assume that by neutering your German Shepherd, he should calm down. That would make to sense anyone reading this, but its a little more complicated than that.

For example, if you neuter a German Shepherd before he hits the puberty stage where the testosterone levels jump, its probable that he wont exhibit the issues listed above.

Heres what vets say you might expect after neutering:

  • Libido driven behaviour will definitely reduce.
  • Aggression could reduce.
  • Territorial behaviour could reduce.

Week 5 Training Your German Shepherd Puppy

Week 5 already, what quirks have you spotted in your German Shepherd?

Were going to be taking the lead walking and recall training outside youll be grateful for the harness you taught your German Shepherd puppy to wear for this bit. If you think this training is as easy as a walk in the park, think again. For the time being, its all about training a puppy to learn how to walk properly and how to react to whats going on around them.

For socialisation, start working on items that are vital to your lifestyle this week, such as if you have a horse and want your puppy to be comfortable with horses, or if you enjoy sailing, having them near water will be important to you. Getting your puppy exposed to new experiences early on can help them accept them much more easily.

Socialisation exercises to do this week Training to do this week Husbandry Tasks to do this week
Go to the pub you deserve it! Tick 3 things off your personal socialisation checklist Alone Training Grooming

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Take Them On Purposeful Walks Daily

A lot of people may read this post and think what the heck is a purposeful walk? Well, German shepherds need stimulation and they need a job. It helps them fulfill an instinct inside of them.

When German shepherds act out it is because they have to much energy and they are not being stimulated intellectually and physically. That brings us to purposeful walks.

Purposeful walks are when you make your walk with your German shepherd a job instead of making it for fun.

So, what does this look like? Well, for starters making your dog sit and be still before you put their leash on is the first step. The second step is to put on them a weighted vest.

These vests come on all shapes and sizes and it doesnt matter which one you pick as long as it will fit comfortably on your dog. What the weighted vest does is signal to your German shepherds brain that it is time to work and not play.

Your German shepherd will then apply more energy, focus, and determination to the task which helps them fulfill some of their natural urges to work and to use up their energy.

While you are actually on the walk you should make sure that your German shepherd is walking with their head upright, that they are staying right next to you , and that they are focused.

That means that you as the owner need to be calm and focused as well. Help them to keep their head up and to not go around sniffing everything that is around them.

Things You Can Do To Help Keep Your German Shepherd Calm At The Vet

How to STOP your dog barking/ lunging at visitors & dogs aggression

Some dogs do great at the vet yet for others, a visit to the vet strikes fear and panic into normally calm and happy dogs. If taking your dog to the vet triggers as much dread in you as it does your dog, these tips may help.

1. Start young and include vet visits in the dogs socialization plan. Bring your dog by the vets office just to be weighed and say hi. Take a few favorite treats, such as liver or hot dogs, for the staff to give your dog. Carry your dog until Parvo immunity is built up as there is no need to subject a young pup to germs on the ground and in the animal hospital. Its a good idea to give the vets office a call to ensure the time is right before heading in.

2. Handle your dog often starting as a puppy to get your dog used to his ears and paws being touched and tummy palpated. Move legs and joints.

3. Take your dogs temperature at home. You get your dog accustomed to having his temperature taken by occasionally taking it at home.

4. Teach dogs to allow their mouths to be handled. You should be able to touch the muzzle and remove things from the mouth easily.

5. Brush teeth. Keep teeth cleaned and brushed as this will also help your dog become accustomed to having his mouth handled as well as promote good oral hygiene and protect teeth and gums from disease. If you need to practice, put a little peanut butter or yogurt on your finger and rub it on the dogs teeth or gums like a treat.

Also Check: Will German Shepherd Protect Me

What Not To Do To An Anxious German Shepherd

Now that you know what to do for a German Shepherd with separation anxiety, lets look at what not to do.

The biggest no on this list is punishment. Do not yell at, scold, or discipline your dog. This will only exacerbate his fear and may make things even worse down the road.

Do not ignore separation anxiety either. This is not a behavior that will get better all on its own. You need to figure out what works for your dog and then stick with it.

Also, dont ignore training. Not just the training you already do, but new training, too. You may find some great tips from a local dog meet-up or by contacting a dog trainer that specializes in anxiety.

Thinking Outside The Box: Tiring Out A German Shepherd

Tiring out a hyper dog means tapping into all of their natural behaviors.

Knowing how to exhaust a German Shepherd means thinking smarter, not harder.

Instead of focusing on more exercise, think of all your German Shepherds senses and abilities. Spend time not only with physical movements but mental enrichment, as well as their innate desire to chew and sniff.

While it takes some time to see the benefits of adding these tips into your daily life, the new routine will give you more freedom with your German Shepherd and help prevent annoying behaviors.

Tiring out and exhausting a German Shepherd means:

  • using more than just walks for exercise
  • increasing their mental engagement
  • focusing on their innate desire to sniff
  • letting them chew to release calmness
  • working on brushing up old skills and learning new ones

Dont get caught up in the trap of simply increasing your dogs daily physical exercise. They might seem tired the first few days, but German Shepherds have extraordinary athletic abilities and are known for their quickness to adapt.

The end result of all your running and jogging?

Theyll quickly learn to keep up and outpace you, leaving you in the same spot you were before draining yourself.

Heres what to do instead

Think outside the box!

Use your dogs natural abilities and instincts to build a routine that focuses their energy into productive activities with you that balance both their mental and physical needs.

How awesome is that?

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Week 4 Training Your German Shepherd Puppy

Week 4, its been a whole month since you started training your German Shepherd puppy.

To keep things fresh well introduce some new ideas such as

  • Push/Drop/Stick making exercise more difficult
  • Time to start teaching loose lead walking
  • Meeting another dog
  • Grooming sensitive areas this will be an important one to get the hang of as your German Shepherd will shed quite a lot of hair!
  • Looking for a Puppy Class this is a fun one.
Socialisation exercises to do this week Training to do this week Husbandry Tasks to do this week
Meet another dog Grooming sensitive areas

How To Calm A Hyper Dog

keep calm and love your german shepherd

If your dog seems hyper, or overly-excited, the problem likely stems from boredom and a lack of stimulation. So in order to address the problem, you have to assess the way you are interacting with your dog and the kind of activity your dog gets on a daily basis.

Here are some simple techniques you can try at home to calm your hyperactive dog.

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Reasons It Might Not Be Calm

There are a number of things that might cause your German Shepherd not to be calm that I will try to mention below.

Boredom

As mentioned earlier German Shepherds require a lot of exercise

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Another thing that can cause your German Shepherd not to be calm is . This is where your German Shepherd doesnt like being left alone so it gets anxious when you are away or when you are about to leave. It can also cause it to be more hyperactive when you are around.

Attention

One reason that your German Shepherd might not act calm is because it wants to get attention from you. If you think that your German Shepherd is doing this then you can try the ignore method above when it acts hyper and you can also make sure to give it lots of attention throughout the day.

Will My Male German Shepherd Calm Down After Being Neutered

Neutering a male dog will not change his personality, but it may change some of his behaviours. For example, neutered dogs may be less likely to become aggressive or territorial. It is also possible that neutered dogs will be less active and more relaxed. Some dogs may even become more docile, especially if they were previously aggressive or destructive.

There is no one right way to react to a neutered dog. Some people may find them more relaxed and less active, while others may find them more subdued and less excitable. Ultimately, it is up to the individual dog and his owner to decide how they feel about the change.

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Training To Do This Week

  • Settle on a mat German Shepherds are incredibly curious, which can make it difficult for them to relax while out and about. Theyre a bit bark first ask questions later Do a lot of settle training and teach them to quiet down so they can be as cool as a cucumber when youre out and about.
  • Lead walking no one wants a large breed of dog pulling them down the street, so be sure you teach loose lead walking and how about some heelwork too?
  • Recall games Play a game of tennis with your pooch! Calling them from person to person with treats on either side. This, plus lots of additional recall games, may be found in our article 50+ training games.

Build And Practice New Tricks And Training Skills

Things Nobody Told You About Owning a German Shepherd? – Vet Dr Alex

Do you practice and reinforce your dogs skills in different areas? Or, do they only know their commands inside the house?

Do you train your German Shepherd daily?

Youd be surprised at how exhausting working on obedience commands or learning a new trick or skill is for your dog. Additionally, building a relationship based on command and responses can help you to redirect your dogs inappropriate behavior to a competing behavior.

For example, your dog cant jump on you if they know the down cue and follow your commands. And, if they know a handful of tricks they really love, itll be hard for them to run through the house with zoomies when you ask them to show off their new skills.

Spend at least 10 minutes a day, preferably broken up into smaller 2-3 minute fragments spread throughout the day, working on polishing up their old skills and learning new tricks.

Does your dog know all the basic commands even outdoors and if youre far away from them?

If you need a refresher on the basics you can get step-by-step instructions here: German Shepherd beginner obedience at home.

Even more tiring for your German Shepherd?

Test your dogs skills when there are distractions around them to see if they REALLY know their commands. Take them to different, safe areas on a leash and work on what they know and see how well they perform.

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Do Not Leave Them In Crate For A Very Long Time

Your puppy can learn to love being in a crate. But they wouldnt like being in it for a very long time.

Sometimes its necessary to leave your puppy in the crate for a longer time though. For instance, you need to go to work. By putting them in the crate, they wont chew on inappropriate things.

Also, you can clean the house when theyre in the crate.

And this isnt bad. Your German Shepherd has to know that the crate is their safe haven.

As such, they shouldnt associate it with something unpleasant. Such as a punishment.

Caution: Leaving your puppy in their crate longer than 6 hours is not advisable.

It will only make them anxious. Staying in the crate too long will end up in pent up energy.

And once out of the crate, they are bent on releasing that energy.

When crate training your puppy, remember these:

  • Ignore them when they cry while in the crate. Wait 20 minutes until they calm down.
  • If they are just starting the training, it may be difficult at first. There are times when they cry in the middle of the night. But this gradually stops when they reach 3 or 4 months old.

Check out this guys tips when crate training puppies:

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