How To Train A German Shepherd To Be Independent
First of all, you shouldnt make the mistake of being overprotective. It is one thing for him to perceive you as the alpha dog and quite another to make him an insecure and fearful dog.
- Avoid always keeping in arms. Do not make it a habit to spend a lot of time lying on your lap or do it every day. Interactions should always be kept under a strict code of conduct, and you should always allow him time to be alone without your constant attention.
- Give him a specific space to sleep away from your bed. Never let him stay in the room for a long time, much less sleep in a bed. Dependency has a lot to do with whos boss in the relationship. If you always give in to his whims, he will dominate, and when you dont comply with his demands, he will become depressed.
- Get him used to not crying when you leave the house. To do this, start leaving the house once or twice a day. Follow the normal routine, put on clothes, shoes, take the key, and let him see you do it, leave without doing this more than a daily act, without farewell pampering, and much less when you enter. So he will take it as a normal act. If you see him crying, go back in and say NO with a firm voice, so he will understand that he should not.
Teach Obedience To Your German Shepherd
Obedience is essential if you want to teach your GSD To be a guard dog.
Come sit and stay are the three most important words you should teach your Dog.
These three basic commands will keep your dog safe in many circumstances. For example, if there is a danger approaching your dog, you can call come, so your dog can step back and come back to you.
Teaching Basic commands will establish your leadership over your German Shepherd. If your dog understands that you are the leader, they will become your happy followers.
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German Shepherd Puppy Crying In Crate How To Solve Forever
Your german shepherd puppy crying in their crate is a sound youll hate hearing. If youre like me, youre going to want to go down and make sure theyre okay. Or perhaps youre tired of it and just want them to be quiet.
Either way, the best solution is getting them to stop crying altogether. Keep reading to find out why they cry in their crate, and more importantly, how to stop it.
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Can A Dog Have More Than One Crate
Its fine for a dog to have more than one crate. In fact, setting up two crates, one in the car and one in the house, can make your life easier by eliminating the need to lug a single kennel from one place to another. While your indoor crate should be made of sturdy metal or plastic, a collapsible metal or nylon crate or a lightweight plastic crate with a handle are good portable options for travel.
If you have more than one dog, in most cases each should have their own designated crate. If, however, you have a bonded pair or a nursing mama dog, you may be able to crate them together as long as the space is large enough for both to be comfortable inside.
When Will Your German Shepherd Stop Having Accidents
Potty training your German Shepherd goes beyond intelligence, obedience, and natural cleanliness.
Like infants, a German Shepherd puppy must not only learn where it is acceptable to poop and pee but also must develop the ability to control her urinary bladder and large bowel physically.
Hopefully, you do not acquire a pup who is under eight weeks old, but if you do, he can only hold his urine for 30 minutes or less.
That does not mean he has to go every 30 minutes but that once he feels the urge, he has a half-hour window provided h
Per Puppyfaq.com, puppies over eight weeks of age can hold their pee and bowel movements for two hours and by the time they are four months old are capable of going twice that duration.
At six months of age, a German Shepherd can consistently go four or five hours without having to use the bathroom, gradually increasing the length of time between potty breaks to eight hours by a year old.
Your German Shepherd puppy will not have many accidents in the house if you stay vigilant in your supervision.
Expect quite a few mishaps at two months old when you first bring her home and full training with rare accidents at four to six months old.
Do not expect your Shepherd to go a full workday without getting relief until at least nine to twelve months old.
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German Shepherd Training: The Right Way
How long it takes to train a German Shepherd depends on how consistent you are and how well you support your dog to understand.
You must also consider your GSDs:
- age are they an energetic puppy or more confident adult
- previous training are they fresh to obedience or do they have some basics under their belt
- whether you are using the right training methods that are simple for your dog to understand
The most effective and easy-to-understand system for German Shepherds to learn is called positive reward training. Using positive rewards allows you to mark the specific behaviors your German Shepherd performs right at nearly the exact moment they do them.
Principles And Facts Of German Shepherd Dog Training And Learning
Every good and well-behaved German Shepherd Dog you see around should immediately tell you of a dog well trained. While some people assume that dogs can guess what is in their mind and execute it, this is never the case.
Your German Shepherd puppy relies on your communication to become a well-behaved companion. But you need to train him to decipher the communication codes first. Also, training is more effective if rewarded positively and if commenced early during puppyhood.
The below five facts and principles explain the importance of the dog-owner communication dynamic in training and the need to use a positive approach and start early when training your German Shepherd puppy.
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What Kind Of Crate Should You Use
German Shepherds are much bigger than most other dog breeds, so it should come as no surprise that theyll need a larger crate. If you have a puppy, remember that they shouldnt be left in a crate for too many hours, the recommendation is one hour for each month of age, up to a maximum of four hours.
When it comes to crate size,German Shepherds should have an extra-large one, no smaller than 48 inches. This allows for enough space for your dog to move around and stretch out without being too confined to a small area.
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You need a metal or wire crate, preferably a heavy-duty one that will be impossible to break as German Shepherds are strong dogs. Most metal crates will fold down, making them easily transportable, and you can opt for either a single or double door or both, depending on how you wish to position the crate.
I like the Midwest Homes for Pets dog crate from Amazon as it comes with the option of double doors, has a divider panel, and is easy to set up.
You can read more about why I like this crate in this article, 8 Best Dog Crates for German Shepherds
Nonetheless, a crate on its own will not just turn into a safe haven for your dog and keep him entertained. Heres a list of the items that you should have inside of your German Shepherds crate:
Crate Training A German Shepherd Puppy At Night
It is perfectly normal to feel anxious, or even a little bit unsure, when figuring how crate training a German Shepherd puppy at night.
But these easy steps should help.
Lets recap
Youve decided to keep the crate in the bedroom, at least for a little while, until your puppy is sleeping through the night.
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Sticking To A Routine
The most important thing when potty training your German Shepherd puppy is consistency.
Make sure you take your puppy to go potty as soon as you get up in the morning, after meals, after naps and after playing .
It can often be beneficial to take your puppy to their toileting area during periods of high excitement as well .
Puppies will often lose control of their bladders when theyre super excited. Being on the correct surface when this happens helps strengthen the connections between going potty and the correct surface to do this.
Frisco Ultimate Dog Crate
The Frisco Heavy Duty Dog Cage is our pick for durable, heavy-duty dog crates. Some dogs just dont like going into their crate, and owners need to be sure they wont have an escape whenever they leave the house for a few minutes.
This crate is large, durable, and easy to assemble. Your German Shepherd will be comfortable inside and wont be able to find a way to break free. The crate also sits on wheels, so its relatively easy to move around the house.
Of course, there are some downsides to picking a heavy-duty dog crate. Theyre bulky, heavy, and they dont collapse, so bringing them with you is going to be a chore. Youre also going to have to spend a bit more money for this crate, but you get what you pay for in terms of durability.
We love that this crate has extreme durability, and is practically impossible to break out of. It has a removable plastic tray for easy cleaning. Its easy to assemble and break down, despite the fact that its thick, heavy and tough for any dog to penetrate or break out of.
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German Shepherd Crate Training
Want to know how to crate train a German Shepherd puppy? Youre not alone. Each year, millions of pet owners round the country learn how to keep their dogs inside a crate or separate room whenever they leave the house to allow them to reduce anxiety, destructive behaviour and barking. Its also a really valuable tool when attemping to house break a new pup and may help make your life less difficult if your dog insists on sleeping in your bed or on the sofa.
Alternative Solutions To Crating
If you are out at work all day, you can still consider a few options as you now know that you should not be leaving your dog in a crate for longer than 3-4 hours. Lets take a look at the alternatives:
- Some owners prefer to leave their German Shepherds outside. As long as you have food, water, and shelter, such as a large dog house provided for them, they should be able to adapt fairly quickly. The only problem is when you try to make a dog stay outside when theyve never done it before. This can be done however, it will require lots of training, patience, and a gradual transition. My GSD lives in the home however, if one day she decided she wanted to live outside, I would buy her this log cabin from Amazon! A bit pricey, but it looks really cool.
- Another indoor solution is to get dog gates for your house. These gates allow you to decide how much space your puppy can have to move around in your house by sectioning off various off-limit areas. If youre worried about them feeling confined in a crate, its a great choice, thats until they get big enough to jump over the gates! Opt for something like Carlson Extra Tall Pet Gate from Amazon.
Its never a good idea to leave your dog alone for any length of time, whether they are crated or not. Here are some other solutions you can consider:
- Doggy daycare
- Hire a dog walker or dog sitter
- Arrange for someone to call and let your dog out
- Work from home where possible
- See if you can take your dog to work
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Crating Your German Shepherd When You Leave The House
Always remove your dogs collar before placing them in their den. Their collar could get hung up on one of the bars and cause serious injury or worse!
When you take the time to introduce the crate properly, they see it is a comfortable place that has their favorite toys and tasty foods!
You must keep this slow. If at any time your dog whines, you have gone on too long!
If your Shepherd whines or barks, dont let her out of the crate until shes quiet .
If you let your Shepherd out of the crate while theyre whining and barking, theyll learn to whine and bark in the crate for attention or to be released you dont want this!
Summary Important German Shepherd Puppy Crate Training Steps
1. Find a crate Consider the size, material, and style
2. Introduce your new German Shepherd puppy to the crate Spend time with your puppy around the kennel and place her inside at intervals with the door open initially
3. Pick a nighttime and daytime location for the crate
4. Accustom your puppy to spending the night in the crate Place by your bed and set alarms to feed and take your puppy outside at set intervals. Duration lengthens as your puppy matures.
5. Prepare for training with a positive attitude Ignore whining for attention but learn to recognize cries of distress
6. Utilize one or more crate training methods and pick a command Find what motivates your German Shepherd puppy, like food treats, toys, or games
Crate training your German Shepherd is a helpful skill that will last a lifetime, even if you discard the kennel after housebreaking.
A good rule of thumb, according to Cuteness.com, is to get rid of the crate when your puppy has managed to go for two months with no bathroom accidents.
Dispensing with a kennel can mean many things to different owners. You may never bring out the crate again unless your dog needs to board a flight.
Some people still feel more comfortable crating their German Shepherd when they leave for a few hours. Others like the idea that their German Shepherd still sleeps in the kennel as an adult.
You may even give your German Shepherd the option to use her crate by leaving the door open at all times.
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Middle Of The Night Potty Schedule
One way to help minimize, or perhaps even eliminate the barking to go out, is to pre-empt his letting you know, by letting him know when its time.
To start with, set your alarm every 2-4 hours. If youre not sure how long he can wait, err on the side of caution and go for shorter intervals.
When this is working well for a few nights, extend the time in between alarms by 30 minutes.
Extend this every few days , until hes sleeping through the night.
Sample Puppy Crate Training Schedule
To give you a general idea of how training works, here is a sample puppy crate training schedule to get you started.
You dont have to follow the times listed, this is merely a guideline of what to do, when.
Whats so important about having a schedule?
No matter the age, all dogs should have a schedule. Routine brings security and confidence, and for a puppy, also helps with housebreaking.
Avoiding accidents means greater success, faster!
The younger the puppy, the more often they need to go out. Set your puppy up for success, by not leaving him in the crate past the point where he can control his bladder or bowels.
How long can you keep him crated?
8-10 weeks of age 30-60 minutes
11-14 weeks of age 1-3 hours
15-16 weeks of age 3-4 hours
17+ weeks of age 4-5 hours
Training Goal #: Impulse Control
Learning to control their impulses is important for all puppies, and for the GSD, it can be one of the most important ways to curb problem behaviors to which this breed is prone if allowed to become bored: behaviors such as excessive barking, digging, aggressive chewing, and inappropriate chasing .
The key to impulse control is getting your dog to focus on you. This will have beneficial effects for all the rest of your training efforts, especially in AKC dog sports like Obedience and Rally.
Require that your puppy sit before getting food, playing with an exciting toy, going outside to play, or any other favorite activity. As your GSD puppy advances in obedience training and knows more commands, you can require more advanced commands or tricks in order to receive treats or play.
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