End On A Positive Note
Always end every training session on a positive note, even if your German Shepherd puppy did not succeed in learning the command for the day. That might mean a few minutes of play or a quick walk in the neighborhood.
These five steps can be applied to all the basic and advanced commands listed earlier. Lets concretize the five steps using the examples of the COME! and LET GO! commands.
Teaching your German Shepherd puppy the command COME!
Youll use the command COME! to call your dog to you when you want to feed him, go for a walk, redirect him towards you in a park, among other situations. Follow these steps to teach your German Shepherd puppy the come! command:
Train Your Gsd To Stay
Now it is time to build up for how long they can stay sitting for!
This can be tricky with any dog, but particularly with a breed who is as busy as a German Shepherd puppy. This means you need to progress slowly through the training, and reward very regularly.
To start stay, get your dog into a sit, and then say stay clearly, before taking a slight movement backwards. Go back to your puppy and reward them for staying put!
The basic premise is we say stay and gradually increase how much movement/distance we have from the puppy and reward them for staying put!
Try:
- 2 steps away and turn yourself in a circle quickly
- 3 steps away and jump up and down once
- 4 steps away and a star jump!
If at any point your dog comes out of the stay, just go back a couple of steps for a session or two and reward them for not budging.
Once they can do this with you at home, try practicing in the park or woods! It is important with all training to teach them that the same rules apply in different environments.
Advanced Activities German Shepherds Excel At
German shepherds excel at all sorts of advanced activities, including :
- Police Dogs: German shepherds are famous for being ideal police dogs for good reason: theyre loyal, brave and have a reliable nose. As police dogs, German shepherds provide protection, find crime scene evidence and even search for explosives.
Truly, German shepherds are the ideal all-around working dog!
Read Also: Pitbull Vs German Shepherd
Start From A Safe Environment
When you bring your dog for walk training, you should begin from a safe route first. Start the route from your backyard then gradually move to a nearby residential street, park and so on. Dont bring him to the busy road right away or else he will become frightened.
Along the road, as you walk with him, you need to help him to gain confidence. Do various activities such as shake a paw, talk to him, ask him to sit, praise him, give him treats and so on. As your dog gains more confidence, he will more likely to walk nicely with you.
Shouting At Your German Shepherd Puppy Is An Absolute No
Unless he is born with a hearing defect that is detected by a vet, your German Shepherd puppy has a perfect hearing ability. You, therefore, dont need to shout the commands.
If you do, you will train him to be anxious or eventually create the idea that shouting is the norm. You certainly dont want that therefore, be calm and patient. Heres how to discipline your German Shepherd, and more importantly, what not to do.
Also Check: How To Discipline A German Shepherd Puppy
What Is Trick Training And Why Your Dog Needs It
After you have established engagement in training and your German Shepherd has the basics under the belt. You should consider stepping things up with trick training.
Trick training will boost your dogs confidence. It is also a great motivator and builds a strong bond between owner and dog.
Trick training will stimulate and challenge your German Shepherd. Remember, a German Shepherd has the capacity and intelligence to do just about any trick you can imagine.
Just check out this video:
Lets look at three of the most important obedience skills you should teach your German Shepherd straight off the bat:
Without these three skills, youll struggle to train your German Shepherd. Master these and the skys the limit
Potty Training A German Shepherd Puppy
Potty training a large breed puppy is one of the first things you will want to start with. Big puppies have the potential to create lots of mess! You also wont be able to pick up your puppy up as they get big quickly!
It will be important to make sure you are taking your German Shepherd puppy out regularly to avoid having accidents indoors. Although they might be a large breed and grow quickly, puppies still dont have good control of their bladder.
Remember to take your puppy out after:
- Waking up immediately!
- Eating as this will stimulate their digestive system
- Playing for any period of time
German Shepherds are spirited pets, so dont be surprised if they initially look like they are more interested in playing in the garden than relieving themselves!
Each time you take your pup to the garden, wait them out, and supervise them so that they go to the toilet!
Once he has completely finished, you should instantly reward him. For a German Shepherd, throwing a favorite toy or having some fuss with you will be a great reward !
Remember that this breed is very sensitive to any form of punishment.
Avoid telling your puppy off if they do have a mishap they will only learn that you are scary to be around when theres toilet evidence and will usually hide to go potty instead. If there is a mishap, simply tidy it up with a biological cleaning agent .
You May Like: German Shepherd Puppy Tips
How To Housebreak A German Shepherd Puppy
Its important to start house training your German Shepherd puppy as soon as possible! If youre lucky, your GSDs breeder may have already begun the house training process before you even take your pup home. But, this isnt always the case.
Because German Shepherds puppies have tiny bladders, its important to be realistic about how long they can last without a potty break. So, follow the hour-per-month rule. If your puppy is one month old, they can hold it for one hour. If they are three months old, they should be able to hold it for three hours etc. .
Here are some tips to housebreaking a German Shepherd puppy:
Leash Training Tips And Tricks For German Shepherds
Whenever you take your German Shepherd out of the house, you should put them on a leash. In many places, its illegal to have a dog off-leash when outside the home. This is because many dogs have trouble behaving themselves when left to their own devices.
Harnesses are a safer alternative to collars. If your dog pulls on the leash, that constant pulling motion can wreak havoc on your dogs neck muscles and trachea. If you have to pull on your dog suddenly in an emergency, you could inadvertently injure your dogs neck if theyre wearing a collar.
Picking the right size harness for your dog is a little trickier than finding a well-fitting collar. Many brands give recommendations and measurements to help you make the right decision, but your best bet is to bring your German Shepherd to the store and have them try on the harness before you buy it.
The Rabbitgoo Dog Harness is padded and has reflective strips sewn into it for nighttime use. Its breathable fabric makes it perfect for long days spent out in the heat.
For something a little more heavy-duty, theres the Convert Harness which is designed for hiking. Among other things, it allows you to add bags so your dog can carry their own food and water up the mountain.
No matter what kind of harness your German Shepherd wears, the real success during daily walks is dependent on training. Its important to establish who is boss. You want to walk your German Shepherd, not the other way around.
Also Check: German Shepherd Puppy Training Schedule
Leash Training Your German Shepherd The Easy Way
- /
You take your German Shepherd for a walk and cannot seem to control its movement. This is a common problem that many GSD owners face and often avoid taking their dogs for a walk for that very reason.
Leash pulling is normal behavior of a dog that can be controlled through continuous training and lots of patience. Make sure you are not getting frustrated and yelling at your dog because this will only make your dog react badly.
Contents
Use The Right Tools For The Job
Use the right tools for your puppy or adult and follow the training steps below to begin basic training with your German Shepherd. Teaching obedience without these supplies makes the work harder on you.
Dont make your life harder!
Buy the right tools.
Here are some of the best examples of great tools for your training.
Don’t Miss: Is It Hard To Train A German Shepherd
Reward Your Dogs Positive Behavior
This is an indispensable approach in dog training. Thanks to Skinners operant conditioning theory, we know that rewards reinforce behavior. So, if you are training your pup to pick a toy and bring it to you, affirm him with a good boy compliment and couple that with a treat. By the time the command is executed thrice, your German Shepherd pup knows that it is a good thing to do because it also yields good outcomes.
The Off Leash Training Goal: Enjoying A Walk With Your Dog Running Free By Your Side
Dogs romping, playing, running free. I dont think there is anything quite as beautiful and exhilarating as watching my dogs take off through an open field their powerful, long strides, muscles glistening as they race each other through the tall grass. Wild dogs uninhibited by leash or fence. Off leash training can help you and your dog achieve this!
Equally exhilarating is that moment when I call and they turn in tandem, racing each other back to me. After eight years, I am still in awe when my dogs respond with such instant enthusiasm. I am in awe not because it hasnt happened with amazing regularity it has. But rather because these two dogs are not the easygoing, stick-with-you type of dogs that make off-leash reliability a given.
If you do have a dog whose off-leash skills leave something to be desired, the tips in this article may help you gain the reliability you want, so both you and your dog can enjoy more freedom.
Recommended Reading: German Shepherd Exercise Routine
Final Takeaways On German Shepherd Puppy Training
Here is a recap of the main points of the article:
- Dogs notice first the intonation of your voice. So, always use a calm and friendly voice tone when training or talking to your German Shepherd puppy.
- Using a command with a gesture helps your pup learn faster. Body language is a canines primary mode of communication.
- Your German Shepherd will always stick to the good behavior you have taught them because dogs naturally stick to what they have learned and do not follow the crowd.
- 4-10 weeks of age is the best time to socialize and train your German Shepherd puppy in good behavior. This should be done by positive reinforcement and never aversive methods.
- Be consistent in giving a command only once otherwise, youll confuse your puppy.
- When teaching a command, find a quiet location, and then seek your puppys attention. Teach the command and recap before ending the session with something your German Shepherd puppy enjoys.
I hope you have found this article informative and helpful. Good luck with your German Shepherd puppy obedience training! Remember to stick at it and youll get there!
The 5 Steps Of Training Your German Shepherd Puppy
Its important to indicate from the onset that there is no one size fits all rule when it comes to training your German Shepherd puppy. Every dog is unique, and youll have to adapt to your dogs individuality.
Nonetheless, some training basics are universal, as shown in the following five steps of German Shepherd puppy training.
Don’t Miss: Do German Shepherds Like Other Dogs
How To Train Your German Shepherd For Life
Getting a German Shepherd Dog is an exciting time in both of your lives!
Use brief training sessions and practice frequently. Dont overwhelm your dog with too much too soon!
End training with a command you know your pup will perform and reward them at the end. Include the 3 Ds of dog training for reliability.
Follow this German Shepherd training guide and youll see positive results in just a matter of weeks.
Keep up your training daily for quicker learning.
And
Always look for ways to bond with your German Shepherd through everyday training opportunities.
Get The Timings Right
Timing is crucial in training. If youre trying to reward your dog for a certain behavior, you need to do so immediately. Otherwise, they may get confused about which behavior you are rewarding.
A great way to improve your timing and to ensure you always clearly communicate to your German shepherd is by using a .
Recommended Reading: Trimming German Shepherd Nails
Method No1 Lure And Reward
Lure and reward are my favorite method. Before you train your dog, you need to prepare a lot of treats.
Make Your Gsd Walk By Your Side
Traditionally, your dog needs to walk at your pace on your left side. If your dog is moving in different directions instead of walking beside you, you need to act immediately. There have been incidents in which a dogs back and forth movements have caused severe injuries to the dog and the owner.
Thats why it is extremely important that you make your GSD learn to walk by your side. For this purpose, you will need a short leash. A short leash will allow you to have better control over your dogs movement. If your GSD is moving from side to side, stick it to one side by offering treats on that side only. Repeat this activity several times until your GSD starts to pick the idea of walking calmly by your side.
Recommended Reading: German Shepherd Puppy Ears Stand Up
Some Leash Training Helps A German Shepherd Puppy Learn To Heel
November 8, 2016
Max is a nine-month-old German Shepherd who lives in Bennington, Nebraska. His guardians set up a puppy obedience training session with me to address multiple issues not consistently listening at times, getting excited at the front door and stop pulling on the leash.
Max was excited when I arrived for the session, but not overly so. He did charge the door a bit when he heard me speaking outside of the home. I wanted to wait to fix that problem until later in the session as a news crew was going to drop by and film part of the session.
I sat down with the guardians to discuss what they wanted to accomplish in the session. In the course of that conversation I learned that Max needed some basic obedience training as he liked to rush up and down the stairs ahead of his family members.
For dogs, whoever is in front is considered the leader and whoever is behind is considered the follower. Additionally, this can obviously be dangerous if the dog gets in our way on the stairs. I spent a couple of minutes showing his guardians how to teach him to wait on the stairs.
Because Max seems to be a intelligent dog, it shouldnt take a lot of practice before he learns that he needs to sit and wait for his humans to pass first.
Right as we were wrapping up the stair waiting exercise, I got a call from the news crew letting us know that they were outside the front door ready to come in.
Begin With Imprinting To Create A Bond
Your first task as an owner begins even before your dog is old enough to start learning basic obedience. Imprinting helps your dog understand that you are in charge and that what you say goes. It bonds you together. German Shepherds are, at their core, working dogs. They want to know what their job is, and they want to know where they fit into their pack. In order to do both of these things, you will need to make sure you treat your shepherd how you want him to act.
Dogs that are yelled at and cowed during training will be aggressive and unpredictable as adults . Dogs that are firmly, but lovingly corrected, given plenty of attention and praise, and are rewarded for good behavior, are well-adjusted adults.
Don’t Miss: Average German Shepherd Weight