When Is It Okay To Pet A Scared German Shepherd To Comfort Them
It is okay to pet a scared german shepherd sometimes but not always. If your dog is scared and needs affection, and you know them well, petting them may be the right thing to do to. It can help them feel safe. Petting your dog tells them that you are protecting them.
Essentially, you will have to use your best judgment from situation to situation. Not all dogs are the same. Not all owners are the same.
Not all situations and circumstances are the same. Common sense is very important when your German Shepherd is scared or anxious.
For instance, petting and comforting a dog who is, say, scared of the vacuum cleaner, may not be the best thing to do.
This is because, with a super-smart breed like a German Shepherd, you may accidentally end up reinforcing their vacuum-related fears.
When you give affection to a dog who is afraid of something, you tell them, yes that is scary, I see your point. While this will bring them comfort, it may also mistakenly teach your dog that your vacuum cleaner is indeed a scary monster.
Plus, some scared German Shepherds act out with aggression. Trying to touch a dog in this state can be downright dangerous. So, while petting a frightened dog is fine in some situations, for other situations, it may be best to withhold attention.
Do German Shepherds Like Water
You may be thinking German shepherds dont hate water because its usual with dogs. However, the same goes for loving water. Some hate water, some love it.
There are also those that dont particularly like or hate water. This is also the type of German shepherds that can swim if trained properly.
While some may view this as an insignificant fact, there are actually sophisticated reasons behind their reaction to water.
German Shepherds Are High Energy Dogs
German Shepherds are no couch potatoes. They have tons of energy and therefore need a lot of exercise!
Before getting a German Shepherd to make sure you have enough time to invest in their socialization and exercise. They need both mental and physical stimulation or they can get bored and destructive.
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Your Dog Is Not A Person Your Dog Is A Reflection Of You
Your Dog is a Reflection of You!
As humans, we personify everything we love including our beloved dogs. ;And in my opinion, there’s nothing wrong with that.
As long as we remember that our dogs operate on instincts. ;And our emotions affect those instincts.
For example
There’s this Staffie names Apollo that has hydrotherapy on the same day as Charley.
Now, Apollo and Charley hate each other. ;None of us are sure why though!
So, a few weeks ago Charley was at her weekly hydrotherapy session when Apollo strolled past her massage mat.
The moment I saw him I tensed up. ;And within a split second Charley, who has just had hip surgery, jumped up on all fours and started barking madly.
She’s never had a problem with any of;the other dogs around there. ;Even the owners 2 Jack Russell’s hang around her with no problems.
Both myself and the therapist never saw it coming. ;But looking back now, I should have known
Charley was reacting to her instincts.
But
My emotions played a big role in her final reaction. ;Charley was responding to me, but the results were not positive. Because I was tense and worried.
You may be wondering what you can do to encourage your GSD to respond to you in a positive way.
This brings us to the next golden rule
Does My German Shepherd Love Me 19 Ways To Know Your Dog Loves You
One distinguishing character of the German shepherds is their affection and loyalty to their handlers. And if these dogs could speak their hearts out, they will tell us how they love us day in day out.
Unfortunately, we cant have a verbal conversation with them.
However, all is not lost, as by looking at the shepherds body language and behaviors, you can know whether it loves you.
As a German shepherd owner, you will need a dog who will show affection not only to you but also to other family members.
So, here is how you will know whether your German shepherd loves you a lot.
Contents
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The Ultimate Guide To Obedience Training Your German Shepherd
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Training a puppy may seem like a daunting task. A little education for yourself and your puppy can go a long way. By reading this guide you are taking the most important step! Youll learn different ways to train your puppy, different commands to teach him, and what proper manners he should have.
Keep in mind, I am not a licensed dog trainer or a veterinarian, so its in your best interest to consult a professional for serious issues involved in training your German Shepherd.
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Get Your German Shepherds Full Attention
You must have your dogs full attention before hell learn anything. Pick a quiet place, with little or no distractions.
To begin with, your back yard is the best place since the smells are familiar and so also the surroundings.
If you were in a park for instance; you have no control over the distractions. Like other dogs and their owners, the scent of other animals, children playing, or a Frisbee whizzing by.
Once both you and your dog are confident in the training, then you can step it up by moving it to a place with more distractions.
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German Shepherds Will Explore Everything With Their Noses
Youll find evidence of their very thorough sniffing everywhere walls, doors, windows, and more. All dogs have a better sense of smell than humans 10,000 to 100,000 times better in fact thanks to having millions more scent receptors. But compared to other breeds, the GSD ranks near the top in scenting ability. Its no wonder they make such great police and detection dogs. Among many other jobs, GSDs are known for their bomb and drug sniffing work, tracking, and Search and Rescue.
Socialize Your German Shepherd Dog
Socializing Your German Shepherd Dog is the first step to build confidence in your dog.
We advise starting your GSD socialization as soon as possible. When a dog is young, the socializing process is more comfortable and more productive.
It is easy to introduce a young puppy to new people.
Socialization will teach your Dog how to be a part of society, and interacting with other people will decrease its shyness and fear.
Without proper socialization, a German Shepherd Dog can develop behavior problems. Fear and Lack of confidence are one of them.
You should regularly introduce your German Shepherd Dog to new places, new dogs, and new people.
Regular exposure to these things will help your Dog to improve its confidence level.
Socializing your GSD with other people to boost the Confidence Level.
Fear or shyness to meet new people can be the cause of your German Shepherd Dogs low Confidence.
A new German shepherd Dog should be introduced to at least 20 to 40 new people every month.
There are a lot of training classes for dogs where people bring their pets.
A training class can be an excellent place to start to introduce your GSD new people and pets.
Let your friends and people you know handle your Dog. It will help him to feel confident with other people.
Socializing a fearful dog is more complicated than a normal Dog. It will require time and patience.
Socializing with other dogs to build your Dogs confidence
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Positive Reinforcement Produces Positive Results
Your German Shepherd will respond best to training with positive reinforcement. Yelling or physical punishment will cause this intelligent breed to mistrust you.
Reward good behavior with treats or praise or both. Its the best way to show your German Shepherd that hes doing it right and its a motivator for him to continue with this behavior.
Remember earlier when I said that your German Shepherd actually wants to please you?
Well, once your dog has mastered the behavior, you can remove the treats and reward only with praise hell relish in it all the same.
You know by now that there are heaps of different training programs. Each program has a specific focus, function, and outcome.
Well take a closer look at some of these in future posts. So, for now, lets look at two basic programs
Who Is The Best Human For A German Shepherd
German shepherds love being a part of a high-energy family or with someone who leads an active life. A sedentary lifestyle doesnt work for this herding breed, as they love to learn, play, and be a part of their human pack! German shepherd puppies can get distracted easily. Even though they love children and family life, while training, its best to have them focus only on the task theyre learning so as to avoid sensory overload.
German shepherds are a tried and true family dog. They love swimming , running, and romping in a big backyard. Theyre highly social and friendly dogs, so a busy household works well for them. They also need plenty of affection and snuggles. Due to their hunting heritage, they love to play fetch!
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Never Rub Your Dogs Nose In His Poop Or Pee
You should never rub your German Shepherds nose in his poop or urine as a means of teaching him not to bite. This old fashioned technique is a form of positive punishment and was often used to house-train pups. Not only is it gross but its also similar to the above aversive methods and will only cause your dog to fear you, or worse, cause aggression.
Many people will have used this method decades ago without success but at the time, they believed it was the right thing to do. I can even remember my Grandma rubbing her chihuahuas nose in his pee after discovering he had had an accident on the kitchen floor after coming down in the morning.
The problem being, for a positive punishment to work, it has to be administered during or immediately after the act otherwise, the connection will not be made. Unfortunately, dogs were punished too long after the accident, as in the chihuahuas case, and would not have understood why they were being punished.
How To Raise A German Shepherd Puppy
There are fewer things in life more irresistible than a German Shepherd puppy, but you should never bring one home on impulse. This needs to be a careful decision. Bringing a puppy home is the same as bringing home a human child, except German Shepherds mature faster and are more loyal. Although German Shepherds are a big responsibility, their friendship is priceless.
- A German Shepherd, on average, will cost about $3,000 a year in food, grooming supplies, and vet care. This is far less than your car, but it’s still something to keep in mind.
- Because of their fast growth, German Shepherd puppies need their diets closely regulated to avoid potential health problems.
- They will also need positive reinforcement from day one. Never train a German Shepherd puppy by force. Most dog bites are from scared dogs, not dogs that are attacking.
- You must first research the breed so you know everything you can about German Shepherds. These dogs have an image problem; some people think they are inherently vicious when, in fact, they aren’t. They were never bred to fight other animals or human beings. They were bred to be extremely obedient and willing to please. So, if you ever read about a German Shepherd attacking a human being, it was because the dog was trained to attack, not because the dog is mean. Care and training are all-important if you want to succeed with a German Shepherd.
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Your German Shepherd Will Yawn Back At You
You must have seen a friend or family member yawning back at you when you do one. This is a biological response triggered by empathy, leading to contagious yawns.
However, a recent study I found on ScientificAmerican.com explains that dogs also do this. But interestingly, they only tend to yawn back at their owners, and not strangers because its all based on empathy.
If you do see your little dog yawning when you do, you know your German Shepherd loves you.
Learn Effective Clicker Training
The most important part of clicker training is timing. You must time the click at the exact moment your dog is doing what you want to reinforce. If you quickly reward with a positive experience such as a treat, he will soon learn to associate the noise of the click with great things.
The idea is that you condition your German Shepherd so that when he hears the sound of the clicker, he knows he has done something to please you.
In the case of puppy biting, we are simply rewarding the puppy for choosing not to bite. This can be achieved by using the distraction technique described above. When the puppy makes the right choice and starts to bite on his chew toy, he hears the click and gets his treat.
If youre new to clicker training check out the below short 6-minute video which shows how to introduce your dog to a clicker and explains the importance of the timing:
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When And How Should You Pet A German Shepherd
Physical affection can be a calming, rewarding, and bonding experience for a dog. Its important to pet your German Shepherd at the right times to reinforce the behaviors you like to see. After all, German Shepherds are canine geniuses and are always learning from you.
When dogs interact with each other, they dont just groom each other all day long. In the same way, you should save your pets for the right moments.
Just like you wouldnt reward a misbehaving child by giving them a lollipop, you shouldnt pet a dog who is behaving aggressively, fearfully, or in a way that you dont approve of, by petting them.
When you pet your german shepherd, you are sending them a message.
This message will usually be one of the following things:
- You are a good dog
- Everything is okay
- You are important
- You are being groomed
Since physical affection communicates a clear message to your dog, its a good idea to understand when and how you as a human are sending that message.
Its important to pet a dog whos in the right mood and mindset. When you pet a well-behaved dog who is in the right mindset, youre telling them that theyre behaving properly. With powerful dogs like German Shepherds, youre also ensuring your safety.
Well-socialized German Shepherds love to be pet. Petting and stroking your pooch is a great way to show them your appreciation. For some dogs, being stroked can be as rewarding as receiving a treat or hearing positive affirmations such as good boy!
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Hello, has Tiny shown aggression to your small dog? If so, you should contact a trainer used to dealing with aggressive dogs to ensure that your small dog is safe. Training Tiny will give her the chance to be the dog she was meant to be, with your guidance and help. Training also cements a bond between pet and pet parent, and encourages the dog in training to listen better. But first, it is essential that you never leave the two dogs alone. Get Tiny assessed right away, and start working toward a safe and happy relationship. I can give you a guide to read on helping a dog get along with other dogs. Try the Counter Conditioning Method, adapting it to your situation: https://wagwalking.com/training/not-attack-other-dogs. You will have to work on it every day, bit by bit, always putting the safety of both dogs first. If you do not see some form of success after gradual exposure to each other, please call a specialist for advice. Good luck!
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Getting To Know The German Shepherd Dog Breed
In the late 1800s, Max Emil Friedrich von Stephanitz, while studying at the Berlin Veterinary School, became interested in the herding dogs that were being used throughout Germany. But instead of pursuing a career in veterinary medicine or his dream as a gentleman farmer, he relented to family pressure and joined the military.
As a cavalry officer in the German countryside, Von Stephanitz came to admire the sheep-herding dogs he encountered. He noticed their keen intelligence and lightning-fast responsiveness as well as their special abilities to herd sheep. In Germany, flocks of sheep are moved from their pens to open areas along the road where they can pasture. The dogs job is to keep the sheep on the grassy roadside, away from fast-moving cars and out of a farmers crops. This kind of sheep herding is very demanding and is called tending or boundary herding.; The AKC offers a sport called Herding C course. It mirrors this kind of boundary work or as some call it the invisible fence.
His first efforts were to place emphasis on standardizing the many German flavors of herding dogs that were identifiable as sheepdogs. In the beginning, how they looked was of little importance. His emphasis remained on fixing the traits he considered central to producing the ultimate German herding farm dog.; Because the herding instinct and their working ability was not the issue, he focused on the upright ears and wolf-like body style that so many fanciers admired.