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How To Potty Train A German Shepherd Dog

Reinforce Positive Potty Behavior

How to Potty Train a German Shepherd Puppy!

Whenever your GSD pup potties successfully, give them a good time! Say something like good potty and get very excited!

Reward them especially when they potty on command. Make sure you give them lots of praises and maybe a good head scratch.

Depending on what motivates them, reward them with food or play. Just make sure you get the timing rightas soon as they move away from their poop squatso they understand exactly what theyre being rewarded for.

Your Puppy Has Arrivedlet’s Start Potty Training

In order for your puppy to be quickly and effectively housebroken, you as the owner have to be diligent. It is important to remember that your puppy has no concept of how right or wrong it is to go to the bathroom in the house.

Your puppy will quickly recognize his crate as his home and will always do his best to never mess in his crate. If he is mostly an inside dog, however, he will see the rest of the house as his territory, and some place in that territory has to be the bathroom. Scolding him or rubbing his face in his own mess does nothing to make him understand you do not want him to go to the bathroom in the houseit will only make him afraid of you. Here are the most effective German Shepherd potty training steps.

Common Mistakes You Should Avoid

There are some common mistakes that could make potty training your German Shepherd puppy go less smoothly than you intend.;

Watch out for these little things

  • Feeding your pup too many different foods on a given day.
  • Overfeeding or allowing free feeding and watering.
  • Feeding too close to bedtime.
  • Feeding salty foods like processed meats.
  • Feeding too many treats in one go.
  • Expecting your GSD pup to know instinctively how to let you know she needs to go on a potty run.
  • Leaving your pup alone for too long, which will force her to eliminate inside.
  • Not teaching your puppy a specific cue so she’ll understand she’s here to take care of business’ not for play.
  • Allowing access to lovely, soft absorbent rugs which are very comfortable to pee on.
  • Not being around when your pup does eliminate outside.; You are responsible for teaching her that you like what she just did.; You must be there to reward her.
  • Not cleaning accidents with appropriate cleaners like Icky Poo.
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    Teach The Sit And Stay

    Teaching your GSD to sit and stay is an essential command to teach. Youve previously taught him to sit for a reward, but now you can take it a step further by teaching him to stay and keep his eyes on you at all times until you release him.

    Dont expect too much too quickly, as your dog may struggle to understand this at first. Begin by asking him to sit for a few seconds and gradually extend the time.

    Learn How to Teach Your Dog to Sit and Stay

    Are All Adult German Shepherds Potty Trained

    Potty Training

    No, not all adult German Shepherds are potty trained. Just because dogs are all grown up, doesnt mean they know how to eliminate themselves the way you expect them to. It all depends on what theyve been trained to do and what theyve gotten used to.

    If youre welcoming a new adult German Shepherd into your home, theres a chance youll still need to potty train them. At the very least, youll need to get them used to your own home and your own rules.

    Nevertheless, the general process of training an adult is pretty much the same as potty training a puppy.

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    Provide Your Puppy With A Special Sleeping Area

    Dogs have an interesting instinct when it comes to their sleeping space. They dont like to soil it.

    Therefore, you could use this information to teach your puppy bladder control. Just dedicate a crate for your puppy to sleep in.;

    Dont forget to take your puppy out regularly for toilet while in the crate.

    Tip 4: Withhold Water At Night

    Dogs should always have access to clean drinking water, but free access to a water bowl will make potty training more difficult.

    Removing your dogs water bowl about two hours before bedtime will keep nighttime accidents to a minimum. Do this only until theyre fully housebroken.; Once housebroken, your dog can have free access to water.

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    Tips On Potty Training German Shepherds Puppies

    Here are some helpful tips to make potty-training effective and easy for your GSD puppies.

  • Be consistent on the routine that you have set. GSD puppies are known for their obedience. So, being consistent in the routine will result in success.
  • Apply positive approach in dealing with little accidents your puppy might make.
  • Strictly follow regular feeding and potty time schedules.
  • Do not overfeed your puppy especially at night.
  • Observe your puppy before and after going to the loo. This will help you identify when it needs to have a go.
  • Use potty-training spray to encourage your GSD puppy to relieve in your chosen spot.
  • Do not play with your puppy when bringing it to the designated potty area. Or else, it will forget the purpose of going out.
  • Always use commands and hand signals everytime you bring your puppy out for potty time. This is for your puppy to recall the meaning of your command and hand signals.
  • Train Your Dog To Fetch

    How to Housebreak and Potty Train your German Shepherd Puppy

    If you have taken your German Shepherd to public parks and he has watched other dogs play fetch, it will be easier to teach him to retrieve whatever you throw. You can use one of your dogs favorite toys and throw it a short distance away. Your GSD may not bring the toy back to you for a second time, but he will eventually figure it out.

    Over the next few weeks, you can gradually turn it into a game of fetch, rewarding your puppy with high-value training treats. Your German Shepherd will learn FETCH! in no time!

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    Make Peace With Lack Of Sleep

    You will need to sacrifice some sleep for a while.; We can’t expect our pups to keep it in’ for longer than they can.;

    If accidents are happening at night, you should take your pup out more often.

    Accidents will happen, but the more your pup has potty accidents in her personal space, the more comfortable she’ll become doing it.; You really want to avoid this at all costs.

    Does your puppy need a comfy, new bed? ;Check out the best dog beds for German Shepherds.

    How To Potty Train Your Dog Faster

    • Initially, when you start potty training your pup, put a leash on your pup and take it to the exact spot you want it to pee and bring it back.
    • Dont use all the doors to get through for the loo. Take him through one door so your dog gets use to of it and knows that when you are taking him from that specific door, it is time to pee.
    • Like humans, dogs can also have an urge to pee at night. Initially, you will have to stay awake for a couple of hours at night to check on your pup. If he looks uneasy or looks distressed, chances are he wants to pee. Take him to the spot and wait till he can relieve the excretion.

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    Understand Your Puppys Body

    Its essential that you know the nature of your puppys body functions according to its age. Because a pup doesnt have full control of itsbladder until its 5-6 months old.

    A general rule you could use is that a puppy can hold its bladder for an hour for each month of its age. For example, if your puppy is 5 months old, youll need to take it out for toilet every 5 hours.

    Remember that these hours include nighttime, too.

    Have A Complimentary Diet

    How to Train a German Shepherd Puppy

    An upset stomach is one of the most common setbacks in housetraining.;

    In particular, puppies are vulnerable to garbage gut because they tend to eat anything smelly or exciting. This is another reason to make use of a crate.

    A German Shepherd puppys meals should be specially formulated to support its cartilage and growing bones, promote digestive health, and keep the bowel movements regular and firm.;

    Excellent digestive health is not only good for your puppy, but it makes it much easier to stick to your routine.

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    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.

    German Shepherd Training: 10 Tips

    German Shepherds are among the smartest dog breeds in the world. They are also eager to work and especially eager to please. Because of this, it is relatively easy for them to pick up new commands.

    However, GSDs are also confident and headstrong dogs. Without proper training and leadership, they could develop some unwanted behaviors.

    This article will discuss German Shepherd training, why it is important, and provide some tips to help you along the journey.

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    Training Them To Go Outside After Using Pads Indoors

  • If you set up your pads near the door you use to take them outside to their elimination area, then you can transition them to go outside more easily.
  • So, place or move your puppy pads closer to the door from their original spot to begin the transition to outdoors.
  • Move the pads over a period of two weeks so that your pup learns the new spots to use the bathroom and doesnt experience stress or confusion. Its better to go slowly than rush them to figure out an entirely new routine.
  • When your pads are close to the door, watch them for their elimination signs and get them to the outside as swiftly as you can.
  • You can either encourage them to go outside instead of to their pad by calling them with the door open, or you can scoop them up if you think they wont hold their bladder and take them outside yourself until they learn the potty routine you want.
  • While I generally use a crate to house train my German Shepherd puppy I also totally understand that you might prefer to learn how to potty train a German Shepherd puppy using a puppy pad .

    Im not here to judge and I love that you want to help your pup learn his potty routine quickly by reading up on this training!

    Develop A Strong Bond

    How To Potty Train A German Shepherd Puppy: The Most Clever Tips

    Training your German Shepherd isnt just about teaching them good manners. It is also very much about developing your relationship with each other.

    With every training session, you become more in tune with one another and learn more about how to communicate with each other. The bond you develop with your GSD through training will translate to their;affection;and;loyalty;towards you.

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    Use Waterproof Bed Blankets For Bed Wetting

    You may not use or want a crate, and you may have a bed or mattress you want to use for your German Shepherd to sleep on.

    You may even place a mattress inside the crate .

    On the same principle, while your German Shepherd puppy is being potty trained, you may;want to minimise the damage to the dog bed or mattress especially if it is an expensive orthopedic foam type.

    In this instance where you want to protect bedding, waterproof dog bed sheets, liners or covers may be an option for you and your GSD.

    The Best German Shepherd Waterproof Bed Sheets/Liners are:

    Soft and comfortable for your GSD

    Stand up to a range of stains, liquids and allergens

    Come in a range of sizes to fit different sized and shaped beds and mattresses

    Easy to put on and take off the bed

    Easy to wash and clean

    Come with a warranty;or satisfaction guarantee

    One example of a popular line is the 4nines Waterproof Bed Sheets/Liners

    Do Not Punish Your Puppy If The Accident Happens

    Puppies are Like babies they will make a lot of mistakes in the beginning.;

    It is not always your puppys fault. But it is the result of poor observation and training.

    If you punish your puppy then he might not trust you anymore.

    When an accident happens in front of you, then quickly take your puppy out.;

    When you bring outside your puppy and he continues to potty outside then reward him to encourage him to potty outside in the future.

    You Should Ignore when your puppy makes an accident and reward only the behavior you want

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    Things That Can Cause It To Pee Inside

    There are a number of reasons why your German Shepherd might pee inside and Ill mention a number of them below. You should make sure to take the time to consider why your German Shepherd might be peeing inside since it can make it easier to get it to stop.

    Nervousness

    It could be that there is something that is causing your German Shepherd to become nervous that is causing it to pee. It could be that there is an abusive member of the family causing it or, if its still young, then it might just be frightened of noises going on around you.

    Excitement

    Excitement can cause young dogs to pee. When they get excited they can lose control of their bladder which causes them to pee a little bit when this happens. If this is whats happening with yours then dont get frustrated as this is something that commonly happens and they learn to control their bladder when they excited as they get older.

    A lack of training

    If you havent trained your German Shepherd to pee or poop outside then it wont necessarily know that its what you want it to do. That is why it is important to take the time to make sure that it gets trained to do so.

    German Shepherds are not a breed that is suited to being left alone often. They were bred to work with humans and because of this, they can become anxious when you are not around which is known as . One of the things that can come with it is that it can cause it to pee when youre not around.

    Age

    What About Super Hectic Jobs

    How To Potty Train a German Shepherd Puppy The Fastest Way ...

    You might be a busy person with a 9 to 5 job, which means you might be able to see your dog between 6 to 11 pm, the rest of the time you have to sleep.

    This means your dog will be neglected plus if it is staying in its kennel for the most part of the day, how can it not be frustrated and attention-seeking. This is why it might poop in the undesignated places too.

    Your dog needs to poop or pee every four hours, if you arent attending to him, chances are he will poop somewhere he isnt supposed to. If this habit continues, it will become constant therefore de-training your dog.

    The best you can do in such a situation is having someone come over to your place once or twice a day to attend to your dog. This will also help your dog feel less lonely, and since he will feel he is being watched and taken care of, the chances of breaking rules are zero!

    Here are some top tips on house training your German shepherd puppy who has poor bathroom habits

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    How To Potty Train A German Shepherd: Training Tips

    You can find out foundational training tips in that main guide.

    The guide below is about Learning How To Potty Train A German Shepherd Puppy;

    Potty training can be frustrating and require some patience and discipline.

    For this reason, weve listed 13 of the best potty training tips below.

    Weve also identified common and uncommon peeing and pooping problems from bed wetting, to peeing/pooping when scared or excited, to health problems like incontinence.

    Of course every dog is slightly different, and some dogs may need a specialised approach to training or managing their own individual issues, but here is a good start of things to consider!

    Tip 1: Make Crate Training A Priority

    Crate training offers plenty of critical benefits, especially to puppies. Apart from providing a private space where they can feel safe, the;right crate;can be an excellent housebreaking tool.

    Since dogs are naturally averse to soiling their own den, theyre likely to bark, wail, or give you other signals that they need to go out for potty. Just make sure you;crate train properly;and use it as a positive tool for your dogs physical and mental wellbeing.

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