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How To Potty Train German Shepherd Dogs

Training Them To Go Outside After Using Pads Indoors

How to Housebreak and Potty Train your German Shepherd Puppy
  • 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!

    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.
  • Understand Your Puppys Schedule

    The first action that you need to take is to become familiar with when your puppy eats and drinks. Remember that what goes in must come out. And with a puppys metabolism, this is usually a fairly quick process!

    So be sure that you let your puppy out

    • as soon as you wake up
    • after play
    • after chewing on a bone
    • before bedtime

    Also, its important to keep your eye on your puppy at all times. Do not allow the puppy to be alone at all! This will prevent accidents and also get you more in tune with our puppys unique patterns.

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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.

    Choosing A Potty Place

    How to Train a German Shepherd Puppy

    Staying with the understanding that your puppy makes connections to form its behavior patterns, you need to choose a designated outside area for your puppy to relieve itself.

    Here are a few rules to follow with this:

    • Make sure that it is a convenient place. And also take the weather into account. You want to make sure that if it is raining or snowing that the spot is still quickly and easily accessible.
    • Make sure that you are consistently taking your puppy to the same area every time. This will build the association within your puppy, and its pattern will be to use the same place to go potty each time.
    • Praise your puppy for going potty in this place. Use the same word and the same tone each time.

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    Recognize Underlying Causes Of Accidents

    Suppose your puppy was doing well in their training and suddenly regresses for no apparent reason. In that case, it might be a sign that your dog is experiencing a health issue such as a urinary tract infection, a hormonal problem, or it may be responding to stress or anxiety.

    In this case, it may be time to visit your vet to check for health problems or a behaviorist if the vet finds nothing physically wrong.

    Potty training a German Shepherd puppy can seem like a daunting and relentless task. While it is challenging, afterward you get to sit back and enjoy your adorable new family member. If you had any struggles or experiences housetraining a German Shepherd, drop us a comment below. We would love to hear from you.

    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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    How Do You Potty Train A German Shepherd Without A Crate

    In the no crate method, you allow your German Shepherd to have either limited access to the spaces in your home or free-range throughout the house.

    If your German Shepherd pup can roam freely through your residence, it should follow that you will need to supervise him constantly.

    Once your puppy becomes acclimated to your home, you will begin to notice even subtle signs he may need to relieve his bladder.

    As you teach your pup a predictable routine, he will eventually start to go to the door to signal his need to go to the bathroom.

    Puppies can also learn to use a dog door at a very early age. However, you want to be present when your puppy eliminates outdoors for a few reasons.

    • Reinforce your pups designated area.
    • Make sure your puppy is taking care of business and not just playing around.
    • Praise your puppy to encourage desired behaviors.

    Although you may not be using a crate, you can still confine your puppy to smaller areas with a baby gate or playpen. Enclosed spaces work well when you cannot watch your puppy during a certain time frame.

    You can incorporate puppy pads at one end and resting area and water at the other.

    Make Peace With Lack Of Sleep

    How to Potty Train a German Shepherd Puppy!

    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.

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    How To Potty Train A German Shepherd Puppy: A Simple Step

    Potty training your German Shepherd Dog can get very hard, especially if you dont start early. He will poop all over the place if he is not trained well.

    A GSD or German Shepherd Dog is highly intelligent, easy to train and protective. They make great pets and are very loyal!

    However, although German shepherds are good at following commands to carry out tasks, potty training can be difficult.

    So, if you have adopted or got a German Shepherd Puppy recently and wondering how to Potty Train a German Shepherd Puppy? This guide is here to help

    Contents

  • Final Verdict
  • How Do You Use A Crate To Complement Potty Training

    Using a crate can speed up the process of housetraining your Shepherd. Crates embrace the premise that a puppy will instinctively not use the bathroom where she sleeps.

    Puppies learn as soon as they can crawl that they must move outside the den to pee or poop. As they get older, they move further from the den to relieve themselves.

    The key to an effective crate is that it must be small enough that a young puppy feels extremely uncomfortable using the bathroom in it.

    A crate should only allow a pup to lay down when using it for potty training. Some crates have a removable wall, while in other cases you have to keep buying new kennels as your dog grows.

    You may have to train your German Shepherd to accept the crate. Crate training involves discipline on your part and conditioning your puppy.

    • Try never to allow your pup to void his bladder or bowels in the crate. Puppies can become accustomed to laying in filth and then become almost impossible to housetrain.
    • Use the appropriate size kennel
    • Do not use excess bedding
    • If your pup has an accident in her crate, clean it up immediately.

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    Build A Potty Training Schedule And Stick To It

    The first thing youll want to do to house train a German Shepherd puppy is to set up a potty training routine. In the days before your scheduled potty training sessions, make sure your German Shepherd puppy has plenty to eat and drink, gets regular exercise, and has lots of playtimes outdoors. After youve set a schedule for toilet training, stick to it as closely as possible!

    There are two parts of the schedule for potty training young puppies:

    Encourage Your Puppy With Treats

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

    Immediately after a successful toilet trip and while your puppy is still outside, give them a treat and praise them as rewards.

    Praise and treats serve as reinforcements for positive behavior which your puppy wants from you.

    When it learns that toilet trips outdoors are accompanied by positive reactions, he will want to please you more.

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    Develop A Strong Bond

    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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    Pick Up Some Urine And Stain Remover

    There will inevitably be mistakes and mishaps in your home during the training process. Pick up some urine and stain remover before you even bring the puppy home. Make sure that it removes both the stain and the scent. If a dog can smell urine in the carpet, they will think that area is an appropriate place to go to the bathroom again.

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    Crate Training: Train Your German Shepherd Puppy To Consider A Crate Its Space

    Crate training is an essential element of house training, but it also comes with benefits for your dogs safety, and comfort when traveling. The best dog crates will give your pet enough room to stand, sit, turn, and lie down comfortably on his side with paws outstretched.

    There shouldnt be too much room for an 8-week-old puppy, but you might, however, want to buy a crate that your puppy can grow with for a couple of years, like the ones with adjustable dividers. A size 48 is best for German Shepherds.

    When purchasing a crate for your puppy, you might go for the standard metal model with either a single or double door. My favorite is the MidWest Homes for Pets iCrate from Amazon as its strong and sturdy and ideal for large breed dogs. I like the double door one as it gives you more options where you can place it in your home, and this one has a carrying handle which makes it easy to move around.

    Travel kennels like this Petmate Ultra Vari Kennel are also hardy when you are on the move with your dog, and this one even meets the cargo specifications for airlines.

    Here are five key things you should practice when crate-training your German Shepherd puppy:

    If this has you wondering how long can you leave a GSD in a crate, I wrote this helpful article which contains tips on exactly what you should leave in your dogs crate.

    A Gsd Puppy Should Be Taken Out Immediately :

    PUPPY TRAINING! GERMAN SHEPHERD POTTY TRAINING

    when it wakes up first thing in the morning ,

    after each and every meal,

    after each and every nap,

    and again before he goes to bed for the night.

    Otherwise you may have to make more house breaking potty trips than usual outside to let the puppy relieve itself.

    Keep the GSD puppy on a strict house breaking schedule, both feeding and elimination, and you will have German Shepherd puppy house breaking success much sooner.

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    What About The Money

    Adopting a German Shepherd Is not easy. You cant do everything with only love. you will need a little money from your salary or income to spend for your shepherd to provide him a good and safe life.

    In the first years of a shepherd Is when you might have to spend more because you have to provide him excellent training with some sports gears, their vaccinations to do and regular vet care can be necessary.

    But do not worry you will know how to manage.

    What are their primary needs?

    A German Shepherd will need for sure a crate where he can stay and feel like a home, maybe a comfortable bed, some training equipment, grooming equipment, toys and it is adviced also to attend training classes in the first years and work with some trainers if you have a little more budget.

    Learn To Pick Up On The Signs

    To avoid accidents in the home, it is good to learn to recognise signs that your German Shepherd needs the toilet. Commons signs include:

    • Sniffing the floor.
    • Looking restless and anxious.
    • Going into an area they have previously toileted in.

    If your puppy shows any of these signs, take them out to your chosen toileting spot immediately.

    However, if accidents do happen, it is best to stay calm and not get angry at your puppy, as this will just make them fearful and cause them stress, which will actually result in more random accidents.

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    Select A Command And Stick To It

    When you want to take your puppy out to the toilet, choose a command and stick to it. When you use the same command each time, like go potty, make or toilet time your puppy will later recognize that it is time to go outside for urination or to poo.

    Regular trips outside should follow eating, drinking, and sleep times. If you see that your pup has messed in its crate, this means that more frequent nighttime toilet trips are necessary.

    Please do not allow your puppy to get used to soiling its crate, as this can become an undesirable habit.

    Train Your Puppy To Potty On Different Surfaces

    How To Potty Train A German Shepherd Puppy

    Most people train their dogs to potty only on certain kinds of surfaces. Do not make this mistake.

    For Example, If you train your German Shepherd puppy to potty only on hard surfaces, then your puppy will not know what to do when he finds himself in a different situation.

    You should teach your puppy to defecate on grass, sand, rocks, dirt, etc.

    If you feel nervous and you are forcing your puppy to relieve fast, then you can stress out your puppy and stop him to relieve.

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    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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    Understand Your Puppys Limits

    Your puppy is growing and learning every day. It has a small bladder and colon, and its world revolves around eating, sleeping, and playing.

    Between 2 and 4 months, your puppy can hold its urine for half an hour which increases to about 4 hours from 3 months.

    Take your puppy outside every hour until they reach 4 months and every 2 hours thereafter up to 5 months. By this age, and up to a year old, take them outside to the same spot every 5 hours.

    Once your puppy reaches a year, you can take it outside once every 8 hours and it stays this way for adult dogs.

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