Tips For Great German Shepherd Puppy Recall Training:
- Begin calling your puppy in as many locations inside as you can.
- Give them a tasty reward or play a game with their favorite toy when they come.
- Work your way up to a perfect recall by having others try to distract your puppy while indoors.
- Next, move to your back or front yard and do the same.
- If they dont come when called they might be too distracted. You can disciple them by showing them your tasty treat and walking backwards a few steps to encourage them to move toward you.
Dont delay training the recall or youll miss out on a crucial learning period. Train the come command in all situations, including the home and outdoors, from the time your puppy is 6 to 8 weeks old to avoid discipline problems later on.
You must train your German Shepherd puppy to come in all situations and reinforce your bond with them daily. Recall means they get to enjoy something with you!
Learning The Right Ways Of Training A German Shepherd Puppy
Even the best of owners can sometimes do the wrong things.
The worst advice is to punish your puppy, and if that doesnt work, keep punishing them more.
Your best course of action is to prevent the bad behavior in the first place by watching your pup and not leaving them unsupervised.
Learning how to train and discipline a German Shepherd puppy is difficult, but it can be done with consistency and patience.
Dont Have Unreasonable Expectations
Videos of extremely disciplined German Shepherds on social media might give you unreasonable expectations of how your puppy should act.
What you dont see, however, is the amount of time and effort people put into training those dogs. In fact, most will still experience some frustration. They just dont post it.
No dog is inherently well-mannered all the time. The owners of the social media dogs you see have also gone through the hardships and frustrations youre going through now.
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Games To Stop Your German Shepherd Puppy’s Biting
This article is accurate and true to the best of the authors knowledge. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.
Redirect Their Attention To A Behavior You Want
Show your puppy what behavior you WANT them to do instead.
Now, heres where you need to think more like your German Shepherd!
What does your German Shepherd find more enticing and valuable than the bad behavior?
Its got to be really interesting and fun for them to want to stop and come investigate what youre offering. I suggest tasty food chews or a squeaky toy to really grab their curiosity!
Try different chews, treats, and toys out to see how your dog responds. And remember to keep these items on you in your pocket or nearby to offer them a positive alternative.
Especially when theyre in the puppy stage!
Now, you come to the good stuff
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Training Begins With Engaging Play
Many behavioral issues arise out of sheer boredom, so its critical that you provided a variety of activities to keep your GSD mentally engaged.
A bored German shepherd will be so busy trying to play, bark, and get your attention that training sessions wont work well. Bored puppies dont train well.
Training as play can be very engaging. Teaching your pet to catch a frisbee can lead to hours of insane fun for the both of you.
Attend Obedience Classes Or Consult A Professional Trainer
If youre still struggling to train the stubbornness out of your German Shepherd, dont worry, as you can enlist him into obedience classes. This will give you peace of mind that he will respond to you positively and help curb any bad habits.
Often, inexperienced owners just need to be taught what to do. Attending obedience classes solves this knowledge gap and creates an opportunity to increase socialization, so you kill two birds with one stone.
You can also enlist the help of a professional trainer as they will be experienced in training stubborn dogs and improving obedience.
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Safe Ways To Discipline A German Shepherd
Disciplining your German Shepherd can make or break your future relationship with your dog.
But, many owners simply dont know the appropriate way to correct their dog and wind up frustrated, stressed, and confused.
So, how do you discipline a German Shepherd without ruining your bond with him?
Especially a mischief-making puppy!
What NOT to do!
Follow A Training And Feeding Schedule
Having a schedule provides structure and discipline and teaches your pup that you are the leader. Puppy training schedules should ideally start at 8-weeks old, but if youre struggling with what to teach and when, or even if your dog is a little older, check out my German Shepherd puppy training schedule.
Dont worry if youve not started at 8-weeks start with the basics and work through. Your German Shepherd will soon pick things up and catch up.
You should also stick to a feeding schedule. Dogs are creatures of habit, and providing meals at expected times means listening and obeying you when you call him to eat.
German Shepherds are prone to sensitive stomachs, and many are not food motivated, unlike the Labrador. Having a feeding schedule also prevents your German Shepherd from becoming a fussy eater.
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Best Ways To Discipline A German Shepherd Puppy
Positive reinforcement training remains to be the best way to discipline any dog, especially a German Shepherd puppy. This method works not only for obedience but also for encouraging good behaviors. For GSDs, this is especially effective because their high level of intelligence enables them to quickly associate rewards with their actions.
Use Dog Toys To Calm Them
This is a wonderful way to make sure your dog does stop misbehaving.
Lets assume you notice their behavior has been erratic at home. When this happens, you will have to let them know and then re-direct their focus.
This can be done with the help of a simple dog toy.
A lot of the times, your German Shepherd puppy is simply letting out energy that has been pent-up inside. They are young and still developing, which means they are going to get into things at home or anywhere they are.
Its a natural part of their development as a dog.
Your top priority has to be to control the situation and then you can focus on working on their long-term behavior. This is why making sure they build a stronger bond with their dog toys will ensure they dont bite everything they see!
Its a simple trick that will go a long way in simplifying your life. You can start to train them to behave without having to worry about not keeping them busy. This is why dog toys for German Shepherd puppies work well.
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Why Is My German Shepherd Puppy Biting And Nipping
Is your sweet puppy biting and nipping you all of a sudden? Read below to find out why.
When my adorable German Shepherd puppy came home to me her antics were so much fun!
I loved to move the toys to play her favorite games and keep her entertained. But, my hands looked like I had accidentally adopted a baby tiger after our playtimes!
There were scratches, puncture wounds, and she could even draw blood!
Im sure you understand EXACTLY how it feels because youre there now, too.
To learn how to discipline a German Shepherd for biting or nipping, its important to know why they want to bite you in the first place so you can fix the issue.
Your Dog Wants You To Be Consistent
For dogs, everything is black and white they dont understand compromise. Remember this and you’ll have fewer bad habits to break.
Training your German Shepherd will be easier.
Heres an example of the types of mistakes owners make:
Change verbal commands from come to come here keep your verbal commands consistent throughout.
If youre trying to keep your pooch off the sofa, be consistent. If you allow it sometimes and other times not, youll confuse your dog and slow down the training.
How can you expect your dog to learn if you’re not consistent?
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Why Did I Get Rid Of My German Shepherd
The guy was actually going to get rid of him after a serious incident and was ready to hand him over to another family because he felt that his dog had tasted blood and that was the end of him as a good dog.
If your German Shepherd Dog pulls on the leash and gets what he wants then he will continue to do it and it will get worse.
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They’re Exploring With Their Mouth
All puppies, regardless of breed, go through a stage where they will explore the world with their mouths. Puppy nipping is completely normal behavior most puppies go through. It’s similar to the mouthing period babies go through when teething. However, in German Shepherds, the behavior may be more pronounced and more intense than in some other breeds of puppies.
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German Shepherd Puppy Training: Stop The Biting
Socialization is hard work, bite-inhibition is even harder! But it is one of the best things you can ever teach your pup. Dogs have really strong jaws and can learn to apply just the right amount of pressure with it.
Bite inhibition teaches your canine friend how to properly apply force with his/her mouth without harming anyone. Adult dogs that have had this kind of training can get into fights and defend themselves without drawing blood.
This is so important to avoid any type of dog-human or dog-dog bite accidents.
German Shepherd puppy dogs have sharp teeth for a reason:
to learn how to use their mouth properly.
Teach your puppy to bite without hurting!
To teach your pooch not to hurt human skin you will need to yelp like a puppy every time you feel teeth in contact with your skin. Engage in puppy play and Yelp when you feel teeth. Your pup will most likely stop in surprise. As soon as he has stopped, wait 5-10 seconds and resume play. Repeat as many times as needed.
- Start with those bites that really hurt or scratch. If you yelp every time you feel teeth, your puppy will think it is how you play. It may take a few weeks for you to notice that your pup is not hurting as much…only then, start yelping for the next level bites, those that bother. Progressively teach your pup to play without hurting you. This make take a couple of months!
- Never punish your puppy for play-biting, this can lead to aggression or your puppy fearing “hands” near his face.
What Can You Reasonably Expect While Training A German Shepherd Puppy
Because German Shepherds are bred for a specific type of work, these dogs have some innate tendencies that can be especially misunderstood in puppyhood.
As the German Shepherd Dog Rescue of Sacramento Valley charity explains, German Shepherds were bred to herd and track and guard and work alongside people.
These dogs are high energy naturally. They are vocal naturally. They are social and people-focused naturally. They are workers naturally.
In puppyhood, these very desirable traits can often manifest in initially undesirable ways, such as non-stop barking and whining, jumping, chewing and mouthing, and worst of all finding a job to do if they get bored .
Combine this with the onset of puppyhood teething, when the puppy teeth are calling out and the adult teeth are growing in, and you now have an energetic, you-centric dog that is uncomfortable and irritable.
At the same time, your German Shepherd puppy has a bladder and bowel system that is still developing and so you are trying to potty train your dog to go to the bathroom outside and in a specific place on cue.
But your puppy may have accidents even when they do their best not to, because sometimes their incompletely developed bladder and brain may fail to understand if they need to go right away.
You are likely also trying to crate train your puppy so you can safely leave your dog for longer periods and/or travel safely together.
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Super Smart Ways To Make German Shepherd Training Easier
Imagine you knew how to discipline a German Shepherd puppy the right way so that your bond with your dog grew instead of fell short!
Wouldnt your life look more peaceful, calm, and happy with the right German Shepherd training?
Learn how to communicate with your pup and get the behaviors you want using these simple and easy methods for training a German Shepherd puppy.
Catch Your Dog Being Good And Reward Them Out Of The Blue
See your puppy acting the way you want? Reward them out of the blue!
Its easy to get caught up in scolding when your pup when they are getting into trouble, but rewarding him out of the blue for being good shows them theyre doing the right behaviors .
Keep small bits of treats in jars around the house out of reach of your pup and use any opportunity your catch your pup doing good to reward them.
Here are some ideas for opportunities to reward your dog:
- If theyre lying calming on their mat, give them a piece of a treat. But dont make a big deal of the situation or youll wind them back up.
- When theyre playing with the toys you want them to chew, drop a tiny bit of treat out of nowhere.
- If they sit and wait at the door, instead of dashing out ahead of you, reward them!
Discipling your German Shepherd isnt always about catching bad behaviors, but also about rewarding good things your dog does. Dogs like to do things that you reinforce, even if you dont think they worked for the reward its still part of training.
If you only worry about punishment and corrections, then youre missing out on the opportunities to reinforce positive behavior.
Aim for one of these healthy treats that are the best for German Shepherds and pick carefully to ensure your dog stays athletic and fit.
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Understanding The German Shepherd Dog Intelligence Type
German Shepherds are highly intelligent dogs.
As Science Alert reports, according to a survey of 199 expert canine trainers, the German Shepherd is ranked third out of 79 purebred dog breeds in terms of overall intelligence and trainability!
This means your German Shepherd puppy is very, very intelligent. It also means your puppy is very trainable.
Of course, just like there are different types of people intelligence, there are different types of dog intelligence.
The specific type of intelligence that is measured in this survey is working intelligence, which is a type of intelligence associated with quickly learning new commands and repeating them reliably on cue.
So your German Shepherd puppy is technically able to learn a new desirable behavior in as little as five tries and remember what they have learned with 95 percent accuracy.
This is exactly why German Shepherds are the second most popular purebred dog breed in the United States according to the American Kennel Club .
These dogs are just smart, smart, smart! They are highly tuned into their people and eager to please.
Whatever training method you choose, you wont have to work hard to make yourself understood by your dog as long as you are consistent with your cues.
But this also means that your training method of choice will have a lasting impact on your dog right away. So you want to choose wisely.
Are German Shepherd Puppies Easy To Train
The quick answer is yes, German Shepherd puppies are easy to train. Why? Well, this all stems back to history. If you couldnt already tell, German Shepherds originate from Germany. They were originally used by farmers to herd domestic animals such as cattle and sheep.
As time moved on and agriculture went through a drastic phase of modernization, their original use was diminished although they still can and will herd cattle if need be.
They are quite an intelligent breed. They still hold value despite the changing times. Currently, they are being utilized by a number of military and police forces worldwide.
Another reason why GSDs are easy to train is because they are a people pleaser. Theyre always happy when their owners are happy. Couple that with their incredible intelligence and thats a recipe for an incredibly easy to train dog.
New dog owners may sometimes be a little overwhelmed at the thought of training their dog but its actually reasonably straightforward as long as you follow the right process.
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Introduce Him To The Usual:
A German shepherd pup is just like a shy newcomer in a class who needs to be dealt an extra push to break in with the surroundings.
Try to make the pup comfortable with people and things that will eventually be a part of its daily routine. Introduce the people around you with a smile and hug so the dog understands that they mean no harm and cozies up to them.
Start using a coat brush on it so that it does not consider its grooming kit as a threat. Have a futuristic vision in mind as you try to modulate its behavior. For example, you may find it cute when it tries to nibble your hand today, but when it grows a real dentition, trust us you are going to regret it.