German Shepherd Basic Obedience Commands
German Shepherds can learn basic training commands within a week because they are highly intelligent. Here are some of the basic commands you can teach your GSD.
- Come- signals your GSD to come towards you
- Crate, Kennel, or Bed- signals your GSD to enter his crate, kennel or bed
- Get it or Go get- makes your GSD get an object that is laying on the ground
- Go in or Inside-makes your GSD enter the room or house
- Go out or Outside- makes your GSD leave the room or house
- Heel- reminds your GSD to remain at your side
- Lay down or Down- makes your GSD go into the down position
- Leave it- teaches your GSDs to leave or ignore an object
- Let go or Drop it- teaches your GSD to release or drop onto the ground any item in his mouth
- No or Stop- interrupts your GSD from doing something
- Okay- indicates that the situation is safe or in order
- Sit- signals your GSD to sit
- Stand- signals your GSD to stand up
- Stay- signals your GSD to remain where he is
- Take- signals your GSD to take things gently from your hands.
Is Your German Shepherd Not Listening To Your Training Commands
If your German Shepherd is not listening to commands, then you need to go back to their basic training commands.
When they dont perform as expected, work on breaking down the command into easier steps and move back to a quieter, less distracting training area.
Your dog might also be feeling unwell, stressed, or need more exercise or their meals. Consider all the reasons why your German Shepherd refuses to listen to you and dont force them to train if they are ill or anxious.
You also need to train your German Shepherd not only to the basic commands but also in various locations and distances. This teaches them that when you give the command you expect them to comply, no matter what environment youre in.
Dont forget that its your responsibility to care for your dog and to meet their needs, including their emotional needs. You might need to take a day off your usual training every now and then to add some excitement to their lives.
How about learning How to Make Your German Shepherd Happy and seeing if you can get them to smile?
Be sure to test your dog after each new command by having them perform the command repetitively and successfully .
If they cant get the command correct after multiple attempts at training, then step back from your training. Go back to the last command they performed right and begin from there.
Or, just play a game instead where you can incorporate your training. Try a few games from this list of fun German Shepherd Games!
The Best Way To Phase Out Treats
Its unwise and also unhealthy for your German Shepherd to expect a treat after every successful performance.
This means you its better to phase rewards out from your training exercises once they have a specific command down.
A positive way to phase out rewards once your dog has mastered a distinct command is to present the reward as part of the training of a new command.
Once your dog has mastered down, instead of providing a treat after giving them the down, offer them a lesser treat, verbal praise, or petting instead of their usual expected reward.
Your GSD will probably notice the reduction of the normal treat and let you know theyve noticed.
This is a good time to move on to your next command where theyll receive a tastier reward for performing a new skill.
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How Loud Is The Bark
Yes, they are loud. And yes, they are intensive. No wonder the GSD is usually used on the force when he can stop a criminal momentarily.
Human ears can take up to 85 decibels. Anything over that is painful. Just imagine how loud the loudest bark that one German Shepherd produced! An incredible 108 decibels!
How Loud Is A German Shepherds Bark
They are also quite vocal. According to a test conducted on 26 dogs from different breeds, the bark of a German Shepherd was found to be louder than the sound of a moving truck which emitted 86 decibels of sound. Other tests revealed that some German Shepherds can even make sounds as loud as 106 decibels.
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How Do I Teach A German Shepherd To Bark On Command
Teaching your GSD to bark on command is a good way to ward off any people or animals looking for trouble. Start by observing the situations that trigger the bark. For example, you notice that he barks whenever you give him a toy. To start training him, put a barrier between you and your GSD then offer him the toy playfully.; He will attempt to get the toy but he cant get it because of the barrier. He will naturally bark when that happens. As soon as he barks, give him a treat and say speak. Keep repeating this process until he associates his bark with your speak command. Once she understands the meaning of speak, offer a toy without a barrier.; When he barks, give him a treat and say speak. GSDs are intelligent beings so your GSD will figure it out fast.
Training your GSD to stop barking or to bark on command is essential for GSDs especially those with barking issues. Follow the tips above and soon you can control your GSDs barking. Not only you, but also your neighbors will be happy.
Train Your German Shepherd To Bark On Command
Use the trigger to make your GSD bark and praise him for doing it ONLY after you say the command, but not if you dont say it.
Now that you have solved any problematic and excessive German Shepherd barking problem, it is time to teach your dog to do it only when asked to. Practice, patience and consistency will ensure your hound responds reliably. By now, you must have figured out what makes your dog bark and you will use this to make him speak! The example below is for doorbell barking dogs, but you can adapt the protocol as needed and use the barking trigger that makes your dog talk.
You will need: 1 helper, barking trigger available, treats.
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Teach Your German Shepherd To Be Quiet On Command
This command is more important than the barking one. If your dog continues to bark and does not want to quite, it can become a big problem.
After you have practiced a lot with the barking command, you have to teach him to stop barking. Some German shepherds are natural barkers, and it is difficult to stop them, but if you train them from the beginning it will be effortless.
When your dog is prepared to listen to your bark and quiet command, that means you are doing well with the training.
Quick Ways To Stop A German Shepherd From Barking At Strangers
Theres nothing worse than not knowing how to stop my German Shepherd from barking at strangers!
Its frustrating, annoying to others, and prevents me from enjoying my dog.
If you have the same problem with your German Shepherd, then you need these easy solutions to help you feel confident controlling your dogs behavior.
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How To Train A Dog To Go To His Place
Read Carefully to learn how to teach Go to your Place to your Dog.
You can also add the Down command after Go to your Place. In this way when your German Shepherd dog will go on the mat or inside the crate. He will Sit Down.
German Shepherd Training: The 7 Golden Rules & Basic Commands
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Im sure youll agree when I say:
A well-trained dog is a pleasure to have around.
If you own an untrained pooch you know the frustration it causes.
Whether youve just brought home your first German Shepherd.
Or if youve finally decided its time to teach your old dog new tricks
Youve come to the right place to get the 101 on German Shepherd training.
It is a fact that German Shepherds are among the brightest and most intelligent working dogs.
Preceded only by the Border Collie and the Standard Poodle.
This is according to a book published by Stanley Coren in 1994 The Intelligence of Dogs.
You can read more about his study and the metrics here.
Thanks to their ability to understand new commands in less than 5 repetitions and obeying the first command 95% of the time or more.
And the desire to please you; most owners can succeed at training their dog on their own.
Because of their intelligence, German Shepherds can sometimes be stubborn. They need a firm hand and a smart approach to their training.
Training your German Shepherd is exciting. But sometimes dog training can seem overwhelming if you don’t even know where to begin.
So heres the deal:
Youve got to get inside your German shepherds head
And Im about to show you exactly how you can do this:
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Add A Comment To Bailey’s Experience
Was this experience helpful?
Hello Kate,Is pup aggressive when people approach or simply over-reactive?If pup is only barking and is not otherwise aggressive toward strangers, I recommend the following video to help desensitize pup.https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=LXCELHDT2fs&index=11&list=PLXtcKXk-QWojGYcl1NCg5UA5geEnmpx4aIf pup is also aggressive, additional training will be needed with a lot more safety precautions to ensure no one is bitten – in that case, I would reach out to a professional trainer who specializes in behavior issues like aggression, and works with a team of trainers who can practice being “strangers” to practice around pup carefully with the skills needed to help pup.Best of luck training,Caitlin Crittenden
Why Do Police Dogs Know German
Police dogs are generally three types of breeds:
- German Shepherd
- Belgian Malinois
- A cross-breed of the two other breeds
According to K9 Officer Randy Widdicombe, its a myth that non-English commands are meant to ensure no one besides the handler can command the dog to attack or sit. In reality, most police dogs, German shepherds in particular, are purchased overseas and were trained with those command words. Its easier for the officer to learn a few German words than to retrain the dog with new commands.
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Do Dogs Respond Better To German
Dogs dont necessarily respond better to German than English. Thats more a matter of how well youve trained your dog. But German commands are short, easy, and contain attention-getting hard consonants, so German commands are easy for your dog to identify that you are speaking to them.;Training your dog to respond to German commands is a personal choice. But if you decide to teach your dog German training commands, start as early as you can because it will be less confusing for a puppy than an older dog.
How To Teach A German Shepherd To Stop:
Practice the stop frequently so that your dog understands they arent in trouble and nothing bad happens after the stop.
You always want to have a reliable stop in case of an emergency .
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Your Dog Does Not Communicate Like A Human
Your German Shepherd will respond to many different stimuli. Your body language and tone of voice being the two most important.
In time, your dog will understand certain commands such as sit, stay and come, drop etc.
But, dogs only understand single direct commands. Use language your dog will understand. Calm, simple commands and body language will make your message crystal clear.
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
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Before You Get Started
To start the training, you will need some small and delicious dog treats or your dog’s favorite toy. Rewards should be immediate and very valuable. You need to make the action worth it to your dog. Small;liver treats, chicken pieces, or similar training treats work best.
You will also need a barking stimulus such as a doorbell or someone to knock on the door.
When Does A German Shepherd Puppy Start To Bark
Being such a vocal breed, the German Shepherd puppy starts the first signs of barking at the early age of two to four weeks.
These signs are usually just some grunting or whining. The yipping occurs at the age of two months and progresses into real barking when they turn four months.
Some puppies begin to bark before the four-month-mark, some later. This is all because of the difference in temperament.
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Training Questions And Answers
Hi there… My dog was a detection dog in k9… I bought him so he will be a guard dog but his being very playful… And not barking at all… And his being very friendly to the strangers… Scared when other dogs bark or attack him.. I really need help…
Hello Darsh,For what you are wanting I would hire a professional protection training group or join something like Schlutzhund or IPO to work on building pup’s confidence and encouraging the defense drive. With a good trainer this should be reward based training, rewarding with “play type” rewards, such as tugs on a bite bag or a flirt pole, not training that encourages fear aggression.Best of luck training,Caitlin Crittenden
Do German Shepherds Ever Turn On Their Owners
The idea that German shepherds or any other type of dog are prone to turning on their handlers is a widespread myth that has little bearing in fact. While some German shepherds have been known to display unwarranted aggressive behaviors, in many cases this is a result of abuse, or a lack of or poor training.
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