What About Advanced Leash Training
Although not suitable activities for puppies in their advanced stages, you can begin herding and agility training of your German Shepherd puppy with the aid of a long leash.
Until your pups growth plates close, you will only be able to introduce her to the exercises and perform light work.
We mainly aim to illustrate how effective leash training of a Shepherd as a puppy is the backbone to more advanced skills.
The Time Required To Complete The Training
As discussed earlier, German shepherds are intelligent and can be trained in a short time. If you train your dog regularly according to the steps and the considerations in mind, it can take your dog just 3 to 5 days to obey the hand signal to sit.
Another 7 days and it can learn to sit only on voice commands. Also, be patient and never punish or shout at your puppy. It can cause negative reactions and unwanted behavior from the dog. With a German Shepherd, your life would surely never be the same again. They are communicative, happy and full of life.
How Do I Stop My German Shepherd From Peeing In The House
Is your German Shepherd still having accidents in the house due to potty training or is your male GSD starting to mark the house and lift his leg? Spaying and neutering problematic marking and peeing in the house is a common solution recommended by vets and trainers.
If you have trained your GSD with puppy pads from a young age, then marking and peeing with his leg raised in the house will be less likely. This is because even male dogs at a young age do a little crouch to urinate, and it is a tendency they wont break inside the home once theyre used to it.
It is still possible that he will have the urge to lift and pee, but if you gently dissuade him, your dog should be able to understand that lifting his leg to urinate indoors is not allowed.
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Teaching The Stay Step
Have your pup in their collar and a 6-foot walking leash. Begin indoors in a quiet area free from distractions.
Increase the stay time your dog is in the stay position beginning with 5 seconds and working up to one minute or more. Dont rush them to hold their stay, though.
Next, work on extending the distance between you and your dog while in the stay. Take a few steps back each time you train.
Your goal is to reach the end of your leash while your pup stays in place.
This could take many sessions over weeks or months.
Why Is German Shepherd Training Important
It is critical to train a German Shepherd because their sheer size and strength can result in disastrous situations if they dont know how to behave properly. However, avoiding hospitalization or lawsuits isnt the only benefit of training a GSD.
Here are some of the most crucial reasons why you need to take the time and make the effort to train your German Shepherd:
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How To Train A German Shepherd Puppy The Ultimate Guide
Fully Qualified COAPE Behaviourist and Registered Training Instructor with The Animal Behaviour and Training Council
In this article:
So you have your new German Shepherd puppy at home, we see.
Glad to hear theyre doing well puppy eyes shining bright, and tail that doesnt seem to stop wagging.
Weve also heard they have gained a special liking for your living room carpet as the perfect place to go for a wee. Oh, and your favourite shoessorry to hear theyve been chewed on. Apologies to your neighbour Alfred too we heard his favourite pair of trousers were left muddy after your puppy showed such enthusiasm to say hello.
Wed love nothing more to see you both become a wonderful duo one that has overcome the hiccups of starting fresh, and only see bright days of licks, treats, and cuddles ahead.
In this training guide, youll learn everything to tackle those first 8 weeks with your German Shepherd puppy and be as well prepared as possible.
Every question youve asked yourself is pretty much covered. What you do need to know is that everything will be just fine only happy days lie ahead of you.
How Can I Teach My German Shepherd Puppy To Be Ok On Their Own
Its a fair question and were here to help you see through those puppy dog eyes and help your puppy cope from the very beginning.
TIPS
Take it slow: It works much better than trying to speed up the process. If they seem worried by you leaving, stay in view, and just pop right outside their confinement area.
Keep it short and sweet: No need to stay away for long, 60 seconds tops will do for now.
Repeat: Do this at least once a day to make progress go steady and smoothly.
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Training A German Shepherd Doesnt Happen Overnight
Shepherd pups want to please and have order in their home. Create more consistency for them and youll see fewer German Shepherd puppy problem behaviors.
To do this, stick with your training. Dont confuse your dog by having different rules for different days or times.
Begin with a plan in place and disciplining your GSD will go smoother from the start. Dont give up when your pup doesnt understand what you want the first few times. Persevere with your training and discipline.
Remember that your German Shepherd is highly intelligent and needs your help to get the best from them.
If you feel like giving up, take a break from training for a day or two. Its OK and your dog will still learn by having an owner who is more relaxed and calm than one who is stressed and frustrated.
In order to avoid training frustration, remember that just like you a German Shepherd needs time to learn the rules of the house and new commands. This is true especially of puppies or rescue dogs.
If you want to take a break from training and have fun, then include a few days a week of puzzles. You can read more about the best puzzle toys for your German Shepherd and find a few you like so that you and your dog dont get burned out on training.
Get Back To The Routine
Once youre sure its not a medical issue, you can take steps to guide your German Shepherd puppy back on track to become fully potty trained once again. Take this time to reacquaint your German Shepherd puppy with the routine once more by using cue words, prompting him to go after meals and before bedtime, etc.
Take this time to also review your dogs potty dance so you know when to nudge him towards his potty spot. Remember that regression may happen and it doesnt take as long as the full potty training process to train a German Shepherd pup to get things right again.
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No Sharp Biting: Train Your German Shepherd Puppy To Bite Without Hurting
Biting is part of being a dog, especially among puppies. Older dogs may refrain from biting because they have been trained to. Whats more, unless its intended to hurt, biting is an important part of playing and of being a guard or police dog, which is common among German Shepherds but these dogs are trained to catch without maiming.
So, rather than talk of training puppies not to bite, lets talk of training them to bite without hurting. Heres an excellent short video on acquired bite inhibition which gives useful information on why puppies bite, why we should not try to stop it, and how to train puppies to a soft, non-maiming bite:
Contrary to the widespread idea that we should yelp like a puppy and quickly withdraw our hand or clothing when a puppy bites, the best way to teach your German Shepherd puppy that his bite hurts is to cry like the human that you are. That sends the message that your pups bite hurts humans. If you watch the video, you will see what I mean.
So, when your puppy bites, cry OUCH hard enough and leave your hand in his mouth until they let go. Thats a sign they are beginning to understand not to bite you. Do the same when they bite your clothing and other parts of the body like ears or hair. While doing this training, let your dog differentiate between a bite that hurts and one that is soft and part of playing.
Training Goal #: Crate Training
This is also a good time for crate training, which Adams recommends as well. GSD trainer and dog sports enthusiast Alexa Hagood, LVMT, agrees: Crate breaks, even when brief, can help the puppy become acclimated to going in the crate and having some alone time. She notes that this can help reduce the risk of a puppy developing separation anxiety, and recommends beginning with using the crate for feeding times , and at times when the owner needs to do daily chores.
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Training A German Shepherd Puppy
German Shepherd dogs need to be trained since they are young, as they are sensitive, as already mentioned.
And they do not have the same impulse control as some of the other dog breeds out there.
This means that, if you do not train your dog from the time that they are a puppy, you will find it much harder to get them to control their urges to bite.
such as in cases where they are quickly touched, which might give the dog a fright.
How To Teach Your German Shepherd Puppy To Not Bark
German Shepherds are known for liking the sound of their own voice. It makes a lot of sense though, its essentially because they want to guard and alert people for danger. What can they do, they just love you?
They also find barking self reinforcing, so once they start they can really rather enjoy it. While barking is a very natural and normal behaviour for dogs, it can be annoying for humans its not quite like music, is it.
Heres how you get them to stop barking:
First, find out why they are barking. Dogs can bark for a variety of reasons, but usually, its one of the following:
- Territorial reasons: Alerting you to a threat. Cant blame them, they just want to make sure no one comes and gets you.
- Fear or Anxiety: Barking or whining makes your puppy feel good and is often self soothing. Kind of when you sing in the shower.
- Attention: A German Shepherd bark is loud and hard to ignore. Again, like your shower-singing habits.
- Excitement: This happens most often when playing, theyre just letting you know how happy they are!
- At other dogs: Theres always time for a chat. Who knows what theyre really saying, it can really be anything from Where did your owner get your lead? to Your breath is disgusting, please stay away.
- Boredom: Barking makes dogs feel good when theyre bored. Strange, but true.
Although these are all good reasons to bark, barking can become a problem in the human world. Heres a couple steps to follow to help you out on this:
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Give Them Something To Do
What do you want them to do while waiting for them to calm down?
If they display other bad behavior such as barking, nows the time to work on it. Follow the same steps above.
Or, you can teach them to sit and wait for their food. Do this when they have calmed down from jumping and barking. Their meal would serve as their reward.
Learn Your Puppys Potty Signals
In the course of time and with curiosity, you will learn the signals your puppy makes when it wants to potty.
It may not be easy to denote this at first, but with constant studying of your puppy, you will observe such behaviours. When it displays such signals, take your GSD to the potty spot.
Some of the potty signals are:
- Circling while sniffing.
- Movement towards the door that leads to the outside.
- Restlessness.
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Can I Use Clicker Training With My Adult German Shepherd
A common form of training that uses positive reinforcement is clicker training. This involves a small, inexpensive clicker that creates a distinctive clicking sound when depressed. It is a quick auditory cue to tell your dog that he did something right, such as saying good dog or yes out loud. It can be a more effective way to train than treatments alone.
Some of the advantages of using a clicker are that it is cheap, easy to obtain, and once learned, it can help to replace the treats as a form of positive reinforcement, however you will have to use the treats and the clicker when you start out.
This is great for dogs that are struggling with weight issues or have other health conditions that dont make constant reinforcement with treats a viable option. The treats are only used to initially condition the response and then sporadically as needed to maintain the effectiveness of the clicker.
The key to training of the clicker is the timing and just clicked immediately after the desired behavior.
If the clicker is used too late or at the wrong time, the dog may associate the positive reward with the wrong action. In this sense, it is as important for the trainer to be attentive and consistent with the clicker as it is the responsibility of the dog to respond.
How German Shepherd Training At Home Helps You
German Shepherd training at home is important not only for your dog but also for you and your family. Obedience teaches your dog how to experience success both inside the home and out.
Training your German Shepherd at home gives you the opportunity to practice as much as you want when convenient for you. It saves you time and money.
But there are many more amazing benefits!
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Offer Your Puppy Another Option When They Begin Jumping On You For Attention
Jumping on other dogs might be fine for play, but its not safe when a large, powerful German Shepherd jumps on people!
When your dog tries to get your attention by jumping on you, its best to either ignore them or better give them another option that you DO want.
Think about what your puppy is trying to get when engaging in jumping and bad behavior to determine when to ignore them.
When your pup jumps on you when you come home, they probably want your attention. Withholding your attention when they are acting out shows them they need to act differently to get your approval .
Instead, offer them pets and praise when they have all 4 paws on the floor. You can also place them behind a puppy gate until they learn not to jump in order to avoid them scratching or nipping house guests when they arrive.
After you teach them their basic obedience, ask them for a competing behavior like a sit or down when they begin to jump. Always remember to reward the behavior you want to see again!
Ultimately, your puppy learns that good behavior earns your affection and attention more quickly. Your dog soon understands that they get nothing from you when they act badly.
Essential German Shepherd Puppy Training Tips
So you are eagerly awaiting the arrival of your new German Shepherd puppy or perhaps youve just welcomed him or her into your household as your newest best friend and family member.
While all you may want to do is play with your puppy for hours on end, there is much work to be done if you want your puppy to grow into the capable and intelligent dog that he has all the potential in the world to be. But this requires you to do your part.
Properly training a GSD puppy is essential. Not only will doing so work to ensure that your puppy listens to you, doesnt pick up destructive habits, and is just an overall good dog it will also ensure that your GSD will not present a danger to other people and animals. This is your responsibility, and you should not take it lightly.
In this article, we will give you some really helpful tips and instructions to make this happen. It is work, but its the kind of work that you will love doing, and it will serve both you and your GSD well for a lifetime to come.
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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.
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Use this German Shepherd training checklist for a quick reference to help!