Discipline Your Aggressive German Shepherd In The Right Way
While your first instinct might be to harshly punish your German Shepherd for showing aggression, this could make matters worse.
Instead, youll need to learn how to have the right discipline techniques for a German Shepherd.
Discipline them the same way to ensure they understand that your actions will remain consistent and theyll know what to expect.
The best way to discipline an aggressive German Shepherd is to always have them on a leash and to direct them away from whats upsetting them. Dont jerk them on their leash, but call them to you and walk away without yelling or screaming.
Avoid getting them more worked up by not using harsh reprimands or physical violence or force.
Your job is to help your aggressive German Shepherd not encounter any stressors by anticipating what they react to and avoiding it. Plan ahead for what youll do when you see another dog coming your way.
The Key Takeaways Here Are:
- For effective German Shepherd training, you must be a good leader in your dogs life.
- Leadership is about using brains and NOT brawn to train your German Shepherd.
- Understand what your dog is not , learn to speak your dogs language, and get inside his head.
- Always be patient and consistent with your training and reinforcement.
- Aggressive methods are not effective when training your German Shepherd. You will see little to no results, it will cause trust issues and youll break your dogs spirit. Always be kind!
- Positive reinforcement and training will bring quicker, long-lasting results. And build a strong relationship of trust and love between you and your German Shepherd.
Check out this article to learn how to teach your German Shepherd not to jump on you or your guests.
The part of your article that mentioned consistency and why it matters when training dogs was definitely one part that was helpful to read. The last thing I want to happen is that my dog would be let loose thinking that they would behave and they suddenly act aggressively towards my family because we gave the wrong command. Ill make sure I focus on this aspect of training when I find a dog trainer in the area that can help me train my german shepherd.
Hi Roylena,
Im so sorry, I totally forgot to drop the link to my article on jumping here for you to check out. Here it isHow to stop a German Shepherd from Jumping on You.
Why Is My German Shepherd Not Aggressive
German Shepherds are commonly used as guard dogs due to their protective nature. If yours is not aggressive then you might be wondering why.
This post will show you a number of reasons why it might be the case, what you can do about it and whether or not you should.
So, why is my German Shepherd not aggressive? Possible reasons are that it has not been trained to be aggressive, it is naturally friendly, it doesnt think you are in danger or that it has been trained to be friendly.
There are actually a number of things that you can consider when trying to figure out why it might be too friendly. Depending on the cause, there are also a number of things that you can do about it.
Also Check: How Many Vaccinations Does A German Shepherd Need
If You Have Other Pets Do Encourage Your Gsd Pup To Play With Them
This will expend your dogs energy and make her less prone to biting. By doing this, you are also socializing your puppy with other animals an essential skill to learn for a well-rounded behavior.
That being said, do not completely write off playing with your puppy! Playtime is still an excellent opportunity to bond with your dog, but make sure to keep it safe and fun by establishing boundaries.
Why Are German Shepherds Out Of Control Not Calm Or Aggressive
There are different reasons behind the aggression of German Shepherd You can check one by one. If you are doing this with your German Shepherd Dog, please avoid all this.
Owner Training Aggression
GSDs may growl, lift a lip, snarl, snap, or bite to prove theyre in charge of a situation. This occurs when they feel their position is being challenged primarily by their owners or children.
For example, This is often the case with children under six years of age. German Shepherds can attack children who misbehave, such as associating with the GSD while the GSD is eating or pulling the GSDs tail.
The owner of the German Shepherd needs to calm during training instead of being angry. Angry behavior directly affects the personality of the GSD. There is one thing dog trainer needs to know about German Shepherd treaty him with good otherwise dog becomes aggressive or did anything wrong with. Thats why need use a safety kit during training sessions.
Protective Aggression
This happens for safety purposes. There is no need to worry about this phenomenon. A German Shepherd can become aggressive to a stranger because he perceives the stranger as a threat to his owner and his territory. Even though the owner doesnt consider the stranger as a threat, the German Shepherd can attack the stranger.
Dog to Dog Aggression
Also Check: Top Names For German Shepherds
The Key Commands In Training Your German Shepherd Puppy
Most dogs will need obedience training in basic and advanced skills. But obedience training levels can be further broken down to basic, intermediate, advanced, and behavior correction.
Heres Zak again on how to teach your new puppy 3 easy things his name, and the commands, sit! and down! This particular video went viral and has over 11 million views!
A German Shepherd puppy will be initiated in the basic obedience training, but it doesnt hurt to know what the other levels of obedience training entail.
- Basic obedience training is usually done on a leash and involves the very first commands that your German Shepherd pup should learn.
- Intermediate obedience training entails the removal of the leash to teach the same basic commands.
- Advanced obedience training involves teaching obedience commands to your German Shepherd puppy at a higher level and in situations that may include distractions and the effort for greater concentration.
- Behavior correction obedience training is meant for dogs with behavior problems that the owner may sometimes find hard to correct . For example, if your dog is biting other than during normal puppy teething, check out this article on how to discipline a German Shepherd for biting.
Your German Shepherd puppy will need training in the following 15 and other basic commands:
With time, as your German Shepherd puppy advances into adulthood, hell need training in the following eight and other advanced commands:
Can You Socialize An Aggressive Dog
It can be really frustrating to have an aggressive dog that is barking and trying to chase everyone around him when you go for a walk. It can make things really embarrassing.
It is never safe to take out an aggressive dog and you have to be very careful with other peoples safety.
But do not worry with some training, help, and patience it is possible to change the aggressive behavior of the Dog.
First of all, you need to know the causes of aggression. Before you start socializing the Dog You Have to know what are the factors and situations that make your dog behave aggressively.
After You Find Out The reason why the Dogs gets aggressive it is time to find a solution.
Your Dog needs Constant socialization and exercise to be a calm dog.
Also Check: Difference Between German Shepherd And Alsatian
Pick The Right Equipment
Whenever youre training an aggressive German Shepherd, you have to consider safety first.
Depending on your dogs level of aggressiveness, you should think about a muzzle or a head halter.
It helps in more ways than you think.
When you have an aggressive dog, youre always on the toes how they would react around triggers.
Your German Shepherd can feel your anxiety, and it makes them nervous, afraid, and defensive.
If your dog is in such a mental state, training to lessen the aggressiveness will ultimately fail.
Your dog will never get used to their triggers if theyre stressed.
On the other hand, when you know that your dog cant injure anybody, you will be able to project calmness and assertiveness that will reassure your German Shepherd.
However, the muzzle is a tool to help you train your aggressive German Shepherd.
Its not a solution to your problem. Keep that in mind.
Besides safety, you should choose a training treat that will motivate your German Shepherd to behave.
You have to pick something delicious and irresistible and use it only when youre training your German Shepherd not to be aggressive.
Take Your German Shepherd To The Vet
If your German Shepherd is aggressive out of the blue, its time for a trip to the vet.
Thats because your German Shepherd might be sick even if they seem perfectly healthy.
When dogs are in pain, they are vulnerable and afraid and might growl or attack to protect themselves.
Underlying medical conditions that affect the hormones might also trigger your dogs aggressiveness.
So, any drastic change in behavior is a health warning sign.
Knowing how to train your aggressive German Shepherd is important so that you can avoid accidents and do the best for your dog.
Dont ever ignore aggression because its a symptom that your German Shepherd has a problem.
It might be something as simple as fear or as urgent as an illness.
What do you think about these 8 tips on how to train an aggressive German Shepherd? Tell us in the comments.
Read Also: Are Eggs Good For German Shepherds
Why Do German Shepherds Become Aggressive In The First Place
The potential for a German Shepherd to become aggressive begins at a young age. It actually begins when they are just several weeks old and under the care of their mother.
It is the mothers job to socialize and encourage her puppies to behave well and interact productively with one another.
This job is not an easy one. Consider a human mother being overwhelmed with a child the mother of a litter of puppies is in the same circumstance.
Just like people, first-time moms can have it rough. A GSD who is a first-time mom may just be overwhelmed. This stressful situation is also one which causes a lot of fear in the mother.
And when frightened, a German Shepherd mom might not act rationally she may even act aggressively towards her puppies.
If a mother acts aggressively towards her puppies, then the puppies will no doubt also become frightened.
It is at this point that her puppies, because of their fear, may also begin to become prone to aggression. This will also make them more difficult to train as they get older.
One lesson here is that you need to make sure that your breeder is using the proper dogs for having puppies.
It is vital that understand the mother of the litters temperament to make sure that you are not getting a dog that comes from a frightened and ill-tempered mother.
If you plan on getting a puppy, make sure that you discuss this point in-depth with your breeder.
Enjoy The Best Traits Of The Breed
German Shepherds have plenty to offer in terms of entertainment, love, and companionship. But you wont even notice those traits if youre busy trying to deal with bad behaviors.
Training your GSD to be well-behaved is the only way you can enjoy the wonderful traits that have made them the 3rd most popular breed.
Also Check: Pitbull Dog Vs German Shepherd
Why Are German Shepherds Not Calm Out Of Control Or Aggressive
Owner-directed Aggression
GSDs may growl, lift a lip, snarl, snap, or bite to prove theyre in charge of a situation. This occurs when they feel their position is being challenged primarily by their owners or children. For example, This is often the case with children under six years of age. German Shepherds can attack children who behave inappropriately such as interacting with the GSD while the GSD is eating or pulling the GSDs tail.
Protective Aggression
A German Shepherd can become aggressive to a stranger because he perceives the stranger as a threat to his owner and his territory. Even though the owner doesnt consider the stranger as a threat, the German Shepherd can attack the stranger.
Fear Aggression
A German Shepherd may be aggressive when he is punished or abused by his handler. If you put your GSD away in a closed space, he will feel left behind and scared. This will lead to lack of trust so he will fight or be aggressive when he is faced with the same scary situation.
Dog-to-dog Aggression
Unsocialized GSDs usually show excessive aggression towards other dogs. An unsocialized GSD will struggle in accepting change such as meeting and interacting with other animals like dogs appropriately.
Obedience Training is an effective way to make your GSD calm. Experts agree this is better rather than enforcing BSL.
Dogs Stick To What They Have Learned
If you have a second thought about investing your time and resources on your German Shepherd puppys good training, then this fact will make you decide in favor of it.
Research testing the tendency of dogs to go with the crowd revealed that dogs would stick to what they have learned and not conform to other dogs behavior even under different manipulated situations.
This means that the good training you give to your German Shepherd puppy will stick with him, and you can expect your dog to portray good behavior in any situation.
Also Check: What Colors Do German Shepherds Come In
Get Into Real Training
Begin by introducing the command for the session. If its sit, say it once and let your German Shepherd puppy smell the treats again. Say it a second and third time while indicating the sitting posture with your arm.
When your dog sits, reward him with a treat and praise and repeat the process 5 to 6 times. Reward your pet every time he gets it right.
Fearful German Shepherd Dogs
If your German Shepherd Is full of fear then your responsibility is double and sometimes even triple.
It will require a lot more time, a good amount of patience and full dedication to take him out of his fears.
These Kind of dogs need love. Treat him as your child and be his mentor.
If your Dog is full of fear this does not mean that you do not have to introduce him to new people. This will never solve the problem.
Our goal is solving the problem and give a better Life opportunity to the shepherd.
You have to learn to read the dogâs Body language signs when he is frightened:
Take in mind that you do not have to force your German Shepherd Dog to meet someone, I am not saying this only for your dogâs good but also for the safety of the stranger that you are going to introduce him.
Do not try to calm down your shepherd with treats when he shows aggression signs toward strangers because this could make him feel that he has done something right.
Instead, Take your German Shepherd Away from the stranger and wait that he calms down then let him observe the stranger from a safe distance.
Remember to reward your dog only when he is completely calm down to let him know that you want him calm and not aggressive.
Dogs that are fearful are very sensitive to body languages.
Actions that can threat a German Shepherd Dog:
Recommended Reading: How To Stop A German Shepherd Puppy From Biting
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?
What Can I Do To Stop My German Shepherd Puppy From Biting
Because biting is normal canine behavior and GSDs are a breed that is more prone to it, the goal here is to inhibit the bite, not completely stop it.
At the end of your training, your GSD should have achieved that lovely soft mouth.
Below are the dos and donts to keep in mind when training your GSD puppy in bite inhibition.
Also Check: How Many Puppies Do German Shepherds Have In A Litter
Why Are German Shepherds Aggressive
German Shepherds may be aggressive for many reasons. Theres no one-size-fits-all answer, it depends on your dog, their upbringing, their age, and their training history.
According to Psychology Today, theres often a lifestyle factor that triggers aggressive behavior in German Shepherds. When you address these factors, you can influence better attitudes and mitigate hostility.
Lets take a look at why your German Shepherd may be aggressive and what you can do to fix it.
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Hello Gianna,I recommend hiring a professional trainer who specializes in behavior issues like aggression in your case. I would find someone who has experience with obsessive compulsive behavior, possessiveness, and fear.Ideally the trainer would also work with a staff or team of trainers, so that you have the resources to counter condition pup to a lot of different “strangers” -i.e. the other trainers on staff. As well as well mannered dogs that the training can be practiced around.I would also desensitize pup to wearing a basket muzzle so that you can train more safely and do more in training.Here an example of an aggressive dog who is aggressive and reactive. I would highly recommend working in person with a training group due to the resources needed with these cases and the bite risk with such aggression. A good training group should be taking safety measures while training to keep everyone involved safe too.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tiHairtYUchttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8juiJ-Hq8dIBest of luck training,Caitlin Crittenden
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