How To Train My German Shepherd

September 16, 2021

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Housetraining For German Shepherds

How to Train German Shepherd to sit and stay

Many new dog owners are anxious about housetraining. Honestly, its not that hard to do, and itll probably happen much faster than you think!

Most of the issues people face with puppies stem from a lack of understanding of how puppies work and what they need. For older dogs, its also about misunderstandings.

Housetraining can be quick, simple, and easy if you understand that puppies need many, many trips to the bathroom.

Older dogs wont need as many frequent trips, but it cant hurt to give them anyway. Puppies should be brought to the potty spot after every meal, after they drink, after a nap, and after playtime.

Thats a lot of bathroom breaks, but they have tiny bladders and very little control at this age.

For older dogs, youll be able to go longer between breaks, but you should still offer bathroom breaks every hour, if possible, to avoid any accidents.

Never scold or punish a dog of any age for potty accidents. They dont understand why youre angry, and this will only cause them to lose confidence and start to fear you.

Instead, figure out where you went wrong and correct the mistake. Did you wait too long after a meal? Did you miss your dogs silent cues that a bathroom trip is needed?

Fun Games To Play With Your Dog

Now that weve covered our ten top training tips that make dog training much easier for everybody, lets go through some great game ideas. Its important to have fun during training, as we said, and you can do that by playing games with your dog. Along with keeping your dog fit and healthy, some of them also make use of certain commands or movements that are used in training.

Week 1 Training Your German Shepherd Puppy

In the first week, well dive straight into socialisation exercises, training and husbandry tasks.;

Socialisation exercises to do this week	Training to do this week	Husbandry Tasks to do this week
Let your puppy explore the garden Teach your puppy about surfaces	Name	Brushing Hand Touch

Congratulations! Its your first week of training your new puppy. How does it feel to be a new puppy parent? You must be chuffed.

Take a look at these first few articles. These will be key for establishing a solid, comfortable base; theyre all about toilet training, crate training and alone time training. All the ingredients you need for a happy home.;

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How To Housebreak A German Shepherd Puppy

Its important to start house training your German Shepherd puppy as soon as possible! If youre lucky, your GSDs breeder may have already begun the house training process before you even take your pup home. But, this isnt always the case.

Because German Shepherds puppies have tiny bladders, its important to be realistic about how long they can last without a potty break. So, follow the hour-per-month rule. If your puppy is one month old, they can hold it for one hour. If they are three months old, they should be able to hold it for three hours etc. .

Here are some tips to housebreaking a German Shepherd puppy:

Teaching The Stay Step

Can I train my German Shepherd to protect me?

Have your pup in their collar and 6-foot walking leash. Begin indoors in a quiet area free from distractions.;

Hold the leash in your left hand. Use the right hand to signal to stay while standing directly in front of your dog.;

Raise your hand and turn your palm toward your dog.

Say stay with confidence while your palm is facing your dog.

If he tries to move, say no or uh-oh and move one step toward them.

When he stays with success, walk toward him and give him the treat.;

Dont call him toward you, as then you reward him for coming instead of staying. Now add in the word stay when your dog performs the stay behavior correctly.

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.

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Whats Involved In Protection Training Gsds

Before you begin

First, get your dogs veterinarians OK, as well as a professional dog trainers opinion on your German Shepherds suitability for protection work. Second, sign up for obedience training classes. See our online basic manners course. Or, visit apdt.com to locate a professional dog trainer near you.

Time

Make sure you have time in your schedule to add training to your dog care regimen. A fully trained personal protection German Shepherd Dog can cost upwards of $5,000. The high price tag is the result of hours that have gone into that dogs training. Unless you are planning to purchase a fully trained adult German Shepherd, plan on putting in the hours needed to create a solid protection partner.

Taking care of your dog

While you should always strive to provide a healthy, comfortable life for your German Shepherd, this is even more important for a dog you expect to remain alert and athletic. A personal protection-trained German Shepherd needs to be free from disease, illness, or parasites. She shouldnt have poor nutrition or grooming problems that might keep her from protecting you in an emergency.

Liability ;;;

Make Sure You Socialize Your Dog With Other Humans And Dogs

Dogs are social animals, no matter which breed youve chosen, so socializing with them is important. If you live with your family, your dog will need to become accustomed to them so that it isnt overly protective of you or jealous of anybody who interacts with you. Similarly, this needs to be done for anybody the dog encounters in public, especially other canines.

Most dog breeds benefit from frequent walking to get physical activity and keep their minds sharp, so making sure they dont become scared or aggressive of passersby is necessary as part of the training process. This also stops them from developing irrational fears, allowing your dog to live a long and happy life without fearing everyday things.

The secret to socializing your dog properly is by slowly introducing more people. Start with a few familiar faces and get them to cuddle and have physical contact while youre nearby. If you have a friend who can bring over another dog, thats the perfect starting point for introducing your dog to fellow canines.

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What Does This Have To Do With How I Train My German Shepherd

Its a fair question actually. A dog is a dog is a dog right? But knowing the context and breed characteristics might help you train your German Shepherd puppy better and understand why they do certain things the way they do.

Here are a couple things to keep in mind:

PRO TIP: If your German Shepherd puppy switches off or starts acting silly they may resort to doing what they know best nipping or barking. Shift to some play, let them have some downtime and revisit training later we want training to be associated with fun, and not something they begin to dread.;

How To Train Your Dog To Stay

How to Train a German Shepherd Puppy – A Detailed Video on GS Training Tips

For this command to work properly, youll need to choose a release command. Most people say something like OK or release, but any single word will do.

The first step is to teach the release word. That may seem counterintuitive, but trust me on this one.

Show your dog a treat, then toss it a few feet away. The moment he takes a step toward the treat, say your release word. Repeat this over and over. Hell begin to associate that word with something good.

Next, ask him to sit. Facing him, pause just a moment, then give the treat. However, do not allow him to get up. He must remain in the sit position.

If he gets up, ask him to sit once more, pause briefly and say stay, then give a treat. After he understands that he is not to move, you may start saying the release command as you hand him the treat.

Next, ask him to sit, give the stay command, then take a small step back. Maintain eye contact. If he stays sitting, give him the release command and a treat.

You can gradually increase the time you wait but only take that one step back for now.

Once hes comfortable with a short-distance stay, you can gradually increase the distance you step back. Once hes out of reach, use the release command and have him come get the treat from you.

If he gets up before you release him, thats totally fine. This simply means he isnt comfortable sitting and waiting that long yet. Go ahead and reduce the distance or time between the sit and release commands.

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Redirect Bad German Shepherd Puppy Behavior

Does your puppy jump, nip, chew, bite, or dig and you want to know the right discipline?

When your pup is taking part in bad behavior, get your puppys attention by making a distracting noise.

Try clapping your hands, making a clicking sound with your tongue, or smacking your lips to get your pups attention to turn on something you DO want them to try like a squeaky toy.

The noise and disapproving tone distract your dog from bad behavior .

Now, redirect their attention to a more desirable behavior you want, for example:

Coming to you and leaving what theyre doing by offering them a tasty treat and praise.
Showing them a favorite toy.
Offering them another option you would like that is more constructive.

Dont scold them when they come to you or youll make your dog scared of you later on.

Pay attention to your dogs behaviors when they are near known distractions so you can prevent the bad, unwanted action before it even happens.

You want to remember to watch out for:

If your dog chews inappropriately on a pair of expensive shoes, get their attention by making noises or calling them to you and immediately offer the correct approved chew item.
If you know your dog tends to bite you during play, have a toy nearby you can show them that you want them to bite instead of your arms.
If you know they get wild and crazy in the evenings, have a list of these German Shepherd games to distract them and funnel their energy.

Week 6 Training Your German Shepherd Puppy

Socialisation exercises to do this week	Training to do this week	Husbandry Tasks to do this week
Tick 3 things off your personal checklist	Following on walks

Have a treat pouch ready full of yummy treats.
Make sure your puppy is relaxed, and not over excited.

How to do it

With your puppy in front of you, gently touch the side of their mouth, just on their cheek.

Give your marker word good, and give your puppy a treat.

Repeat this 5 times so that your puppy starts to enjoy your hand coming towards their mouth.

Easy peasy.

TIPS

· ; Looking inside your puppys mouth is quite difficult to handle for them so youll need to get them used to it slowly.

· ; If they struggle at all go back a step and stay there for a while. Work at touching around your puppys muzzle and chin before you go back to trying to check the inside of their mouth.

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When Does A German Shepherd Puppy Start Barking

At 2 to 4 weeks old, you might notice your German shepherd puppy trying to vocalize by grunting or whining.;Then hell start yipping at around 2 months. When he reaches 4 months old, a German Shepherd puppy usually starts barking properly. Some GSDs may start barking earlier or later than 4 months due to temperament differences.;

Harness Fitting For A German Shepherd Puppy

The days for going on walks arent that far away! To prepare for the big day, getting used to wearing a harness will make your puppys transition to the outdoors much smoother.;;

Heres how to prepare:

Pick a comfortable harness for them. A padded one that doesnt squeeze them tight will be brilliant.
Adjust the harness roughly to the size of your puppy. If youre hesitating, its generally better that it fits too big rather than too tight.

How to do it

Lets get them acquainted with each other. Sit on the floor holding the harness and let your puppy investigate it.

Drape the harness over them, and give them a couple of treats.

Encourage your puppy to put their head through the harness reward them when they try it! They should think of the harness as being a good thing that brings treats galore. Its half true anyway.

When your puppy is happy with their head in the harness, fasten it gently and give them a handful of treats.

Take the harness off, and practice getting it back on around 3 times always and keep on, rewarding your puppy! We want them to keep thinking its a magic thing.

PRO TIP: Dont adjust the harness while theyre wearing itit will probably make them feel like its a dodgy piece of armoury. It if needs adjusting, take it off and resize before trying it on again.

Find The Right Incentive For Your Dog

Until guarding becomes a habit for your German shepherd, youll need to teach her whats expected. Effective training, whether it be guarding or basic obedience, will include some kind of reward for your pup, whether it be a treat, toy, or some love. No worries if it takes some trial and error to discover just what motivates your dog itll be so worth it!

German Shepherd Off Leash Training

There might be two main approaches to German Shepherd Off Leash Training.

The first is to have the dog or puppy by your side at all times.

You are in total control, and the dog is heeling at your side.

The second is arguably as effective, but focuses on consistent attention from your GSD at a distance.

The second approach is what we are outlining below.

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How To Train Your Dog To Lay Down

The easiest way to train a dog to lay down on command is to simply wait for them to do it, say the command down, and then give a treat. Over time, he will come to associate the command with his natural actions.

You can also teach a dog to lay down on command by using the lure methodas discussed above in the sit section. Instead of holding the treat up by his forehead, youd move the treat down to the floor, right between his front paws.

Commit To Basic Commands

How to train aggressive german shepherd- Reactive dog training

Even if you dont intend to do upper-level training, join;obedience competitions, or participate in;Schutzhund, you should commit to mastering at least the basic commands of sit, down, stay, and come.

German Shepherds belong to the first tier of working dogs in the;Dog Intelligence Ranking. Dogs in this group can obey commands at least 95% of the time.

This is the standard you should strive for when it comes to these basic obedience commands as these will help you handle your dog in many real-life situations.

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Remember When Training A German Shepherd Puppy:

Time out should not last over 1-2 minutes.
Watch for when your puppy is calm and quiet for a very brief period .
Then let them out quietly, without scolding them.

And dont close a door on a young puppy inside a room!

This can cause anxiety. Remember to use a pet gateto separate them off from the excitement that caused the unwanted behavior, while still allowing them to see you and not feel trapped.

Dont allow them out of time out while they are barking, whining, scratching, or otherwise acting out. This only serves to reinforce the unwanted bad behavior and doesnt discipline them effectively.

At What Age Should You Start Training German Shepherds

You should begin training your German Shepherd puppy the moment they arrive in your home. Despite popular misconceptions, its never too early to start training.

In fact, the longer you wait, the harder it will be to train your pup. If German Shepherd puppies are given the opportunity to form bad habits it will be harder to break them as they get older.

You need to be consistent when training your GSD. Establish the fact that you call the shots when they are still very young. They dont react well to harsh training methods, nor do they need them. Instead, these beautiful animals should be instructed with a firm but loving hand.

While its important to begin training right away, its crucial to keep your German Shepherd puppys mental and physical development in mind. Set your expectations to match them. For example, its unreasonable to expect a 10-week-old puppy to be fully house-trained and responsive to all commands.

If youre worried that your GSD puppy isnt reaching various training milestones, check out this general guideline:

of age your German Shepherd puppy should be able to:

Come when called
Walk nicely on a leash
Hold their bladder for 2 3 hours