Tips For Training German Shepherd

Why You Need To Be Alpha And How To Do So

German Shepherd dogs are highly intelligent and social creatures. Their trainability, sense of loyalty, and astounding cleverness make this breed an excellent choice for families who want to compete in a variety of dog sports such as obedience or agility competitions.

This intelligence and sense of dominance mean that they may be difficult to handle for an inexperienced owner. For this reason, German Shepherds, despite their popularity, are not recommended for first-time dog owners or owners who dont have experience with guardian breeds.

Teaching your German Shepherd that you are the leader of the pack, the alpha, is extremely important. This will ensure that your dog will look to you for guidance rather than taking matters into their own paws. An untrained, dominant German Shepherd is a disaster waiting to happen.

There are a few ways that you can let your German Shepherd pup know who the boss is. While training is extremely effective, there are some even more subtle ways.

• Only feed your dog once youve eaten.
• Dont let your dog go through doorways before you.
• Set boundaries such as not allowing them in the room when you are eating.
• Speak in a firm voice.
• Dont let disobedience fly. If your puppy ignores a command, get their attention and insist that they listen to you.

Week 2 Training Your German Shepherd Puppy

Week 2 has arrived, and the fun has officially begun how are you progressing with training your German Shepherd puppy? This week, well focus on socialisation and habituation, with a particular emphasis on novelty and noises.

Training There are many new things to learn and teach your German Shepherd puppy, and they will devour everything.

Husbandry Yes, that coat is certainly in need of some TLC by now, so well go to work on that glossy mane.

• Introduce lead walking training

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.

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Training A German Shepherd Not To Bite

When your german shepherd is still a puppy, you’ll find out that biting is an issue. This is because the way dogs play is different with humans. To train your german shepherd to not bite you, all you have to do is reply your dog with a high pitch “Ouch!” when he bites you.

After saying “Ouch”, stop all eye contacts with your german shepherd and do something else. E.g. scroll thru your social media. After some time, your german shepherd will be calm and learn that it’s not right to bite you.

But if your dog is having biting issues at an old age, especially with other dogs, a simple “Ouch” won’t work.

Have a small air horn with you during the times when your dog is most likely to bit others. The air horn will help to distract your dog. Then, follow with a obedience command to get your dog to sit before things get worse.

German Shepherd Characteristics And Temperament

Think of a German shepherd. The first image that probably enters your mind is one working as a police dog protecting their partner from harms way or chasing down criminals with determination and speed.

And its no surprise why. German shepherds have long been considered the best police dogs out there, thanks to their loyalty, bravery, and ability to stay calm under pressure.

These same attributes make them perfect family companions. They will protect their owner and cherish every moment with them. Their gentle and sensitive demeanor also makes them great around kids too.

That said, keep in mind that German shepherds are working dogs through and through. They require a lot of exercise and mental stimulation to be truly happy. If they dont get enough of either of these things, its almost a given that theyll turn to more unsavory ways to release their energy and keep themselves entertained!

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Your German Shepherd Puppy Needs A Good Leader

German Shepherd is a pack animal. And every German Shepherd puppy knows that its survival is dependent on the pack leader. In the house, the owner is the pack leader.

Right from the start, you need to show your puppy that you are a skilled and reliable pack leader. You should always let your dog know what you want them to do or not do. If you succeed, your pup will devote entirely to you and will do everything to please you.

But the puppy will put you to the test, again and again until it feels safe and secure.

If you want to learn more about how to be a good leader for your dog, watch this video from McCann Dog Training.

Additional German Shepherd Training Tips And Tricks

Training your German Shepherd should be fun and educational for both you and your dog.

Here are a couple of tips that will bring you closer to success and help you and your dog form an everlasting bond:

We hope you enjoyed this post on German Shepherd training. These dogs can be a fantastic companion and working animals as long as youre willing to put in the work it takes to train them properly from a young age.

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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

of age your German Shepherd puppy should be able to:

• Give paw on command
• Stay or wait before taking food on command
• Hold their bladder for 4 4.5 hours

of age, your German Shepherd puppy should be able to:

Top 3 Dog Training Behaviors

Lets discuss the differences between German Shepherd dogs and other breeds of dogs.

German Shepherd dogs, as with all dogs, do not respond to authoritative or punishment-based training methods. GSDs understand consequences and will respond quickly when set up for success. Pushing, pulling or forcing a GSD to comply with a behavior will mostly likely result in a dog bite or your dog will become afraid of you.

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Age Matters Or Does It

Im about to give you two conflicting statements but bear with me. Age matters when it comes to training a German Shepherd. But age also doesnt matter. Heres why.

Theres an old adage that states, You cant teach an old dog new tricks. The meaning of this is that once someone or something reaches a certain age, theyre no longer able to learn new behaviors. This stems from the incorrect assumption that older people and animals will be stuck in their ways.

While it can be difficult to train an older dog , its not impossible. Unless there is a physical reason why an older dog cant do a specific trick or task, there is no reason why they cant learn it.

That said, its definitely easier to train most puppies. This is why early intervention is important. A young German Shepherd will be primed and ready to learn. They will have lots of energy and be ready to please you.

But that doesnt mean an older German Shepherd is impossible to train. It just takes a little more time, effort, and a few extra tricks.

The bottom line on age is that it matters only in the way youll train your German Shepherd. Just dont give up on those older GSDs!

Teach The Puppy To Be Quiet

When training German Shepherds, it is crucial that you teach them the quiet command. Barking is very useful dog behavior and can alert the dog guardians towards intruders or any other potential danger. However, if your dog has developed a habit of unnecessary barking, it will be difficult to handle. Therefore, from the puppyhood stages, you should start training German Shepherds to be quiet. When your pup follows the quiet command, reward and praise the behavior.

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Tip #: Potty Train Your German Shepherd Puppy The Right Way

Right around now you are also probably dealing with potty training, the best German Shepherd puppy training tips for potty training are outlined below. You should know how many times, and when to take you puppy out. Use a crate if you need to and NEVER punish your GSD for an accident you did not see happen, you have to catch-him-in-the-act if you want to mildly reprimand and redirect to the correct spot.

Tip #: Train Your German Shepherd Puppy To Ask For Permission

Dog commands and fun and useful and you can probably find hundreds to teach your GSD. This one though – Ask for permission– is technically not a command, because you will not ask your canine to do it every time, instead you want to teach him to do it on his own every time the occasion requires it. For example, wouldnt it be great if your puppy would look at you for approval before running after another dog or kid? Take time to do this with your puppy, it will be worth it!

This is another one of the most important German Shepherd puppy training tips because a dog that asks for permission is an obedient and safe dog.

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The Ultimate Guide To German Shepherd Obedience Training

If youre looking for advice on German Shepherd obedience training then this is the most important page youre ever going to read.

Because while obedience training is often thought of as a quick and easy way to get your dog to obey, its important to be aware of the pitfalls of getting it wrong!

Now, the problem with this particular breed is that they value hierarchy and the pecking order above all else. Making it potentially tricky when it comes to establishing yourself as the pack leader.

Worse still, if they are not effectively kept in check. They can be prone to becoming bad-tempered and ill-disciplined.

Especially when their training is erratic or unsatisfactory.

You need to understand that German Shepherds require much more exercise and engagement than most other dogs. And limiting this can often spell disaster if you dont give them out outlet to release their boundless energy.

However, if you can learn to successfully manage this extra demand. They can be a delight to train and develop.

Now, before we get into the dos and dont of obedience training, first a quick heads up.

While obedience training comes with its fair share of benefits, the real magic happens when you learn how to teach your German Shepherd how to remain calm and in control of their emotion.

Pair this with the critical element of learning how to establish yourself as the pack leader, and youve got the ultimate recipe for a well, behaved obedient dog that follows your every command.

When Do German Shepherds Calm Down

So, what do you do if your German Shepherd is hyperactive during their puppy and adolescent stage? Weve got some tips to calm a German Shepherd down.

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Don’t Train If You’re In A Bad Mood

Believe it or not, the behavior of your dog during training is a reflection of yourself. Be positive, supportive, and excited when training.

German shepherds, like other dogs can sense your emotions. They know if you’re happy, sad, tired, angry, or frustrated. If you’re happy during the training, they will be the same too. But, if you’re in a bad mood, your dog will be more defensive and not want to listen to you.

German Shepherd Training Is About Leadership Not Dominance

Whether youve got yourself a GSD puppy or youre sharing your life with a gray-muzzled senior, your dog looks to you for guidance.

If you think guidance is about establishing yourself as the alpha, please know that this is based on pseudo-science, and its not a real thing!

Alpha or dominance training is based on punishment, pain, coercion, and force.

And studies point to a clear breakdown of dog-human relationships based on this type of approach.

Its a fallout that will most certainly cause your German Shepherd NOT to look to you for guidance!

The most valuable thing you can do to be a good leader for your GSD is to approach training them with kindness and clarity.

Training with kindness and clarity will build trust, safety, and comfort. Creating the perfect trifecta for your GSD to want to look to you for guidance and leadership.

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What Do I Need To Train My German Shepherd Puppy

To train your German Shepherd puppy you wont need a lot of equipment but we do recommend

• A collar and ID tags its a legal requirement in many places for dogs to wear ID and dont want you getting in trouble with your new puppy!
• A harness this can be useful for lead walking and is more comfortable for your puppy than walking on a lead
• A 2m training lead youll see these often used with German Shepherds they have rings along the length of the lead so you can alter it to the length you want. Check out our article on favourite puppy training leads.
• Treats you can also use some of your German Shepherd puppys regular food to train, they have a strong work ethic so usually arent too fussy, but why not check out our reviews of healthy puppy treats here.
• Toys German Shepherds are very toy motivated, they just love to play, the big goofy clowns. Not sure what kind of toys theyll like? Have a look at our top picks for puppy toys.

German Shepherd Training For Beginners: How To Completely Train Your Dog

German Shepherd training can feel overwhelming at the beginning, especially if this is your first dog.

The truth is

Training your German Shepherd is a big project, especially for an absolute beginner!

But, it doesnt have to feel daunting if you take it step-by-step.

Even better?

If you follow this easy guide youll be well on your way to getting started with ease.

So lets get down to business.

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German Shepherd Commands In German

In case youre interested in training your GSD in German, here are a few basic commands and pronunciations:

Although its a lot of fun to teach your German Shepherd tricks in German, its best to start in English. That way, when anyone else needs to ask them to do something, theyll be able to do so without you being there.

A great way to make this transition is to also teach your dog hand signals. You can use a hand signal along with the command in English and eventually, theyll respond just to the hand signals.

Then, you can start using the hand signals with German words and eventually, theyll respond to the German commands alone as well. Because these dogs are highly intelligent, theyll not only be able to learn each trick with 3 different signals, but theyll have fun doing it.