Are All Adult German Shepherds Potty Trained
No, not all adult German Shepherds are potty trained. Just because dogs are all grown up, doesnt mean they know how to eliminate themselves the way you expect them to. It all depends on what theyve been trained to do and what theyve gotten used to.
If youre welcoming a new adult German Shepherd into your home, theres a chance youll still need to potty train them. At the very least, youll need to get them used to your own home and your own rules.
Nevertheless, the general process of training an adult is pretty much the same as potty training a puppy.
German Shepherd Puppy Training: Potty Outside
Another important item on your German shepherd puppy training list is House training. It can be a bit stressful, but if done correctly, you can accomplish it very quickly. Just keep in mind that depending on your puppy in can take anywhere from 1 week to several months to complete potty training.
The following info-graphic has some simple rules to follow and make german shepher potty training easy and effective:
- Take your puppy out for a potty break every 2-3 hours.
- Take your puppy out for a potty the break after every meal.
- Take your puppy out for a potty break after a nap.
- Take your puppy out for a potty break after a play session.
The main idea when potty training a German shepherd puppy, is to take him out as often as he needs to and reward him after he is done. The infographic above gives you an idea of how often a puppy needs to go out. However, you need to know your own puppy.
How To Train A German Shepherd To Attack
German Shepherd dogs are naturally protective. If you are in any type of real danger, you wont need a special command to get your German Shepherd to help you.
Because you can rely on their natural protection instinct in the event of an actual emergency, its unwise to teach your German Shepherd to attack on command. While members of law enforcement often utilize German Shepherds to subdue criminals, both the human and the canine involved undergo rigorous professional training.
If your German Shepherd dog is simply a pet, there is no reason to train them to attack on command. German Shepherd dogs who are well-trained and well-socialized will be able to differentiate between an actual threat and a perceived threat, whereas aggressive German Shepherds will react even when the situation doesnt call for it.
Encouraging aggressive behavior in your German Shepherd can have disastrous results, and puts you, your family, your dog, and the public at large at risk.
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Potty Training An 8 Week Old German Shepherd
Potty training can be one of the most daunting tasks of raising a brand new puppy.
The younger the puppy, the more potty breaks shell need.
Dont be surprised if you find a few messes around the house in the beginning. It may take a bit longer than you expected for your puppy to get the hang of things!
But if you stick to a strict schedule, youll decrease the likelihood of potty training mishaps.
Areas Of German Shepherd Puppy Training
Your GSD will need some form of training throughout his life. It might be training for a sport in their early adult years or training to cope with an age-related life change.
But, as a puppy, there are five key areas in which you must appropriately train your 8-week old German Shepherd. In the next section, I tell you what training entails for each of these areas. If you are looking for a step-by-step guide on how to train a German Shepherd, I have just the article for you.
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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:
Welcome to the German Shepherd Club! Word has it youve picked up your new puppy and now youre looking for information on German Shepherd training? Well youve come to the right place, were going to teach all you need to know about how to train a German Shepherd Puppy
German Shepherds are special because theyre such hard workers! Theyre even in the working dog group, says something doesnt it? It means theyre quick to learn and easy to train, theyll relish being in a partnership with someone and enjoy clear loving guidance. Theyre known for their loyalty and bravery but are also actually super sensitive awww.
Teach Them Handling Skills
While your dog may enjoy gentle caresses and hugs from you they will also need to learn other important handling skills.
Think about the grooming your dog will need and how the vet might handle your pup in the future.
Gently touch and stroke your puppys paws, nails , tail, bridge of their nose, and legs. These are all areas where they will be touched in the future.
Handling skills involve intentional, purposeful touch that acclimates your dog to uneasy situations in the near future.
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Morning: Time For A Nutritious Breakfast
Puppies need a lot of nutrients to grow up healthy and strong. A nutritious breakfast helps them get the energy they need to start the day.
After a nutritious breakfast, take your dog on a potty break so it doesnt have accidents in the house.
Dogs are creatures of habit, so if you make potty breaks part of their daily routine, theyll quickly learn to do it themselves.
What Should I Feed My 8
As a large breed dog, your German Shepherd you should only feed your puppy food that is specially formulated for large breed puppies. Large breed puppies have different nutritional needs that are not found in ordinary puppy food.
Feeding a commercially available food that is formulated for large breed puppies helps them to grow at a sustained rate.
Steady growth in a large breed puppy helps to avoid stress on their bones and gives them a strong skeletal foundation for their athletic muscles. Limiting food intake in growing German Shepherd puppies has also been associated with fewer signs of hip dysplasia.
This is of extreme importance in this breed due to the high incidence of hip problems and the pain associated with this joint disorder. A growing puppy is best fed a proprietary pet food that has been specifically formulated to meet its nutritional needs.
Foods that are available as dry kibble are especially suitable to rear even the youngest of puppies. Homemade diets may, in theory, be adequate, but its difficult to ensure that all the proper nutrients are provided in their available form unless they are laboratory tested on every batch made.
Opt for this specially formulated food for large breed puppiesto keep your dog growing at a healthy rate that helps them stay strong. It is a complete balanced diet so nothing is missing.
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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.
Food Requirements For An 8
By the time he reaches eight weeks old, the weaning period of your German Shepherd puppy is already complete. You may introduce him to other puppy food, and it should not depend on his mothers milk.
Feed your puppy hard kibble moistened with warm goats milk. This goats milk is easily digestible and gives your growing puppy all of the vital vitamins and minerals your puppy needs during this crucial development phase.
Moreover, an 8-week-old German Shepherd may develop a better appetite for other solid meals.
To pique your dogs interest, offer him only a few tiny spoonfuls of canned plain pumpkin, unsweetened Greek yogurt, or cooked oatmeal.
You can give your German Shepherd up to 2 cups daily, but dont be shocked if he doesnt finish it all.
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German Shepherd Potty Training Aids
The are several commercial items available to help you potty train your German shepherd dog. The following are my recommendations:
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What To Expect From A New Puppy
Raising any puppy has its overwhelming moments, and German Shepherd puppies are no exception!
After a few nights of interrupted sleep, potty-training mishaps, and that puppy penchant for destruction, you may feel like youre at the end of your rope.
This is completely normal. Every new puppy owner has their moments of frustration and doubt.
Remember that your 8-week-old German Shepherd puppy is going through a big life change, too.
She may be feeling stressed and out of sorts when you first bring her home. Consistency and structure will go a long way toward helping both of you.
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Why Join Petbarn Puppy School
When it comes to training, the early months of your puppys life is essential. They will learn vital socialisation and communication skills when they are young and these early life experiences influence how your puppy will play, communicate and learn as they develop into an adult dog. Our Petbarn Puppy Schools are conducted by our trained and qualified Puppy Trainers to help your puppy reach their potential.Our courses also connect you to our national network of Trainers, Veterinarians, Veterinary Behaviourists, Groomers and Retail experts you can rely on for ongoing tips and advice. We work with some of the best in the industry to ensure we are up to date with leading scientific research and collectively draw on many thousands of hours of training and practice. All our Trainers undergo theory and practical training and assessments to meet our strict standards.
Week Old German Shepherd Diarrhea
If your brand new puppy has an upset stomach despite your best efforts, dont worry too much its normal for puppies to have diarrhea within the first few days of arriving at their new homes.
The stress of such a drastic life change can manifest in different ways, and an upset stomach is a pretty common reaction.
You can give your pup a better chance of having a settled stomach by keeping her on the food she was eating before you brought her home, and feeding on a consistent schedule.
Diarrhea can also be a sign of an underlying issue besides stress, however, and severe diarrhea can be life-threatening if left untreated.
If your puppy is vomiting, has bloody diarrhea, seems unusually lethargic, or is refusing to eat or drink, then its time to call the vet.
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Skip Yelping If It’s Not Working
You may have heard about yelping or saying ouch when a pup nips. However, this doesn’t work with all dogs, and in my experience, some German shepherd pups will nip even more!
Why is it that some puppies get more hyper and excited after hearing people “yelp?” Most likely for the same reason they love squeaky toys: yelps and squeaks trigger a dog’s predatory drive.
How fun is it to play with a live tug toy which, on top of moving, emits squeaking and squawking noises too? Very fun! says a German Shepherd pup.
How To Keep Your Dog From Barking
While German Shepherds communicate primarily through body language, their bark is another way for them to let others know what theyre thinking. Its unreasonable to expect your German Shepherd never to bark, but you should teach your dog when barking is acceptable.
A GSD is a guardian breed, and he will want to protect his family and his home from any danger. Thats why they bark when someone knocks on the door. But, they may also bark at other dogs, the TV, and other non-threatening stimuli.
What can make this behavior tricky is that you want them to bark to alert you when a stranger or other legitimate danger approaches, but you also want them to stop after youve confirmed that the family is not in danger.
The best way to do this is to follow these steps:
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German Shepherd Puppy Socialization Training Tips:
- Without their full set of vaccinations, your puppy is vulnerable to infectious diseases. However, consider taking your young dog to early socialization classes where all other dogs have also been immunized. This reduces the risk of becoming sick and helps your German Shepherd become a confident, well-adjusted, and friendly dog.
- The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior promotes early socialization , even before your dog receives its full set of vaccines, as lack of socialization is detrimental long-term.
- Every new interaction or must be followed with a reward a tasty treat! This ensures your puppy has positive associations with new experiences, people, and other dogs. You can use your puppys kibble as a reward or something even better, like one of these best lip-smacking treats.
- Always make sure socialization is about positive interactions and never ignore your dogs body language. If your puppy becomes scared, simply remove the scary thing or threat and let your puppy explore other things that dont scare them.
- With the proper socialization training, your puppy should become eager to explore new places and meet new people and animals.
Taking your German Shepherd puppy to new places exposes them to different people, dogs, sights, and sounds. But only choose safe areas where your dog wont catch any sickness before all their vaccinations are in order.
Be Consistent In Your Expectations And Actions
If your puppy barks for a meal one day and you say NO and withhold it till he is quiet, but you give it to them while barking on a different day, youll never achieve any good results with your training.
Let your NO always be NO, and your soft voice always so. Otherwise, your poor puppy will be confused about what you expect and will not know how you want them to behave.
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What To Feed An 8
What you feed your puppy will determine their health and development. Food plays a crucial role in muscle, bone, eye, teeth, and brain development for a German Shepherd. An 8-week old German Shepherd needs special considerations when choosing what to feed them.
Check out the best food for 8 week old German Shepherd.
A German Shepherd puppy should be fed food specially made for large breeds. This is because the food contains high levels of proteins to ensure that your puppy develops fully. To avoid joint problems, make sure that the food is properly balanced.
Additional nutrients such as phosphorus are good for strong teeth. Feed your puppy with food rich in fiber to get a good quality stool.
It is also important for you to identify what your puppy likes. Knowing what they crave should guide you in choosing the best flavor for their food. If your puppy likes the flavor, it encourages them to eat more.