Training An Adult German Shepherd

Begin With Imprinting To Create A Bond

Your first task as an owner begins even before your dog is old enough to start learning basic obedience. Imprinting helps your dog understand that you are in charge and that what you say goes. It bonds you together. German Shepherds are, at their core, working dogs. They want to know what their job is, and they want to know where they fit into their pack. In order to do both of these things, you will need to make sure you treat your shepherd how you want him to act.

Dogs that are yelled at and cowed during training will be aggressive and unpredictable as adults . Dogs that are firmly, but lovingly corrected, given plenty of attention and praise, and are rewarded for good behavior, are well-adjusted adults.

Ignore What You Dislike

Ignoring behaviors you dont like can be more effective than scolding and punishing. This is not always the best strategy, but until you find the right thing to do, avoid creating stress that can result in more fear in your dog. Ignore bad behavior and teach them acceptable alternative behavior. For example: Ignore them when they jump on you and reinforce them with petting and praise when they sit. They will learn that they get nothing from jumping on you but they get rewards when sitting.

Training Sessions To Help Train An Older Gsd

Training sessions are specific windows of time you set aside to work on particular commands with your dog. The sessions are usually short, with a structured plan to bring about a particular goal.

Training sessions are great when first starting to train a specific command but can also be used throughout your German Shepherds life to serve as a refresher and keep obedience training consistent.

Older German Shepherds can definitely benefit from training sessions, and they act as a commitment between you and your dog to work together.

They can be used not only to establish basic training commands, such as SIT and STAY, but also to impart more advanced techniques such as roll over or speak!

Training sessions are best when kept short. If a session drags on too long, your German Shepherd will become disinterested and be easily distracted, which will lead to mistakes and end up being a waste of your time.

Be efficient with your sessions and keep them as short, manageable segments of 10 minutes or less. This is usually best accomplished by teaching one command at a time.

When training an older German Shepherd in a session, its important to ensure that the time will be well spent and your dog wont get too overwhelmed. For this reason, try to practice somewhere quiet and with minimal distractions to start.

Remember that consistency is key, so you need to reinforce training even outside of training sessions. This will enable your dog to continue to learn.

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How To Train Your German Shepherd Puppy Not To Jump

While having your German Shepherd puppy jump up enthusiastically is cute when they are little, the novelty wears off pretty quickly. A 20-pound puppy may be unlikely to knock you over a 100-pound adult is another story.

Luckily, teaching your pup not to jump isnt rocket science. Its a matter of conditioning. The first step in training your German Shepherd pup to keep calm when they greet you is to set the mood: if you are relaxed, your puppy will learn to be relaxed as well.

Here are a few tips:

• Keep greetings low-key. Greeting your puppy enthusiastically and loudly is a great way to encourage them to jump up. Instead, come in the front door quietly and wait a minute or so before saying hello to your pup.
• If your dog jumps on you, ignore them. Resist the urge to pet them. Petting them when they jump up reinforces the negative behavior. Turning away from them when they jump will show them that jumping does not get your attention.
• Only pay attention to your dog when theyre sitting. As soon as you get in the door, tell your dog to sit, and only reward them with attention when theyve done so.
• Be patient. Because your German Shepherd pup is so happy to see you when you walk in the door, it may take them a while to realize that they will only get the attention they want when all four paws are on the floor.

Can You Still Train A 6

You can still train a 6-month old German Shepherd. Younger puppies have short attention spans, but 6-month old GSD puppies can learn much more at this juvenile stage. However, start as if they were an 8-week old puppy as you may need to undo and re-teach incorrect behaviors already learned or trained.

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Benefits Of Obedience Training

Most German Shepherds will take to their new family quickly.

As with all dogs, they will be curious and a little apprehensive being parted from their litter and mother for the first time. But they are a breed characterized by adaptability.

Any trainer will be glad to tell you that their receptiveness and natural curiosity makes them a delight to train.

And unless you are very unlucky or, more likely, just making mistakes, they will usually take to obedience training faster than most breeds.

The advantage of an obedient German Shepherd is that they can make for an outstanding family dog.

While famed for their defensive and protective qualities, they will socialize well into a receptive family who keeps them busy and reminds them when needed exactly who the boss is.

You need to get into the habit of using vocal instruction and hand instructions early and constantly reinforce lessons throughout the day. Because a bored German Shepherd will be far more likely to become a disruptive handful.

Positive & Negative Reinforcement Is Crucial

Knowing when to praise and tell off any dog is one thing any owner should invest time in learning.

Arguably, of all the breeds out there, German Shepherds rely on this far more than most.

Reinforcement is an essential tool for communicating with your dog. The idea is that they will grow to understand when they are being rewarded and for what reason.

But how do we punish bad behavior effectively?

So how do you go about achieving this?

Socialisation Exercises To Do This Week

• Meeting another dog isnt only about your puppy running about like a wild thing, but also about your puppy learning to focus on you while another dog is there, as well as being comfortable in another dogs presence. Calm older dogs are good for this one.
• Find a good puppy class for your puppy

PRO TIP: For German Shepherd puppies, its truly worthwhile finding a puppy trainer or attending a puppy socialisation class. They have a long list of brilliant advantages, some of the best ones being that youll get fresh ideas of all things training, and a happy trainer to help you with any problems you might be having. They will also help you keep track of your puppys improvement, and make sure that the difficulty is always right so your puppy is kept on their toes and eager to learn.

Most importantly for German Shepherd puppies, it will give you a chance to work with them around other people, and different dogs from a young age.

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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:

Week 5 Training Your German Shepherd Puppy

Week 5 already, what quirks have you spotted in your German Shepherd?

Were going to be taking the lead walking and recall training outside youll be grateful for the harness you taught your German Shepherd puppy to wear for this bit. If you think this training is as easy as a walk in the park, think again. For the time being, its all about training a puppy to learn how to walk properly and how to react to whats going on around them.

For socialisation, start working on items that are vital to your lifestyle this week, such as if you have a horse and want your puppy to be comfortable with horses, or if you enjoy sailing, having them near water will be important to you. Getting your puppy exposed to new experiences early on can help them accept them much more easily.

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Sprints Build Muscle And Cardio Fitness

If you want to save your shoulder, try a dog ball launcher with your German Shepherd.

Sprints increase your dogs speed and overall performance.

Theyre also fun!

And your German Shepherd naturally excels at speed because of its herding history. While excessive and sharp turns on the ground can injure your dog due to the stress of stopping, you can still play a game of catch in moderation.

Instead of seeing how far you can throw the ball and having your GSD slide into the ground, aim for shooting the ball in the air a short distance in front to allow your dog to catch the ball and avoid harsh slides.

If you find that you dont want to tire your arm trying to keep up with your dogs boundless energy, then look for a tennis ball launcher to save your shoulder while exercising your German Shepherd. You can launch tennis balls up to 50 feet in the air without exhausting your arms!

Short sprints are great for burning away energy that would otherwise become pent-up anxiety in your dog.

Sprints also increase lung and heart health, challenge muscles and balance, improve coordination, and make your German Shepherd happy!

Husbandry Tasks To Do This Week

• Get started with grooming and brushing sensitive areas In long-haired German Shepherds, this is typically the case with the face, legs, and ears, which become tangled the most and may hurt when brushed. Remember to brush carefully, do a little bit of brushing on a sensitive area while feeding them treats or letting them have a lickimat, and then brush an easier to brush area. Furminators are good for getting out dead hair, dont go overboard though, we dont want a bald puppy!

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Learn How To Train A German Shepherdwith My Advanced Member Lessons

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View: Check out my Member Section for detailed videos on German Shepherd Training

Height: 24-26 inches // 22-24 inches Weight: 65-90 pounds // 50-70 pounds Average Life Span: 10-12 yearsTemperament: Confident, Courageous, SmartSource: ACK

Challenge Area 1: A strong need for clear communication.Challenge Area 2: They need a job to do.Challenge Area 3: They need a fair and solid leader.Challenge Area 4: Without structure they can be a disaster.

German Shepherd Training Books

If youve decided to train your German Shepherd dog on your own, youll want a little bit of guidance. This is where training books come in. Dog training isnt always breed-specific, yet there are some things you may need to take into consideration when training your German Shepherd.

Training books geared toward the specific needs of German Shepherds can be an invaluable tool when training your dog. Some good examples are the German Shepherd Owners Guide: From Pup to Pal and the German Shepherd Handbook.

You can consult your breeder, local GSD club, or veterinarian for recommendations.

However, there are also a few good books online that may prove helpful, such as:

• How to Train a German Shepherd: An Essential German Shepherd Training Guide by Austin Gleonard

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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:

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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.

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How To Do Clicker Training For German Shepherds

Clicker training is a popular reward-based training method. Its a great option for German Shepherd owners because its direct. The dog wants to please their owner, and is a simple way of letting your dog know what you want so you can instantly reward them once they comply.

If youre interested in clicker training your dog, the good news is that you only need one thing: a clicker. A clicker is a small plastic device with a button makes a distinctive clicking noise when you press it.

There are tons of different clickers on the market, and they all pretty much do the same thing. The brand and model you choose will be based largely on personal preference. The difference is mostly in the sound: some are loud, while others make a softer clicking noise.

Youll want to find a clicker that you wont lose, and that is comfortable to use. Some, such as the Downtown Pet Supply clicker, come with a bracelet so you can wear the clicker around your wrist during training sessions.

Others, such as the Starmark Pro-training clicker, have a keyring and can easily be attached to your house keys, which is particularly useful if youre using the clicker to help with potty training. Its also great to be able to train on-the-go.

Whatever clicker you choose, the methodology is much more important than the hardware involved. When clicker training your dog the most important thing is consistency.

Heres a simplified step-by-step guide to clicker training:

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