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.
The Origin Of The German Shepherd Breed
The origin of the German Shepherd can be traced back to Europe in the middle of the 19th century when people were first beginning to try and develop standard dog breeds. Before this, dogs had not been nearly as domesticated as they are now. You could not go to a store and pick out a purebred Alaskan Husky, for example. What you saw was what you got, and oftentimes, people have no idea what kind of dog they even had.
Dogs were bred in accordance with the local needs by choosing and selecting different traits that would be desirable for those hoping to own a dog. In Germany, farmers needed their animals protected, and they needed help herding their sheep. This required a good blend of strength, agility, intelligence, and a good sense of smell and direction.
As breeders continued to isolate these traits, the easily recognizable German Shepherd breed slowly emerged. These dogs have no problem herding sheep, and the traits of intelligence and strength ran through the whole breed. However, the appearance of these dogs, and their individual abilities, often varied between individuals.
Naturally, to create a standardized breed, the breeders needed to eliminate these differences.
How Long Do German Shepherds Live Are They A Healthy Breed
German Shepherds typically live 10-12 years. Some do live to 13 or 14, but usually with chronic health issues such as arthritis.
And sadly, many don’t even make it to age 10.
As a long-time German Shepherd owner, I know first-hand how many health problems this breed suffers from. Crippling joint diseases, autoimmune diseases, digestive diseases, skin diseases, heart and eye diseases…. truly a breed with serious health problems.
It’s a good idea to have pet insurance when you own a German Shepherd.
Here is a complete list of health problems in German Shepherds.
See my advice on keeping;your;dog;healthy.
The most common color in German Shepherds black and tan, in the saddleback pattern
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Black & Cream German Shepherd
Another beautiful standard color of the GSD, the black and cream German Shepherd is another popular choice among owners around the world.
Theyre very similar in appearance to the black and silver, but with a different shade of white. But if you look close enough, theyre quite different.
Instead of the metallic-like silver coloring, the black and cream has an off-white cream color. This cream color can vary from dog to dog, but usually has a hint of yellow to it.
Like the black and silver, this colored German Shepherd will have a bottom thats primarily cream and a top thats primarily black.
Again, the black can come in different hues and its not uncommon to see different shades of black on this dog.
Kennel Club Charitable Trust
The Kennel Club Charitable Trust is a dog charity that looks after the welfare and health of dogs. They fund a wide variety of work, including supporting research into canine diseases, dog welfare organisations and the promotion of service dogs. Set up in 1987, it was first registered with the Charity Commission in May 1988.The Duchess of Cornwall became the first patron of the Trust in October 2007 when it celebrated its twentieth anniversary.
The Kennel Club makes many donations to charitable causes, with grants totalling over £10 million between the club’s foundation and 2020. The Animal Health Trust has frequently received donations from the Kennel Club and, in 2012, a £1.5 million interest free loan was granted to the AHT to enable it to complete the building and equipping of a new animal cancer treatment and research centre at its base in Suffolk. The AHT also regularly receives funding to enable work to continue at the Genetics Centre run in conjunction with the Kennel Club. The sum of £250,000 was donated to the Genetics Centre in 2010. During 2010, the Kennel Club Charitable Trust had provided almost £800,000 to help non-pedigree as well as pedigree organizations.
The Kennel Club Charitable Trust also funded a new building at the National Agricultural Centre, Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, which was opened by Prince Michael of Kent in February 2009. The facilities are used for various canine related competitions, training, seminars and charity events.
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Where Do German Shepherds Come From
German Shepherd/OriginAs the name suggests, the German Shepherd originated in Germany in the late 1800s. The most intelligent, responsive and obedient local shepherd dogs in Germany were bred to create what is now known as the German Shepherd. This breed was responsible for herding sheep and protecting flocks from predators.
Breed History: Where Did German Shepherds Come From the-dog-blog posts breed-hi
Do German Shepherd Ears Stand Up On Their Own Or Do They Have To Be Cut Or Taped To Make Them Stand Up
Ah, you’re thinking about cropping, a surgical procedure to make the ears stand up. That’s done with Doberman Pinschers, but not with German Shepherds. A Shepherd puppy’s ears prick up naturally they’re never cropped.
German Shepherd puppy with perfectly normal ears at this age. If the pup inherited normal genes, the other ear should come up shortly.
But German Shepherd puppies aren’t born with pricked ears. In some pups, the ears start to prick up at 6 or 8 weeks old, while others don’t start until 12 or 14 weeks old.
Often the ears don’t go up smoothly. In other words, they don’t suddenly pop straight up. Typically one ear will go up halfway, and stay like that for a few days. Then the other ear may start to prick while the first ear straightens all the way up. A few days later, just as the second ear straightens up, the first one suddenly flops back down.
This can be a trying time for new owners who worry that their pup’s ears will never stand properly. Rest assured, it’s normal for German Shepherd puppy ears to go up and down for a month or two, especially during the teething period.
Unfortunately, some puppies do inherit poor genes for ear strength and often those ears will never come all the way up. They’re called “soft ears.” Sometimes taping a weak ear can help it stand erect, but often not.
I had a German Shepherd with one soft ear. It flopped sideways on top of his head, while the other ear stood up beautifully. Of course I loved him dearly anyway!
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Welcome To Summerview German Shepherds
Summerview German Shepherds has consistently strived to perfect the best in the German Shepherd breed in temperament, and it has shown through out our existence in producing some of the best tempered German Shepherd dogs, and German Shepherd puppies.; Standing behind that, we like to provide our new extended families information about the German Shepherd breed.; As reputable German Shepherd breeders, we continuously are looking to provide updated, reliable, and most importantly, truly informative information regarding our German Shepherd dogs, and German Shepherd puppies, and the German Shepherd breed in general. All of our adult dogs are OFA hip/elbow dysplasia certified, OFA DM N/N cleared, have yearly health check ups with our vet and are up to date on their vaccines.; We ship our German Shepherd dogs and German Shepherd puppies across Ontario, and Canada.
Books By Michele Welton
“Respect Training for Puppies”; is a step by step guide to help you bring out the best in your pup so you can enjoy a calm and well-behaved dog, no matter what his age. Get your book today.
“11 Things You Must Do Right To Keep Your Dog Healthy and Happy”; is a comprehensive guide to keeping your dog mentally, physically, and emotionally happy and healthy so you can enjoy a longer lifetime of companionship. A healthy dog is a happy dog, so buy your copy today.
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Positive Reinforcement Produces Positive Results
Your German Shepherd will respond best to training with positive reinforcement. Yelling or physical punishment will cause this intelligent breed to mistrust you.
Reward good behavior with treats or praise or both. Its the best way to show your German Shepherd that hes doing it right and its a motivator for him to continue with this behavior.
Remember earlier when I said that your German Shepherd actually wants to please you?
Well, once your dog has mastered the behavior, you can remove the treats and reward only with praise hell relish in it all the same.
You know by now that there are heaps of different training programs. Each program has a specific focus, function, and outcome.
Well take a closer look at some of these in future posts. So, for now, lets look at two basic programs
Black And Red German Shepherd
Unlike most of the colors in the list, this color is most suited to show bloodlines, as opposed to working GSD bloodlines.
The black and red German Shepherd strongly resembles the black and tan variation.
One difference is that the tan-colored areas are replaced with reddish-brown areas. This red pigment is much stronger than the tan pigment.
These red areas sometimes appear to be lighter in color .
The black color on their fur is still the same as the other variations with a black saddle-like marking and a black mask marking.
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Where To Adopt Of Buy A German Shepherd
If you think you’d like to adopt a German shepherd, start by contacting one of the following organizations:
These groups will be able to provide guidance and next steps for adoption. If you aren’t certain the breed is right for you, you may be able to try foster care to test if a GSD is a good fit for your home.
Your Dog Has One Basic Need Understand This And Training Will Be A Breeze
See that cute puppy snuggled up on your sofa? See that old dog that needs to learn new tricks?
They look to you for guidance
And Heres the trick:
The most valuable thing you can do for your dog is to show him that you are a good leader. ;
If you’re thinking good leadership is establishing yourself as an alpha’ you’re wrong.
Your dog knows you’re not a dog and so will never see you as a dog or an alpha.
Being a good leader means your GSD can and will always look to you for guidance.
Think about it
If your pooch is looking to you for guidance they feel comfortable and safe and that creates an environment of trust.
Being a good leader is about using brains over brawn to teach your German Shepherd.
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My Experience With German Shepherd Temperament
Temperament and behavior stem from what the breed was designed for
To understand a breed’s temperament and behavior, ask, “What was he developed to do?” Whichever traits help him accomplish his intended work have likely been “hard-wired” into his genes not perfectly, but generally.
The German Shepherd was developed from various sheepherding dogs. So you would expect sheepherding traits such as athleticism, a compulsion to chase things that move, and swift responsiveness to their human shepherd/master.
German Shepherds were also developed as military messenger and sentry dogs, and as personal protection and police dogs. So expect traits such as aloofness toward strangers and protective/territorial instincts.
The breed also excels at search and rescue, bomb and drug detection, and guiding the blind. Certainly you would expect high intelligence, high self-confidence, trainability, and an ability to focus.
All of those traits are what you get in an ideal German Shepherd. One of the most capable and trainable breeds in all of dogdom, an ideal German Shepherd, when properly raised by a confident owner, can be a magnificent companion. There’s a good reason my first dogs were German Shepherds!
Unfortunately, it can be difficult today to find a German Shepherd with an ideal temperament. Or at least an ideal temperament to be a good family companion.
Different lines have different temperaments
My recommendation for a good family dog
I hope you can see….
German Shepherd Obedience Training
German Shepherds are incredibly smart and motivated. This makes them a rewarding breed to train.
German Shepherd training should be fun for you and your dog. Always use force-free, positive reinforcement methods.
Avoid trainers that use dominance-based methods training methods.
Never use painful tools such as prong collars, choke chains or shock collars.
Do not use physical tactics such as spanking or alpha rolls.
Instead, sign up for a positive reinforcement obedience class. This type of class will help you strengthen your bond with your dog. It is also the most effective method of training.
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Why Rescue Or Adopt A Gsd
German Shepherds are extremely common in American animal shelters.
Most of these GSDs are homeless due to no fault of their own. Many are relinquished to shelters when their owners move or fall upon financial difficulties.
Some owners are forced to surrender their GSDs due to landlord or homeowners insurance restrictions. German Shepherds are frequently on the list of dangerous breeds that are prohibited by certain insurance companies and property managers.
Make sure you know the rules and regulations for your residence before you acquire one of these dogs!
With so many German Shepherds needing new homes, please make adoption your first option.
Gsds Are Loving Companions
These are very social dogs who want to spend time with their humans. The more time your dog gets to spend with you, the happier your companion will be. They may exhibit aloofness with strangers rather than immediately adoring everyone they see, but that only makes their love even more special. Plus, these loyal and dedicated guardians and gentle family pets are willing to put their life on the line to protect their loved ones. And you cant ask for a more loving best friend than that.
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Black And Cream German Shepherd
The black and cream German Shepherd is simply a lighter variation of the stereotypical black and tan variation.
Their back is covered in a black saddle-like pattern and they will also have a mask of black fur covering their face.
The difference is this coat has a lighter shade as opposed to tan.
The black coloration against their cream fur can really accentuate their gorgeous black markings.
German Shepherd Health Issues
German Shepherds, like most other purebred animals, suffer from a relatively predictable range of dog ailments.
Elbow and Hip malformations during their growth phase can make a number of them prone to early arthritis and pain.;German Shepherd Hip D is one of the most common issues for this breed.
They also tend to be more likely than the average dog to have:
- Heart problems,
- Degenerative Myelopathy ,
- Hemangiosarcoma ,
- Issues with their eyes
- And Perianal Fistulas .
Discuss these issues with your veterinarian. If you acquire your German Shepherd from a breeder, ask a lot of questions about the health of your dogs lineage.
Also, for starters, if you go the breeder route then ensure that you get your pup from a reliable GSD breeder who has used smart breeding practices to limit the probability of many diseases affecting your pup.; More on how to prepare and approach GSD Breeders below.
Like all dogs, your German Shepherd should visit the veterinarian at least once per year for an annual checkup and vaccinations.
It is crucial for your German Shepherd to receive heartworm and flea prevention every month without fail.
Spaying and neutering are highly encouraged for health reasons as well as to avoid contributing to the dog overpopulation crisis.
With good care, the German Shepherd lifespan is 7 to 10 years.
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Bone And Joint Problems
A number of different musculoskeletal problems have been reported in German Shepherd Dogs. While it may seem overwhelming, each condition can be diagnosed and treated to prevent undue pain and suffering. With diligent observation at home and knowledge about the diseases that may affect your friend’s bones, joints, or muscles, you will be able to take great care of him throughout his life.