How To Deal With An Unruly German Shepherd Mix
German Shepherds can be quite the handful. Its not uncommon to have a German Shepherd who bites at clothing, plays rough, or doesnt listen.
Lets take a look at how to deal with this problem in our latest Ask a Trainer.
Dealing with unruly German Shepherds is easiest with the help of a trainer. I can help no matter where you live.
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In our most recent Ask a Trainer question, a reader asked,
Hello. I recently adopted a around 2 year old lab/German Sheppard mix dog. He tends to bite at humans arms, hands, clothes when excited and will not stop when told to. As well he plays rough with others dogs. Also he doesnt really listen when asked to come or stop his behavior. Is there anything I can do to stop this behavior or should I seek a professional trainers help due to his age? Thank you.
Dont Reward Negative Behavior In Remorse
The reason you should not reward negative behavior is obvious your dog will presume that is what you want to be done! As a dog owner with lots of love for your German Shepherd, you might be remorseful that you denied your pet a treat for not following your command and decide to give him three in compensation.
As much as I appreciate your great love for your German Shepherd, Im sorry to inform you that you just failed your trainers test!
If, as a dog owner, you realize that you cannot be firm with disciplining your pet, seek the help of a professional trainer immediately. You may also want to learn a few heart-hardening tips while you are at it, so you do not undo everything your dogs trainer achieves as soon as you are alone with your buddy.
To help you stay away from these donts, you may want to remind yourself that dogs are dogs, after all! And even though they learn what they should do through training, they might sometimes make mistakes and need understanding from the loving owner they look up to.
Reason #: German Shepherds Are Awesome With Kids
When it comes to canine safety around children, German Shepherds are among the most kind and compassionate breeds on the planet. Their gentle nature and care with children of all ages is widely recognized among dog breeders all over the world. It is this natural affection towards children that makes German Shepherds among the highest sought after family dogs in the canine breeding community.
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Why Does My German Shepherd Circle Me
If your German Shepherd keeps circling you, this post will show you why and what you can do about it.
So, why does my German Shepherd keep circling me? Possible reasons are that it is excited, it wants attention, it is a herding instinct or that it is being dominating.
Certain causes will be more likely than others depending on the way that it does it. Once you have a good idea of the cause it will become easier for you to get it to stop.
How Smart Are German Shepherds Compared To Other Breeds
As mentioned above, according to Stanley Corens research, the German Shepherd is only outranked in intelligence by two other breeds Poodles and Border Collies. Thats pretty good going! All of the breeds tested were put into six categories brightest, excellent, above average, average, fair, and lowest intelligence.
Border Collies, Poodles, and German Shepherds, along with Golden Retrievers, Dobermans, Shetland Sheepdogs, Labradors, Papillons, Rottweiler, and Australian Cattle Dogs were listed in as the brightest dogs category, meaning that they learned new commands in fewer than 5 repetitions. They also performed a known command on the first try over 95% of the time.
So how does this compare with other dogs? The dogs in the average category were able to learn a new command within 25-40 repetitions and followed a known command on the first try at a 50% success rate. This means that German Shepherds are five times faster at learning new things than the average dog, and at least twice as obedient. Not that theres anything wrong with average!
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Is Your German Shepherd Puppy Biting Hands
So, why didnt Allie bite ankles? Because she was too busy biting hands! This was my little piranhas specialty she wanted to nip my hands at every opportunity.
There are lots of reasons why a pup may decide to start biting your hands. For one, good things come from hands. Also, hands are almost like swinging toys from the perspective of a playful pup too enticing to pass up!
The following tips will help you curb your German Shepherd puppys biting instincts, whether they target hands, ankles, or anything else!
Make A Detailed Strategy
The minute you start pet training, you require to have an objective. But to achieve this huge objective, you should specify sub-goals on your own. What does better cooperation or great parenting include? And which commands do you require for this? You then methodically work with these sub-goals. Since within these sub-goals and even within your commands, you have to take numerous useful steps in training.
For example, you can initially choose to teach the pet dog to take a seat by following your hand with the candy. You can teach him not to get up right after he sits down. Some commands are likewise preparatory for a step further. For instance: first, you find out to sit the pet dog, then you can teach him to provide a paw. It is very important that you organize the discovering procedure so that your pet dog can follow this. Are German Shepherds Stubborn
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Be Patient With Your Dog
Be patient with your German Shepherd if he may not be obeying you every single time.
This is important because he needs time to learn how to behave like a good dog. And most people thought a pup would understand every single word they said right off the bat. Well, this may not be the case.
And the fact is, you will need to develop a good bond with your dog first by spending quality time playing with him, walk with him, stay with him and care for him.
As long as you keep an open mind about your dogs personality, youll be able to work with him and get him to take your command as time goes.
Dont Rub Your Dogs Nose In His Dirt
Some dog owners think that rubbing their dogs nose in wrongly disposed of poop or pee will make them never repeat it. Wrong! Your dog might change position next time, and that is because your punishment did not teach him that doing it in the house is wrong.
Dogs like their space clean, especially from their dirt. So, if you force them to the dirt they dont like having next to them, the most you can do is create anxiety and fear.
Instead, if your German Shepherd puppy soils your carpet, clean the mess with a detergent that removes the stain and odor and then redirect your dog outside.
Also, reward him when he relieves himself during a walk and withdraw the reward when the same is done in the house. This will teach your German Shepherd to associate doing his thing outside with a good treat and avoid that which takes it away.
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Reason #: German Shepherds Are Endlessly Trainable
Thanks to their high intelligence and naturally loving nature, training a German Shepherd is not limited to security. GSDs can be masterfully trained for literally anything from basic obedience to professional dog shows and many kinds of therapies used by health professionals. To put it simply, if a dog can be trained to do something, the German Shepherd is on the short list of requested breeds for that training.
Are German Shepherds Smart
According to the American Kennel Club, German Shepherds, also known as Alsatians, are the second most popular breed of dog in the United States, for good reasons!
They are known for many things, including their fierce loyalty, courage, and their high intelligence. In fact, theyre said to be the third smartest dog breed in the world. So how did they get to be so smart and what does that mean for owners?
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German Shepherds Are Strong
German Shepherds are the second most popular dogs and are favored for their power, intelligence and strength.
They are ranked number three in the world for their intelligence and are easily trained. They are used by police and military for their speed, strength and sensitive noses to track explosives, drugs and criminals.
Dog bite force is the level of pressure in a dogs bite. Its the strength inflicted on its victim. The more pressure, the more injury or damage to something or someone. Its measured by pounds per square inch . This method is used to determine force that a dog puts forth with his bite. Its the pressure released over a square inch of a pound.
The German Shepherds psi is 238. They rank 12th in the top 20 dogs with the strongest bite.
Caring For Your Puppy’s Ears Before Taping
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Whats Their Personality Like
A dogs personality, behavior, or temperament is one of the top factors that influence a persons decision in choosing a pet.
This is mostly because a dogs personality has to match well with that of the owner, so that a peaceful and enjoyable relationship between the two can occur and last for a long time.
Some pet owners prefer an outgoing type of dog, while others prefer a calmer, more aloof one. It often boils down to personal preferences.
Below well explore the personalities of the German Shepherd and the Rottweiler for your reference.
Why Is My German Shepherd So Stubborn
If your German Shepherd is stubborn you might be wondering why and what you can do about it.
This post will show you a number of reasons why your German Shepherd is stubborn and what you can do about it.
So, why is my German Shepherd so stubborn? Possible reasons are that it hasnt been trained to listen to you, you stopped training it, you inadvertently reinforced the behavior, its bored or ill or that you havent trained it in stages.
There are a number of things that you can consider when trying to figure out why your German Shepherd is so stubborn. Depending on the cause, there are also a number of things that you can do about it.
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How Smart Are German Shepherds
Most people would argue that German Shepherds are the smartest dog breed. There is ample evidence to support this theory, as well as some scientific evidence to support why their intelligence is ranked so high.
They Rank Third In Intelligence
There is actually a rating system that exists to determine just how intelligent a dog is. If a dog can memorize a command after being trained on it five times and can respond correctly to a command 95% of the time, they are considered among the most intelligent. German Shepherds rank third on the list according to this criterion.
They Are Award-Winning Dogs
It may be a surprise that dogs can get awards, but they can, and the German Shepherd dog has. They have won the Award For Canine Excellence thirteen times. These awards recognize dogs who have positively contributed to their community.
Their Noses Are Extremely Accurate
A very small study trained two German Shepherds for six months to see how their noses would be able to sniff out breast cancer. These dogs were able to detect breast cancer with 100% accuracy after this training.
They Have Incredible Memory
Part of why German Shepherds are so easily trainable is their strong memory. They are able to remember commands with ease and can even form word associations with certain things.
They Are The Top Choice For The Military
They Get Along With Children And Other Animals
They Make Excellent Service Animals
They Are Beautiful And Handsome
I think we can all agree that the German Shepherd has a very striking and powerful appearance! The way they carry themselves with strength and grace inspires respect and admiration all over the world. Sometimes you can even find them in uniform, which makes them even more handsome! There is also a lot of beauty in their variety, because they come in all sorts of color combinations. Black and Tan is the classic look, but you can also find black and red, black and gray, black and fawn, black and cream, light or dark sable, all black, and even all white. Also, their ears pointed up in alertness give them an extra smartness which is utterly irresistible.
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Reason #: German Shepherds Are Amazingly Affectionate
German Shepherds are often mistaken as an exclusively violent or dangerous breed due to their security or K-9 positions. But owners of German Shepherds know how affectionate and loving this breed can be. While an expertly trained German Shepherd can definitely be a security force to be reckoned with, a German Shepherd is born with an inherently affectionate nature that even security training cannot erase. The family looking for a loving pet will find what they are searching for with their German Shepherd.
Why Do German Shepherds Bite So Much
They re Overstimulated For a good reason, many like to call their German Shepherd puppies land sharks. Often, the nipping is a manifestation of a dog getting overstimulated and losing control of his bite force. Sometimes, German shepherd puppies will get more and more nippy when they are cranky and in need of nap.
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Video Answer: German Shepherd With Aggression Issues
Like many herding breeds, German Shepherds are barkers. Barking isn’t necessarily a problem, but it can be if the dog is bored. Learning the “Quiet” command should be part of every German Shepherd’s obedience training. German Shepherds like to chew, and their powerful jaws can destroy most materials.
The American Animal Hospital Association conducted a study and concluded that German Shepherds were one of the most dangerous breeds based on bite severity and frequency of biting. This is not surprising given the fact that German Shepherds have one of the most powerful bites of all breeds.
Common colors include silver, brown, black, and sometimes even red. These hairs are usually masked by a layer of black hair⦠Liver over cream, black over red, and silver over cream are also possible. Gray German Shepherd dogs are a type of sable, but their fur is more wolf-like in color.
This means that naturally, German Shepherds have a lot more energy than your average dog and, as a result, are a lot more hyperactive and quite low down on the calm scale. German Shepherds aren’t always hyper though and some can be calm⦠but there are a lot of facets involved.
German Shepherd Trainability Factor #: Methods And Consistency
With the right and proper methods, German Shepherds are undeniably easy to train. But consistency and technique will still be crucial factors.
These will vary slightly depending on the type of training you want your German Shepherd to have. But consistency and routine will always be in your favor.
The less you change factors while training your German Shepherd, the better things will go. Below we have put together a list of some of the most important aspects to include in any training regimen for your German Shepherd.
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German Shepherd Puppies Facts To Ponder Before Bringing One Home
German shepherd puppies are adorable, fuzzy little creatures that are very tempting to take home on impulse.
There may be no breed of dog more versatile than the German shepherd who can learn nearly anything you attempt to teach them.
German shepherd puppies are cute and cuddly but quickly grow into big, bold, clever, and headstrong adults.
To some, the German shepherd is the ideal dog, but is it the right breed for you?
Before welcoming a German shepherd puppy into your home, there are some important facts to consider.
Getting a puppy of any breed is a long-term commitment to that animal. The responsibility includes an emotional and time commitment as well as a financial one.
You must be willing to care, love, and provide for any new pet.
A German shepherd puppy will thrive in a loving home, but they need more than just love. They require lots and lots of attention.
German shepherds are a pack animal which means that they will want to be with you as much as possible.
From feeding to quality time to lounging around and everything in between, your German shepherd puppy will need and want to be a part of your family unit.
A German shepherd puppy needs proper socialization beginning as soon as possible.
The German shepherd breed is instinctively protective of their pack and can quickly become overprotective if not socialized from a very young age.
German shepherd puppy behavior is typically headstrong and stubborn.