Its In Your German Shepherds Genes
German Shepherds are known for being brave, loyal, and protective and make an ideal good first dog, as long as you have the time to devote to them. Theyre also extremely intelligent and easy to train, which is why theyre often used both as family pets and as working dogs!
Since being a working dog is in their genes, theyre used to developing a strong attachment to one person. Remember, German Shepherds were originally bred to herd sheep and other livestock and to work alongside one person.
If you have ever wondered why your GSD nudges your ankles or the back of your leg with his nose, he is herding you, usually because he wants you to carry on playing!
Its therefore in your German Shepherds genes to be extremely loyal to one person whom they depend on, and that one person may also depend on them to do their job especially if they are used as a working dog.
Even though your German Shepherd may just be a family pet, hes still prone to developing this type of relationship and he loves to please his owner immensely.
German Shepherds are so clingy because its a characteristic of his breed he is not an independent dog by nature.
You also only have to think about how loyal and protective German Shepherds can be. Your German Shepherd considers you to be family, which is why he wants to be around you so much.
Why Does My German Shepherd Puppy Whine So Much
So, why does my German Shepherd whine a lot? Common reasons include illness or injury, boredom, stress, fear, excitement and inadvertently reinforcing the behavior. There are actually a number of reasons why your German Shepherd might whine a lot and there are a number of things that you can do about it.
Why is my German Shepherd whining? The German Shepherd whines because it has an overwhelming need to protect the pack member, but it cannot do so in their absence. Whining for a reward. Your German Shepherd whines when it associates the behavior with a reward. For many people, the only way to make your dog stop whining is by giving it what it wants.
Why does my Shepherd make a whining noise? This could be because of the sound of the engine or the smells coming out of the truck. It is also possible that your German Shepherd is vocalizing because he is bored. As mentioned, German Shepherds are active dogs so if you dont provide your dog enough exercise, he will make all sorts of sounds including groaning and sighing.
Why do dogs whine? Dogs whine to show you what they feel the most at the moment. These are some of the most common reasons why do dogs whines: To get attention. Feeling stress. Has low self-confidence. Feeling pain or sick. 1. Attention-Seeking Whining Being a social animal, dogs love to gain as much attention as they can from their dog owners.
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Your German Shepherd Is Feeding Off Your Nervous Energy
If you come home from work stressed out or if you suffer from occasional anxiety, your German Shepherd may have picked up on your behavior and emotional state. You dont even need to speak as your body language alone can show your dog that you are stressed.
German Shepherds are very skilled at reading your nervous energy. So, your dog can tell when youre stressed, anxious, angry, or upset. In fact, YOU might be giving your German Shepherd his own stress and anxiety, causing him to be more clingy!
Without even noticing youre doing it, you might be making your dog nervous and anxious, which is why he clings to your side like a lost puppy. He doesnt know whats going on or why youre nervous, but he knows he can go to you for love and support and he also likes to comfort you in his own little way.
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Spend At Least One Hour A Day With Them
Not everyone has all day to spend around with their dogs.
Youve got work, house chores, errands. And you also have to take care of the kids .
Totally understandable! But remember
You have all those things. While your dog only has you.
Yes, you may be overwhelmed by all those things. But the highlight of your dogs day is the one they get to spend time with you.
They depend on you for their everything.
If your German Shepherd constantly whines for your attention, maybe they just really miss you.
Believe me, keeping that in mind makes me stop from whatever that Im doing and spend quality time with my pooch.
It doesnt have to be a few hours. Sometimes, even an hour is enough.
And if youre not around, you can still keep them entertained.
Give them toys and puzzles that will stimulate their mind and keep them busy at the same time.
Your German Shepherd Is Relaxed
German Shepherds as a breed are the hardest working dogs on the planet. They are bred to be that way. They are tireless workers with amazing energy levels and intense amounts of focus and concentration
But when a GSD goes off duty, they can be every bit as good at relaxing. And when they want to let you know they are relaxed and enjoying just lounging about, you might well hear a loud groan coming from your dog.
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Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth
The digestive systems of humans and animals are teeming with both beneficial and harmful bacteria. To be healthy, at least 80% of bacteria must be beneficial. When the number of harmful bacteria in the dogs intestines increases, issues might occur.
In this situation, we might see increased hunger in dogs and decreased nutritional absorption. Bacterial overgrowth in the stomach may turn a dog into a binge eater. When there is an outbreak of harmful germs, the dog will feel like starving to death.
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Your German Shepherd Just Likes To Be Around You And Wants Attention
You might find your German Shepherds clinginess to be a bit annoying. But, how would you feel if we told you that your German Shepherd wont leave you alone purely because he loves you and craves your attention? After all, a German Shepherd cant have two masters and he has chosen you!
Well, why wouldnt he? Youre the one that feeds him, pets him, cuddles him, takes him for long walks, gets him his favorite toys, and spends hours a week playing with him!
When German Shepherds feel that theyre not getting enough attention, they tend to do whatever it takes to get that attention from you as found in a recent study.
During this study of three dog breeds, researchers found German Shepherds as one of the breeds to have become needier during a feeding experiment. They displayed high levels of human-gazing defined as where a dog looks to its owner for encouragement, comfort, and support, which is connected with dependency and clinginess.
You might find it a little extreme that your German Shepherd wont even give you a few minutes alone, but hes not necessarily doing it to be annoying. He just wants to spend more time with you as thats just his nature.
Tip! Never let your German Shepherd sleep on your bed with you, as this may encourage even more clingy behavior! Heres my thought-proving article on whether you should let your German Shepherd sleep with you.
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Your German Shepherd Is Enjoying Something
Just like you may be tempted to smack your lips or grin from ear to ear when you are enjoying something, your German Shepherd may be prone to groaning when something is really good.
Arousing game of fetch, a lovely pat on the neck, a thorough brushing, a tasty treat these enjoyable experiences may prompt your pup to issue a groan of enjoyment.
What Is Excessive Vocalization A Sign Of
Excessive vocalization can just mean that your dog likes to talk too much and needs a little extra training. On the other hand, if its accompanied by other behaviors or only happens in certain situations, it could be a sign of a behavioral problem, such as anxiety or aggression.
Other signs of anxiety include pacing, panting, drooling, shaking, stomach upsets, and destructive behaviors. Common causes of anxiety include , under-stimulation, a big life change, illness, trauma, phobias, and illness or death in the family. Its more likely to occur in young pups, older dogs, ill dogs, rescue dogs, and breeds with high intelligence like German Shepherds!
Aggression is also seen more often in German Shepherds than in some other popular breeds. Its thought to relate to their working DNA, but rescue Sheps may also display aggression towards other dogs as a result of past trauma. Aggression can result in excessive vocalization towards other dogs on walks and in the home when they pass by, as well as aggressive body language and fighting.
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Use The Right Tone And Body Language To Communicate
Different commands and body language conveys information for training to your German Shepherd.
Dogs arent born understanding the words no or sit. You must understand when your new puppy arrives and doesnt understand the human language.
The different tones ofyour voice and body movements are better understood by your dog. The actualcommand words are of less importance to your puppy.
Use a direct tone and body language that matches what you want to say to your dog. But dont lean over them and intimidate them or your dog will begin to fear you. And definitely dont scream.
Some ways to try out your tone and body language:
- When your GSD is tearing up your favorite shoes, stand tall, project your voice, and say no like you mean business. Then, offer them another toy appropriate to chew and take away the other item theyre chewing.
- When training the come command, say come in a happy tone and squat down to get on your puppys level so you appear more friendly and inticing.
- Even pointing to a missed treat on the ground is body language your dog learns to understand.
Still not convinced?
Try out your training with this list of helpful German Shepherd commands and watch how much your dog is capable of understanding.
Remember When Training A German Shepherd Puppy:
- Time out should not last over 1-2 minutes.
- Watch for when your puppy is calm and quiet for a very brief period .
- Then let them out quietly, without scolding them.
And dont close a door on a young puppy inside a room!
This can cause anxiety. Remember to use a pet gateto separate them off from the excitement that caused the unwanted behavior, while still allowing them to see you and not feel trapped.
Dont allow them out of time out while they are barking, whining, scratching, or otherwise acting out. This only serves to reinforce the unwanted bad behavior and doesnt discipline them effectively.
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Understanding The German Shepherd Dog Breed Temperament & Personality
The German Shepherd dog breed is extremely popular in the United States and around the world.
In the USA, the American Kennel Club actually keeps track of the most popular purebred dog breeds.
Guess where the German Shepherd breed ranks? The GSD is currently number two out of 195 registered purebred dog breeds!
So clearly, GSD owners have learned to peacefully co-exist with the constant vocalizations of this dog breed.
German Shepherds have many amazing qualities that make this dog so popular. They are loving, loyal, protective, affectionate, intelligent, athletic, great with family members of all ages, and brave.
But many first-time GSD owners are not prepared for what some might call neediness in this particular dog breed. GSDs have been bred specifically to live and work very closely with their people.
A German Shepherd dog that is not given adequate you time is going to become distressed. Other dogs are not a substitute for human companionship, playtime, and affection.
A lonely, bored, or neglected German Shepherd can easily turn destructive or even aggressive, which is one of the major reasons why GSDs are relinquished to rescues such as the Missouri German Shepherd Rescue charity.
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Why Does My German Shepherd Whine A Lot
If your German Shepherd whines a lot then you are probably wondering why and what you can do about it.
This post will show you why your German Shepherd might be whining a lot and a number of things that you can do about it.
So, why does my German Shepherd whine a lot? Common reasons include illness or injury, boredom, stress, fear, excitement and inadvertently reinforcing the behavior.
There are actually a number of reasons why your German Shepherd might whine a lot and there are a number of things that you can do about it.
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The Root Of The Behavior
As their name suggests, German Shepherds were bred in Germany to be working dogs. They spread to other countries from there, where in addition to guarding, they were used in organized professions such as police work and search and rescue missions. One of the qualities that made them desirable as working dogs was their sense of smell and protectiveness. Whenever they were out guarding and herding, they would smell predators from miles away and bark to signal their approach. They would also bark whenever sheep strayed from their flock. This brings us to one of the reasons why your German Shepherd is very vocal he smells people and animals from afar and barks to warn you and to keep them off. His loud voice is his weapon and it works very well to keep away intruders. Besides his breeding, your German Shepherds wolf ancestry also has a part to play in his behavior, especially when it comes to sounds like howling.
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Give Your Dog Access To Water And Cool Areas
Giving your German Shepherd water allows them to naturally cool down, stay hydrated and reduce the possibility of them getting heatstroke.
You should also ensure your dog can access an area of shade or somewhere cool when theyre hot.
Always make sure that they can do this on their own accord and never leave them outside in the heat of the day without the ability to cool off.
If youre on a walk take a break and be careful of the times you are looking to go. Be cognizant of any steep hills or challenging landscapes too.
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Redirect Bad German Shepherd Puppy Behavior
Does your puppy jump, nip, chew, bite, or dig and you want to know the right discipline?
When your pup is taking part in bad behavior, get your puppys attention by making a distracting noise.
Try clapping your hands, making a clicking sound with your tongue, or smacking your lips to get your pups attention to turn on something you DO want them to try like a squeaky toy.
The noise and disapproving tone distract your dog from bad behavior .
Now, redirect their attention to a more desirable behavior you want, for example:
- Coming to you and leaving what theyre doing by offering them a tasty treat and praise.
- Showing them a favorite toy.
- Offering them another option you would like that is more constructive.
Dont scold them when they come to you or youll make your dog scared of you later on.
Pay attention to your dogs behaviors when they are near known distractions so you can prevent the bad, unwanted action before it even happens.
You want to remember to watch out for:
- If your dog chews inappropriately on a pair of expensive shoes, get their attention by making noises or calling them to you and immediately offer the correct approved chew item.
- If you know your dog tends to bite you during play, have a toy nearby you can show them that you want them to bite instead of your arms.
- If you know they get wild and crazy in the evenings, have a list of these German Shepherd games to distract them and funnel their energy.
Are German Shepherds Vocal
German Shepherds are one of Americas most popular dog breeds. If youre new to the breed and youre thinking of getting one, you may have a few questions, one of which being are they vocal dogs?
Usually yes! But this isnt necessarily a bad thing, so long as you know how to handle it. So lets take a look at everything you need to know about German Shepherds & their voices.
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Your German Shepherd Is Being Territorial
German Shepherds are bred to be guard dogs. They have every trait they need to be intensely protective.
But sometimes this trait can backfire when the food arrives or when another dog tries to play with a favorite toy.
Sometimes, a groaning German Shepherd is issuing a warning to other dogs or even to their people, saying stay away, this is mine.
This is a training issue that needs to be addressed swiftly. German Shepherds are very strong, powerful dogs and a GSD that has become territorial around food or possessions needs to be taught not to do this for everyones safety.