German Shepherds Are Made For Active Homes
German Shepherds are large dogs, and they require a great deal of physical activity and exercise to have happy, fulfilled lives. German Shepherds were bred to be working dogs, specifically herders. As such, they are naturally very active.
GSD love to spend time being active with their owner. Try to play and exercise with your pet as much as possible, it can be a great way to connect with your German Shepherd, and it is vital for their behavior and development.
Avoid leaving your German Shepherd out in a yard or alone in the house all day. Doing this can contribute to a German Shepherds more dangerous and less controlled tendencies. They need interaction. Its also important to get them to socialize with other dogs.
Obedience training shouldnt stop when GSD are no longer puppies. They need ongoing mental and physical stimulation in order to avoid becoming bored and potentially destructive.
Failing to consistently get your German Shepherd out and about could lead to:
- Digging
- Fear
- Aggression
Remember, if your untrained German Shepherd were to wrongly attack someone, you the owner, could ultimately be held responsible.
Training and socialization require time, sacrifice, and commitment on the owners part, but by making sure your German Shepherd establishes a positive behavior, your pet will live a more fulfilled life, and you will be rewarded with a loyal and loving partner.
Can German Shepherds Be Aggressive
The German Shepherd breed is known for their aggressive behaviors and tendencies. In fact, they are often touted for this behavior and it is utilized to make good, strong guard dogs. German Shepherds are considered good guard dogs but if they are not trained guard dogs, then you need to curb any aggressive tendencies.
Do Dogs Protect You From Intruders
History of Protective Dogs Certain dog breeds have been used for many centuries to protect people or property and they continue to provide protection to people today. These dogs are able to provide protection from intruders, dangerous situations, and in some cases, even other animals that may pose a danger.
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Teaching Your Dog Their Territory
Animals are often territorial by nature, so this step shouldnt prove to be all that challenging in most cases.
Once again, youll be building on the initial basic obedience lessons by combining them with a post-lesson run around the perimeter of your property.
Although your dog likely already knows where his home is, this will teach them the specific area that they are expected to protect.
Of course, its not all about just protecting the home front, but protecting the people who live within the home, including the dogs owner, but when it comes to dog training, the concept of protecting people and property often goes hand in hand.
Weigh Your Options Carefully
Is this really the kind of dog you want? This behavior, and the type of training that you need to perform, can be a real problem when dealing with pet dogs. Most dog owners do not want a dog that will only respond to them. They want a dog that the entire family can enjoy. Even a person who is alone most of the time cannot guarantee that she will be home every day.
Do you want to own a good personal protection dog and also have a great pet? Do the goals contradict one another? These training methods are not for everyone, nor are they suited for all dogs. A dog selected for personal protection needs to be well socialized, confident but not aggressive, and have an interest in his owner’s every move. In Schutzhund training some of the dogs are still good household members. This is unusual, though.
Most are not.
Some dogs will be fine as watch dogs but are not built for personal protection.
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Teach Your Dog Obedience Commands
The first thing you need to do is teach your dog basic obedience: Your dog must respond to all basic obedience commands. He should sit, lie down, and come to you 100% of the time when called. Your dog should heel without a leash. In addition, your dog should learn and respond to the bark and leave it commands.
Important note: If your dog does not follow these commands consistently, or if you are not able to teach her new commands, you need to stop trying to turn your pet into a personal protection dog.
Why Do German Shepherds Stink
There are many reasons why a German Shepherd may smell bad. He may have rolled into something stinky. Their double coat may also be wet or not perfectly dry. Being very thick, those can develop a bad smell if not cleaned regularly or let wet for a while.
Your German Shepherd may also have dental or skin issues, ear infection, or other health problems. You may want to go to your vet to get him checked.
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Should I Get A Male Or Female German Shepherd
Research shows that males German Shepherds are more aggressive than female German Shepherds. This means that a family should consider choosing a female for a companion over a male. Males tend to perform better for roles in protection and guarding and could do well in a home without children and the proper training.
What Is Bad About German Shepherd
German Shepherds, like any large breed, are prone to canine hip dysplasia, a crippling and potentially fatal disease. Good GSD rescuers will also be aware of such problems, and whether the rescued dog youre considering has shown symptoms of or has been treated for any health issues while with the rescue.
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Disadvantages Of Training An Older Dog
There are truly not many disadvantages when it comes to training an older dog, and as long as the trainer has patience and dedication, an older German Shepherd can learn most commands and new skills it is never too late for them to learn!
However, one consideration is that older GSDs may sometimes be unable to perform certain desired skills due to health issues that can come with advanced age.
For example, an older German Shepherd is more likely to have joint pain such as arthritis. So, he may be a little slower to execute commands, even easy ones such as sit. Constantly getting up and down can be hard on his hip and elbow joints, so your dog may take a little extra time to obey.
Dont be too quick to assume he is disobeying simply because he is moving a little slowly. Remember too that the German Shepherd breed is prone to hip dysplasia. However, not all dogs will suffer, but around 20% will have bad hips.
Certain tricks may be too unrealistic for an older dog to achieve. For example, if you want your GSD to be able to leap up and springboard off your back to catch a frisbee, they may simply no longer have the physical ability to do this! When considering your training, consider your dogs age and abilities when attempting more strenuous activities and skills.
Will My German Shepherd Attack An Intruder
If your GSD is trained, then the clear answer is definitely yes. Your dog will fiercely attack the intruder.
A German Shepherd can go to extreme lengths to defend its owner, and his home.
There are many cases where the dog would risk his life to save the owners. Loyalty is part of German Shepherds DNA.
Training a German Shepherd takes time and money. But it pays off later on, especially if you live in an area where constant vigilance is required.
A German Shepherd with a protection training can be of high value. A trained GSD can cost up to $230.000.
A price tag that only shows how powerful and valuable a trained GSD is.
However, if your dog is not trained, or maybe still young, you may wonder if hell attack an intruder.
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Will My German Shepherd Attack Guests
Generally speaking, German Shepherds are very a friendly and loving dogs to everyone.
Despite only bonding with 1 or 2 people. They love meeting and playing with different new people.
While meeting your guests, strangers to the dog, an attack is very unlikely to happen. The likely scenario, instead, is your dog will lick the hell outta your guests.
GSDs are smart. They can understand the context of the introduction to the new guests and decide accordingly.
If they dont sense any threat, theyll just keep doing what they know best: being friendly.
When your friends or family members visit, your GSD will probably be the first to welcome them with his tail asking to be petted.
How Will A German Shepherd Protect You
I dont know if Ive just seen too many movies but when I think of a dog protecting its owner I imagine one jumping in, attacking the bad guy, and eventually saving the day.
I mean it is entirely possible that a German Shepherd may act that way to protect you. But its well worth noting that such an act is likely a trained response, and an untrained German Shepherds protective instincts may manifest in different ways.
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How Will My German Shepherd Protect Me
We have all seen the footage of the trained police dogs catching the bad guys, or the loyal dogs jumping to their owners defense in the event of them being attacked.
Its important to realize that these acts are often a trained response, and there is no way to know if your dog will act on their protective instincts in the desired way without specific training.
Yes, German Shepherds are essentially programmed to want to protect their loved ones, but this can present in many different forms.
Each German Shepherd is different, so this means that their method of protection can vary greatly.
While one GSD will immediately jump to the defense of their owners and attack the threat, another GSD may just bark loudly in an effort to scare away the current danger.
The German Shepherds Temperament
The German Shepherd temperament makes him an excellent choice for families, however, some people can be frightened of this breed- and for good reason, too.
When it comes to the German Shepherds temperament, you need to be careful. While this is an extremely intelligent dog that can be trained quickly and efficiently, a German Shepherd without training can become somewhat aggressive.
Aside from their aggression, the German Shepherd is a loyal breed that sticks by their owner no matter what. This is where their overall protection trait comes into play.
With the right training, your German Shepherd can become a pet that is equally as protective as he is kind and gentle with the family.
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Common German Shepherd Behavioral Problems And Personality Traits
Over the years working as a dog trainer, Ive probably worked with as many German shepherd dogs as any other breed.
Most often, they are an incredibly loyal breed, are devoted to their owners, and have really sweet and fun personalities. And so, to those of you who love the breed and wouldnt consider anything but a German shepherd in the future, I understand!
Yet, some people are terrified of them and feel they are dangerous dogs to own.
To those of you that are wary of German shepherds, I understand where you are coming from, too! First off, they are very large dogs and can come off very intimidating.
Second, their instinct to protect their family or property is strong and can lead untrained German shepherds to becoming very protective, aggressive, and scary dogs.
The keyword here is untrained, as any untrained dogregardless of breedcan have the same problems.
Over the last decade I really feel like Ive come to understand German shepherds and have personally fallen in love with this breed. Ive also realized that theyre so misunderstood due to poorly trained German shepherds often ending up in the news and how they are portrayed on TV and in the media.
For this reason, I wanted to write todays post in hopes that, if you are someone who fears this breed, are looking for help and direction with your dog, or you know someone who is wary of German shepherds, then this honest truth about this lovely breed might change your mind.
Will A German Shepherd Run Away
German Shepherds are a breed that require a lot of exercise to be properly stimulated. When they don’t get enough exercise it can cause them to become hyperactive and will be more likely to run away if given the chance. Walking your German Shepherd daily is an easy way to make sure that it is getting exercise.
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Staying Close To The Owner
If you are ever in a situation where you feel threatened, you may find that your German Shepherd will stay close to you. This behavior is a message of the possible danger that you do not approach he will protect you at all costs.
However, each German Shepherd has a different nature, and its method of protection can vary. You will see that in case of danger, one German Shepherd will bark a lot to scare the danger, and the other German Shepherd can attack the danger to protect its owner.
Why Do German Shepherds Jump On You
Excitement. The most probable reason for the jumping is that it is excited. When German Shepherds get excited it’s common for them to express their excitement by jumping up. They do it because they want to greet you at the face and because their mother would feed them from the face as puppies and they would jump up.
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How To Get Your German Shepherd To Protect You
There are a number of things that you can do to make it more likely that your German Shepherd to protect you that I will mention below. The best thing for you to do will depend on how you want it to protect you such as on command or when a person is on your property.
Train it using the panic word method
The panic word method focuses on training your German Shepherd to become protective when you say a certain word.
To train it to learn the panic word you would do as follows:
Get some treats that your dog likes
- Give it a small treat so that it knows that you have treats
- Wait for it to bark by teasing it with the treat if necessary
- Reward it when it barks or when it shows a sign of barking
- Continue to do the above each time you show it the treat say the command word so that it learns that the command word means to bark
You can watch the video below to see how it is done
Use positive reinforcement training to get it to protect your home
You can also use positive reinforcement training to get it to become more protective of your home.
You can do this by
- Walking it around the perimeter of your property while rewarding it with treats to teach it to learn that it is its property.
- Rewarding your German Shepherd for barking when someone comes onto your property
You can watch the video below to see how it is done
Train it to learn who is friendly
Be consistent
How Do You Know Your German Shepherd Loves You
Common ways that they will show their love for you will include wagging their tails when you come home, bringing you things, looking to you for direction or making eye contact with you. There are actually many ways that a German Shepherd will show its love for you and I will show you 13 of them below.
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A Properly Trained German Shepherd Wont Be Aggressive
You can train your German Shepherd to protect you without having to attack. A very effective method is to teach them to bark on command.
Teach your German Shepherd to start and cease barking on command, so attacks can be prevented. If they dont learn this simple command, they may bark constantly at anybody and anything, becoming a nuisance. The training itself is simple:
- Begin by teaching your dog to Speak on command.
- Give a treat and much praise for barking.
- Use a command such as Quiet or Enough.
- Give immediate praise and a small treat when the dog is quiet.
This training eventually gives you control over the dogs bark. Have your dog sit while barking. German Shepherd dogs are so smart that they will pick up on this quickly.
At What Age Do German Shepherd Puppies Stop Biting
This period lasts up to until they are about 24 to 32 weeks-old. The nipping, biting, and chewing is very normal during this stage. However, if your German Shepherd puppy retains the habit after that period, it can be a big problem.
The training a German shepherd receives is largely responsible for its behavior. Sadly, some German shepherds are the victims of abusive owners who keep them as attack dogs, train them poorly and encourage dogs to bite any intruders. When these dogs slip their leashes or escape their compounds, they can attack.
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Will German Shepherd Protect If Not Trained
The answer to this question is neither Yes nor No. Actually, it is difficult to tell whether or not your dog will protect you. For the most time, your German Shepherd will show aggression and start barking to protect you, but will probably not physically do anything.
Untrained German Shepherds are also seen to have protected their owners. This is why it is difficult to say exactly what your German Shepherd will do if he is not trained.
It depends on different factors here, we will discuss it one by one in detail.