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Too often someone will
get a German Shepherd puppy and underestimate the amount of time needed
to effectively train it. Training your dog is pretty
straightforward, give him praise when he does something you want, and
correct him when he does something wrong. Do this over and over
and eventually your German Shepherd will be trained. In essence,
training your dog enhances the bond you share. Effective training
establishes you as the leader of the pack, which makes your dog more
comfortable.
The bases of all training is
about the three A's of training:
Attention: is generated
by making yourself (the handler) the most interesting thing to your dog.
Attitude: comes from
work with the dogs drives so training becomes enjoyable for your dog.
Accuracy: results when
discipline reinforces correct habits through the dogs drive.
First, understand that your
dogs' behavior is largely governed by instinct and it is up to you to
temper that instinct with conditioned behavior through human training.
This can be done by correctly establishing a social hierarchy within
your household from the first day you bring your German Shepherd puppy
home.
What does this mean to the
training process? It means that if you are going to effectively
train your German Shepherd, you need to become the Alph dog of your
pack. That will establish a proper relationship between you and
your dog from the start; he will bond to you more closely, more deeply
and work harder to please you, if understands his relationship with you.
TRAINING TIPS
Socialization
What your puppy learns about people and his environment now will stay
with him for the rest of his life. From his fourth to twelfth week a
puppy acquires almost all of his adult sensory, motor and learning
abilities. The more loving interaction you establish now, the stronger
the bond your dog will have with you later. Plan to spend at least two
periods a day playing with your puppy. Use playtime to teach your puppy
the basic training commands.
 As soon as your veterinarian says it's safe, you should also begin
exposing your puppy to as much of the outside world as possible.
Introduce your pup to a variety of positive experiences. Visits three
new places a week and introduce him to five new people at each place
(find a variety of people). Take your pup on regular car rides-use a
carrier to insure safer driving.
Puppies may be predisposed to developing phobias between 8 and 11
weeks of age. During this time, you may want to be cautious when
exposing your puppy to particularly stressful experiences, like large
crowds and unusually loud noises. If he does become frightened, reassure
him in a cheerful voice and pass it off quickly. Keep in mind; your
puppy will sense feelings from you, so keep your response fairly
matter-of-fact. Too much attention to a frightening experience may
actually encourage a phobia.
Brush your pup daily with lots of affection and reassurance to make
it a special time for both of you. At the same time, handle your pup's
feet and ears and open his mouth for inspection. Massage him all over.
If the pup fusses, say "no" firmly. When he is quiet, talk to him in a
soft, pleasant voice. Similarly, teaching your puppy to allow you to
wipe his paws now will be a real asset when he's full grown, bounding
inside with wet feet on a rainy day!
Leash Training
Fundamentals
Complete leash training is a gradual process. However, the
fundamentals of leash training are an essential part of basic puppy
training. Begin by having your puppy wear a collar. He/She may resist
this at first but do not give in; for the safety of your puppy this is
one rule that must not be broken. Once your puppy is used to the collar,
begin letting her drag her leash around the house, under your
supervision. When it's potty time, guide the puppy to her potty place on
her leash. Get her used to walking on your left side by simply placing
her there each and every time you take her outside. Most puppies learn
to love their leash since it's a signal they're going outside - and
puppies love to explore!
 Heel
Once your puppy is used to his/her leash, you can introduce the
command, "Heel." or "which ever command word you choose to use. You can
find a list of commands on this link to
Common Dog Commands.
Stand with your puppy at your left side and start your walk. Talk to
your puppy and keep her focused on you by making yourself the most
interesting thing in her line of sight. When she becomes distracted and
runs ahead, as she undoubtedly will, call her name and say, "Heel," and
make an abrupt U-turn to the right. She will find herself behind you and
hurry back to your side. Praise her and repeat. Make it fun for your
puppy to heel with your praise and excitement and she will learn
quickly.
Come
This basic training command should be started from the first day you
bring your puppy home. As with all the basic c ommands, you should
announce your intention by calling his name first, followed by the one
word command - i.e., "Max, come!" Make the invitation as inviting as
possible by using an enthusiastic voice. When he stumbles to you, praise
generously. If he doesn't come immediately, give a tug on his leash,
then guide him to you.
If you're having trouble getting your puppy to come, examine your
technique. Are you using his name, getting his attention? Squat down to
his level and put a lot of energy into an enthusiastic command. Praise
lavishly and repeat quickly - puppies typically enjoy learning to come
to their leader. Never use "Come" in an angry tone or to call our puppy
for a punishment. "Come" must be seen as a positive behavior.
Sit
Teaching your puppy to sit can keep him out of a world of trouble and
do wonderful things for your relationship - and by eight weeks of age,
he's ready to learn this basic command. Start by getting your puppy's
attention, then using his name and the command, "Max, sit," gently help
your dog to a sitting position by folding his back legs under his
bottom. Once sitting, praise him. Repeat the exercise often to reinforce
the training.
You can also teach, "Sit" with a food reward. Using a
kibble of Purina Puppy Chow, show your puppy the food. Once you have his
attention, have him follow the treat as you move it slowly up and over
his head. As the puppy follows the food, he will have to sit.
"Sit" is an excellent command to teach a puppy for praise.
Once it's established in his mind that sitting is the sure way to
receive praise, you will never have to worry about your puppy jumping on
you or other people for attention.
Down
Your tone of voice for the Down command is important.
It must be different from your Sit command. Use a deeper, more
authoritative tone of voice. Make your Down command serious, but
not threatening.
When first teaching the down, begin with your puppy
standing (not sitting) near your. Show him food in your right hand just
in front of his nose. As soon as he shows interest in the food, close
your hand. Lower it down slowly all the way to the ground as your
puppy's head follows it down. The food arrives at the ground, your
puppy's head should be positioned near his elbow, not forward toward his
paws.
 If
his rear is still in the air, use your left hand to stroke his spine,
beginning just behind the withers. Stroke, do not push, if you try
to push, his natural instinct is to resist the pressure. Praise him and
continue to give him a nibble of food to encourage him to stay in the
Down. You must always teach your puppy a free command to release
him from a sit or a down. We use Free Dog, you can use whatever
words work best for you. Praise your puppy while he is down.
Then release him. Always praise during the down, but just act
normal after the release until he understand the difference.
Angie Young
German Shepherd Breeder
Chattanooga, Tennessee
423-595-8317
camelotshepherds@comcast.net |
