Training Your German

Shepherd Dog

The German Shepherd Dog truly is a wonderful animal and not only do they

make good working dogs, they also make superb family pets. They are however

very different from other pet breeds and need to be handled and trained with

a different approach to say your average labrador or poodle for instance.

The GSD is a large, strong athletic dog, which needs a lot of mental stimulation

and exercise but a well trained shepherd can learn to do almost anything.

These dogs positively thrive on challenging activities and they are so willing to

serve their master and please. As a working dog used by most police forces,

the very look of a GSD is usually enough to act as a deterrent but when called

into action there are few dogs that can match the German Shepherd as an all

rounder.

If you are considering becoming an owner of a GSD then you need to consider

the commitment to training in order that you have happy, well behaved

German Shepherd dog that you can take out safely in public.

If you haven't previously owned one of these dogs then please do not

take on a youngster lightly. Being involved in GSD rescue I have lost count of

the number of young dogs I have had to re-home because owners bought

them without doing a bit of research first.

As youngsters they can be very boisterous and can easily knock over children or

elderly relatives, especially if you do not discourage the dog from jumping up

when excited. A bored GSD can be very destructive and if left alone will trash

your house and contents with ease using their big teeth and claws.

Unfortunately these dogs don't really mature until they are about 3 years old so

you are in for the long haul to get through the puppy and adolescent stage

The German Shepherd needs to be well socialised from an early age and needs

plenty of exposure to people and other dogs so that they do not develop

aggressive tendencies as they mature.

Joining a dog training class from an early age is a good idea and most clubs will

accept dogs into the puppy classes from about 4 months onwards. This should

be good fun for your puppy and allows him to play and to socialise but it also

serves the purpose of teaching him or her what is acceptable and what is

not. This will prove invaluable grounding for your German Shepherd training.

When choosing a dog training class do check out a few first as not all classes

make German Shepherds welcome and if any club asks that you muzzle your

dog, please give it a miss and move on and find another club. No reputable dog

training class would require a dog to be muzzled. If your dog is aggressive

towards other dogs there are better ways of controlling the dog safely such as

by using a Canny Collar which is a simple effective head collar similar to those

used on horses.

The earlier you start training and socialisation the better as GSD's often

develop a tendency to be aggressive towards other dogs and also towards

strangers and they can become very protective towards their owners and

property.

Another important part of training your german shepherd is to get him used to

being groomed because they shed copious amounts of hair and although they

only moult once a year, it lasts for 365 days. So be prepared for dog hair all

over your house, your clothes, in your food and buy yourself a very good

vacuum cleaner.

Training your German Shepherd should be very much part of everyday

life and is should be fun so stick with it because it really will be worth it in the

end.

To Learn More About Dog Training, go to

http://howtohousetraindog.com/go/dog-training

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