Three Essential German Shepherd Training Guidelines to Ensure That You Have a Well-Behaved Shepherd
German shepherd training is absolutely vital if you want to raise a well-behaved and loyal dog who obediently follows your commands without question. With effective training, you will be able to raise a dog who doesn't jump on your furniture or bed, barks at strangers, doesn't claw at the rugs or scratch up your belongings, or goes to the potty when and where he shouldn't. Unlike what a lot of dog owners think, very little of this hinges on the dog's personality; training is something that can be done with any dog, and german shepherds (being herding dogs) are extremely responsive to training.
If you want to avoid the frustration of a puppy that chews on everything and poops on all your furniture, you need to follow these german shepherd training tips.
1. Start training from day 1
Yes, your puppy is cute and adorable, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't be corrected when he jumps on you, your friends, or your furniture. Of course that is the temptation, but you must avoid giving in to it or else your puppy will not be as responsive to training later on. If you only correct him some of the time, how will he know when he should or shouldn't do something?
2. Recognize the importance of positive feedback
A common misconception is that training a dog involves telling them "NO" all the time and constantly slapping them or being abusive. That is very much not the case; in actuality, negative enforcement doesn't work as well as positive reinforcement. This is absolutely crucial in german shepherd training. When your dog does do something you want him to, give him a treat and some praise - and you will see much better results when you encourage this good behavior in your german shepherd puppy.
3. Socialize your puppy
This is one of the most vital of german shepherd training tips. When you ensure that your dog is always in contact with other dogs and people, he will never be confused and startled when someone new enters the house, and he therefore will feel no need to jump on them or bark. Get your german shepherd puppy used to seeing other dogs and people. Simply sign up for a dog training class or take some walks to your local park - preferably a dog park if you have one nearby. Your puppy, who is naturally social, will absolutely love you for this.
Training a german shepherd puppy might seem like a lot of work, but you must remember that you accepted this responsibility when you got a dog. Dogs are a lot of work if you want to have a well-behaved dog - at least at first. As time goes on, the training will get easier both for you and your dog, as these habits will become second nature and your dog will recognize you as the leader of your pack.
