German Shepherd Training Tips and Techniques

The German shepherd dog was bred for herding and guarding sheep by the Germans. This noble canine is also called as the Alsatian dog. The German shepherd was christened Alsatian by the Britishers during the World War II, after the German- French border area of Alsace-Lorraine. This dog is also known as the 'Deutscher Schaferhund'. The American Kennel Club, first registered this dog in 1908. Know more on facts about German shepherds.

Physical Appearance of the German Shepherd Dog
The handsome German shepherd dog comes in a coat that is black, with tan, sable or all black coat markings. German shepherds may also come in blue, liver and white coats, but these are mostly considered as faults. The nose is often black. There may be a blue or liver colored nosed German shepherd, but again these colors are thought of as faults.

The German shepherd is a muscular dog that has a sturdy and slightly elongated build. The bone structure is solid, but light. The forehead of a German shepherd is a bit convex. The ears are wide at the base, upright, turned forward and pointed. German shepherd puppies under six months have slightly droopy ears. The almond shaped eyes are dark and lively, and they never protrude and express intelligence.

German shepherds have muscular front legs and shoulders, with sturdy and thick thighs. The feet are rounded with really hard soles. The tail of an German shepherd is bushy and reaches almost the hocks of the dog. It hangs down when the dog is at ease. Know more on German shepherds.

Temperament of a German Shepherd Dog
The German shepherd dogs know no fear. These are direct and alert dogs. German shepherds have a bold and cheerful personality. These dogs are very obedient to their masters and show an eagerness to learn new German shepherd training techniques. These dogs are adaptable to dog kennels as an indoor or outdoor arrangement. German shepherds are very intelligent dogs and have a calm and confident attitude. These dogs need owners who have an authoritative command over the dog. German shepherd training should include the use of canine instincts and the dog should not be treated as a human. The following German shepherd training tips and techniques will help you know how to train a German shepherd dog.

German Shepherd Training Guide
German shepherds are strong and well-built dogs, that can fairly stubborn and show dominance over the owner if proper tricks for training a German shepherd dog are not used. The owner or trainer should be able to use a German shepherd training guide firmly and display authority over the dog. One of the purposes of German shepherd training techniques, is to teach the dog its boundaries and make him adaptable to society. The following German shepherd training tips will help you get started.

German Shepherd Training Tips
These intelligent dog breed in the canine world, does use its gray cells, when taught German shepherd training techniques. These versatile dogs use their instincts to master the tricks and commands. The best way to teach some German shepherd training tips and tricks is by using monosyllables. This means use one worded commands like "yes", "no", "sit", "good","bad", etc. and not bombard the dog with multiple words. This confuses the dog and leads to improperly executed tricks. Once the dog successfully completes his tasks or command, pat him or reward him with treats. The most important German shepherd training tips is to start training German shepherd puppies, as early as seven weeks. The following tips on training German shepherd puppies will guide you in training the young ones.

How to Train a German Shepherd Puppy
Training German shepherd puppies should begin from seven to eight weeks onwards. The puppies' brains readily absorb the commands but may take months to fully comprehend their meanings. This is the best time to show the puppies, games that you want them to play all their lives.

The most important part of training German shepherd puppies is exercising. Exercises help the young dogs become stimulated, mentally and physically. Training German shepherd puppies with tricks is the best way for them to understand the various commands and signals, that will prove to be helpful throughout their adult life. Give treats to the puppies when they correctly respond to your commands.

If the puppies find it difficult to comprehend or give a wrong response to your command, do not punish the dog. Instead use positive reinforcements and make him distinguish the right from the wrong. Treat him on his good dog behavior. Make him obey and trust you with a positive approach. Yelling, scolding and punishing, pushes the dog away from you. These dogs are stubborn and this makes it more difficult in German shepherd dog training. The dog loses his confidence in the owner and this makes the dog aggressive and easily provoked. You should also properly crate train and potty train German shepherd puppies, to avoid any mishaps in the future.

German Shepherd Dog Training
If you have adopted an adult German shepherd, do not believe in the adage, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks". It's not the age of the dog, but it is the art of teaching that makes the dog learn. During German shepherd training sessions, be consistent with your commands. Do not change your commands every time you ask the dog to carry out the same trick. For example, if you use 'sit' the first time, do not change over to 'sit boy' the next time. This will only confuses the poor animal. It is very important to use the same cues every time, when training a German shepherd. Know more on animal communication.

Treat the dog immediately after he does something right. It is necessary to help the dog make a connection between a right action and a treat. If he goes outside the house to urinate by himself, treat him immediately and shower him with praises. This makes him want more of your attention and treats, and he will always relieve himself where he is expected to.

The training should not go on for hours on end. Keep in mind, this is a German shepherd dog training, not a military drill! Keep training the dog throughout the day for just about 5-10 minutes. When training German shepherd puppies or dogs, remember, they have short attention spans, just like our kids. The following German shepherd training commands should be used when training a German shepherd. Know more on the secrets of German shepherd training.

How to Leash Train a German Shepherd
The main German shepherd training tips when leash training, is to keep the dog on the right side when holding the leash in your right hand. You may require many short training sessions, to make the dog fully understand and become comfortable with using a leash.

How to Train a German Shepherd to Sit and Down
The German shepherd training tips when teaching the dog to sit and down, is to use positive reinforcements. Hold the treat in front of the dog's nose and lift it back up. Say 'sit' while showing and taking back the treat. This makes the dog fold his legs under him and sit down. The minute your dog sits, give him his treat.

After successfully teaching the dog to sit, it's time to teach him 'down'. Holding the treat in your hand, move the treat down and forward in front of the dog. Say 'down', as you carry out the action. This makes the dog lower his front legs and lay down. Immediately reward him with his treat and shower praises when he does it correctly.

How to Train a German Shepherd to Attack
When training a German shepherd to attack, it should be solely for protection purposes and not to trouble or hurt anyone. German shepherds or rather any dog breed, is not aggressive or vicious. It is the way they are trained and their experience with man, that brings out the aggression in the animal. When training a German shepherd to attack, be sure you have taught him the 'stop', 'sit', 'heel' commands thoroughly. This will be helpful when you have to stop the dog from attacking. Remember, these are very important German shepherd training commands to be taught before teaching the dog to attack.

When beginning to train the dog, start with on-leash training. Choose a single word that will be the signal for the dog to begin an attack. Also, have one word for 'stop'. When the attack command is issued, give a slack to the leash. Pull the leash back as you give the 'stop' command. This makes the dog know when to start and stop.

Provide a stick to bite train the German shepherd. Teach him to attack the arms and legs of the intruder, in order to immobilize the offender. Teach the dog to attack when the owner cannot issue a command as well, when this trick is mastered. This will prove useful in situations like when the owner is unconscious or unaware of danger. Make sure you have taught your dog not to accept treats from strangers. You should leave training the dog to bite, to professional trainers. This is because a house dog just needs to know how to chase and bark.

How to Train a German Shepherd to be a Guard Dog
Again, before beginning to train a German shepherd to be a guard dog, make sure the dog has mastered the basic obedience training commands like 'sit', 'stay' and "come'. This helps you control the dog in cases of emergency. You need to train your dog to stay focused and not get distracted by other animals and dogs in heat. You may need to force your German shepherd to stay in place when there are such distractions around. This needs to be done while he is not distracted or affected by them. Make your dog understand not to attack people and animals at random, by helping him socialize. Know more on Dog obedience training.

Train your German shepherd to bark when he hears someone at the door, or senses someone around the house. Make the dog stop barking if the person is known to you or is a friend. If you do not know the person, let your dog bark a bit longer, till you issue a command to stop.

You should make sure your dog does not accept food or treats from anyone other than a close family member. Train the dog not to eat anything, other than what is given by you. Make sure your dog is well-fed at all times and does not get tempted to eat food from any stranger. Know more on German shepherd dog training.

How to Train a German Shepherd not to Bite
When your German shepherd nips at you, give out a short yell. This high pitch yell, will make him understand that he has hurt you and your feelings. As this is very hard for him to digest, it will stop him from biting you the next time.

You should grab the dog by the muzzle, and blow in his nose and using a firm voice say, 'no'. You can even fold your arms and turn your back on him. Do not make any eye contact and ignore him for about 5 minutes. This shows him he has lost your affection and nothing else can prove to be more painful to him than this. Pet him again after 5 minutes and interact with him. Believe me, he will never forget how he hurt you and restrain himself from biting you again.

German shepherds are extremely obedient and loving pet dogs. With proper German shepherd training techniques, you will have a great pet and a loyal companion. German shepherds are quick learners and prove to be a good guard dogs. Never use aggression with your dogs, as aggression begets aggression. Love and take good care of him, and you will earn a friend for life. Behave like a pack leader and train a successfully obedient pet. I hope these German shepherd training tips and techniques are enough for you to build a strong and long-lasting relationship with your German shepherd.