German Shepherd dogs are highly versatile.  A properly trained and correctly bred German Shepherd dog could turn out to be the type of dog that dreams are made of, they can be; a wonderful family pet, a highly trained obedience dog, they keep you from harm while you are sleeping and they are pretty to look at.  The all-around dog is what this breed is all about.  To make all of this happen you should begin your German Shepherd dog training early.

German Shepherd Dog Training

These great dogs are capable of learning at the early age of seven weeks old.  The puppies brain, by seven weeks of age, is ready to begin absorbing some of the easy commands, but it will take many months for his body to catch up.  You need to teach your puppy games that he will play for the rest of his life.

Exercise can help your dog mentally and physically.  Teaching tricks is fun and enjoyable.  Your dog will become more self assured the more he learns.  Teaching your dog new commands and signals will be helpful throughout his learning.  When teaching your dog tricks, it best to use treats.  When the puppy is older, he will love doing tricks for praise.

German Shepherd training is best done with positive methods.  The positive training method doesn’t involve any kind of punishmet.  Positive training uses positive reinforcements to reach the desired behavior.  Positive training doesn’t allow your dog to misbehave.   Acceptable behavior allows them to get their reward.  Using positive training gives a dog that is happy and eager.  Positve training lets your dog to obey out of trust.  Your dog and you will become a team.

Training Your German Shepherd

Leash Training

Walking a dog on a leash, in the beginning, your dog might want to carry the leash in their mouth.  Carrying the leash is permitted for awhile, but they aren’t allow to chew on the leash.  Try to keep the dog on your left side and hold the leash in your left hand.  The dog should always be trained with short lessons.  It could take several lessons before the dog starts to figure out leash training.

The Sit and The Down

The basics for teaching a dog to sit.  Using treats is easiest with positive training.  It’s best to hold the treat in front of the dog, then left it up.  This will encourage the dog to fold his back legs under him. While lifting the treat, repeat the word “sit”.  When the dog sits, reward him.

When teaching the down, it’s best to start in the sit position.  Starting with the treat in front of the dog move it down and forward.  This will get the dog to lower the front legs for the down. Don’t forget to say “down”, while lowering the treat.  After the dog lays down reward with the treat and lots of praise.

In Closing

Many German Shepherd dogs have been ruined by incorrect training or lack of training. Training these dogs is an exciting and enjoyable experience.  Living with a well trained German shepherd dog is a trip of a life time.

Tips for Training Your German Shepherd