German Shepherd Puppy Training Tips
By spending quality time training and bonding with your puppy
you are preparing him for a lifetime of companionship.
Consistency with training commands and praise will ensure your
dog understands the requests and what is expected of him.
Remember the more clear the command the better chance of success
your German Shepherd will have at pleasing you by giving you the
desired result time after time.
One of the methods we recommend the most is the positive
reinforcement and clicker system training. German Shepherd
puppy, or adult, will respond well to this type of
puppy
training.
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It provides a great success rate and is quite easy to
implement. The “clicker” itself can be as simple as a
snap of the fingers or the shake of a can with a few
coins in it, covered and sealed.
When your puppy delivers the desired action you simply make the
click and reinforce the positive action with a treat. In no time
at all your German Shepherd puppy will be following commands
correctly as they begin to associate the click with a job well
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Not all commands need be learned at the same time however. Pick
one, such as “sit” and work on it until it is achieved with
ease. Then move on to the next. You want all aspects of training
your German Shepherd puppy to be important, and rushing them
will just result in possible disappointment and frustration for
both of you. If your German Shepherd is a typical one, they’ll
have short attention spans. Don’t worry, this is normal puppy
behaviour and they’ll grow out of it.
Crate Training Your
German Shepherd Puppy
Another important training step is to housebreak or
potty train
your puppy. A good way to go about this is to embrace crate
training. Your puppy should have just enough room to turn
around and lie down inside his crate.
German Shepherd puppies grow to be large dogs, so to avoid
having to purchase several crates during the growing phase of
your dog’s life you can go ahead and buy the large or extra
large one while they are young.
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It is easy to modify the space available to your puppy by
inserting sturdy cardboard or well sanded plywood into the crate
to allow the maximum space needed.
When you start to
crate training your puppy you are likely to
encounter a temper tantrum equivalent to that of a two year old
child – lots of whining and carrying on. Don’t let your puppy
out until the temper tantrum is over. This is a very important
step to take if you need to be out of the home for long periods
of time, however it is recommended to start in small doses.
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As soon as you open the crate, be ready to take your puppy
outside without having to wait too long. The time it takes to
put on your shoes and grab the leash is just enough time for
your puppy to find somewhere else to get the job done. Be ready
to clip the leash on right away and head for the area you have
chosen for eliminations. Don’t forget your clicker and treats so
you can praise him when all is accomplished correctly.
Although German Shepherd puppy behaviour is typically
headstrong, with adequate and proper training you should be able
to correct any behavioural issues easily. Just be consistent
with your training, praise and correctional methods and you and
your puppy can easily spend many happy years together, grateful
that you trained and cared for them well right from the start.
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German Shepherd Puppy
Training |
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