Training your GSD Puppy

German Shepherds are on of the most admired dogs in the world. However, if you have a German Shepherd puppy you know that your youngster has his ups and downs. He may grow up to be noble and courageous but, as a puppy, he’s likely to be gangly and silly at times. He can get in trouble like any other puppy. German Shepherd puppy training can help your puppy become the terrific adult dog he’s meant to be.

Socialization

German Shepherd puppy training should begin with good socialization. Your German Shepherd puppy probably has strong instincts for guarding and protection. Unless your puppy is well-socialized when he’s young he could develop behavioral problems later in life such as separation anxiety, nuisance barking, dog-on-dog aggression and others.

Socialization for your German Shepherd puppy should begin as soon as he’s received all of his vaccinations. You can start taking him to pet stores that welcome dogs, parks and other public places where dogs are invited. Allow him to meet friendly strangers and encourage them to pet your puppy. It helps if you carry some puppy treats with you at all times. This way when someone pets your puppy they can give him a treat to make it an especially good experience for your puppy.

You should also encourage your puppy to meet other friendly dogs. Make sure that you ask their owners first if it’s all right for your puppy to meet their dog. Your puppy and the other dog should both be on their leashes. Don’t allow your puppy to run up to other dogs and get in their faces. Help teach your puppy the appropriate manners for meeting other dogs politely.

Socialization is intended to teach your puppy to be accepting of friendly strangers and other friendly dogs. Your puppy will also become more familiar with strange places and unexpected things that happen. For instance, if a cat jumps out of a bush, your puppy should learn to respond to such things with interest instead of being scared. If someone opens an umbrella your puppy should show interest instead of fear. Socialization helps puppies overcome some of the fears that they have when they’re young. This way, when they are adult dogs, they are much calmer and more relaxed. They are well-adjusted and confident dogs who are able to be left alone in the house while you are at work. They don’t bark endlessly when the postman comes to the door, and so on.

Puppy Preschool

You can also work on German Shepherd puppy training by taking your puppy to puppy preschool or puppy kindergarten classes. These classes are often offered by pet stores, kennel clubs or animal shelters. They teach puppies some basic manners and obedience lessons, such as to sit and to come when called. They also emphasize more socialization since your puppy will be in class with other puppies his age. He’ll also be getting lots of petting from the other puppy owners. These are great places to take your puppy.

Training At Home

You may want to work on training with your German Shepherd puppy at home, too. German Shepherd puppies are very smart and you can start teaching them some easy lessons around 8 to 10 weeks of age.

Your puppy will need a collar and leash for training. You can choose a flat buckle nylon collar for your puppy. You probably won’t want to buy an expensive collar for your puppy at this age since he will quickly outgrow it. Make sure that you can fit two fingers between the collar and your puppy’s neck so it fits properly. You can choose a nylon leash to match the collar. A six-foot long leash is a good choice. These collars and leashes are easy to find in pet stores and they come in many different colors and designs.

You can easily teach your German Shepherd puppy basic obedience lessons: sit, stand, lie down, come, and to walk on a leash. As with all puppies, German Shepherd puppies do best if you keep the lessons short. A puppy has a relatively short attention span. Train in 10-15 minute sessions a couple of times per day. You do need to train regularly —every day if possible. Otherwise your puppy will forget what you’ve been teaching him.

It’s important to keep your lessons fun. Try to make a game of your training sessions. And make sure that you are in a positive, upbeat mood. Your puppy will pick up on your attitude and that will determine his attitude toward training. If you are grumpy and don’t feel like training, then your puppy won’t have a very good training session.

It’s important to find the best way to motivate your German Shepherd puppy when you are training. Some puppies respond to treats but other puppies prefer toys. Other puppies may do best if you have a good play session as a reward. Find what makes your puppy really happy and use that to encourage him to learn.

There may be times when you do need to correct your German Shepherd puppy for something. When this happens remember to be firm but gentle.

Training usually comes easily to German Shepherd puppies and, once your puppy decides he likes to learn, you should be able to teach him many things. He will probably learn very fast. German Shepherds are usually considered one of the smartest breeds of dogs and they have a strong desire to please. Your German Shepherd will take pride in doing things right.

Of course, this article is only able to cover a small selection of the facts on training a German Shepherd puppy. There are many different facts to consider and it’s important to get them right. When possible, get a good solid guide to show you everything you need to train your German Shepherd puppy since this is an important time for your puppy to learn. I highly recommend Secrets to Dog Training. It has plenty of tips to get your German Shepherd trained using the most effective training techniques. It’s definitely worth a look