Every dog needs training. Training should start as soon as you get home with your new dog. Start by having every member of the dog's pack family touching and petting every place on the dog's body. Your dog must have the ability to allow you to touch it anywhere, from between its toes and paws, inside your dog's mouth, to the end of your dog's tail. I have personally pulled a bone out of a choking dogs mouth with my hands. Play with their food while they are eating, so they do not develop food aggression. This will sensitize them to your handling while they are eating food. Dogs should learn to know that their owners can touch them anytime and anywhere, including inside of their mouths.
We require Obedience Training as a condition of ownership. We wholeheartedly support puppy training and socialization, but that is not enough. German Shepherds are among the smartest of canine breeds. A German Shepherd enjoys learning and this attribute makes them easier to train. Obedience training is for both you and your dog. Proper training teaches them to be constructive members of your family and keep their drives in check. German Shepherds are smart! Really smart! Their high intelligence makes them eager to please. The German Shepherd Dog is eager to learn new things and is happier when kept active and given a job to accomplish. Read more about AKC Obedience Training.
The time you spend training your German Shepherd Dog creates a bond between you and your dog. It helps both of you learn each other's personality and build a trusting relationship with each other. Obedience training teaches your dog the rules and boundaries, as it learns to become your dog. We recommend starting obedience training classes within a few weeks of bringing your dog home. When your dog understands you and your rules, the dog is more happier and so are you!
We have implemented most, but not all of "Puppy Culture Program" to improve the outcome of the puppies we breed. Watch Puppy Culture Videos... Our dogs are not simply purebred "Show and Performance Dogs," they are also "High Drive Working and Protection Dogs" which require different training and socialization techniques. German Shepherds are highly intelligent! Therefore, respect your dog’s intelligence and ensure that you set a positive example and offer both negative and positive reinforcements when attempting to train and socialize your dog.
Do not practice "Anthropomorphism" in trying to humanize the German Shepherd Dog or expecting it to act like a human because it doesn't have the intelligence and reasoning of a human. The average dog has the mental abilities of a 2-year-old. In terms of ranking all dog breeds, the top three are Border Collies, Poodles, and then German shepherds. Therefore, we repeat: "respect your dog’s intelligence, set a positive example and offer both aversion (negative) and positive reinforcements when attempting to train your dog." Don't be afraid to tell your dog "No!" Read More...
A well-trained dog is a happier dog. Owners are much more happier when they have a well-trained dog. As your puppy grows it will continue to test its boundaries including you. Owners must be patient and firm. Until the dog is approximately 2 years of age, it is and will act like a puppy. Read “How to Mess Up A Dog” by Sean O’Shea...
We are not fans of "treat-training" dogs except perhaps for "verbal memory marker words, or visible cues or signals." We give our dogs treats, but not exclusively for training. We have "been there and done that and learned the hard way" when teaching solely treat motivated dogs. After a while, a smart dog may either see or smell when there is no treat and ignore you. Rather, we believe in rewarding your dog with praise, touch, petting and affection and later with play and toys in advanced training. Practice, repetition and reward reinforcement are very important in training. It is important that you find an experienced obedience trainer that has titled dogs at high levels, enough to teach you to take your dog to its potential.
Owners can always verbally praise, pet and or show affection to their dogs as a reward. We don't want owners to have to beg, plead or bribe their dogs. We want owners to command their dogs, and their dogs to obey their owners commands. There are too many owners who try to "humanize" their dogs and treat them like humans. The German Shepherd Dog is not a human and does not think like one. Dogs do need correction and need to learn when a behavior is undesirable.
How much obedience training does a dog need?
We encourage as a minimum, the dog receives enough training
to pass the
Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test and get the CGC Certification.
This AKC Program also includes the
AKC CGC Responsible
Dog Owner Pledge. We not only want our dogs to learn to
conduct themselves properly, we also want owners to learn
how to be responsible dog owners. After this certification, there is a
wide variety of activities that you can participate with your
dog.
Perhaps up to 70% of dog training is teaching owners how to train their dog. Most of this "owner training" is consistency and repetition. This will assist in lessening confusion and frustration for both the trainer and their dog. Choose commands and boundaries that every member in the household uses and understands. The owner and every person the dog lives with should establish authority and dominance over the dog. Your dog needs to know your pack order in your home. You must control your dog or it may control you. Here are some training tips for your German Shepherd Dog.
German Shepherd Dogs are strong, powerful pack animals. We do use choke and pinch collars in training our dogs. We encourage all members of the family including young children to attend obedience classes with their dogs. This is the right time for the use of a pinch collar if needed, as a small child may not be able to handle the strength of a dog while it is learning and training. A well-trained German Shepherd Dog can subdue a 300 pound man over 6 feet tall, while this same dog will submit and allow a young toddler in his pack family have dominance over him. This is the "World of German Shepherd Dogs!"
Potty Training/House Training
The best time to start potty training is a soon as you get
home with your dog. Show your dog where it can go potty. Use
a chosen word or phrase as "go potty" and the dog will
learn to associate the word or phrase with the action.
We are proponents of crate training inside your home.
German Shepherds do not like to lay in their urine or feces
and will learn to hold their wastes for longer amounts of
time as they mature. If you catch the dog starting to squat
to urinate or defecate, pick up the dog and immediately rush
outside. If your dog completes the job outdoors, give it praise
and attention. Remember that when it comes to house
training, prevention is the key.
Here is more information about house training your dog from
the AKC.
The
AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program is an incentive program for
loving dog owners who have taken the time to take their
puppies through a basic training class. It teaches:
Sociability, Training, Activity and Responsibility. This
program is designed to train both puppies and their owners.
Owner training and responsibility is just as important as
your puppy training!
There are many sports, competitions and fun activities for
you and your dog to train and participate together. There
are many American Kennel Club (AKC) titles and certifications that include:
Agility, IGP (Schutzhund/IPO), Flyball, Disc Dog, Dock Diving
Obedience, Herding, Farm Dog, Barn Hunt, Tracking and other
Scent Detection Work, Lure Coursing, Rally, Weight Pull, Dog
Hiking, Search and Rescue (SAR) and many others.
Read
The Beginner's Guide To Companion Events...
Fun Facts: German Shepherd Dogs are the most commonly used multi-purpose canine breed used by police.
Intensive training typically begins at about 8-10 weeks of age. The average service for a K9 is approximately 6-9 years.
During their time of service, the police dog’s partner makes all decisions regarding care. If a K9 is lost in the line of duty, they are buried
with the same honors as their human partner. Many of these K9s are considered a member of the squad and in many jurisdictions, causing intentional harm to or killing a police dog is a felony.
