NAIJA PETS

How to train a German Shepherd by reward and reinforcement

 German Shepherd Dog

The German shepherd dog is beautiful. An intelligent canine from working descent, he will bond with and protect his handler with courage and conviction.

This breed of dog is employed by police and military within roles ranging from crowd control to tracking and physical capture of an escaping subject.

The German shepherd can make a wonderful family pet and when choosing a particular dog, it is important to keep in mind that many suffer from hip dysplasia and related problems. This is normally due to irresponsible breeding. Both parents of a litter should be hip scored before mating. When taking on an adult dog certainly check the gait. If the dogs back slopes downwards towards the tail it may have a problem with hips due to excess pressure. It is not always possible to see potential hip problems but sometimes they are obvious.

How to Train a German Shepherd Dog

A biddable and handler focused dog, this breed is a pleasure to train. Extensive research on how to train a German shepherd dog is not always necessary. Positive reinforcement and reward based training is however essential.

Train your German shepherd with a suitable reward. His intelligence will ensure timely response and keen learning. Clicker training is a perfect tool when deciding how to train a German shepherd dog.

Train a German shepherd Dog with Positive Reinforcement.

Clicker training works on reinforcing positive behavior with a reward. The dog must first learn that a click always provides a treat. Then the behavior that you would like him to repeat is pinpointed with the sound. Any unhelpful behavior is ignored completely as this will encourage the dog to offer the behavior that provides him with the click and reward. The high intelligence of this breed ensures that he will pick up this type of training quickly.

When learning how to train a German shepherd dog with a clicker, you must first ensure that your dog is completely in tune with the sound and always expects a treat after hearing it. If the dog is not rewarded every single time, then the sound will lose its effectiveness. Also, if you click at the wrong time, you must still provide the treat despite the unhelpful behavior that you may have unwittingly reinforced.

Walking and other Dogs

The German shepherd is handler focused and obedient by nature. As they mature and if trained well they rarely go far from the person they are out with. Before bringing your dog home for the first time, take some time to research how to train a German shepherd dog on walks and recall. Practice calling him back for rewards on the leash initially. Extend the leash to a long line and continue to practice recall. Only if you are certain that the dog will return on command, should you begin to let him off the leash.

Socialized well they can accept other dogs and play with little concern, but the primary focus is often their human family.

The Family Protector

Be aware that a German shepherd is protective by nature. It is for this and their fearlessness that they are employed in guard dog roles. Your dog may guard the person holding its leash and everyone within the family including children. This should always be discouraged by regular and careful socialization in varied situations. The German shepherd can be a reactive breed that could bark or snap relatively quickly if he feels threatened or cornered. Keep this in mind when deciding whether or not you should welcome a German Shepherd into your home.

Overall, the German shepherd as all other dogs can be a wonderful family pet if properly trained and socialized. Noble, loyal and stunning to look at ensures that as a breed type, they automatically command a certain respect.