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Training Your German Shepherd Dog
The German Shepherd Dog truly is a wonderful animal and not only
do they make good working dogs, they also make superb family
pets. They are however very different from other pet breeds and
need to be handled and trained with a different approach to say
your average labrador or poodle for instance.
The German
Shepherd Dog is a large, strong athletic dog, which needs a
lot of mental stimulation and exercise but a well trained
shepherd can learn to do almost anything. These dogs positively
thrive on challenging activities and they are so willing to
serve their master and please. As a working dog used by most
police forces, the very look of a GSD is usually enough to act
as a deterrent but when called into action there are few dogs
that can match the German Shepherd as an all rounder.
If you are considering becoming an owner of a GSD then you need
to consider the commitment to training in order that you have
happy, well behaved German Shepherd dog that you can take out
safely in public.
If you haven't previously owned one of these dogs then please do
not take on a youngster lightly. Being involved in GSD rescue I
have lost count of the number of young dogs I have had to
re-home because owners bought them without doing a bit of
research first.
As youngsters they can be very boisterous and can easily knock
over children or elderly relatives, especially if you do not
discourage the dog from jumping up when excited. A bored GSD can
be very destructive and if left alone will trash your house and
contents with ease using their big teeth and claws.
Unfortunately these dogs don't really mature until they are
about 3 years old so you are in for the long haul to get through
the puppy and adolescent stage
The German Shepherd needs to be well socialised from an early
age and needs plenty of exposure to people and other dogs so
that they do not develop aggressive tendencies as they mature.
Joining a dog training class from an early age is a good idea
and most clubs will accept dogs into the puppy classes from
about 4 months onwards. This should be good fun for your puppy
and allows him to play and to socialise but it also serves the
purpose of teaching him or her what is acceptable and what is
not. This will prove invaluable grounding for your German
Shepherd training.
When choosing a dog training class do check out a few first as
not all classes make German Shepherds welcome and if any club
asks that you muzzle your dog, please give it a miss and move on
and find another club. No reputable dog training class would
require a dog to be muzzled. If your dog is aggressive towards
other dogs there are better ways of controlling the dog safely
such as by using a Canny Collar which is a simple effective head
collar similar to those used on horses.
The earlier you start training and socialisation the better as
GSD's often develop a tendency to be aggressive towards other
dogs and also towards strangers and they can become very
protective towards their owners and property.
Another important part of training your german shepherd is to
get him used to being groomed because they shed copious amounts
of hair and although they only moult once a year, it lasts for
365 days. So be prepared for dog hair all over your house, your
clothes, in your food and buy yourself a very good vacuum
cleaner.
Training your German Shepherd should be very much part of
everyday life and is should be fun so stick with it because it
really will be worth it in the end.
About the author:
Training Your German Shepherd
Dog Written by Jayne Shenstone who runs German Shepherd
Rescue UK which helps rescue and rehome GSD's across the UK
Written by: Jayne Shenstone
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