German Shepherd Obedience Training

German shepherds were bred in Germany in the early 1800s by Captain Max Von Stephanitz. Over the years, this dog breed became very popular and spread to all parts of the world. German shepherds are a strong-minded, independent, athletic and intelligent breed requiring firm and consistent training to ensure they grow up well behaved. Obedience training can help your German shepherd respect you as the leader and socialize well with people as well as other dogs.

  1. Pack Leader

    • Like all dogs, German shepherds are pack animals. They identify a pack leader early on, and they follow that leader. To train your dog effectively, you must establish yourself as the pack leader. You can do this by showing your dog that you have control over his most valuable resources, such as food, water, outdoor privileges, and so on. Some suggestions include making him sit before you apply his leash, making him wait quietly to eat, and always going out of the door ahead of him.

    Socialization

    • German shepherds are willful, and if you do not introduce them to other dogs and people, they can become anti-social and disobedient when others are around. This is why socialization is very important to obedience training. You should socialize your German shepherd at an early age. You can do this by inviting people over, taking your dog for walks and introducing your dog to areas where other dogs are on a regular basis.

    Basic Commands

    • Some basic commands you can teach your German shepherd include sit, stay, come and down. Make sure your dog learns these commands before you teach advanced commands. You can accomplish these basic steps by training on your own, using a private trainer or paying for obedience classes. You can start training your dog when she is as young as 10 weeks old.

    Rewards

    • Praise and rewards are necessary for obedience training to be successful. A behavior that results in a positive reaction will most likely be repeated, according to Dr. Edward Thorndike, psychologist and author of "Theory Of Learning." Based on this theory, whenever your dog successfully completes a command, you should reward him with a treat of some sort. You can use food, such as dog treats, or a dog toy. Just be sure to give your dog the reward immediately after the dog completes the command. This will help to strengthen the dog's memory of the command, thereby speeding up the training process.

    Guidelines

    • Start slow, and gradually build commands to follow so as not to confuse your dog. Be clear, concise and consistent. Do not alter the words you use for a particular command. For instance, if you say "sit" one time, do not say "sit down" another time. Altering the phrases for a command will only cause confusion and make it harder for your dog to remember the command. Also, practice makes perfect, so establish a regular training schedule to enforce the commands you want your dog to follow. But keep the sessions brief so your dog does not get bored.