Getting Your German Shepherd Off to a Good Start

German Shepherds are great, intelligent, and loyal dogs. With proper training, these dogs can be good family dogs and companions. But without proper training, they can turn into disobedient, violent dogs. That’s why training them early is so important. Follow these tips for getting your German Shepherd off to a good start. 

Adopt Reinforcement Strategies 

Training a German Shepherd dog requires an approach that rewards good behavior and ignores unwanted behaviors. That’s because most German Shepherds don’t react well to negative punishment and reacting harshly when your dog doesn’t listen or obey you will only hinder your training efforts. So instead of negative punishment, focus on teaching your German Shepherd that good behaviors get good rewards.

Make the Most of Your Daily Walks

You can turn daily walks with your German Shepherd into lessons. Walks offer the opportunity for multiple lessons in a short period. Vary where you walk your German Shepherd and include places like near schools, busy sidewalks, local parks, and open fields. During their walk, your German Shepherd will learn that every session is in a different setting with different distractions. 

Utilize Fun Games and Play

Your German Shepherd puppy will benefit from fun games and activities. These types of dogs are very active and react well when they’re playing. You can use this to your advantage when training your German Shepherd. The longer you use games to play and mix training, the more effective your training will be. That’s because your dog will learn that games have rules and the rules make the game fun. 

Start a Structured Meal Routine

Mealtime is another great way to train your dog to listen and pay attention while giving your dog more structure. You can start a structured meal routine with your puppy by weighing out their kibble in a bowl on the counter. Then, put your dog’s bowl on the floor but with only a small bit of kibble in it. Afterward, walk away and start doing another task in the same area as your dog. As your dog begins to watch you, slowly walk over and place another handful of food in their bowl. Continue doing this until their entire meal is served. 

By using this structured meal routine a few times a week, you’ll notice that your dog is calmer, and their manners will improve with each structured meal. It also teaches them to welcome your approach. 

Train Your Recall Frequently and Correctly

To get your German Shepherd puppy off to a good start, practice calling them in frequently. There are different ways to recall your German Shepherd, but some of the most common ways are by calling their name or whistling. Rewarding them when they listen and come to you after you call them is a great way to get them to do it all the time. If they struggle with listening to you and don’t come to you when you call them, you can try using a long lead to train them to listen to you. 

Helping You Get Your German Shepherd Off to a Good Start

Here at Golden Ridge Farm German Shepherds, we want all of our German Shepherd puppies to get off to a good healthy start. That’s why we only breed purebred German Shepherds, routinely take our German Shepherds to the vet, and provide them with all the vaccinations they need. We also use a proven training program from Europe, called Puppy Culture, that focuses on stimulation and socialization skills through the puppies’ first eight weeks. 

Contact us today to learn more about how we train our German Shepherd puppies and to adopt one of your own