German Shepherd training: features. How to teach a German Shepherd puppy to follow the command to me, lie down and sit

The German Shepherd is the most versatile breed, combining all the positive qualities of a service dog, and in addition, it has a high intelligence and excellent ability to learn. German Shepherd puppies love to learn from an early age and grasp new information instantly.

As they grow older and enter adolescence, young males can wake up stubbornness, they become more independent and naughty, but provided that the owner shows firmness and perseverance, conflicts with the animal can be easily avoided. Bitches are more obedient and accommodating, so people who are insecure and children are best dealt with females.

Since it is quite easy to teach a dog commands, training can and should be done at home, appearing on the site only once a week. This is necessary in order to accustom the animal to work in a team and not be distracted by extraneous stimuli, as well as to work out commands for dogs of the protective service with the trainer. But training the basic commands for dogs can be organized independently, at home.

Puppy's first commands

German Shepherd puppies can be trained from two memies

Already at two months old, a German Shepherd puppy is ready for training, usually kids really like the process of training, they catch every word of their beloved owner, trying to understand what they require from them. As with children, puppies should be kept short, and always encouraged to follow commands with treats.

Before class, the dog must be well walked, and at first, training can be done at home, gradually complicating the process, changing places of study.

How to teach your dog the voice command: “Voice” is the very first command that can be learned with a puppy. To complete it, you need a piece of delicious treats, such as cheese or sausage, and a hungry dog. The owner raises his hand with a treat over the dog's head, as if teasing it, while holding the piece in his palm, and the thumb and forefinger make a click. At the same time, the “voice” command is pronounced cheerfully.

The puppy will initially try to jump up and down to reach his hand, but after a few attempts he will get tired and start barking. It is precisely at the first attempt to bark that one must give a delicacy to the dog, praising him violently and cheerfully. In the first lesson, you can make no more than two attempts, repeating this command daily.

For those animals that are indifferent to food, you can use your favorite ball or squeaker as an irritant, be sure to give the toy after the command is completed. Usually, after five or six sessions, dogs give voice with a simple snap of their fingers.

Procedure for training
"sit" command

How to teach your dog the "sit" command: The “sit” command is one of the main ones in the general course of training, and its flawless working out helps the owner to control the behavior of the dog, and can even save the life of the pet. There are cases when it was the landing of the animal before crossing the street that helped to avoid getting under the wheels of the car.

Performing this command for the first time is easiest when the puppy is sitting directly in front of the owner. First of all, the pet should be allowed to sniff the delicacy held in his hand, and raise his hand above his head, saying the command. The puppy can jump and then sit down - this is exactly the moment when you need to praise him and give him a treat. In the future, you can put the baby next to you at your left leg, pressing his croup to the ground with your left hand, and holding the collar with your right.

Always reward your dog for following commands.

How to teach your dog the down command: at the command “down”, the dog should lie down, but not roll over on its side. For the first time, it is more convenient to lay the puppy down from a sitting position, letting him smell the treat and lowering him to the ground. To prevent the puppy from jumping up, hold him by the collar with his left hand, if he does not show interest in food, then gently stretch his front paws with his right hand, forcing him to lie down. Usually, after a few repetitions, the dog willingly lies down on its own, having understood what they want from it.

Commands for a six-month-old dog

It is necessary to pronounce the command “near” not quietly, in a distinct voice

How to teach your dog the "next" command: the command that is necessary in the conditions of a modern city, disciplining the dog and allowing you to walk the streets with the animal without any problems - this is the “nearby” command. The German Shepherd is a large and temperamental dog, and without proper education it is very difficult to manage it on walks, because having noticed a relative or a cat, it will simply take the owner away with it. The “next” command is taught starting from the age of six months, teaching the puppy to walk next to the owner’s left foot without stretching the leash.

To do this, the owner takes the animal on a leash and says "close!" in a stern voice, reinforcing the command with a short jerk of the leash. If the dog does not pay attention to this, then use a strict collar. With each walk, this exercise is performed, ensuring that the pet walks beside and does not pull in any circumstances and at any pace of movement. Be sure to treat your dog from time to time.

How to teach your dog the fetch command: the “fetch” command to the dog consists in the fact that the animal brings an object thrown by the owner, and you can complicate the task, forcing you not only to throw a stick or ball at the owner’s feet, but to sit down and hold it in its mouth.

Teaching this team begins with the game, when the puppy brings the ball with pleasure. Once again, throwing the toy, the “fetch” command is pronounced, and when the dog runs up with it in its teeth, it is necessary to offer a treat, forcing the ball to be given away. Gradually, the execution of the command becomes more complicated, an exposure of several seconds is made before the object is taken away.

Protective Service Commands

You need a partner to teach the “take” command
and special equipment

The training of the German Shepherd in guard duty teams should begin no earlier than the dog has completed the general training course and is one year old. Dogs of this breed do not need additional development of aggression, since by nature they have a rather serious character and innate distrust of strangers.

It is quite possible to independently teach the dog the “alien” command, for this, when showing aggression towards strangers, the dog is encouraged by voice. It is impossible to teach a dog the command “face” or “take” at home, since this requires the help of a trainer and special equipment.

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We train a German shepherd at home: 190 comments

Sergei
The article does not cover the main issue of successful dog training - trust between the owner and the animal. The German Shepherd is the most loyal dog breed. It must be trained by the owner, only occasionally attracting a professional trainer.
Julia
We have a shepherd dog, we took her as a little girl, well, we wanted to teach her commands. So, only one person was engaged in this - my husband, since a dog should obey only one person, and not everyone in a row. Now he is already an adult with us and performs commands very well, very obedient and kind, he will never touch a child. But he is very aggressive towards strangers.
Elena
You need to start training from childhood, while they are just beginning to learn about the world and get to know it. And if you train, then only one person should, and not all at once, whoever wants it.
Vlad
What if he is 1 year old?
Sergei
Mine does not follow the command “Come to me”. What should I do?
Tatiana
We have a German Shepherd, she is 2.5 months old and she loves to ride from the children's slide, and recently she overcame her fear and began to climb the stairs to the hill. Performs the command “GIVE A PAW”, tries to perform “SIT” and slowly we will teach the rest of the commands according to your article. I really like your article!!! THANKS!!!
Andrew
Thank you for the article
Oleg
Is it possible to teach a team to me at the age of 5?
Nina
how to teach a dog patience I have a Shepherd Jack 1 year 1 month old, when I give the command to sit, he sits down quickly, looks at my hand if I give the command to lie down, to quickly do everything and run to play or pester me, constantly grabs my hand or leg, does not sit calmly, the command nearby performs the same: stands nearby and immediately runs away. On the street, he goes to everyone, he is very kind, but he doesn’t lose sight of me on a walk, he constantly looks around.
Gennady
VEO, 3.5 years old, lives in an aviary, was purchased for a private house. Needed as a guard in the yard. At night everything is fine, but during the day, when someone enters the yard, he barks and goes into the aviary, continuing to bark. My fault is when friends come in, we immediately closed him in the aviary, he understood this and when a person appears, he immediately goes there. Can I fix it myself?
Ivan
I don’t have a purely blooded German Mitis is it possible to teach all the commands
Alexander
thank you very much your article helped me a lot I have a cable for 2 months and we already know a lot and I hope to learn a lot thanks to your information! :)
Anastasia
Victor, tell me, please, we have a German shepherd cable, 9 months old, in a private house, a wonderful dog, he obeys commands, but still is self-willed. Now there is such a problem: he became aggressive towards people, not towards his family, but towards others. As he sees a person, he begins to growl and rush. Here he even bit a neighbor, whom he has known since childhood, by the leg. What can you advise? Thank you in advance.
Irina.
Hello. girl almost 4 months old. bought a month ago. never heard her barking, only whining ... .. is this normal?
Yana
Thank you Victor, very good and valuable advice. Our baby is 3 months old. We live in the private sector. We walk the dog regularly outside the house, while it moves freely in the yard, but we plan to build an aviary. How to teach a dog not to shit in the aviary and in the yard?
Tatiana
I have a german shepherd dog. he is 5 months old. we walk on the street if he sees any dog, he starts barking furiously and literally breaks off the leash, while he simply does not perceive the “FU” command. they tried to let him off the leash, he runs up to the dog and immediately runs back to me with a screech. please advise what can be done. how to teach my pet not to pay attention to foreign objects and animals
Olga
very good article and everything is so accessible.
Tatiana
Our BUT-6 months, the smart one performs the commands: sit, lie down, fetch, catch, search (mostly her favorite toys are the squeaker ball and the monkey Chichi) and distinguishes between them, what you ask for will bring and her strong grip I can’t snatch until I’ll tell you FU. What is your assessment of my upbringing, this is my first training. And she also loves to sleep with us.
Tatiana
Thanks, I didn't even think about that.
Elena
the article is cool, everything is intelligible. we have a German half-breed, he is almost a year old. when we go for a walk, without a leash, he jumps on me and grabs my hands, bites, it seems not much, but the bruises remain, now he grabs his legs and is quite sensitive, how to wean It doesn’t run far during a walk, but in addition to “to me”, I taught it to a whistle. You can hear it far away and runs right away.
Anastasia
Good afternoon, Victor! We had such an unpleasant situation: our German (1.3 years old) was bitten by dogs during a walk. We live in the private sector, in the evening the daughter went for a walk with him, and the neighbor has three Tibetan mastiffs, the male broke the fence and escaped into the street, with him two more bitches. And this trinity attacked our dog, he tried to fight back, but the forces are not equal (Tibet is twice as large). As a result, our dog ran into our yard, then my husband and I ran out, the dogs were driven away, and ours was closed in an aviary so that they would not finish him off. Now the dog does not leave the kennel of the enclosure, he looks terribly beaten, there are no visible injuries. But I'm afraid he won't nail down at all. He is afraid of dogs and so, but here it is. Can you advise what?
Natalia
Hello Victor. I have a problem with a dog like Anastasia.
We live in a private house, the dog is in the yard, BUT the girl is 3.5 years old, we walk every evening for 5 km. The dog is obedient, he follows the command to me. An Alaskan Malamute dog attacked while walking. I kept the dog on a leash. The owner of the attacked dog did not know what to do, the dog was without a leash and a collar. My dog got off the leash and ran away. There were no visible injuries, except for a scratch under the eye. Processed.
We went to the course of protection, but the dog does not show aggression towards the instructor. Don't know what to do? Can you tell me something?
Sincerely, Natalia
Olga
Victor, how to teach a puppy not to throw himself at food, but to eat with the permission of the owner. ? Age 1 month.
Elena
Hello Viktor! Many of my questions have been answered on your site. I have a German Shepherd 4.5 months old. Knows several commands, willingly executes them. I don’t have much time to study, I work at a school. We practice every day for 30 minutes. We have a private house and Scully runs around without a leash. I can’t wean you from digging flower beds. While everyone is at home, do not touch. Arriving from work - devastation. Do you have any toys. But apparently without us it is more interesting to mess with her. Please advise how to proceed. Today I could not resist, punished, stuck my nose into the flower bed (as usual) and also spanked quite hard.
Nick
BUT 1.5 -2 years old...chasing his tail..and doesn't show aggression towards outsiders at all...how to fix???
Nick
A male…yes..only if he sees another dog starts barking and chasing his tail…sometimes he starts chasing on his own…doesn’t even react to outsiders…only to dogs…
Olga
Good evening! Great article and super tips. We have a purebred German girl, Jesse, who will be 10 months old. We live in the private sector, she lives in a huge aviary (part of the yard is fenced) and we have such a problem, she is very active, you go into her aviary, she knocks her down for joy, but if she is released, she jumps and runs around the yard . They tried to teach commands, but because of her activity, this is almost impossible, she does not obey, she only performs to sit and to me, but at the same time fulfilling them very quickly and again begins to run and jump. Tell me if she will be calmer and how to teach her obedience? They really wanted a guard in the yard, but she sees the owners as straight crazy with joy. We will soon have a baby and somehow we are afraid of her mega activity at the sight of us. Tell me how to teach her?
Nick
Definitely…thanks…but what about aggression towards outsiders??he doesn’t show at all
Kseniya
Hello, I have a German Shepherd puppy 2 months old, we know the voice commands and come to me, tell me what other commands can be taught to a puppy at such an early age? And another problem, he bites his legs, hands, jumps with his paws, scratches to the edge (how to wean him from this, he understands the fu command every once in a while with regard to food. Thanks in advance
Maria
Hello! I have a BUT 1.9 bitch, no aggression towards strangers, she just loves everyone and whoever comes up starts licking! While the little one was barking at drunks and showing aggression, but there was a case when one persistent, rather grunting passer-by during our walk was determined and wanted to make friends with her, I did not allow it, moved away and did not allow him to approach, at that time she actively barked at him , we left, and he followed us and talked to her so kindly, well, she was apparently tired and stopped responding to him, they say she walks and walks ... and I praised her for aggression, but after this incident the aggression disappeared completely! Now even drunks are ready to lick and play! What to do?
Alexander
Good afternoon. Help, please, advice. We have a German Shepherd male, 2 months old. It develops normally, but there are problems. 1) With a good appetite, it actively tries to eat its own feces. 2) Gnawing and swallowing everything around, especially small pebbles, because of which we cannot move him to the yard, to the booth. What to do?
Ilya
Thank you very much Viktor, I bought a German male today - 2.5 months old, I was very tired of fighting with him where the toilet should be. He walked when he asked, and a lot, but the bastard crap on the parquet. The dog is smart and performs commands for his age (the owner, the dog handler in the zone) and recognized me as the owner immediately upon purchase - he listens unconditionally HOW to accustom him to the toilet on the street
Kat
Hello, Victor! My puppy is 3 months old. How often can I bathe him? And is it possible to feed the dog with the food that we eat ourselves? He is reluctant to eat dry food! If nothing else is given, he can eat
Konstantin
Hello Viktor, I have a male BUT 9 months old - he taught me the commands to sit lie down to me without any problems, seemingly smart I don’t take a private house outside in the yard I have a lot of space I close the aviary when someone comes from strangers - barks at cats dogs on the street running past the house -but zero does not even whine at the guests, he just sits as if nothing had happened -also the team’s voice, no matter how hard he tries, he does not give in to teasing food, he barked at him silently without emotion and waiting for something - calm in general that a boa constrictor and no aggression- what to do they say with age it will begin to guard I only need a guard in the yard and no more tell me how to be with him I catch moments when at least barks at dogs I praise I encourage well, nothing when he considers it necessary to bark, at 2 months I walked with him along the street near the house he sniffed yapped all the passers-by, I thought, and everything will go on with him, everything is fine, but he calmed down and for a long time - give good advice pliz
Konstantin
thank you very much, I understand you, I will try to provoke his aggression, or rather, ask someone to provoke him, and even remembered in the winter he lived in the house sometimes guests came to stroke him, of course, he didn’t let him be fed all the more, but I think that this may be the problem of the fact that he is guests he accepts them as his own, although they come in and, for example, gas or water inspectors, he also doesn’t notice them, in general I will provoke and wait, maybe with age something will improve, it’s a pity that we don’t have dog handlers in our city
Nastya
I have a German shepherd bitch, she is 2 years old, she lived with her father, but he didn’t teach the dog anything now I took her to me, tried to train her, but she is an adult and doesn’t listen to anything and doesn’t do what I should do in this case Tell me please!!!
Nastya
Thanks a lot!
Tatiana
I have a daughter, Katya, she is now 12 years old. Her godfather promised to give a puppy for 13 years: a German shepherd breed, a bitch. We live in an apartment. I want to ask if it is possible to allow my daughter to envy a dog or is it too early for 13 years old. Katya read everything about the Nemtsov and care, and maintenance, and food, and about walking, and about training. She herself loves this breed and does not have a soul in it. Is 13 years too early for a dog or is there nothing to worry about?
Julia
Hello dear Victor. Need advice. I took a bitch NO to a city apartment, who lived in an aviary outside the city for up to 7 months. She is now a year and three months old. Gradually accustomed to people, dogs, the street, we walk every evening for 2 hours in the park and communicate. Treat your dog gently and calmly. The dog is practically trouble-free, the only thing that worries her is her completely puppyish behavior. If a strange dog, even a smaller one, growls upon meeting, our huge shepherd dog begins to obsequiously lick its muzzle. She doesn’t notice people, cyclists on a walk, but if someone talks to her, at first she gets very scared, bounces with her tail between her legs, and then joyfully jumps, caresses. At the dacha, there were even cases when she left with strangers. There is no question of any protection. This seems strange, since my previous dogs - VEO, three collies, a toy terrier showed distrust of strangers entering the apartment for already seven or eight months.
Gregory
Hello!!! My dog is 1.5 she is friendly to everyone, what should I do!? I want her to guard the house / but she doesn’t even bark ((
Dima
dad bought a shepherd dog called Jack, he went for a walk with him, I clean up, etc. he is half a year old at this age what commands can be taught and when I walk sometimes I’m very stubborn and just don’t go what to do and you can teach him to growl at such an age otherwise cats dig him I'm afraid my eyes will gouge
Dima
and I also wanted to ask how long to walk with him for about 1.5 months
Dima
Alexander
Hello Victor. Again I turn to you for advice. Our German Shepherd “boy” is 5.5 months old, growing and developing normally in the yard of a private house. Sensitive and moderately aggressive dog. There was a problem recently. We began to notice that the dog is frightened, does not bark at strangers, is frightened by sharp sounds and, tail between its legs, runs away to the booth. Could he be frightened by one of the strangers and how to correct the situation? Thank you.

Victor, good afternoon! Please tell me - BUT, cable, 2 years old, he lived with his mother in the courtyard of a private house and she did not particularly engage in his upbringing. But there is no doubt that he is smart. Now the house is for sale and the dog will need to be transported to an apartment. If you walk him well and actively, will he get used to the apartment? And is it possible to make a well-mannered dog out of him, given his age? Thanks in advance

Nicholas
Victor, good afternoon.
Thank you so much for helping your readers.
I could not stay away and not ask my burning question.
Already for 1.5 months a wonderful friend, cable NO, has been living with us, soon the puppy will be 3 months old.
the content is street, free, we just got the second vaccine, we are not walking outside the yard yet.
We know the nickname and the command “to me” perfectly well, we do the rest every other time, but the process is going on
We only have one dog problem, and a big one.
Periodically, during the game, he catches up and grabs our 3-year-old child by the arms and legs, especially when the baby runs in the yard, which leads to light scratches and sometimes the child cries.
We understand that the dog considers him to be a brother and plays like he played with the rest of the puppies from the litter, but this behavior of the puppy is sharply attracted to me by the command “Fu” or “no”, sometimes even with an additional newspaper in the face, or a shake by the withers.
But this action is enough for one day, then again I follow him on his heels to stop his desire to grab the child.
Now we are already making an aviary and protected the dog from the baby during walks.
Can you express your opinion?
1- At what age, such behavior of the dog will stop and he will calm down?
2- Will the restriction of communication between the dog and the child affect their relationship in the future?
3- What other methods can be used to stop this behavior of the dog once and for all, while not losing his trust.
Irina
Hello. Thanks a lot for your advice! Thanks to them, we already know a lot. We have a German girl, 4 months old. At the moment, he knows commands to me, sit, lie down, give a paw, fetch. Our problem is this: during walks, when we let her off the leash to run, she does not want to follow the command to me to go home. Runs up, but then jumps back and runs away. We catch with the whole family, and rarely performs other commands during walks. What do you advise?
Aizhan
Hello, we have a German 1.4 cable, we have such a problem, he doesn’t like children, why I don’t know. My son, 6 years old, played constantly together, never showed aggression towards him. Once a nephew came and the eldest daughter took them all for a walk, let them off the leash and he attacked the nephew, pulled him a little, of course the child was scared, but I didn’t betray the value so much because I never attacked anyone. Then I myself walked with him, took off the leash at festivities and so they always returned home, he himself went into the yard and didn’t run away. But one day he saw the girls and attacked them, he didn’t bite them, but tore things and severely scratched the children, of course, they were afraid of a showdown with their parents. Now I am terribly afraid to walk with him even with a leash, I only let him go in the yard and then at night he sits on a long chain or in an aviary because he began to attack even his son in the yard. When he sits on a chain, he lets him stroke himself. When he is released, he rushes. I’m very afraid for my son that one day I won’t be around and he will bite him. Although I read a lot about them that they love children, but we have the opposite. I don't really know what to do.
Kat
Thank you for your advice! We have a dog BUT, a male, 6 months old. We live in an apartment. There are a lot of people at home and everything seems to be like its owners, although there should be one owner. We must probably decide that someone alone teaches her commands? queues, who is free. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t follow the commands? Or rather, he doesn’t obey everyone. He loves all family members, especially singling out no one
Aizhan
Thank you for the answer. I also wanted to ask us an aviary 2.5 by 4, this place will be enough for him, if you don’t put him on a chain and how long you can keep him in the aviary, as adults are at work during the day, the ability to let go in the evening and for the whole night and eat dry food is not I give him cooking paws, heads, necks, bones with 5 types of cereals, besides this, what else can be given, apparently he is fed up with this nose, I give 2 a day in the morning and in the evening. In the evening he eats with reluctance and eats within 2 hours. When they hit puberty and he will not become angrier. Thanks in advance.
Irina
Hello. Please tell me what to do in the following situation: up to 7 months, the puppy NO lived in the apartment, but in the near future it is planned to move to a private house, and the dogs to the aviary, respectively. How to make the dog's habituation to a new place, and even on the street, the most painless?
Anna
Hello! Tell me please. We bought a German shepherd, a bitch, she is 2 years old to guard a private house. Bought from pensioners, grew up with children, we also have small children, we thought it was good. He understands the command to sit, give a paw, home, next to him, in general it is clear that the dog is smart, not aggressive. The problem is that she does not protect the territory, does not bark. I am constantly at home, I heard barking only 3 times in 2 months on animals passing by. We don’t have a fence near the house yet, but we made a booth near the entrance to her. Strangers come in, she is silent. The dog was taken to the parents, now we do not know what to do. Thanks for the answer
Anna
They said to bring her together, left her in an aviary with a cable for 3 days, nothing happened.
Albina
Victor, good day! Do you work with dogs in person? We are looking for a competent trainer, we have a German for 2 years, we have been training since 3 months, of course there are results, but the command to me can be ignored, he is wary of children - he barks, jumps on all fours, raises his withers and apparently can attack, we interrupt with sharp jerks, but we punish does not work. Thank you for the article!
Lada
Hello! We have such a problem: We bought a 7-month-old girl in a private nursery. The dog was not socialized at all, was afraid of everything, thin, did not know any commands. For a long time it was restored in a psychological sense. She was even afraid of moving her hand, immediately fell to the ground and shook. Now she is almost 3 years old, she gave birth once. Only “Fu” and “To me” know the team. But, this is not the main thing. The dog lives on the street, as soon as we go out into the yard, he immediately starts jumping and biting his hands. We understand that it asks for attention, but as soon as you start paying attention to it, playing with it, it becomes completely out of control. There is no aggression, just for joy, he tries to hit his face with his paws, bites his sleeves and hands. And if she suddenly broke into the house, then we drag her out of there just flat. If they are brought into an enclosure, they start yelling like crazy (although a Caucasian sits next to them in silence). And I feel sorry for her and I don’t know what to do with all this. plays very hard with children, bites them. Is it possible to correct her behavior or is it a mental disorder?
Sergei
Please tell me how much time a day you need to train a dog.
Irina
Please tell me by what time the puppy's ears should stand well. We are 7 months old. One ear stands constantly from 4 months. Another rises, but rarely, more often on the street, and lies at home. This is fine?
Alexander
Hello Viktor! since childhood I dream to take BUT. I would like to clarify. it is better to succumb to the training of the female (as I understand it from your words). since I work on shifts, a month at home and a month at work. in the summer I have a vacation of 3 months, at this time I would like to take BUT. I have a private house. How will the dog react to this, that I have been working with her for a month at home for a month I have been on watch? (My wife will not train him since Suna will be 1.3 months old.) What would you advise me? thanks in advance!
CATHERINE
Love
Hello Victor. You have a very good article, thanks. And my problem is this. Male BUT, he is a year old. Periodically destroys furniture. When I leave for work.. I increased the load and long walks, workouts ... Sometimes not only furniture ... If a plastic basin is then one swing of a paw and it is not there ... Has it already been fixed forever? I can’t catch the moment of this particular action .. When I linger, I really feel this moment when he starts to engage in nonsense ...
Valentine
Hello. We live in a private house. Our puppy is 4 months old. Thanks to your article, we teach the puppy commands. The kid is smart, understands commands, hearing and smell are well developed, but during a walk in the yard, when strangers pass outside the gate, at the command “alien”, the puppy runs up to the gate, looks at passers-by, but does not show the quality of a guard, i.e. . doesn't bark. The puppy does not even guard his plate of food, he allows the cat to eat with him at the same time. Sometimes a cat can take a piece of meat from him, and the puppy does not even growl. How can we be? Why doesn't the puppy act like a guard? Thanks in advance for your reply.
vita
We bought a German Shepherd 5 days ago. She has been eating very badly for almost 3 months. We don’t know what to do. She has lost a lot of weight. It seems to be cheerful and playful. She also throws herself at the child for a year and three months.
vita
Such a problem. We live with a husband and his brother. I have been teaching it to a dog for 3 months. When they are not at home, they listen to me, and when they are at home, they don’t put a penny.
Alexander G.
Great article! I have a German 6 months living in an apartment. He is obedient, knows the basic commands except next to him. But that's not the point. My daughter is 6 years old and I am very worried about aggression towards her. How to 100% avoid this?
Julia
Hello.
We have NO - male, 2 years old. Sits on a chain in the street. We are going to move to another city, it's two days on the road, but the dog is not accustomed to ride in a car. What can be done in such a situation? How to prepare?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
Irina
Hello. Can you please tell me why a dog BUT refuses raw meat for 9 months? I used to eat with pleasure, but now I only eat boiled food. We give the same as before - beef and trimmings, from the same store, fresh. Will the lack of raw meat affect its further full development
Natalia
Hello dear Victor! I really liked your article, and in general I found a lot of useful things here. My dog child will soon be 3 months old, I took him from the kennel at 2. He is growing beautifully, even though he is a dog and with character, but he is a very smart and quick-witted baby. He knew his nickname after 2 days, the command “Come to me!” performs flawlessly. I set myself the goal of growing a real BUT man :) But there are a number of questions on which I would very much like to know your opinion:
1) I live in a small town abroad, unfortunately there are no Russian-speaking cynologists here. Is it possible to engage in OKD on your own, or at least raise a dog citizen out of a child on your own? For example, will the forest be suitable, as soon as it gets warmer, instead of a special site?
2) We are in the active process of learning the command “Fu!” I wean off biting hands and feet, because I realized that somewhere I made a mistake and the puppy loved this business very much. Sometimes during the game he will growl at me or bark when I say “Fuh” and he does not agree. As I understand it, my answers are in the style of “I am like that!” and “Don’t raise your voice to your mother!” won't roll. I would really like to understand what he wants to say to me in this way.
3) The puppy's ears have already stood up, molting has begun. I wanted to ask if the change of teeth will begin soon and how difficult this period is.
Thank you very much for your help!

Many dog breeders think that if they bought a German Shepherd puppy, then this little dog, by virtue of its breed, must and even is obliged to carry out commands, in their opinion, a German puppy must understand its owner and be able to carry out a standard set of commands and a OKD course at an early age . I want to disappoint you.

A puppy is a small child, but he has a great desire to serve his master, but in any case, in order for a dog to become smart, obedient and trained, it must be taught this. Of course, the German Shepherd has in its genes loyalty, courage, intelligence, the desire to serve, love, and so on. But all this needs to be developed, and this must be done from an early age, because it is in youth that obedience is laid, and then you will train your pet in the right direction: guide, bodyguard, bloodhound, etc.

Team to me

If you decide to start training your puppy, I will give you some advice from my own experience. I will tell you how we taught our shepherds at an early age team Come to me.
At an early age, you should do everything in a playful way, you should not yell or force the puppy, you should arouse interest in the dog. In order for the puppy to come to you, it is enough to call him by his nickname, but you want the dog to come to you on command. Start small.

Before starting classes:

Walk your four-legged friend properly (the dog will be less distracted).
Don't forget to pause between commands.
Do not repeat the command a huge number of times, the dog hears perfectly, 1 time is enough.
Try to train your dog alone
Do not rush things, the puppy needs a rest
Show patience and restraint
Don't punish your dog or use a threatening tone

So. Boil a small piece of meat, cut it into small pieces (or take another treat) Take your four-legged friend and go for a walk. Let the dog run around, relieve himself, and then start doing the following. Call your dog by name, as soon as you see that the dog heard you and went to you, say the command to me, when the dog comes to you, say the command to me again, praise the puppy and give him a treat. Do not skimp on compliments, speak well, well done. Release the puppy with the walk command, then let the puppy run a little and call him again and repeat what we described above. But do not overdo it, and here's another thing, when you are about to go home, call the dog with a command to me, but do not take the dog on a leash, otherwise your pet may have an erroneous opinion that the command to me entails being taken on a leash, And not a single puppy will like it.

Teaching a German Shepherd Puppy the Sit Command

Now let's talk about team sit and lie. The sit command is easy to teach your puppy. Firstly, you should be guided by the recommendations described above, or rather, do not forget to pause, this applies to absolutely all commands. Take all the same treats, and at the moment when you command the puppy to sit, raise the treat over his head, and move your hand slowly from head to tail, thereby forcing the puppy to raise his head for the treat, after which the puppy will begin to tilt his head back. , and at this point the puppy sits down. In some cases it may be necessary to press a little with your other hand on your puppy's croup, then the dog will sit for sure, at these points you re-command Sit, and after doing it, praise the dog. Remember! The scheme will always be like this, your command, the correct execution of the command by the dog, praise and treats.

Teach your puppy to lie down

Sit the puppy near your left leg, hold a treat in your hand, let the dog sniff your fist, thereby showing the puppy's interest in the treat. Next, command Lie down firmly and confidently, and lower your hand to the ground, usually the dog lies down, if the command is completed, give a treat and praise with your voice, you can also rub behind the ear. If the dog did not follow the command, but simply lowered its head, repeat the command and pull the leash down, but not very hard. But! For such execution of the command, you should not praise the dog. It is better to try again without jerking the leash and, if successful, praise the dog. Remember. Strictness is necessary in the process of raising a puppy.

Summing up. A dog needs a leader-leader, this is how this animal world works. Do not forget that severity and physical punishment are not the same thing. You can't hit a dog! You can lose trust at an early age once and for all! Good luck in education.

Conditions for accepting a dog:

Possession of a veterinary passport
Full vaccination
Healthy appearance and condition of the dog

The German Shepherd was bred by Max von Stephanitz at the end of the 19th century. For more than a hundred years, strict breeding selection has been introduced in order for the breed to improve and flourish. To be eligible for breeding, a German Shepherd must have a RKF/AKC/KC/CKC/FCI pedigree certificate, have a conformation score of at least “very good” at the show, an HD research certificate (degrees -A, -B or - C), as well as the results of successful testing of any type of training recognized by the RKF (OKD and ZKS, KD, KS, IPO 1-3, IPO ZTP, IPO-FH).

The German Shepherd is not for everyone. If you decide to get a representative of this particular breed, then you have the opportunity to devote enough time for full walks (about 4 hours a day to provide enough physical activity to keep the dog in good shape), as well as for training sessions. These are extremely energetic dogs, and if you do not direct their activity in the right direction, then your pet will find something to do with itself, for example, it will destroy the apartment.

Thanks to strict breeding selection, this breed turned out to be universal and multifunctional. Its representatives perfectly cope with the role of a faithful guard and protector, sensitive companion, rescuer and guide dog.

If we talk about the character and temperament of German Shepherds, then it is worth noting:

propensity to train;
a strong type of nervous system and a balanced psyche;
firm and strong character;
high learning ability;
excellent obedience;
adequate response to all types of stimuli.

Representatives of the breed must necessarily take obedience classes with a professional dog handler. The best age to start training is 4 months.

Training of a German Shepherd in the cynological center "ARAKS"

Canine Center "ARAKS" provides services for training German Shepherds at the following courses:

"Puppy School" The first months of a pet's life can be compared to laying the foundation. Here we are talking not only about health, but also about socialization, building relationships, education, etc. A professional cynologist will teach the basics of OKD, help to properly socialize, give important recommendations on raising and keeping a dog;
"Obedience". The course includes the basics of OKD, handling, as well as the development of sustainable skills with various stimuli;
"Service dog". Training takes place on the territory of the kennel, the duration of the course is 30 days, classes are held daily with the helper. Dogs over 1.5 years old who have passed the full course of obedience are allowed for training;
"Family Training" Professional training and socialization take place on the territory of the nursery, duration - 30 days. Your German Shepherd receives all the necessary knowledge at the OKD course. Every day, the pet works on the site for 4 hours (1 hour 4 times a day). Course price - 35,000 rubles;
"Urban dog". The course program includes working out commands in the conditions of the city with a large congestion of people, animals, vehicles and other irritants;
"Protection". The program includes the passage of the ZKS course. Dogs that have completed an obedience course and have reached the age of 1.5 years are accepted for training;
"Correction of Unwanted Behavior". Professional training takes place on the territory of the kennel and includes classes to suppress all types of aggression, as well as a family training course. Based on the results of the classes, a film about your dog will be made, in which experts will tell you in detail about each team;
"Zoo hotel + training". This is an opportunity to make good use of your time. If you need to leave the dog for overexposure, our cynologists can take a training course with it or work out any commands you wish.

The German Shepherd is considered to be the most versatile working dog breed. But in order for a small and stupid puppy to turn into a real and faithful friend, painstaking, daily work on education and training is required.

First of all, you need to understand why you need a service dog in the house. Will she participate in exhibitions, competitions, or is she only needed to protect the house? Maybe she will become the basis of a new nursery? Will she live in an apartment or in a booth on the street?

The answer to these questions depends on the place of purchase of the dog, its class and pedigree.

Before you get a German Shepherd, you need to understand why you get it.

For home and family, as a friend for a child, you can buy a dog through an ad, through a club, in the market. Even if not from eminent parents. An exhibition, working or "breeding" dog should be looked after in a well-established kennel.

Boy or girl

It is important to determine the gender of the future pet.

Bitches are more sociable and obedient. They are smaller. But it is worth remembering about such physiological features as estrus and possible pregnancy.

Males are larger, more powerful. No problem with unexpected offspring. Boys, as a rule, are more aggressive, more stubborn, striving to take the leading place in the family. They have better health. But males require constant control during a walk - they can run away from the owner for a female in heat. With poor upbringing, they mark the territory in the apartment.

When choosing from several puppies, many rely on chance: whoever crawled first is yours.

Important. Puppies should be weaned from their mother at the age of one and a half to two months. By this time, the psyche of the puppies is formed, the character begins to appear. Social bonds are established between puppies, they learn to communicate, learn the laws of behavior in a pack.

How to check health and exterior

Inspect the puppy before buying.

First of all, you need to find out how many puppies were in the litter. A bitch cannot feed more than ten full-fledged puppies. The offspring will not be healthy even if the dog has bred more than once a year.

When buying a dog, it is carefully examined. In a healthy purebred German Shepherd puppy:

Ribs do not protrude. Average fatness. There are no red spots or pimples on the abdomen.
Smooth, shiny, neat, not very long coat without tufts near the ears and neck. Parents of black and tan puppies should be the same. The more burns, the better.
Pleasant, "childish" smell.
Clear dark eyes, almond-shaped, not convex. Puppies can have blue eyes for up to a month. After light eyes are a marriage, like a different color.
Pink clean mucous membranes of the mouth and nose. Nose black, wet.
The ears are set high and free from rot and discharge. Ears should not "stand" until three months.
Strong bones.
Straight, strong forelegs with well defined joints. The curvature of the front and hind limbs indicates a possible rickets.
The hind limbs are strong.
Steps are confident, smooth.
Small lumpy paws with thick elastic pads and dark claws without extra dewclaws.
Scissor bite with a gap of about 1-2 mm. Grown teeth are considered a marriage.
Wide shoulder girdle, short, not sagging and not humpbacked back, wide hips.
Straight tail, not thrown over the back, not twisted into a "donut". In the rack, the saber-shaped tail is lowered down.

Before buying, you need to find out how many puppies were in the litter.

Liquid unstable feces, bloated abdomen indicate intestinal diseases or worms. To test your hearing, clap your hands loudly next to the puppy and look at his reaction.

Important. Having bought a puppy, do not forget to take from the seller a list of the necessary vaccinations, measures against worms, and the diet. Specify the rules of registration, joining the club, payment of membership fees.

Temperament and character

The German Shepherd should have a calm, balanced character. The puppy should be keenly interested in others, be friendly with people, active. Unjustified growling, barking speak of an unstable psyche.

How hard is it to raise a German Shepherd?

An ill-bred German Shepherd is a danger to others. From the very first minutes, the puppy must be shown "who is the boss in the house." The shepherd dog dominating the owner shows aggression in case of displeasure, executes commands whenever he wants, rushes at guests, passers-by, cats and other dogs, runs away for a walk.

An ill-bred German Shepherd is a danger.

German Shepherds are considered smart and easy to train. The main thing is to start training in time, give the dog enough attention and patience, identify and use for the benefit of the inherent instincts, abilities, and personal characteristics of the pet.

Training and education of a German Shepherd puppy

A puppy begins to be brought up immediately after his appearance in the house. When communicating with a growing dog, they show firmness, calmness, and attention. German Shepherds should not be caressed or picked up too often. The owner must be restrained, but kind.

Punishment

Don't let your puppy sleep in a bed or chair.

German Shepherd puppies are curious and love to play. Pranks should not be encouraged, but the punishment should be adequate. You can punish with a slap of the palm, a jerk of the leash, in rare cases with a weak blow of the twig. You can lightly press the puppy to the floor or clasp one hand around the neck, with the other slightly squeeze the muzzle, repeating the command “Fu!” or "No!". Do not lift the baby by the scruff of the neck, or by the paws. The puppy is punished immediately after the misconduct, in a minute he will not understand why he is poked with his nose into a gnawed slipper.

You can’t let a puppy sleep in the owner’s bed, relax comfortably in an armchair, joyfully jump on his chest at a meeting, take food from the table and from the ground on a walk, beg.

Before four months, puppies have molars. The puppy just needs something to chew on at this time. In order not to punish the baby in vain, they remove shoes, raise curtains, tablecloths, enclose beds, sofas and armchairs, give him rubber toys, balls, jelly or sugar bones.

First teams

From one month to two, the puppy is explained the general rules of the hostel. They are taught to respond to the nickname, to know their place. In the first months of life, a puppy should not be locked alone in a room or tied. In order not to break the teeth and spoil the bite, you should not pull hard on the stick, a toy clamped in the dog's teeth.

From the first month, the puppy is taught to the commands "Come to me!" "Walk!", "Place!". While these commands are not fixed, they do not start other commands, otherwise you can psychologically overload the puppy.

From the first month, puppies are taught basic commands.

To train your dog to the "Come!" command:

Say the nickname and the command "Come to me!". When the pet starts moving towards the owner, praise, repeating the command: “Come to me! Well done. Good dog". For each arrival on command, the puppy should receive a treat and a stroke.
After a while, they stop giving treats, limited to verbal praise and stroking.
They say a nickname, clap their hands, whistle, show their favorite toy, when the puppy starts running up to play, they call: “Come to me!”. Encouragement is a game with the owner.
If the puppy is already walking on a long leash, then with a freely released leash they give a command and slightly pull the reins. Show a treat or a toy. Command. After the approach, they are encouraged with a treat and stroking.
If the puppy does not obey, then the owner can pretend to leave. The puppy is afraid of being alone. As soon as the distance becomes "dangerous" he will rush after. At this time, the command is pronounced. When approached, they are rewarded.

Important. You should not pronounce the command several times in a row. The puppy can get used to and approach the owner "for the tenth time."

First months

From the age of two months, the puppy is taught to the leash.

Training begins with short (10-15 minutes) classes, 2-3 times a day. Use game, imitative, methods. The execution of the command is reinforced with affection, delicacy, verbal praise.

From two months old, the puppy is taught to walk on a leash. Walking in the fresh air begins a week after vaccination. Initially, the duration of the walk is 15-30 minutes, then the duration is gradually increased. At three months, the puppy should walk at least 3-4 km a day.

During walks, the baby is taught not to pay attention to transport, passers-by, dogs, cats, birds. They do this by changing the place of the walk to a more lively one. The puppy needs communication with peers and short "free" walks without a leash. It is advisable to walk during the daytime so that he receives the amount of ultraviolet light he needs.

Do not let near adults, especially stray dogs. They can scare the baby, which will lead to a cowardly-aggressive type of behavior in the future. In addition, the puppy can become infected.

The Basics of Raising a German Shepherd Puppy

The kid should actively get acquainted with the outside world. You need to let him sniff new, unfamiliar objects. If they scare him, you should approach the "danger" and show that there is nothing to worry about.

At 3-4 months you can start swimming in the river. This strengthens the bones and muscles of the growing dog. Most willingly, the pet will follow the bathing owner or his favorite ball into the water. You can not force to go into the water against your will, throw a puppy into the water.

From the 3rd month you can start swimming in the river, this will improve the health of the young German Shepherd.

During this period, the puppy begins to accustom to cleanliness. The kid is not punished for puddles and heaps, but they are taken out for 5-10 minutes outside after eating. After the puppy does "their own business", the puppy is praised. It is very important to observe the regime of feeding and walking.

Distribution of roles

At the age of two to four months, the distribution of roles in the "flock" should occur. The puppy looks closely, tries to determine the leader in the family, he tries to dominate. He can start snapping, growling, biting during games, proving his independence and superiority. It is very important to prove to the puppyhthen all family members, including children, are more important than him, higher in rank.

By the end of the fifth month, the puppy should firmly master the commands “Sit!”, “Lie down!”, “Stand!”. Team "Come to me!" must be carried out unconditionally.

By the end of the fifth month, the dog should know the basic commands.

In males, by the age of five months, sexual instinct begins to appear. The boys begin to jump on the owner's leg, other puppies, small dogs. By punishing you can drown out the sexual instinct, it is better to distract the dog with a toy.

Puppy at six months

At six months, they choose a training system and continue to reinforce the previously studied teams, adding to them “Aport!”, “Fu!”, “Show your teeth!”, “Crawl!”, “Voice!”.

Commands are worked out while giving them by voice and gesture, giving them separately. They begin to learn how to overcome obstacles, calm behavior in transport and on busy streets. Cultivate endurance.

From the age of six months, they begin work on developing the simplest skills of special training:

alertness to "strangers";
finding things by the smell of the owner;
trace detection and processing.

From the age of six months, a German shepherd can begin to be trained to develop the simplest skills.

Teenage years

Many puppies go through a "period of fear" from six months to a year. The dog is afraid of foreign, unfamiliar objects, loud sounds, pronounced smells. When frightened, the owner shows calmness and confidence with his whole appearance and voice, gives the command “Stop!”, approaches the “dangerous” object, touches it, demonstrating that there is nothing to be afraid of. After that, he calls the dog, gives it to sniff the frightened object.

At 7-8 months, the period of puberty ends, the formation of a type of behavior. Dogs begin to mark their territory, get nervous.

growing up

The formation of character, active physical development continues in German shepherds up to 4 years. At this time, they continue to consolidate and improve the protective and protective innate instincts.

The basics of training a German Shepherd are laid before the first year of life.

The basics of training are laid up to the age of a shepherd dog. In the future, until the end of life, the German Shepherd can improve skills, teach her new activities and commands.

German Shepherds successfully pass all types of training:

Domestic: General course of training (OKD) and Educational training (VD). Courses Controlled and Protective City Dog (UGS, ZGS), including the execution of the main commands: “Come to me!”, “Sit!”, “Lie down!”, “Stand!”, “Fu!”, “Show your teeth!”, “ Near!”, “Place!”, “Aport!”, calm attitude to the shot and loud sounds, overcoming the stairs, boom, barrier, blank fence.
The Russian complex Protective Guard Service (ZKS), which, in addition to OKD, includes: finding things by smell among other things, guarding things, immunity to thrown food, protecting the owner from attack, guarding things and the owner, detaining, guarding and escorting the offender.
Stutzhund (SchH, IPO, IPO) course, developed by the International Canine Federation to identify the intellectual, mental and physical data of the German Shepherd.
Fartenhund (FH1, FH1)- development and testing of the search qualities of the German Shepherd.
Sports training: Agility (Agility), Mondioring (Mondio Ring, WorldRing Mondioring), Obidiense (Obidens, OB), Flyball (Flyball), Weight pulling (Weigth pulling).

Important. Without a SchH certificate (according to international rules), dogs are considered unsuitable for breeding.

Watchman education

German Shepherds have an innate guard and watchdog instinct. Sometimes, without proper upbringing, these qualities are manifested excessively: the dog shows aggression at any attempt to approach the owner.

German Shepherds have a good natural guard instinct.

Good watchdogs are obtained from dogs that have completed a full course of ZKS. When training at home, they encourage the dog's alertness when strangers appear, do not allow them to play and take treats from strangers.

Basic Mistakes

When raising a puppy on their own, many owners make typical mistakes:

when learning commands, they give a command after physical coercion;
allow strong jerks of the leash;
give commands with the same gestures, in the same position, under similar circumstances;
the correct actions of the dog are not encouraged;
workouts are monotonous, monotonous, too long;
a stick, a toy during the game is taken roughly with causing pain to the puppy;
the dog is given little time, walking less than two hours a day.

With experience, the owner can independently instill the necessary skills in the dog. To participate in exhibitions, sports competitions, you should take specialized courses from a professional trainer.

Also watch a video about the initial training of a German shepherd.