How to properly train German Shepherd puppies: the basics of education from a dog handler. Raising and training a German shepherd - basic principles and rules, advice from cynologists

The German Shepherd Dog is versatile because it combines the qualities of a service dog and has a high intelligence. Such properties make it capable of rapid learning. The German Shepherd shows the ability to train early enough and quickly picks up new commands.

As they grow older, young individuals can be stubborn, they strive to be independent, do not listen to their owners. But if you show perseverance and firmness, you can find a common language with the animal and teach it to obedience. Usually, females are distinguished by complaisance and obedience, therefore, people who are unsure of their strong character prefer to acquire female shepherd dogs.

Female German Shepherds are more trainable than males.

Since the German Shepherd is easy to learn and quickly learns commands, it is quite possible to do training at home. It is not necessary to constantly come to a special site, it will be enough to visit it once a week. Classes on the site are needed so that the pet learns to be in a team, not to be distracted by various stimuli. If the dog is intended for service, then it needs to visit such sites and learn training there. You can still learn the basic commands on your own by organizing the process of training at home. When to start the lessons and how to conduct them, an experienced dog handler will tell you on video.

Initial training for puppies

As early as 2 months old, you can start training German Shepherd puppies. They try to clearly catch every word of their master and understand what is required of them. Since they perceive this process as a game, they may bite out of habit. To wean them from biting, you need to stop giving them hands.

Puppies are like children, classes with them should not be long in time and must include rewards - treats for completing each command. A prerequisite for the beginning of each lesson is the need to properly walk the puppy. At first, classes are held at home, then you can change the place of their conduct.

The very first command, with which the process of training a German shepherd is usually started, is the "voice". How to train this dog? First of all, you need to stock up on a few pieces of your favorite treat, and before class, do not feed the puppy, he should be quite hungry. The next steps are:

The owner extends his hand with a piece of treat over the dog's head.
Shows the contents of the hand to the puppy, as if teasing him. But the delicacy remains in the hands of the owner.
The owner makes a snap with the fingers of the hand or with a clicker.
Simultaneously with the click, the “voice” command is pronounced loudly.

It is better to train shepherd dogs from an early age of a puppy, when the dog is most pliable and it is interesting for her to learn new things.

As a result of such actions of the owner, the puppy will try to jump to the hand and get a treat. Soon he will get tired of these attempts and will begin to actively bark. It is important to give him a treat at the beginning of the bark. At the same time, it is necessary to praise him. The number of such attempts at the first lesson should not be more than two times. You can train your pet daily, until fully mastered.

If the puppy is indifferent to the treat, then you can replace it with some favorite toy. It can be a ball, a squeaker, or any other toy. She, like a treat, will need to be given to the puppy after he completes the command.

Experienced dog handlers say that after several such sessions, the command will be executed at the sound of a click.

Learning the initial commands - "sit" and "lie down"

The next command you can teach your puppy is “sit”. In the general course of training, it belongs to the category of basic. If you carefully work it out, it will help the owner to control the behavior of the pet in the future. Sometimes its clear assimilation and implementation helps save the dog's life. This often manifests itself in a situation where it is necessary to cross the street, and the dog tends to go ahead.

The “sit” command is one of the basic dog training commands.

In order to perform her puppy must sit in front of the owner. First, the pet must smell the delicacy, which will be in the owner's clutched hand. Next, you need to raise your hand above the puppy's head and say the command. The puppy will jump, and then sit down and you will need to praise him and give him the desired treat. Subsequently, the puppy is planted next to the owner's left leg, holding it by the collar.

The next command you can teach your puppy is to lie down. If the dog hears this command, it should lie down, but not on its side. For the first time, you can help the puppy move from a sitting position to a lying position. This will help him determine what is required of him. To do this, they give him a sniff of a delicacy and lower him to the ground, slightly pressing. Sometimes, when teaching this command, the puppy jumps up, so that this does not happen, it is necessary to hold him by the collar with his left hand, and with his right hand to stretch his front paws forward, forcing him to lie down. After several such repetitions, they lie down on their own, as they already understand what is required of them. You can see how this happens in this video.

What commands should a puppy learn at 6 months?

When the dog reaches the age of 6 months, you can teach him two more new commands:

"Beside". To teach this command, the dog must be on a leash. The owner must say “nearby” in a strict voice, while pulling a little on the leash. If the puppy does not respond to such actions of the owner, it is recommended to change the collar to a strict one. The exercise must be repeated on every walk, and the dog must always walk beside the owner, keeping up with his pace of walking. And don't forget about rewards. This command disciplines the dog, helps to cope with it during walks.
"Aport". The dog must bring an object that was thrown by the owner. Usually, to make learning more fun, a toy is used as a thrown object. Teaching a team is like a game, so the puppy is happy to bring a toy. Throwing a toy, the “fetch” command is pronounced loudly. When the puppy brings an object in his teeth, you need to exchange it for a treat. After that, you can complicate the task - do not immediately pick up the thrown object from the mouth, withstanding a short time - a few seconds are enough.

It is better to learn the “fetch” command with a toy - so it will be interesting for the dog to find and bring it

After she masters this skill and brings the thrown item, it will be possible to complicate the task a little more. The dog will not have to throw the found thrown object at the owner's feet, but keep it in its mouth, sitting in front of the owner.

After completing the general course and after the puppy is 1 year old, you can start learning some guard duty teams. Shepherd dogs of this breed do not really need to be taught aggression, since they have an innate distrust of strangers. Therefore, the “alien” team must be taught without showing aggressiveness towards outsiders. Encouragement in this case is carried out only by voice voicing. Teaching the “face” and “take” commands is carried out by the trainer using special equipment, as shown in the video. These commands cannot be taught at home.

The main characteristics of which are a high level of intelligence and human orientation. Thanks to this, teaching a pet commands will not be difficult even for those who have not previously trained a dog.

How to teach German Shepherd commands?

Training for basic exercises should begin from the first day the puppy is in the house. To avoid difficulties, the pet owner should adhere to the following rules:

At the initial stage, classes are held in a calm environment, the puppy should not be distracted from learning by environmental factors - passers-by, cars, other animals and others.

It is allowed to give the dog a treat (small pieces of cheese, food or other food that is safe for the pet) - this will be an incentive to perform the actions correctly.

Training is carried out before feeding, not after it. A well-fed dog is harder to motivate to follow commands with treats.
To consolidate the skill, 12-15 repetitions in one session are enough, but they are carried out in several approaches, and not in a row.

The process of teaching the puppy commands should alternate with games so that interest in classes is not lost. If your pet does not live in the house, but in, then you need to consider that he spends much more energy on activity than a domestic dog

Important! Teaching a pet is much easier than retraining, so when practicing basic commands, you should achieve perfect execution. every time and only after that encourage the pet.

Basic

The earlier the training is started, the more impressive the result will be. You can start learning basic commands from the very first day finding a puppy with the owner.

It is the impeccable execution of the main commands that will help the owner to avoid unpleasant situations (for example, the indignation of a passer-by, to whom a puppy ran up to stain his clothes) and ensure the safety of the pet itself (in particular, the “come to me” command will make the dog run up to the owner, and not go out onto the roadway).

The list of basic commands is small, but each of them must be performed by the dog. without delay. The first thing to teach a shepherd dog is the "come to me" command. She is given by the owner when you need to call the pet.

To accustom to it, you should say “to me” when the dog is called for feeding, to stroke or play with it, and so on - that is, the shepherd must know that after the approach he will receive a pleasant reward. After the kafk dog has approached and received praise, it is released with the word "walk".

Important! You can not punish the dog if it did not run up to the owner instantly, it is also forbidden to move towards the puppy on its own. As soon as the pet approaches, it should immediately be praised and treated with a treat.

"No" and "Fu" are used by the owners to stop the unwanted actions of the pet. It is better to work them out in a confined space or by keeping the dog on a leash. In the first case, a dog that performs an undesirable action is punished with a slight slap (for example, a rolled up newspaper) and pronunciation, and in the second - with a sensitive jerk on the leash, while the action is accompanied by a command.

The owner must be consistent- he should not allow a dog at a young age to do what would be forbidden to an adult pet.

The algorithm for teaching a shepherd dog to other teams is as follows:

"Sit" - the puppy stands in front of the owner, in whose hand a treat is squeezed. The owner holds a hand with a treat over the dog's head, at the same time pressing the puppy's croup with the other hand and says "sit".
"Lie down" - performed by the dog from a sitting position. The owner holds the hand holding the treat in front of the dog's muzzle forward and down to the ground. Actions are accompanied by a single pronunciation of the command word.
"Next" - the puppy is led on a leash so that the front of its body is in line with the owner's leg, and when the owner stops, the dog must sit down. Attempts to move away from the owner are stopped by a jerk of the leash, and correct execution is encouraged.

Important! Working out basic exercises begins with 1-3 repetitions, over time their number increases. The main thing is to finish classes before the puppy gets tired, then he will not lose interest in training.

The puppy should not be taught the “voice” command from early childhood, since the really important skills have not yet been mastered and the expenditure of strength and energy on this training will take a lot of strength from the baby.

Fas!

The development of this command should begin only after the pet begins to flawlessly perform the basic ones. Training is preferably carried out on a training ground, with the participation of an experienced cynologist and the defendant against whom the aggression will be directed. The learning algorithm for the “fas” command is as follows:

the dog is next to the owner;
the ygurant passes several times in the immediate vicinity of the shepherd dog, causing her aggression (while waving his arms is allowed);
as soon as the pet begins to react negatively to the helper, the owner says “face”;
the helper runs away, and the dog receives praise and treats.

Important! You can train only dogs with a stable psyche so as not to provoke the manifestation of unmotivated aggression.

Voice!

There are two ways to learn this skill:

The owner utters a "voice" at the moment when the shepherd barks, and encourages action with a treat.
The owner holds a treat in his hand, arousing the interest of the pet. As soon as he barks, he immediately gives him a tidbit.

Important! Before studying, the forbidding command is worked out to automatism, otherwise the owner risks accustoming the shepherd dog to barking for no reason in order to receive encouragement.

Stranger!

The execution of this command is a manifestation of aggression by the dog towards a specific person, but without attacking him. Training is worth doing under the guidance of a cinematographer and with the participation of a person who is unfamiliar to the shepherd dog, which will cause aggression.

Remember that - comes first, and only then such serious skills as this one.

You can teach the “alien” team like this:

the dog is near the owner;
a helper passes by, he can wave his arms, make small attacks towards the owner, talk loudly;
the owner says “alien” in a low but clear voice;
as soon as the shepherd begins to bark, growl and prepare for an attack, the helper leaves, and the pet is encouraged by praise.

Important! It is worth working out the “alien” with dogs that have reached the age when the psyche is fully formed.

How to teach a German Shepherd to show stand?

To teach a shepherd dog to stand in the correct exhibition position will require a lot of patience, since it is quite difficult for a dog to be still. There are 2 ways to study:

Coercion - the owner sets the pet in the desired position with his hands, repeating "stand". With regular repetition, the skill is worked out to automatism and the dog, on command, independently assumes an exhibition pose.
Motivation - the helper keeps the dog on a leash, and the owner steps back a few steps. The shepherd will reach for the owner and reflexively take the desired position. In this position, she should remain for a few seconds, after which she is given a treat. Gradually increase the holding time.

Important! In the correct exhibition position, the ears should not be pressed. To get the dog to pick them up, it is worth working out a command that makes the pet alert (for example: “Where is the cat?”).

Useful video

In the video you can visually familiarize yourself with the basic commands for a dog in the city:

To raise an adequate and balanced dog, the owner must provide the German Shepherd with a sufficient amount of attention, regular mental and physical activity. Need to train a German Shepherd daily, it is advisable to devote time to working out commands on each walk, bringing their implementation to automaticity.

How to train a German Shepherd? In this case, the right, thoughtful approach is very important. The dog must be trained calmly, strictly, but with love and without aggression.

German Shepherd Training: At what age can you start training?

It is best to start training at two or three months of age. First, the dog needs to be taught simple commands in familiar, comfortable conditions. Classes are best done before feeding, so that rewards in the form of treats are interesting to the baby. With a grown puppy and an adult dog, you need to follow the same rules. As a rule, a grown puppy learns commands well. The balance and calmness of the owner are important requirements for classes. Remember that the dog has excellent hearing, so shouting will not solve anything.

German shepherd training at home: for the exhibition and for life

Training can be divided into two types: exhibition and for life. Moreover, the commands can be used not just dry (that is, standard), but those that you want. It is very important that there is contact between the owner and his dog. The aforementioned condition is indispensable.

Training a German Shepherd: going to classes

When exercising with a dog, you need to wear sports-style clothes so that you can comfortably perform various exercises. Before training, as you remember, the dog should not be fed. You should take a bag with a treat with you to classes (a plastic bag is not suitable). You need to train your dog daily (or several times a week). Only in this way can you achieve results. There are no exact time limits for which you can train your dog. An important condition is that classes must be systematic.

No magic wand effect

You must understand that training is work, both for the owner and for his dog. When training an animal, always start with the simple, and only then move on to the complex.

German Shepherd training: where, how much and how to conduct classes?

The duration of classes cannot be precisely determined. It all depends on how interested the animal is. Therefore, you need to ensure that the classes end with the successful execution of the command. The first lesson should be conducted in the environment most familiar to the dog. You need to train the dog in any weather so that he can work in the same conditions. It is necessary to do it at different times of the day: first in the morning, gradually moving towards the evening, so that the dog behaves adequately under any conditions.

What do you want from a dog?

Starting to train a dog, you must clearly know for what purpose you are doing this. Just for a comfortable living together? Or are you planning to use a shepherd dog for official purposes? Or maybe you want to prepare your dog for the show? By choosing a target, you will be able to choose the right methods and training system. Otherwise, any, even the most insignificant detail during training can negatively affect the result of training. Remember that the training of the German Shepherd must take place without cruelty and violence!

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

Sergey
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 Viktor. 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.