Only a few breeds of dogs can display the grace and admiration that is found in a German shepherd or shepherd breed. Apart from being one of the most loyal dog breeds, the shepherd is also a working dog who generally enjoys the learning process. Apart from that, herders are also very intelligent, strong, and active, and have a passion for doing things that impress their owners, making them very useful and trainable animals.
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Method 1 of 3: Training Herder Puppies
Step 1. Begin training efforts with a shepherd puppy when he is around 8 weeks old
While you can train any shepherd dog, they are actually very strong animals. If you start training a shepherd from an early age, you have the opportunity to shape and train his personality and develop a relationship with him as early as possible.
- If you have an older shepherd, such as an adult shepherd, you can still train them effectively.
- Shepherd dogs are very protective of their family members, so you should socialize your shepherd puppy from childhood. This will get her used to interacting with lots of people and fellow animals in a good way.
Step 2. Start by gently caring for the legs, ears, tail, and other parts of the shepherd puppy's body
Grooming is a form of preparation that must be done before you take him to visit the vet and dog salon to tidy up his appearance in the future. A shepherd puppy will grow up to be a big dog, and you should prepare the dog while it is still small and young for clipping nails, cleaning ears, taking body temperature, and other procedures. This kind of procedure will be difficult to carry out if an adult shepherd refuses to do so.
Step 3. Start training the shepherd puppy with basic commands
In addition to training his habit to defecate in a predetermined place, you need to train him to sit, stay in place, and move with you. Herder will not immediately understand your orders; so be patient if he doesn't do what you tell him to do right away.
Step 4. Use food and praise to reinforce your commands
Herders love to learn and are highly motivated to follow orders, especially if you reward them with food.
Step 5. You must prevent the dog's aggressive nature from showing if it is given food
Caress the herder while he's eating, and you can continue to do so, as long as his body doesn't stiffen and stop eating when petted. If he tenses up and stops eating or growls, you should immediately address this aggressive response.
Teach the puppy that humans are not a threat that will snatch their food. The trick, add more food into the bowl when he eats. Start by adding a small amount of dry dog food (or whatever type of food you usually feed) to the bowl, then add more food so the dog can associate the humans near the food bowl with good things
Step 6. Deal with the dog's aggressiveness in protecting food by removing the food bowl and feeding it straight from your hand
The puppy should get every piece of food from you after you give him a command like "sit down" or some other command. Thus, there was no food bowl for him to take care of.
- Once your puppy seems more confident and more likely to obey orders about food, you can take out a plate or bowl and resume the habit of feeding him with your hands in front of the food container. However, do not feed him directly in the container for a while.
- Make it look like the food bowl doesn't really matter. If you put a piece of food in a bowl, let the puppy pick it up and praise him. After that, you can feed him near the bowl (not directly in the bowl). So, the bowl doesn't always contain food. Put more food in the bowl the next time you stand or sit there with him. He'll quickly realize that having you near the bowl means good food and things, and the bowl isn't something he needs to protect.
- You can also add high-quality foods, such as grilled chicken breasts, to the bowl. Do this if your puppy seems to need more reassurance that you're going to put something tasty in his food bowl.
- If at any time you feel you are in danger, STOP. Enlist the help of a professional dog trainer to prevent harm that could threaten you or other family members, especially children. A possessive dog who wants to protect his belongings can be a very serious symptom of aggression and fear. So, if you find this attitude in a shepherd puppy, it needs to be corrected immediately so that it doesn't lead to unwanted events.
Step 7. Use feeding times as time to train your shepherd puppy
You can tell him to stare at you for more food, or ask him to sit and wait for more food, etc. Humans control food sources and will reward puppies who behave well.
Step 8. Break the habit of giving your puppy a treat for doing a command
Once your puppy has mastered a command, start using the command every now and then so that the dog doesn't just do it for the sake of getting food. You still have to compliment him, but don't always give him food every time he does what you say. If you want to change the command for a faster response, you can add more food rewards to shape your dog's behavior until he gets the hang of it. After that, you can give him food in return only if he does something really awesome.
Step 9. Don't create fear in the puppy by yelling at him
You have to know when you start to lose your temper. Always stop training sessions in a good mood. Dogs can sense when you're frustrated by your body language and tone of voice. You can always continue the practice at a later date when you both feel refreshed.
If the problems keep coming, ask a professional dog trainer for help
Step 10. Enroll a shepherd puppy for a basic or dog obedience training class
Usually, over time, puppies learn the types of commands given to them for the first time. One of the adult family members should be responsible for training the puppy. Later, once the puppy becomes consistent and understands the basics of the command, other family members can also participate in the formal training. The dog must be made sure that he understands this: there is not only one person in the family to obey.
Shepherd puppies must be 8-10 weeks old and given the necessary set of vaccines prior to their first class. There are schools specially designed for puppies who haven't finished receiving all the vaccines that must be given. This school has certain enrollment requirements and you will most likely be required to have proof of dog vaccination
Method 2 of 3: Training Adult Herders
Step 1. Start with basic dog training
Training a shepherd dog is not much different from training any other dog. If your dog doesn't know some simple commands like sit and follow behind you, start with them.
You should start the practice by building trust between the two of you. Keep training sessions short but fun and give your dog breaks between workouts so he can drink and play
Step 2. Use food, praise, and toys as motivators
Food is a very strong type of motivator for most dogs. Some other dogs, especially dogs with a strong hunting instinct, respond well to toys used as rewards. In addition, praise can also be a complement to rewards and is used to communicate to the dog that he has done a good command.
- The timing of the reward is very important. Praise and rewards should be given within 2-3 seconds of the behavior you are teaching your dog. If there's a gap between that time and your dog is using it to do something else, you're rewarding him for what he did last time. For example, if you want to teach him the command to "sit," praise and food should be given while the dog is sitting with all his feet on the floor. If you give him a compliment/reward when he lifts one leg or when he starts to stand up, you have just rewarded him for his behavior.
- Food should be tasty and given in small portions. Consider the following three types of food: low, medium, and high quality foods. Bring this food with you to your training sessions to help your dog master the various forms of commands given. When he learns a new command for the first time, you may want to start with a medium or high quality food and give it to each command the dog succeeds. As he begins to understand the many commands, you can start adding in junk food once in a while. You can always go back to using a high-quality food whenever you feel the need to let your dog know he's done something really great. This will make him remember, so you can tell him to repeat the command over and over again.
- As your dog's behavior becomes more and more consistent, you'll need to slow down the feedings and increase the amount of praise in return. Of course you don't want to form a dog behavior that only wants to do orders to get food rewards, and ignores you all the time. This can be a dangerous situation.
Step 3. Consider training your dog using a clicker
Training a dog with a clicker is a method that requires him to learn to associate the clicker sound as a positive “marker” for a behavior. You can start a training session by clicking the device continuously while you are feeding a high-quality food, so the dog learns that the sound of the clicker means "very good". Once these associations have formed in the dog's mind, you can create or "shape" the dog's behavior by ringing the instrument when he performs the behavior you like. You can click on the clicker faster than it is time to give a compliment or a meal. Training a dog with a clicker is a great way to train a dog, because this way he can learn quickly through feedback that is also given immediately after the behavior is performed.
Step 4. Take no more than 20 minutes per training session without resting
For puppies, spend less time (5-10 minutes). Shorter but more frequent training sessions are generally more effective than longer training sessions, especially for puppies under 6 months of age. They can only concentrate for a short time and are easily accomplished; Your patience will be tested when you try to train an overly exhausted puppy. Training sessions should be cheerful and fun to get maximum response from the dog. Play with your puppy between exercises and help him understand that humans are fun and don't care about "school" all the time.
Method 3 of 3: Understanding How to Train a Dog
Step 1. Learn how dog training is generally done
Enrich your knowledge so that you can teach your pup the appropriate method, and avoid common mistakes during training. There are many methods of dog training and some will be more suitable for you and your pet than others. Every dog is unique, as is their trainer, so learning the basics of dog behavior and training will give you the right foundation to understand the pet training process. No one method is “perfect”, so the research you do will help you decide what kind of approach is appropriate. There are some dog training methods that are based solely on positive training techniques, but there are also techniques that balance positive and negative affirmation. You may try one method and find that you are not getting the results you want, so decide to try another method. An experienced dog trainer can help you solve this kind of problem.
- Read a book about dog training. Some good dog training books to consider reading are “Don't Shoot the Dog” by Karen Pryor, “Getting Started: Clicker Training for Dogs” by Karen Pryor, “The Power of Positive Dog Training” by Pat Miller, “25 Stupid Mistakes Dog Owners Make” by Janine Adams, “The Art of Raising a Puppy” by the Monks of New Skete, “How to be Your Dog's Best Friend” by the Monks of New Skete, and “The Mentally Sound Dog: How to Shape, Train and Change Canine Behavior” by Gail I. Clark.
- Watch videos on dog training techniques. There are lots of videos discussing dog training techniques on the internet, so make sure the videos you watch are made by experts with experience in training dogs.
Step 2. Learn about the unique traits of a shepherd dog
You should know what is needed before adopting a shepherd dog. While there are generally some similarities when it comes to caring for dogs, shepherds are working dogs, which means they need a lot of exercise and mental stimulation. You have to understand that owning a shepherd takes a lot of time and patience.
Step 3. Talk to shepherd owners and trainers
Go to dog shows and see how dog owners and trainers interact with their dogs, as well as watch how shepherds respond to stimulation and commands.
- Visit some dog trainers and ask if you can see some of the classes. You can learn a lot by watching other people do it, if you don't already have a dog of your own.
- See if you like the way the dog trainer works with humans and dogs. You and your dog will learn better if you have a good relationship with the trainer to learn the techniques he uses. If you're in America, you can visit the Association of Professional Dog Trainers website for references and on dog trainers to teach you and your puppy.
