Want a well-trained German Shepherd puppy? Of course you do.
German Shepherds are extremely intelligent dogs and will really respond well to consistent training. But like anything, there are common mistakes that can frustrate you, your GSD, your family and prolong the training process.
Let’s make sure you’re not making any of those mistakes, so you can train and socialize your German Shepherd puppy as quickly as possible.
Here are the 4 most common mistakes.
1. Too Much or Too Little Training
There is a sweet spot between overtraining and undertraining your GSD that you need to aim for.
3 Minutes a day is not going to get you the results you’re looking for. Nor will 3 hours. Try to shoot for short (but productive) 10 minutes sessions, a few times a day.
You want to make sure you’re giving your puppy enough time to properly grasp what you’re trying to teach. But at the same time, like any of us, their mind will wander after too much training.
A bored GSD during training may act up. This could lead you to assume the training isn’t working, or your dog is poorly behaved. When in fact, all you need to do is dial the training back a bit.
2. Being Too Aggressive
Don’t try too hard to assert your own dominance.
Violent or aggressive punishment is NEVER the answer to training your German Shepherd. If your dog feels threatened, they’re going to defend themselves and act back.
The newest member of your family deserves better. So use lots of love and positive reinforcement when training your pup. Reward the good behavior, instead of getting angry at the bad behavior.
Your patience is key. You’re the one who will set the tone for the training. If you find your patience waning at any point, it’s probably time to take a break; for both your sake.
3. Starting Too Late
Don’t put it off. Training should start as soon as the German Shepherd puppy enters a new environment, ie. your home.
Your breeder probably offers specialized GSD training classes to help you make the transition as smooth as possible for both of you. Take full advantage of this. A bit of professional help can help you nip bad behavior (in both of you) before they become bad habits.
4. Staying Away From People
You might think it’s best to keep your German Shepherd puppy away from people, “Until they’re ready.” But being around people is very much part of the process that gets them ready.
You need to teach your puppy how to behave around people. You need to reward their good behavior around family and friends, you can build these good habits into the norm. Don’t keep them away from people if things don’t go great right away.
5. Doing it Alone
Like we said earlier, professional help can be invaluable early on in your German shepherd puppy’s development. You will learn the tools you need to bring to the table, which will lead to a shorter, and easier, training process for everyone involved.
We are committed to the rules and regulations set out by the Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde (SV) in Germany. The SV established guidelines for good breeding over 100 years ago, standards we believe are essential to healthy and happy German Shepherd puppies.
Let’s talk! You can reach us by clicking here.