This is nobody’s favorite part of adopting a purebred German Shepherd dog, or any other puppy for that matter. Housebreaking or puppy-potty-training your dog is, well, messy. But how long that mess lasts is actually up to you.
You’re the human and you’re the one who’s going to dictate the success of this operation. It’s up to you to commit to the training, while you show them the patience and love they’ll need to build good habits.
Here’s what you need to know:
When Should I Start Training?
Do you have a German Shepherd puppy? If yes, start right now.
The sooner you start the better. You need to build these good habits right from the get-go. It should be a part of them getting to know you and their new home, right away.
The sooner you start, the better.
Know When They Will Need to Go
Predictability is important in building routines. So if you know when your German Shepherd is going to have to go, you can build routines around it.
So know that they have to go:
- Most of the time, when they’re crying or whimpering, as a rule of thumb
- Anywhere from 10-30 minutes after eating. They have very efficient digestion
- After play
- After waking up in the morning or from a nap
Knowing these windows is important.
Your Attitude is More Important Than Theirs
Like any sort of German Shepherd training, it’s important that you reward their good behavior and not get angry at their accidents.
There’s no lesson learned when you yell at your dog for going inside. It just creates emotional distance between you and your GSD. And that’s bad.
If you catch them in the middle of going indoors, don’t yell or get mad. Do your best to pick them up and take them outside to show them the correct behavior. This is how they learn.
This may test your patience and stain a few things. But this is how good habits are built.
Put Away The Pads and Newspapers
You may have heard of people using newspapers or “pee pads” to try to control the damage to their rugs and floors while trying to housebreak their German Shepherd.
These are sort of counter productive. Big picture, you’re trying to get them going outdoors. So why add a middle step to the process? Having the newspapers or pee pads there is just teaching them it’s sort of OK to go inside, as long as it’s in the right place.
This is just going to complicate the training for both of you.
Any Other Questions About Training a German Shepherd?
It’s time you spoke with a purebred German Shepherd dog breeder. We live and breathe these dogs, so there’s no question you can ask that we can’t answer. And there’s no such thing as a stupid question. We also recommend you invest in professional dog training and obedience training.
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.