When I brought my German Shepherd first in my home I was very happy as it was my dream to have a pet of this breed one day but at the same time I wondered can I train my German Shepherd easily, are they easy to train. So I decided to do some research to find my query.
So are German Shepherds easy to train? German Shepherds are a very intelligent dog breed and yeah of course they are easy to train. when it comes to training they learn the thing very easily as compared to other breeds. However, all dogs are bred for performing specific tasks but when it comes to intelligence then German Shepherds are far better than others.
German Shepherds are among the best dog breeds because of many reasons that we will go through thoroughly in this post. When we talk about training, you will get important tips in this post. Here in this post, you will also get some useful tips to train your German Shepherd at your home.
Let’s dive into this topic and know the important fact about your German Shepherd:
Table of Contents
Why Are German Shepherds Easy To Train?
In the earlier days, German Shepherds were commonly used as herding and guard dogs by the people. Even in the modern days, they are being used by the police or military for doing specific tasks. All this happens because of their easiness of learning.
German Shepherd also known as alastian is a medium to large-sized breed that originated in Germany. This breed was used as herding dogs and was bred for herding sheep and protecting their livestock. For this job, they needed strength, loyalty, and of course alertness. They were specially trained to look after their livestock and protect them from outer dangers, here danger means intruders or wild animals. All this show their level of alertness, and ability to learn, watch threat and react quickly.
German Shepherds are also very energetic breeds and can run at high speeds which also helped them to be with the herds. With the feature of their loyalty, they were able to obey their owner and do their tasks.
Because of their loyalty, German Shepherds easily follow the commands given by their owners and please them with their behavior. They are bred to protect and it’s also a part of training.
If we talk about the present day, this breed is frequently used by police and the military for performing specific tasks. Seeing their history they are capable to do rigorous training for the work given by the police and military.
German Shepherds are also favorite among families as they are easy to train and follow the command much more easily. The only thing they need proper training that must be given to them. But at what age should you start training and what is the right way to train them? Let’s know about some of the ways that will help you in training them.
What Is The Best Age To Start Training For A German Shepherd?
I think you are now a happy owner and brought a GSD pup to your home. It’s heartwarming to see GSD pups walking around us because of their cuteness. You may be also wondering when will be the right age to start training your German Shepherd.
German Shepherd puppies become ready for simple training as long as 7 weeks old. Yes, GSD pups’ open-mind learning allows them to learn the simpler commands when they go at the age of 6 to 7 weeks older. You should start training them as soon as possible as late training can impact their development and of course behavior.
Training them late will do a negative impact on their development as their mind is open for learning at about 8 weeks of age. You should also know that the first 6 months remain very crucial for your German Shepherds as it is the time you can imprint the foundation for their future behavior and social skills.
If you wait for 4 months of age or later, it will provide extreme disadvantages in their learning. The reason is simple, they will become self-sufficient if not trained at a certain period and they become even more independent at the age of 4 to 6 months.
You should spend more time at the initial stage as it will make your bond stronger with your dog. You can also give them some special reward at the time of training so that they could feel full encouragement.
You should also know the basic steps to train your German Shepherd. Here you will be provided the training tips for your GSD pups as well as adult ones. Let’s see:
How To Train A German Shepherd Puppy?
German Shepherd pups as per their name are highly intelligent breeds by their birth and catch things much easier. Their training should be started at a very younger age as all the habits they learn from their childhood are carried by them later on in their life means when they become adults.
The actual age for their training is around 7 weeks of age as their open mind captures all the simple commands much more easily but at the same time, you should the training tips that you should give them.
Training A German Shepherd Puppy:
Handling Your German Shepherd pup Gently:
The first basic thing is to handle your GSD pup very gently, this is because they are very small, and gentle touch will provide unconditional love for your pet. You should also take special care while handling sensitive areas like their ears or paws.
Handling their sensitive areas will lead you to observe the nail of their paws and trim them when needed, you will also be able to inspect their ears or other areas of their body.
The young age is the best for habituating them for such activities done by you as they become older it will be hard for them to realize.
Stay Cool and calm in Infront of your pup:
The important thing before training your German Shepherd pups is to stay calm and make them realize your love. This means that you should not yell at your dog or react harshly when they mess up.
Staying calm and confident will let your dog realize who is the boss and whom to listen to. Fearing and scolding your German Shepherd pup will have negative effects and will affect their development for sure.
Start With Basic Commands:
The open mind of GSD pups lets them learn things at a very younger age. You should start with simple commands so that could not get confused at the beginning. You should start with the sit and stand command which is simple and they should use this in general.
However, you should not be frustrated in the process of their learning, as every breed has a different personality and mental strength, some catch things easily while some take some time to gain so it’s better to be patient and provide the proper time.
Provide treats as a reward:
Providing some treats to your GSD pups when they learn and follow your commands will always encourage them to do well. It always reinforces them to do things in the right way.
When they follow the sit command and you give them a treat they will be overwhelmed and try to do it again. Even you can win their heart after each completion of their task if you provide them special treats.
Manage their food aggression:
Observe the behavior of your GSD pups while eating the bowl, they may growl or stop eating. It may be some type of eating aggression that may be dealt with. However, this type of behavior can be stopped or changed.
You can try to feed them with your hand for some days so that they could learn to eat when they are surrounded by people. They also see people as threats when someone approaches their food bowl. The only thing you should do is slowly pour some food into their bowl so that they learn that you or other people are not a threat to them.
Training For Crate:
The further step for the training of your German Shepherd puppy comes under crate training. Many dog owners do not prefer crate training and giving them space but crate training allows them the safety of their pups.
You should always consider a large enough crate for your German Shepherd puppy, especially for adults. You should also put blankets or some enjoyable toys in the crate so that they would feel a favorable place.
You can also provide them some treats while crate training so that they can be encouraged. Once they are inside the crate lock the door for about 10 minutes and don’t open it if they bark.
Later on, you can give them positive reinforcement so that they could enjoy the training. You can do it for a longer period as it will allow them to be in a crate for a longer time. Never leave them alone for a longer time in the crate as it will lead to separation anxiety and will affect their behavior.
Potty Training Your German Shepherd Puppies:
Potty training begins after the training period of the crate when you allow them after feeding. You should take your pups outside their crate around 10 minutes after eating and let them go designated potty area.
However, the place is decided by the owners where they want their pups to potty. German Shepherds are a very intelligent breed and will learn very easily and will indicate to you when to go to the bathroom or the area they are supposed to.
Discourage Bad behavior:
Chewing at the initial stage of their life is very common for your German Shepherd pups. They may chew your furniture or the materials kept around but you should try to make them understand this behavior as it should be discouraged. You can keep the important materials out of their reach so that they could not harm them.
However, some of them like to jump over their beloved ones but this type of behavior should be ignored as some of you may find this behavior a sweet gesture. You should reward them with some amazing treats for well-behaving among the people and in the correct way.
Socializing Your GSD Pups:
Socializing your GSD pups is more important as it plays a very crucial role in German Shepherd’s training. German Shepherds are a very loyal breed and always love their beloved ones so protection comes into their minds indirectly.
When your friend comes to your home for the first time in front of them they may not be kind to them unless they are socialized properly. So it’s important to provide socialization training to your German Shepherd pups from the early stage of their life.
You can socialize your GSD pups by taking them outside so that they could interact with new people or dogs. Places like parks will be good but remember to observe their behavior as they may misbehave seeing new people around.
You can also follow our post “socializing your German Shepherd” where you get complete information about the relevant topic.
How To Train Your Adult German Shepherd?
The best time for training your German Shepherd is when they are young but sometimes it’s not possible maybe you brought your German Shepherd to the older stage and you never got the opportunity to train them at a younger stage. But there is no worry, you can start their training when they are adults, however, it may be difficult but nothing is impossible and you will succeed.
Training Your Adult German Shepherd
Provide basic training:
Though you may be late in providing training to your German Shepherd it’s never too late as you should start with the simple commands which they can understand easily. If your German Shepherd is unaware of basic commands like sit and stand, you can train them just as you have trained your puppy.
You should provide initial training for a shorter period so that they could not get frustrated and may be able to learn. Provide some breaks while the training period and keep the environment happy to avoid frustration.
Provide Rewards:
Providing rewards always motivate your German Shepherd dog to do better during the training session or in other activities. Rewarding your German Shepherd is important after the completion of a task which will let them understand the thing better and will do it correctly.
You should never be late in giving them rewards as if you reward them later there might be confusion and will act as a negative impact. Make your bond stronger and when they follow your command then they deserve some rewards and they also love such type of activities.
Follow the training process done for your puppy:
Further training process remains the same whether your German Shepherd is young or a pup. All the steps followed by them will remain the same and don’t differ by their age. However, it may be time-consuming you will have to be patient with your older German Shepherd.
Your older GSD may have got bad habits which will take time to be disciplined but you have not to worry as making them learn and disciplining them will make them perfect. As they are a very intelligent breed they can learn easily at any stage of their life.
Provide proper training facility:
Many organizations or professionals provide training sessions for your German Shepherds. However, training a GSD puppy is easier but you will be overwhelmed when these professionals will train your older German Shepherd.
They are professional and provide accurate training facilities that help them develop the skill more efficiently. If you are taking your adult German Shepherd to some professional for training then it’s important to provide the same training at your home as it will make them not forget the things they have learned there.
Avoid Aggression:
Most dog owners feel frustrated their older German Shepherds do not obey them, it may happen because they may develop their personality themselves as you are adopting them when they are adults.
They may make mistakes because of a lack of training so it’s important to be patient and make them realize their mistake. You should not be frustrated rather you can give some reward so that they can feel their mistakes and avoid them in the future.
Excessive scolding or aggression will impact their development so it’s important to love them and try to spend more time with them.
Once they become habituated to the situation they can express their feeling in front of you. You should also try to train your German Shepherd when they are young as it’s quite difficult to train older dogs.
How long does it take to train a German Shepherd?
German Shepherds come in the category of intelligent dogs that also allow them in learning commands more efficiently. But you should know the right time to train your German Shepherd and as pet parents, you must be wondering how long it takes to train your German Shepherd.
Because of their high intelligence German Shepherds usually take around 8 to 12 weeks to learn basic obedience lessons. However, most German Shepherds who are 20 weeks older are mostly house-trained and can understand some basic commands.
Again teaching obedience training should be your first preference as you can start their training sessions when they are very young. Your German Shepherd training will last longer once are trained from a very early stage of your dog’s life.
Final Thoughts:
German Shepherds are a very intelligent breed and they are easy to train. It’s important to take your German Shepherd at a very younger age and training a GSD puppy is easier as compared to the older one.
You should start training for shorter periods which allow them to understand the thing more efficiently. Training your German Shepherd will take time and patience so there should not be any space for violence.
Proper training will make your German Shepherd more efficient and they will be more loyal to you and your family. The only thing you should do is to make the bond stronger with your dog and spend more time with them.
Related Questions:
Are German Shepherds Friendly?
German Shepherds are considered to be the most loyal dog breed and yeah they are friendly with their owners. Though they can’t be so friendly with strangers when they recognize them they can serve as ideal companions.
Is German Shepherd Good For The First Time Owners?
Yes, German Shepherds are good dogs for first-time owners as they are easy to train, loyal, obedient, and good with the kids as well as family members.
Spending more time with your German Shepherd will develop unconditional love for them and will act as full-time service dogs for their owners.
Are German Shepherds easy to potty train?
Oh yeah! German Shepherds are easy to potty train. They are very intelligent dogs and make the pet parents easier to groom their training skills in a much more efficient way.
However, it’s always important to train German Shepherds when are in the puppy phase as they learn all the commands more efficiently with their open minds.