Training Your German Shepherd Dog

There are a lot of different approaches and techniques for training your GSD. Almost any trainer or GSD enthusiast will have a different opinion on the "right" thing to do with your GSD. This page describes the approach we recommend for the average person buying a GSD as a companion. Certainly you can buy a dog to serve as a protection dog, a herding dog, a service dog, to compete in agility, obedience, etc, but the typical puppy buyer does not buy a dog for these purposes

In the US, the vast majority of GSDs live in our homes as pets. We believe that the best way to ensure that your GSD is a loving member of the family is to train him in something. If activities like schutzund, tracking, agility, or herding are too time consuming, the minimum a GSD should be exposed to is basic obedience.

German Shepherds are working dogs - originally developed as herding dogs and used extensively for protection, tracking, police work, etc. Unlike breeds that were developed to be companions for humans, the GSD was developed to work. He requires mental and physical stimulation. If you adopt a GSD and give him no training, he is most likely going to be unruly, difficult to control, destructive or even (in extreme cases) dangerous to you or to others.

Your pet GSD does not need advanced obedience training (such as scent discrimination, etc) to be a great pet. But he does need some basic skills and they should be integrated into your daily life. We believe all GSDs should have the following basic training:

• Socialization - your dog should be exposed to a wide variety of people, places, smells, sounds, etc. AND he should be taught the appropriate way to respond. For example, your dog should learn to greet people without growling, cowering, jumping up on them, etc.
  
  
• House manners - your dog should learn basic manners in the house - not to jump on furniture where he is not allowed, to relax with the family, etc. Whatever the rules are in your house, the dog should learn them.
  
  
• Sit, down and stand - your dog should learn to sit, lay down, or stand on command. GSDs are big dogs and being able to position him comes in very handy for vet visits, grooming, etc.
  
  
• Stay - your dog should learn to stay when told until released. This is a critical tool for controlling your dog.
  
  
• Come - your dog should learn to come when called, even where there are distractions. This is a potentially life saving command for a dog.
  
  
• Walking on a loose leash - your dog should be able to walk on a leash without dragging you and without you dragging him.
  
  
• Seperation - because the dog/human bond is so strong with GSDs and their humans, they often need to be taught that it is okay to be away from you. This is an important skill for when you take them to the vet or a groomer or when you leave them with a trusted friend.

If you have an untrained GSD or are buying a dog, please find a training center near you and begin training. Not only do you get a better dog, but you forge an incredible bond with your dog. The vast majority of dogs (of all breeds) that end up in shelters are there because people wouldn't put in the minimal effort to teach their dogs the correct way to behave.

You don't have to train your dog for hours each day. We recommend 10 minutes a day and working obedience into your daily life. For example, your dog should sit and wait until you open the door to go outside or feed him (stay and sit), stand when you brush him (stand), lay down when you clip his nails (down), come to you before you throw a ball (come), etc. There are hundreds of ways to work obedience into your daily life and make it fun. If you make it a game for the dog where he gets positive reinforcement, rewards, and love and praise he will enjoy working for you.

We highly recommend that every dog train for and pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen test. This is a simple test that ensures that your dog has the basic skills to be a good canine citizen. There are ten test items and they are all fairly simple. In addition to being a great goal to work towards, some insurance companies are starting to consider the CGC as a criteria for coverage.