The German Shepherd is an extremely active dog, as anyone who is fortunate enough to share their home with them can
attest to this. Needing lots of attention and exercise, they are very smart, bold, and determined. To ensure that your dog
is a happy, well-adjusted member of your household, German Shepherds must have training as they are naturally dominant dogs.
Controlling your German Shepherd is a must or he will control you.
So, want to know the best way to train your
German Shepherd? Before we share some important points with you, let’s get the biggest secret to training your German
Shepherd out of the way. It is…
CONSISTENCY Consistency! You’ve heard
it before but it’s true. We’ve seen it before; someone gets a German Shepherd puppy and underestimates the amount
of time and attention it will take to train it effectively. Dog training is pretty simple, give her praise when your puppy
does something you want, and correct your puppy when she does something you don’t want. Doing this consistently will
eventually train you German Shepherd effectively. In essence, training you dog enhances to special bond you have with your
dog. Dogs are more comfortable when their owners establish themselves as the leader of the pack. This is a naturally occurring
rank and you can promote it by following these teaching points. We will go over the best ways to train your German Shepherd
so you will ensure a happy and long relationship.
First understand that your dog’s actions are largely
governed by instinct so it is up to you to balance your dog’s instinct with conditioned behavior through human training.
You can do this by correctly establishing in your household a social hierarchy from the very first day you bring your German
Shepherd puppy home. This naturally occurring hierarchy is headed by the Alpha dog, which is the dominant dog, followed by
the Beta dog, or second in line for dominance, and bringing up the rear is the Omega dog, which is dominant to none. The Alpha
dog is submissive to none, dominant to all, and the supreme ruler in the pack. The Beta dog is submissive only to the Alpha
but dominant to all other dogs. The Omega dog is submissive to all other dogs.
The most essential point to remember
is that your German Shepherd needs an Alpha dog to give him firm, consistent leadership and is happiest when this occurs.
However, your German Shepherd is instinctively wired to better his pack position so beware of periods when he tests boundaries,
especially during training. He may push your buttons by misbehaving or ignoring commands that he has already learned. This
is normal and the best way to work through this is with consistency and maintenance of the training program you have established.
The Alpha wolf in the wild will always decide where to hunt and when he will decide where to settle the pack.
After each kill, the Alpha wolf always will eat first as the unequivocal leader of his pack. There are no exceptions. He governs
his pack in a firm and fair way, with no exceptions to his law.
What does all this have to do with training your
dog? Simply that you must be the Alpha dog in your pack to effectively
train your German Shepherd. He will work harder to please you if he understands his relationship with you. This will also establish a proper relationship
between you and your dog right from the start and he will bond more closely and deeply to you.
There is a special
situation that you must consider. It is this: Imagine being a petite woman married to a big guy who is 6’4" and
weighs 225 pounds. In your dog’s mind, you probably won’t be recognized as the Alpha dog; although your husband
might recognize you as such. This is because the undetectable scent he puts off to the dog and his deeper voice establishes
him as the Alpha dog. Even though you might have to work a little harder, you can easily establish yourself as the Beta dog,
dominant over all other dogs in your household. Are the kids the Omega dogs, then? Definitely not! It is essential that they
participate in the training of your German Shepherd so they will also be dominant over your dog.
