German Shepherd Training – 6 Stages of Training From Young

German Shepherds are great dogs to train and fascinating in their behavior. Their natural instinct to protect, their intelligence and agility need direction from young to avoid bad habits forming. That direction can be achieved by taking a staged approach to their training.

Up to three months, still a puppy but young German Shepherd Dogs (sometimes known as GSDs) have one of the strongest sets of jaws which they like to practice chewing with, so a good strong toy plus appropriate chews are essential. This period should also be used to reinforce that biting is unacceptable. They’ll learn very easily, usually with an assertive “No”, but it is appropriate to do this early to avoid the habit forming. Three to six months is the period during which they will start to demonstrate their liking for exercise and regular walks are a must. However, at this stage exercise should not be too strenuous because their bones and muscle are still developing. Reputable breeders will have had their GSDs hip-scored to check for their most common ailment in later life, hip dysplasia, so there should not be a problem but it is still worth watching for any signs of weakness or stiffness at around six months, just in case. Up to twelve months, German Shepherds can already be moving beyond basic training. Verbal commands and their associated gestures will be recognized and adhered to from an early stage by young GSDs, so training routines can be developed to tricks, such as fetching a newspaper and/or circumventing obstacles as part of regular training and exercise. From around nine months, their level of exercise should also be on the increase. One to two years is the ideal age for escalating training to the level and in the direction that you as the owner require. Assuming your dog was socialized appropriately earlier, it is during this period that the use of refined commands in response to approaching strangers, other dogs and animals should be developed and reinforced. Protecting is one of the German Shepherd’s most natural traits so this training will normally be adapted to easily. A common problem arising from an innate tendency to chase animals should also be addressed at this stage. Two to three years is normally the time during which German Shepherd behavior would either be further reinforced if only intended as a pet and companion, but for more specialist requirements this is the stage at which those requirements would begin to be met by training the GSD to its potential. From around three years, your maturing German Shepherd will be a great pet or working dog if trained consistently through it’s early years.

Dealing with inappropriate German Shepherd behavior through these early stages will make your relationship with your dog all the more enjoyable.