Training A German Shepherd PuppyTraining a German Shepherd puppy needs to be handled differently than other breeds. They don’t only need training but they crave it. Without the proper training a German Shepherd will be difficult to handle and out of control.  They are very strong athletic dogs that not only need lots of exercise but also lots of mental stimulation. To avoid developing aggressive tendencies they should have lots of exposure to people and other dogs from an early age.

Consistency is the key when training a German Shepherd puppy or any puppy for that matter. This will help to form a bond between you and your pup. German shepherds are pack dogs so you want to establish yourself as leader of the pack. You want to establish a household hierarchy from the very first day. The head of the hierarchy is the alpha dog or the dominant dog.  You need to take over this roll.  Making your puppy the Beta dog, or second dog in dominance.  German Shepherds need an Alpha dog to look to for consistent leadership.

Tips For Being the Alpha Dog When Training a German Shepherd Puppy:

  • Before going outside, make your pup sit before putting their leash on them.
  • Being the alpha dog, make your pup wait for you to go out first with him/her following behind.
  • Before you feed them, make them sit and wait to be fed.

Making you pup wait until they obey your commands, will help to establish yourself as the pack leader.  But they are very smart dogs so expect them to test their boundaries with you.

Basic Training Methods For A German Shepherd Puppy:

Potty Training

Potty training a German Shepherd puppy, like any dog, is most important and should be started right away. They must be taken outside as often as possible. Ideally every 1 to 1 1/2 hours. That may sound like a lot but it will save you time cleaning up inside and save many many accidents from happening in the house.

You should always put a leash on your pup when training them to go out to “potty”. You want to take them to a specific place in the yard and keep going to that same place every time you take them out. More importantly, you want to use a verbal command like “potty” or “go potty” so they know what they need to do. When they are in the act you should also keep using that command so they eventually relate that word or phrase to what they are doing. When finished, praise them and/or give them a treat when they are done. Repeat this whole process over and over again, be consistent and your puppy will be house broken in no time.
(for more potty training lessons check out my post on 7 Puppy Potty Training Lessons You Should Know)

The ‘Sit’ Command

A great command to teach when training a German Shepherd puppy is to sit. This can be very easy and is a very valuable lesson. As mentioned earlier, you should use it to make him/her sit before eating, before putting on a leash, or giving them a treat, etc… It can be very helpful to controlling erratic behavior.

You want to sit face to face with your puppy and say “sit” while pushing down on their backside and keeping their head up. Give him a treat when you do this and praise your pup. Repeat this process over and over until you don’t have to push on their backside and he/she will sit just by using the command “sit”.

The ‘Down’ Command

When training a German Shepherd puppy, teach him to lay down might be a little more challenging, but follow these tips and you shouldn’t have any problems. After he/she has the sitting part down, stay in front of your puppy and say “down” while you point and touch the floor in front of them. Make them follow your finger all the way down to the floor. You can also have a treat in your hand while you do this so the puppy will be more likely to follow your finger. You want to point far enough in front of them so they have room to kind of stretch their body and end up with their nose right at your finger. If needed, give them a little push down on their shoulders and/or try to drag their two front paws forward and stretch their body out. Once he/she is down give them the treat and praise. Repeat this process over and over again just like the sit command, until your puppy is laying down just by saying the word “down”.

The last few tips for training a German Shepherd puppy is to make sure that you are in an environment that is distraction free. That way you will get the most out of training. Always remember to be consistent with every method you use, praise a lot, and have lots of patience and time.

Recommended Reading

A great place to visit to get more tips on training your German Shepherd puppy is Kingdom Of Pets. They have lots of content that is specific to breed type and/or certain behavior problems. You can also get a free secrets to dog training course right now. I highly recommend check them out:

Click Here To Learn More About Kingdom Of Pets German Shepherd Secrets to Dog Training

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