Sunday, November 15th, 2009

German Shepherd Puppy

Follow these 5 simple steps and you’ll have yourself a well balanced, loving and sociable German Shepherd in the future.

Step # 1: House Training
Your puppy will want to relieve himself regularly, usually around every 45 minutes or so… Your puppy will want to go to the toilet after anytime he drinks, wakes up, plays or anytime he gets excited. When your puppy is grown, he will need to relieve himself after each time he eats.

After he’s eaten or drinks some water take him outside and wait with him until he has done his business, he might go right away or it could take him some time, so be patient and do not to take him back inside until he ha€™s done his business. Be sure to praise your dog immediately after he has gone potty.

Through constant repetition always try to take him to a designated place to do his business so that he gets a feel for where he should go. Associating him to the outside as the place to go to the toilet will eventually become the norm for him and soon you will find that he will whine, bark or scratch at the door when he does need to go.

Step # 2: Socialization.

Any dog not properly socialized especially from a young age, becomes a liability. It is the owners duty to ensure that their dog is approachable and safe, not only for the dogs sake but for the owners and the public.

Socialization like all aspects of training is best done when the dog is around 12 weeks old. Be certain that your dog has had all of his shots before taking him to a dog park. Especially important is the Parvo shot, a dog without the proper vaccinations is susceptible to illness or death.

It is imperative that he sees other humans as friends and not something he should be fearful of, so with that said, the easy way to socialize him would be to take him everywhere you go and let everyone you meet, touch, stroke and caress him. He’€™ll love the attention.

Socialization should be a pleasant experience for him and one great trick is to carry a bag of his favorite treats with you and when you introduce him to other people, hand them one of his treats for them to give to him, this way he becomes accustomed to other peoples hands and sees them as something not to be fearful of.

Puppy Socialization Classes
Check with your local PetCo, PetSmart, Humane Society, Shelter or local pet supply store to locate a puppy socialization class. At the class, introduce him to other animals, but stand close by to squelch any aggressive behavior.
Step # 3: Nipping and Biting.
Puppies as part of their learning curve and socialization procedure instinctively will nip and bite, it forms part of their play time, communication and social standing, but does this make it okay for them to do it? Well yes and no! Puppies will nip and bite regardless, as it is part of their generic make up, which goes on to form their social standing within the group to which they are part of.

It is important that you establish who the leader of your pack right away, use an affirmative “NO” while making eye contact, will be enough to get the message across.
Step # 4: Chewing
The little blighters it seems will chew just about anything they can get their needle-like teeth on. Give your puppy things that are safe to chew on. As they are teething, puppies need plush toys and ropes to chew on this will focus their biting on something other than you.
Step # 5: Barking
Lack of stimulation can play a big part in a dog’s continual barking, so make certain that you spend enough time with him and give him enough exercise so that he is not bored. Puppies along with adult dogs can become quite lonely if you spend a lot of time away from them. They need interaction and stimulation.

Consistency, perseverance, patience and gentle reinforcement are the key ingredients to having a well balanced obedient, well behaved dog. If that is the dog of your dreams then don’t blame or shame him, instead train him.

Tags: Barking, Biting, German Shepherd, German Shepherd Breed, German Shepherd Puppy, German Shepherd Puppy Training, German Shepherd Training Secrets, Nipping, Obedience Training
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