4 Best German Shepherd Puppy Training Tips

German Shepherd Puppy Training: The Best Approaches

1 Stop your German Shepherd puppy from jumping NOW!

Your cute, tiny puppy doesn’t bother you right now when he jumps…wait a few more months and you’ll change your mind! To prevent a dog from jumping on people, be sure to teach that same dog not to jump when he’s a puppy.

When you get home, ignore your dog when he jumps (but watch him out of the corner of your eye), and greet or pet him when all four paws are on the ground. If he jumps again, ignore him again. When I say ignore, I mean it! No eye contact, no pushing or kneeling …. nothing. Keep turning around if you need to.

Once he has mastered his jumps, teach him to sit when you come home to be greeted, and don’t forget to do the same exercise with all friends and relatives you visit!

2 Stop your German Shepherd puppy from pulling on the leash NOW!

Pulling on the leash is another one of those dog behaviors that people think comes out of nowhere, but actually occurs because there has never been any formal training. To prevent your puppy from pulling on the leash, all you have to do is make sure he understands that he will be rewarded (food, petting, attention, praise, continuation of the walk, etc.). Pay close attention to what he does on the first few walks together, and be sure to reward him when he stays near you!

3 Don’t try to become the alpha dog.

Dog trainers have long known that the “dominance”/”alpha” theory is nonsense. These ideas come from research on captive wolves and have been disproven by new research on free-ranging wolves.

The new research suggests that one must be a good leader, much like a parent. Alphas are usually the parents of the group. They provide protection, food, security, and boundaries.

4 The best advice for raising a German Shepherd puppy is….

This rule is amazing and will work wonders, plus it is really easy to apply. All you need to do is pay attention to your German Shepherd puppy and reward good things that he does. However, there are a few rules you should follow to make it work:

If you notice that the “bad” behavior isn’t improving, it’s probably because it’s being rewarded in one way or another! You need to find out what that reward is and remove it.

If ignoring your dog for his bad behavior doesn’t work, then you can teach him an incompatible behavior. For example, if a dog is lying down, it is harder to bark at him.

In summary: German Shepherd Puppy Training

1. To stop your German Shepherd puppy from jumping, start training early by ignoring them when they jump and rewarding them when they have all four paws on the ground. Teach them to sit for greetings.
2. Prevent leash pulling by rewarding your puppy for staying near you during walks. Use positive reinforcement like treats, attention, and praise.
3. Avoid the outdated “alpha dog” or dominance theory in dog training. Instead, focus on being a good leader for your puppy, providing protection, food, security, and boundaries.
4. The best advice for raising a German Shepherd puppy is to pay attention and reward good behavior. If bad behavior persists, identify and remove any underlying rewards. You can also teach incompatible behaviors to address unwanted actions.

These tips provide a holistic approach to raising and training a well-behaved German Shepherd puppy.