wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. At around 8 weeks old, start training the puppy with simple commands like, “Sit,” “Stay,” and “Come.” Sebastian is 8 weeks old, 11lbs 12 oz. The German Shepherd is a large dog with an active temperament, so it will be crucial to go for a walk two or three times a day so that its muscles stay in a good condition. You will learn a lot watching other people when you don’t have a dog of your own. If you deliver the praise/treat with one paw up or as the dog starts getting up, you have just rewarded the dog for that most recent behavior. If you want to train your German Shepherd as a working dog, you should go to a professional dog trainer. Dogs show affection by licking, so if you want to stop it, then pet it and hold it away from you with a no command slowly but firmly. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,013,359 times. Through positive reinforcement you will be able to teach your German Shepherd almost any trick or command without any problem. "We received Sebastian at 7 weeks, he's very playful and chews on everything. Today’s training with Nora we are teaching a focused heel using a long-line. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. They are much more strong and clever than before, but they completely lack agility. Before your German shepherd puppy has reached 4 months of age, you should have already nailed down such things like it’s diet, probably your dog should already live separated from it’s mother, and certainly you should have became it’s best friend. How can I stop my dog from licking my legs and barking at me? ... How to train a German Shepherd to sit. As it makes the transition from puppy to adult, the German Shepherd dog should learn the basic dog commands that will help it to live with other people and pets, including "sit", "stay", "down", and "heel". But, the German shepherd isn’t perfect—no dog is. Yes, within reason. For instance, if you want to teach the “sit” command, the praise and treat should be delivered when the dog is sitting with all feet on the ground. Your praise and reward will need to come within two to three seconds of the behavior you are reinforcing. If you are hard on it, then aggressive barking is to warn you to stop whatever you are doing. German Shepherd dogs are highly intelligent and trainable.In fact, they may be too smart for their own good, which is why early training and socialization are a must. Soon it will catch on. These walks should last about 20 or 30 minutes. As you probably already know, your German Shepherd is smart and eager to please. Thanks for all of the stories shared. Monitor your German Shepherd puppy on the walk for signs such as lagging behind, lying down or panting. It’s a very, very common problem, and, at the end of the day, it is what the German shepherd has been bred to do a lot of the time. Once the puppy is more confident and compliant around food, you can bring out a plate or bowl and continue your hand feeding routine in the presence of the bowl or plate, but don’t feed directly on the plate yet. If your puppy is just barely 3 or 4 months old, you don’t need to worry too much. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. You must ensure that your young German Shepherd finds the first contact with the outside world positive and pleasurable. Being a herding dog, German Shepherds are sensitive to motion. If you have an Australian shepherd puppy, it's best to start socialization when they are 7 weeks old. Teach him how to love you more & How behave well infront of others.1000’s of German shepherd lovers learn the tricks from this expert :-. Your puppy should be 8-10 weeks old and started on their vaccine series for this first class. She has been voted the best private dog trainer in the San Francisco Bay Area 4 times by SF Chronicle and by Bay Woof, and she has won 4 "Top Dog Blog" awards. This will get them used to interacting well with a wide variety of people and animals, which is essential. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. She is a Certified CGC (Canine Good Citizen) Evaluator by the American Kennel Club and has served on the Board of Directors for the American Humane Association and Rocket Dog Rescue. ", "I have a new puppy and needed to refresh my memory! How can I stop a puppy from yelping when I have visitors or I take it to the vet? Soon it will start to pee on newspapers. If you have decided to adopt a German Shepherd dog, you must bear in mind that it will not automatically become your new best friend: you must make an effort to train it so that it becomes a sociable and loving companion. The Association of Professional Dog Trainers. For advice from our Veterinary reviewer on how to train an older German Shepherd, scroll down! How can I let my puppy know they are a part of the pack too? Between the ages of 7 weeks and 4 months old a dog goes through a prime socialization period. Thanks. That could become a dangerous situation. ", "Your article was very helpful for me. We have tried everything she is very passive, any advice would be helpful Place a newspaper on the ground near where it usually urinates. Puppy and adult German Shepherds have a peculiar temperament, and so they need to receive specific training to make their intelligence and skills shine. Consider three types: Low, medium and high value treats. This is a training video of me training her in some obedience with her favorite toy. Then move into training for safety, like crate training, leash training, and coming when you call. training treats, and started using the sit commands right away. Can a German Shepherd tolerate cold weather? When your dog is around 7 to 8 weeks old, you can start teaching it basic commands like sit and stay. The timing of the reward is extremely important. However, training a puppy from a young age will give you the opportunity to prevent behavioral problems that often come up in this breed, such as fear and possessiveness. All you need is the know-how and some patience to practice recall with your GSD. There are a lot of dog training videos on the internet, so make sure that the videos you choose are made by experts in dog training. 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