A German Shepherd is an intelligent and loyal dog that becomes very attached to its human family and very protective. A well-trained and well-loved German Shepherd can be the best pet you will ever see and it can bring you a lifetime of love and joy. An improperly trained German Shepherd will have problems that can be both unpredictable and dangerous if not dealt with. If you do not have time to dedicate to a dog then do not get a German Shepherd.

The German Shepherd breed of dog was first domesticated in Europe over one hundred years ago and it was bred to help herd animals in Europe. That is where the German Shepherd gets its name. But this herding instinct can go horribly wrong if it is not first corrected by a responsible owner, who knows how to care for their dog. It is important to make sure your German Shepherd does not display its natural herding instincts at any time.
A German Shepherd can learn to socialize very easily as long as it is taught at a very early age to socialize with other animals and people. A German Shepherd dog craves a social atmosphere and they love to be around people so if you take the time to socialize your dog with other animals and other people you can easily eliminate this problem that seems to have grown into a huge myth that Shepherds hate other animals. A properly trained German Shepherd can interact very nicely with other animals and strangers as well.

Your German Shepherd will need a lot of exercise, it will want to constantly be in motion and it needs a job to do. That job can be as simple as to be in training to be the family dog but that requires hours of attention each day from everyone in the family and also a lot of empty outside space for your dog to run in. A bored German Shepherd will resort to its natural instinct to hunt and herd and that can lead to nothing but a lot of trouble.
One of the common German Shepherd problems that you cannot get away from is the fact that the German Shepherd breed sheds a lot. They shed in the winter and they shed in the summer and they require constant grooming to deal with the shedding. If you do not like the thought of having to clean up dog fur all the time, or you think you may be allergic to standing dog hair, then you probably should avoid getting a German Shepherd breed of dog.

The German Shepherd is an extremely intelligent animal that when properly trained can be the best friend your family ever had. They train very easily and crave structure in their life. They need a lot of activity and can be one of the friendliest dogs you ever saw if you take the time to train them right. It may also help you to know that they want to be trained as much as you want to train them so don’t be afraid to try and teach your German Shepherd something new as it will probably love you for it.

You can find useful German Shepherd training advice in this article. This article can be used along with dog training books to help train your German Shepherd.

Knowing how to properly start and complete German Shepherd obedience training is a vital part of owning this type of breed. Being pack animals by nature, it is best to establish early on that you are the pack leader so that it will be easier for them to listen to your commands. If you have not already begun training your dog, know that it is never too late. But the sooner you get started the easier it will be to train your dog and the less time it will take. Just as it would be your responsibility to teach a child what is good and bad behavior, it is also your responsibility to teach your German Shepherd right and wrong behavior. If done properly, you can help to make sure that your dog is under your control and able to live comfortably within your home and yard and outside in society.
In order to make the German Shepherd obedience training go smooth, you must be consistent at all times so that you can finish up training on one thing and then move on to something else. It is usually suggested that the house breaking training should first and before command training such as sit, stay and so on. You are able, and advised, to train on things such as staying off of the couch, to not jump onto people, and where to potty all at the same time. While there may be more rules above and beyond those, by concentrating on the house breaking training first, you can let go some stress and then later focus on the other types of training. When trained properly and as long as you are consistent, German Shepherd training should only take a couple weeks. Those who luck out with a puppy who catches on faster then others may be pleased with the results they see within one week.
Now that you have successfully completed the housebreaking part of the German Shepherd obedience training, it is time to move onto other commands that will not only place you in charge of your puppy but will also protect your puppy from harm. The commands most often taught to dogs are that of sit, come, heel and stay. Unlike the housebreaking part of the training, with these commands it is thought that by focusing on one command at a time will make the training go a lot smoother. Focusing on one command at a time also means that the entire training period will not take as long. If you are consistent and do not try to force too much on your puppy at once, then it will take no time at all. It is best to keep training sessions thirty minutes or less in length. Training for too long at a time will decrease your chances of a successful training. Take breaks and spread the German Shepherd training throughout the day to get the best results.

When thinking of German Shepherd training, the first thing that comes to mind that others struggle with is obedience training and this article hopes to relieve some of that stress. Not even all of the dog training books will cover everything there is to know about German Shepherd obedience training.