If you have a German Shepherd at home, you will slowly realize that as your German Shepherd ages, various behavioral changes are found. A 6-month-old German Shepherd will not behave the same way as it did when he was just 2 months old. How does a 6 month old German Shepherd behavior look like?
New owners might often wonder and get confused seeing the drastic change in their behaviors or constant disobedience. But, do not worry! It is all-natural and happens with all dogs just like humans.
You have to be patient and teach your dog all the etiquette to make him a well-trained dog. To know all the changes in detail and ways to tackle them, keep reading the blog till the end.
6 Month Old German Shepherd Behavior
As already mentioned, there are various behavioral changes which you will start observing once your German Shepherd turns 6-month old. Some of them are listed below:
Establishing Independence
You might see that your German Shepherd tends to become independent as he grows. He would by now start exploring new places all by himself and try to engage themselves in different kinds of activities. Chewing, biting objects, tearing clothes, etc. can be seen more frequently. And now since his teeth and jaw have already become much more powerful, chewing and tearing can be a chaotic situation.
Bolder Attitude
By now, your German Shepherd will physically grow a little bigger and have a bolder personality. As is known, GSDs are intelligent and if not trained the right way, they can misuse their intelligence. Since he has become much stronger now, he will bite you harder if you have not trained him at the right time. He will start thinking of himself as the ‘boss’ of the house and become a very stubborn and adamant dog.
Pushing Other Dogs
Your 2-month-old GSD might have been a shy and quiet dog but this won’t be the case anymore once he has already turned a half year old. He will start to dominate every situation if not restricted. He will try to ascertain himself to be stronger than other dogs and often try to hurt them. If not under observation, weaker dogs might get hurt easily.
Reaching the Puberty
When your German Shepherd is in the range of 6 months to 12 months old, he will often experience hormonal changes due to which he might become intolerant and develop sexual desires. Female German Shepherds might often become insecure before the start of the heat cycle, aggressive towards other dogs, etc.
What leads to improper behaviors in German Shepherds?
There are various reasons which might lead your German Shepherd to become an ill-mannered dog.
Bad Behavior Due to Genetic Reasons
One of the reasons why your German Shepherd is not well-mannered is that he might have inherited it from his parents. His parents might have been aggressive in nature and the same has been inherited by your dog. This does not mean, the bad behavior cannot be tamed with discipline, this is just one reason! Hence, it is always better to meet the parents before bringing home your dog.
Inadequate Socialization
As per surveys and research, if you do not socialize your German Shepherd well, he might eventually become a badly behaved dog. It is very important to make him meet new people and other dogs when he is between 4 to 14 weeks old as this is the prime time for socialization.
This will help them learn to behave in front of others. If you do not make him socialize well, he even might become an untrainable dog later which can cause a lot of trouble in petting your dog.
Improper Obedience Training
Complete obedience training for your dog is very important. Some new owners think that just a week’s training is enough for their dog to behave well throughout their entire life. But this is not the case. You need to keep revising the habits and traits you taught them. It is very important to be consistent and patient while training your German Shepherd.
Aggressive Training Sessions
As already mentioned, becoming impatient with your dog while training will not take you anywhere. You have to be immensely patient even if your dog takes a long time to learn a particular habit.
If you become frequently aggressive or start beating your dog, he will not enjoy the training session and become aggressive eventually. This will not only hurt the physical health of your dog but also the mental health.
Read: How to train a German Shepherd in 8 Weeks
Gonadectomy and Hormonal Reasons
Your dog can develop behavioral issues if it experiences hormonal imbalances. The over-production of testosterone can make your dog aggressive. Also, the unnatural production of hormones like Oxytocin and Vasograin can impact your dog’s behavior negatively.
Another reason can be Gonadectomy. This refers to the removal of a dog’s reproductive organs like female ovaries and male testes.
Allowing Your Dog To Do Whatever He Wants
You should teach your dog certain things which he is not supposed to do. Just giving him the freedom to do everything will never make him a well-mannered dog. Starting from toilet training to socializing etiquettes, everything needs to be taught to him.
This needs to be done when he is still in the puppy stage otherwise he might not inculcate the habits if taught in his adulthood.
Appropriate Exercise Duration
All dogs require some kind of physical activity, especially German Shepherds. German Shepherds require a minimum of two hours of daily exercise to keep up with a healthy mental and physical condition. If you do not engage in enough physical activities with your dog, he might develop behavioral issues which can be destructive.
Medical Conditions
Last but not the least, another reason for your dog’s unnatural behaviors can be any underlying medical condition. Your dog might have been suffering from some psychological or physical problems. Some dogs with Obsessive Compulsive Behavior are often associated with aggression and self-mutilation in the form of biting. Also, any kind of persistent severe pain can make a dog develop aggression.
Common Behavioral Problems in German Shepherds and Their Solutions
In the initial stage, you might be confused seeing some of the unnatural traits of your growing German Shepherd. But this is natural and will eventually fade away with proper training sessions. Some of the common behavioral traits associated with a 6-month-old puppy are as follows:
Aggressiveness in German Shepherds
It is quite difficult to predict and understand the reason behind the aggressive behavior of your German Shepherd. If not tamed, it can be dangerous too! Aggression in German Shepherds refers to frequent biting, chewing, barking, growling, lunging, etc. They can show these traits to both known people as well as strangers.
There are various reasons why your German Shepherd is aggressive. Some of the reasons include being defensive from any danger, trying to protect its owner, protecting its belongings, suffering from any injury which causes him pain, etc. The reason can either be one or a mixture of many.
Aggressive nature is mostly seen in dogs when there is a lack of proper training, improper care or pamper, etc.
Solution
If you experience a similar situation with your dog, we have a solution for you! If you are sure that your dog is not in any pain and the aggression is for some other reason, it will most probably be because of incorrect training.
It is important to teach bite inhibition to your puppy as early as 6 weeks. When trained, he would know when he is not supposed to jump on people, growl, bite, etc.
You can make a sharp sound or a crying sound each time your puppy bites you hard. This would distract your puppy and would eventually make him stop biting. Do this until he learns to not bite hard
Destructive/ Excessive Chewing
Chewing in German Shepherds and in fact almost all dog breeds occurs in two different phases. One is because of teething which happens before 6 months and another one is out of irritation or bad training which happens in the adulthood.
You can see your puppy chewing a lot on clothes, furniture, etc. when he is just 2-3 months old. This chewing is just because he is feeling uncomfortable with the new teeth growing. But when this continues even in his adulthood, you need to take care of it. This can happen because of lack of obedience training, loneliness, anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Behavior, etc.
Solution
In the case of chewing during the puppy stage, with time, that would stop. But if this continues in adulthood, you need to consider re-training him.
- If you are unable to do so, hire a professional trainer for the same.
- Another way to make him stop is to keep him busy most of the time when he is alone or give him a bone when he chews things like furniture, clothes, etc.
- A minimal 2-hour exercise is a must for German Shepherds which should include walks, runs or playtime.
- Make a peaceful environment for your dog. Your home should not feel like any kind of trap to him which would give him stress and anxiety.
- If you feel none of the above-mentioned solutions is working, take him to an experienced vet and check his medical conditions.
Separation Anxiety
German Shepherds mostly like to stay in groups and hence prefer everyone in the house to stay around them. It is an affectionate dog and mostly becomes friendly with everyone if treated the right way. Leaving your GSD alone for a long time can give him separation anxiety and can hamper his psychological health.
Hence, if you pet a German Shepherd, you need to pamper him a little extra to make him comfortable. If you fail in giving proper care and attention, you can eventually become destructive in nature. Becoming destructive means, he will start biting you frequently, digging the trash cans, soiling the house, etc.
Solution
The simple solution to separation anxiety is to not keep your dog alone for a long time. Try to not keep your dog alone for more than 3 to 4 hours, though this depends from one dog to another.
If the situation is unavoidable and you have to be away from home for a long time, keep him engaged physically and mentally in something by getting some help from others or hiring a dog walker. This will keep him distracted and he would not wait for you.
Another tech-savvy solution is to purchase dog cameras. You can monitor his activity while you are away as well as toss him treats to keep him engaged. Some dog cameras also allow you to talk to your dog and instruct him if you find any barking alert.
Urine-Marking Trait
You might see your German Shepherd spraying on objects as a message for other dogs, especially females. This is a sign of sexual maturity and happens after he starts to enter adulthood. German Shepherds pee on walls as a sign to alert other dogs to stay away from the female dog living nearby who is to enter her heat cycle.
But this trait is not natural when he starts doing this inside the house. Apart from sexual reasons, urine marking can also be to claim something or ascertain other that that particular object belongs to him.
Solution
If you are concerned with your dog urinating on your new things, keep them away from his reach.
Dogs have a tendency to pee in places where they have already peed before. They recognize the places by their smell. Hence, clean the area thoroughly so that the place does not smell the same way.
Try to get rid of all such situations which can cause him anxiety.
Do not leave your dog alone in the crate for more than 4 hours.
If the situation goes out of your control, consult a canine behaviorist as soon as possible.
Hyper-activeness in German Shepherds
Some German Shepherds suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and hence suffer from lack of attention, getting distracted easily, fear, impulsiveness, lack of socializing ability, reactive to noise, etc. Controlling and training such dogs can be challenging. It mostly happens because of genetic disorders.
Solution
Dogs with ADHD are said to be able to ‘’invent’’ new ways to stay active themselves. Because of this reason, external factors need to be created to keep him physically and mentally stimulated so that he is not able to find more ways to stay active.
Since it is a medical condition, consulting with your vet is very important. They may prescribe some stimulants to control the disorder. This will decrease their heart rate, respiratory rate, etc.
Uncontrollable Barking
Barking is a way of expressing themselves to dogs, but excessive barking unnecessarily is unnatural. Too much barking refers to such situations when your dogs bark at anything, be it someone ringing the doorbell, some guests coming to your house, etc. This mostly happens when your dog is extremely bored, is feeling lonely, suffering from fear and anxiety for some reason, etc.
Solution
You can seek an expert’s help if you are unable to control your dog’s barking.
- Just when you feel your dog might start barking unnecessarily soon, try to divert its attention. You can start playing with him, or instruct him to do something, etc. But before this, you need to understand the reason behind his constant barking.
- If you are aware of the situation when your dog starts barking excessively, try to make him familiar with the situation. Introduce him to the situation slowly little by little and make him comfortable. Your German Shepherd will eventually become acquainted with the situation and not react in the same manner.
How to Prevent Behavioral Issues in German Shepherds
If you do not want to face all these situations at any point in time, there are several ways to prevent your German Shepherd develop behavioral problems. These ways, though, do not guarantee a complete absence of behavioral problems, as it is a natural way of their lives, but you can definitely train your dog to a great extent with these ways.
Meet The Daily Exercise Quota
Meeting the daily exercise needs is very important for German Shepherd as they are super active dogs and need to be exhausted daily for a healthy lifestyle. If you fail to exhaust him regularly, the stored energy can turn into destructive behavior, which is not welcomed by most of the owners and also not for good for their overall health.
Start engaging your GSD in exercise slowly, little by little and increase the time as he grows. You can use fetch toys which is a good way to increase their stamina and endurance.
Include Reward-Based Obedience Training
In this puppy stage, teaching obedience to your puppy is very important as only then he would know to obey your instructions. Include obedience training in the activity session.
Learning to obey will prevent your GSD from developing behavioral issues in future. Feed him treats every time he does a rewarding activity. This will make the session enjoyable for him and he will learn to differentiate between right and wrong.
Provide Chew Toys
You will see how your German Shepherd will want to chew on things as he grows. In such cases, provide him with good chew toys or objects which cannot be destroyed easily. This will suffice his desire of chewing things as well as work on his jaws and make them stronger.
Also, chewing toys helps get rid of boredom and he would hence not go on chewing the furniture, clothes, etc. It is recommended to buy large-sized chew toys so that there are least chances of choking. Chewing helps German Shepherds to calm down which in turn would prevent any kind of destructive behavior.
Mental Stimulation for Mind Exercises
Yes, you read it right! Along with physical exercises, mental exercises or exercises for the mind is also very important. German Shepherds are called one of the smartest breeds in the world and they demand mental exercises to upkeep with their good behavior. Engaging in new things or mental games is very important for them as it helps them to learn interesting things.
Keep Them Under Supervision
German Shepherds are the most notorious in their puppy stage. It is necessary to keep them under supervision most of the time otherwise they might end up doing something destructive. Keep valuable things in your house, things you don’t want to be chewed out of their reach.
If you want your German Shepherd to stay in a particular area, do not put them in the crate, instead install a baby gate which will limit boundaries as well as move freely in the area. Crates mostly cause separation anxiety in German Shepherds.
Feed Him Meals At Regular Intervals
Have a strict routine for feeding your German Shepherd. Avoid feeding him when he is not supposed to have a meal. Teach them to sit and patiently wait for the food to be served. Provide them with the meal only if they agree and sit calmly. Do not distract or disturb your dog in between his eating as this can make him aggressive and anxious.
Choose The Right Breeder
Before you bring home your puppy German Shepherd, do thorough research on the breeder from where you are planning to get your dog. It is important to know if the breeder is breeding for temperament and health. Best breeders always consider breeding animals that are confident, calm and loving.
A lot of planning needs to be done before breeding the right personalities. You also need to check the history of the parents of the puppy you are bringing home. If your puppy’s parents have a history of bad temperament, it will be very difficult for you to teach your pup manners and etiquette a going against the genes is not possible.
Not only this, your breeder should always be available for your calls related to puppy care or any training related query. Try to find a breeder who has good records.
Conclusion
German Shepherds are very lovable dogs and many people want to pet them for their outstanding personality. But, petting a German Shepherd comes with various responsibilities and challenges. They are prone to behavioral issues and training them in the right way is very important.
Most of the time German Shepherds pose behavioral issues because of the owner’s negligence like not taking them for a walk, not engaging them in exercises, leaving them alone for long hours, etc. If owners take special care of their pets and provide them with all the attention, the chances of developing behavioral issues become the least.