German Shepherds are often used by the military, police, and guards because of their abilities, alertness, activeness, and loyalty. But all these can go in vain if they are not trained properly.
If a German Shepherd is not trained well, misbehaves in public, or is not socialized, there will be a problem. Hence, as a responsible owner, you have to teach them at least some basic commands or, even better, give proper training to be appreciated everywhere.
Let’s have a look at German Shepherd training commands.
Basic German Shepherd training commands
Here are some basic commands which are very important for German Shepherds to learn: Commands like “sit,” “come,” “stop,” “don’t,” “down,” “leave it,” “stay,” heel,” these commands are very easy for German Shepherd to learn as they are very intelligent.
With the help of these commands, you will be able to control them, as sometimes they can get very dominant and aggressive.
How to teach basic commands to a German Shepherd?
Here are the steps you can follow to train these basic commands:
How to teach them the first command “Come”:
Start by training them insight. Without proper training, it is not wise to expose them in public. When they are playing with toys, call out their name. They might be confused at first but when you call them, show them treats and keep saying “come.”
Treat them when they come to you, and not forget to praise them.
Sometimes they might not understand that they have to come to you, then simply pull the leash and bring them to you and keep saying “come” while doing so.
Keep repeating this until he gets some understanding of it. After some time, when you feel that they can understand the command, take them outside and start practicing again in an environment with many people. Keep increasing the distance with time and call out.
How to teach the command “Sit”
When your dog is standing or sitting in front of you, take out their treat and hold them in front of them to draw their attention and tell them to sit and do not allow them to eat the snack until they sit down. Keep repeating it until they understand the command.
Do not forget to praise them once they have completed the task. After accomplishing the task, always remember to try the same outdoors.
How to teach the command “Down”
When your dog is seated, put the treat on the ground and do not let them eat it eat. Use the word down to indicate that they can have it.
How to teach the command “Leave It”
Call out your dog and hand them over their treat, but do not let them eat yet. Whenever they try to eat, the command “leave it” with a strict voice. Keep repeating it until they wait for the command to eat.
How to teach the command “Stay”
Teach your dog the command “down” before teaching them this command. Command them “down,” following with the command “stay.”
Other commands to teach a German Shepherd
The commands mentioned above are some essential commands which should be taught at the very early stage, but along with these, there are many more commands which should be taught to them.
- Watch me.
- Wait.
- Off.
- Drop it.
- No.
- Heel.
- Take it.
- Bed.
- Leash.
- Lap.
- Speak.
- Quite.
- Shake.
- Car.
- Handle your business.
Why is it important to teach commands to your German Shepherd?
Learning commands is part of German Shepherd’s training, and it is essential for them.
It helps the owners have control over them in public. Commands will ensure the dogs behave in public. It will prevent German Shepherds from attacking any stranger.
Early training will ensure that they are well-prepared for the military and police services.
If we do not give proper training to German Shepherd, they might be out of control and adopt much maladaptive behavior, cause a problem, and become difficult to handle.
Commands will not only ensure they behave properly in public but also maintain the home decorum.
How long does it take for a German Shepherd to learn a command?
If you start early, it is very easy to teach them commands, and they learn fast as well, but how long exactly it will take might depend on the frequency of the training and the strictness of the owner.
Sometimes it might depend on the behavior of the dog as well. If your dog is well-behaved, then they may learn the command fast, but if they are stubborn and hard to deal with, it might take longer to learn the command.
Normally it will take 1 to 2 weeks to master one single command for German Shepherds.
Conclusion
When using any command, always use a strut and farm voice, and use terms like” no” and “good boy” to praise them or show them that they are doing it wrong.
Keep in mind that while training German Shepherd to be frequent and always be a farm with your words, do not go easy on them while you are training them, and let them understand that you will not give up until you teach them the command.