Training your puppy

After your puppy leaves us at German Shepherd World it is important for you to start some informal training as soon as you take your German Shepherd puppy home. Responsible ownership involves having a well-trained dog. Puppies are continuously learning from the time they open their eyes. Everything you teach your puppy should be in a positive way. There is NEVER any need to smack your dog or tie your dog up. If you have got to this stage you need training and perhaps some private lessons for the both of you should be a consideration. Please remember, training is not some formal process but should occur all the time we are together with our dog. We do not recommend that you send your dog away for training to an institution. Your formal training should take about 15 minutes a day and considering there are 1440 minutes in a day it is really not a lot considering the wonderful rewards you will receive in having such a terrific well-trained companion. There are also many training clubs around. If you telephone your local council they will supply you with details.
Dvd's on dog training are great as well and you can sit down at night and watch them at your leisure. Please don't be afraid to give us a call if you would like some more information.

Some basic rules to remember when training are followed:


1. Keep the tasks simple.

2. Teach sounds and words as commands and not sentences.

3. When trying to programme the puppy to respond to your command avoid distractions and competing activities for example you will never get your puppy to learn to walk round the garden on a collar and lead if Aunt Emma is playing ball with her mother in another part of the garden.

4. Be effusive with your praise and don't be afraid to use food rewards.

5. Ignore failures and certainly do not punish the puppy.

6. Be consistent and this applies to all family members.

7. If your puppy starts biting at your feet or hands with a firm voice you must tell him NO and sustitute your feet for something he can bite. Every member of your family must also do this everytime he bites them or otherwise he will not understand why it seems to be OK to chew Dad's feet but the kids get upset??. Dentabones or a soft plush toys are great substitutes. He is most likely teething and anything he can chew on, is a relief to him as like children when they are teething they too can be in quite a lot of discomfort. You can also buy some Bonjeela from the chemist and rub this on his gums to give him some relief. Frozen lamb neck bones are also great for them. Another great idea is buy a baby's soft toothbrush and sit down with him and massage his little gums. Most pet shops carry special teething toys that also massage their gums.

PLEASE REMEMBER : You are now the puppies new parent. This puppy is counting on you to help and guide him through this tough time so please do not ignore his signs when he needs some help. Do not ever yell at the puppy when he is trying to show you what is wrong.

Take the time to try and understand what your puppies needs are.