Training a German Shepherd

Training a German Shepherd: Why You Need a Plan

Training a German Shepherd isn't hard. I've had German Shepherds for over 45 years, and a trained Shepherd is a pleasure to own, visit or simply admire. So it makes me crazy to see a German Shepherd jumping on people, tearing across the yard chasing squirrels or pulling on the leash in every direction while the owner says "It's just instinct." For crying out loud! T

rain it!

In this article, I give you an outline of a three-stage plan for training a German Shepherd. If you have just started training a puppy, you can set goals using this outline. If you have a full-grown dog, it will show you any gaps in his training that you should deal with now. If you have a talent for dog training and want to develop your dog's potential after the basics, I'll give you ideas for specialized training.

Don't blame "instinct" until you've covered the basics of training a German Shepherd.

Training German Shepherd puppies is easy because they are so eager.

Training German Shepherd puppies is easy because they are so eager.

Before You Start Training: Required Gear

Before you start training a German Shepherd,

Make sure you have the right equipment. In order of importance, you need:

A fresh bag of healthy dog treats

A strong 6-foot leash

A slip collar (a.k.a. choke collar)

These three things are the items you need. Useless, for our purposes, are retractable leashes (hint: GET RID OF THEM), flat collars, harnesses, muzzles, prong collars, longer leashes, or electronic training collars. If you've been using an adjustable collar or a long leash, you now know why your dog isn't learning. And if you have a problem with your dog chasing squirrels, cats, or cars, you already know how worthless these collars and retractable leashes are.