German Shepherd Central

Training your German Shepherd to perform a reliable stay is not as difficult as it might seem. You only need two things:

1) Really yummy treats or some other desirable reinforcer.
2) Patience.

The easiest way to envision stay training is to think of the “No running in the hall” rule. When you were in school, if you were caught running in the halls, your teacher did not grab you by the collar, physically drag you back to where you started, slam you to the ground and yell “Walk!” (Or at least, I hope not.) The teacher simply looked at you, possibly pointed a finger, and requested in a normal tone that you return to where you started and walk – rather than run – down the hallway.

This is how we instruct our dogs – although, because German Shepherds are experts at nonverbal language, we can simply accompany them back to their original starting position rather than ask them to return.

Here’s the hardest part about teaching the stay exercise: It’s YOUR job to make sure the dog doesn’t get up! This is where we need 2) Patience.

There are only two possible scenarios in stay-land.*

Scenario No. 1:
Dog sits, you ask dog to stay, dog stays, you click and treat.

Scenario No. 2:
Dog sits, you ask dog to stay, dog gets up — you accompany dog back to the start of the exercise and repeat, hoping for better results.

*An alternate version of Scenario No. 2 exists if you don’t have the dog on leash, whereby the dog gets up, then proceeds to run away, chase squirrels, cats, birds, trucks, etc., or pee on the neighbor’s trash cans.

The easiest way to ensure that Scenario No. 2 never happens is to time your click and treat before the dog gets up. Your dog’s first rewardable stays will probably be about 1-billionth of a second long, because that’s how long your dog will remain sitting after the first few times you say “Stay.”

Gradually extend the length of the stays to whatever amount of time suits you, using the principles outlined above. However, throw in some random stays of shorter duration so your dog doesn’t begin to perceive the “stay” command as an aversive (i.e., “Each time she asks me to stay, I have to sit here for longer and longer periods before getting a treat – forget that, I’m outta here!”)

Extend the distance of the stays gradually, as well. Remember to extend distance the way you want the real-life behavior to look: For example, don’t begin to increase distance by backing away from your dog; begin by turning away. A stay the length of several football fields doesn’t do you much good if you can’t turn away from the dog!

As usual, the click ends the behavior, which means the dog can get up after you click. Eventually you can replace the click with a release word. Toss the treat after you click, to get the dog in standing position for the next stay exercise.

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German Shepherds are amazing dogs, and typically biddable (making them easy to train) and smart (making them quick to learn). However, this doesn’t mean your dog fits the mold, or even if she does, that you’ll always have a smooth relationship.

Photo source: Flickr

Most folks who get a German Shepherd either know of or used to have a dog that was absolutely perfect — never made a mess in the house, didn’t shed, never jumped up, never barked inappropriately, never lunged at people or other dogs, never chewed the furniture, always laid quietly in another room during dinner, always paid its taxes on time, never forgot to bring home the milk, etc.

Not all of us are as blessed. Sometimes, a dog comes into our lives who has perfected a different art: making our existence miserable!

Here are a few signs to indicate that your dog’s behavior may require professional intervention:

Your dog is actively threatening to harm or has harmed a person. As much as dogs will be dogs, this is the land of people — and sometimes litigious ones. Besides not wanting anyone to be hurt, it’s important to get a handle on your dog’s aggressive behavior, because sometimes an aggressive display (barking, lunging, jumping at a person’s face, etc.) can be misinterpreted. In fact, any “biting incident” involving a dog, even a dog with no prior history of aggression, and even if the bite did not break the skin can be grounds for euthanasia in this country, as the case of Rolo demonstrates.

Your dog has threatened or harmed livestock, cats or other dogs. Again, besides the potential for euthanasia (or worse, if a neighbor or livestock owner has vengeance in mind), these kinds of dog problems aren’t simple to fix. Unless there’s a sibling rivalry issue between two dogs, this type of behavior is likely rooted in predation. Lots of well-meaning folks follow the advice of friends, “trainers,” or relatives, and punish the dog in an attempt to “correct” predatory actions. But predatory behavior is unlikely to be wholly suppressed with positive punishment, no matter how creative. And painful and/or threatening treatment (including yelling and leash-popping) of a dog who dislikes other dogs can exponentially worsen the problem.

You’re feeling helpless about, hopeless about or afraid of your dog’s behavior. If you’re dog is soiling his crate every day, or tearing up the house, or refusing to budge from the couch or bed when asked, ask yourself whether it might be time to call for professional help. Although animal behavior consultation can be expensive, it is a far smaller price to pay than chancing the dog’s life — which is likely to be the outcome when you decide not only can you not handle the behavior, but life would be easier without the dog. A well-known fact is that dogs are relinquished to shelters for behavior problems more than any other reason. Don’t let your dog be one of them.

For help finding a professional dog trainer or animal behavior consultant near you, visit the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants at www.iaabc.org, or the Association of Pet Dog Trainers at www.apdt.com.

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Far too many German Shepherds live their lives on the end of a chain.

Pictured is Joshua, a one- to two-year-old male German Shepherd I rescued from the side of a busy highway with a logging chain literally bolted to his heavy-duty collar. Whatever attempt his previous owner made to keep him at home failed, thankfully. He was later adopted by a family of four, who lets him sleep on the bed and plays basketball with him!

If you know of a dog, any dog, that spends its life anchored on a chain, Karen Pryor has put together an excellent guide to getting involved in the situation and improving conditions for the dog. This is worth making a New Year’s resolution to do.

If direct intervention in a chained dog’s life isn’t possible, you can join a number of national campaigns to end the chaining of dogs, including UnchainYourDog.org and DogsDeserveBetter.org. The Humane Society of the United States also offers a number of tips and resources for those looking to end the chaining of dogs.

Chaining a German Shepherd isn’t just inhumane, it’s downright dangerous. Dogs who are chained or tethered are more likely to hang themselves or become targets for thieves, bullies or other animals.

What’s worse, a 2000 study published in the Sept. 15 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association noted that 17 percent of dogs involved in fatal attacks on humans between 1979 and 1998 were chained at the time of the incident. Chained dogs are more likely to develop aggressive behavior because they are unable to communicate normally and therefore become frustrated or over-aroused. The victims of such aggression are usually children, who wander unwittingly into the dogs’ path.

Furthermore, a German Shepherd is bred to be a working companion and therefore must be raised indoors as a member of the family to develop its full breed potential. Unsupervised German Shepherds are at risk for developing aggressive behavior and becoming further subjected to unfair breed-specific legislation.

For the sake of dogs everywhere, let’s bring them inside!

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