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Q&A

When can I stop training my German Shepherd?

You’re helping your German Shepherd learn a few new behaviors, and you’re starting to think of ways to reward your dog for polite behavior. This is great! It means the more new cues and tricks your GSD learns, the more freedom you have to enjoy each other’s company, instead of constantly battling for the responses you each want.

But what about those times you’re not in “training mode”? When can you just be done training?

I’ll answer this question in two parts. First, every interaction you have with your German Shepherd is, in fact, training. Although we can and should set aside a little time each day to work with our dogs, it’s impossible to be with your dog and not be training. Either you are training your dog, or your dog is training you!

Second, this means it’s up to you to maintain your German Shepherd’s training. You can do this by learning to anticipate your dog’s response to a variety of situations. That way, you can plan your response to your German Shepherd’s behavior.

Let’s say you’re about to walk your trained German Shepherd past another house. The house has a dog barking behind a fence. First, anticipate your dog’s response: Will he pull on the lead to get closer to the other dog? Will he bark? Now, plan your response: You could change your walking route, thereby avoiding the other dog; you could cross the street well before you reach that spot and feed your dog as you walk past, to build your dog’s confidence; or you could play a game of tug with your dog as you walk by that spot.

Any of these might be good responses, depending on your dog’s typical reaction in that situation. You can probably think of more solutions to this problem that allow you to anticipate and respond to your dog’s reaction before a reaction occurs. As your dog becomes more comfortable following your lead in even distracting situations, you are ready to lessen your reliance on a plan and replace it with the new habit!

A perfect example of this concept is teaching your dog to walk on a loose leash. Before your next walk with your dog, you can anticipate that your dog will pull. You haven’t trained him not to pull yet! Your plan will be to use a head halter, no-pull harness or similar tool to prevent pulling on everyday walks. We use these tools to manage our dog’s behavior and protect our hard work training our GSDs, in between training sessions.

I’m worried: Is my German Shepherd going to bite me?

Q: My German shepherd has been growling at me when I go to put on his harness. He fusses when I put it on, but lately he’s been more of a handful, and I have to struggle to get it on him. I’m worried he might bite me.

Owning a dog, especially a German shepherd, that you’re afraid might bite you is no fun. You are asking the right question — dogs growl to warn us that if we persist in our behavior, they may bite.

Being afraid of your German shepherd is an emergency.

Besides the fear of injury for yourself or family members (or liability, should your dog bite someone else), when you’re afraid to interact with your dog because you might be bitten, your German shepherd is at risk for physical neglect and worsening behavior.

First things first:

  1. Consult your veterinarian. Unless you cannot physically handle your dog to get him or her to the vet, schedule an appointment to have your dog physically examined. Let the vet and vet techs know the reason for your visit, so they can take appropriate precautions when handling your dog. It is not unusual for pain to cause a dog to behave aggressively, and you should rule this out before pursuing any training program or behavior modification.
  2. Enlist a behavior consultant to help you evaluate your dog’s behavior. A Certified Dog Behavior Consultant can help you determine the seriousness of the problem, and recommend appropriate behavior modification. Avoid dog trainers who suggest you punish or correct your dog — this can make aggressive behavior worse.
  3. Train your dog to wear a muzzle. When your dog is used to wearing a muzzle, he or she can be safely restrained for nail trims, baths, or medical procedures.

Your next job is to learn about dog body language. When you know the signs of a dog who is feeling uncomfortable or on the offensive, you can better protect yourself and others against a bite. There are many resources online, and sites such as Dogwise.com and Tawzerdog.com offer videos and instruction on defensive handling and dog bite safety:

The more you know, the better you will be able to determine whether your German shepherd is a threat to yourself or others, and to take steps to remedy the problem. Maybe your dog has been acting especially rowdy lately, or has growled at you over a bone or a special resting place. Perhaps you have trouble getting your GSD back into his crate, or away from the door when people arrive.

Some areas in which German shepherds sometimes need help and training include:

  • Resource guarding: Not allowing a person near a favorite resting place or object.
  • Body handling: Growling or snapping during grooming, nail clipping, brushing, ear cleaning or bathing.
  • Over-excitement: Displaying aggressive behavior during exciting moments, such as when people come to the door.
  • Fighting with another dog: Intentionally pursuing another dog in the house or neighborhood with the intent to do the other dog harm.

Remember: If you are worried about your German shepherd’s behavior, you are not alone. Talk to your veterinarian, and find a trainer or behavior consultant who can help you sort out your dog’s behavior, before it’s too late.

Q&A: My German Shepherd runs past me when I call

Q: I’m trying to problem solve one of my German Shepherd’s behaviors. It happens at least once and occasionally twice when we are doing off-leash walking. I will call her from a far distance and she will get so revved up in the process of racing towards me that she will zoom past me, turn around and zoom back towards where she came from, zoom towards me again, and eventually be sniffing around near me, or sitting right in front of me. I’m worried that she’ll be hit by a car, or run into another danger, in the time it takes her to get to me.

A: I would build massive value for targeting (your hand, a particular target stick, sitting in front position), then use that as your recall when you suspect she’s in a racing mood. I’d also try to avoid calling her when she’s in zoomies, just turn and walk in the opposite direction and then quietly praise and feed your most high-value treats when she does catch up to you, and tell her to “Go run” again. This will reduce her desire to fly by, as well as put the zoomies on cue.

So — don’t call during high-octane situations, build up an emergency recall for emergencies (which may or may not include targeting, but Leslie Nelson’s DVD “Really Reliable Recall” is the best explanation of how to teach this) and use a targeted recall with a running release as a reward when she seems excited.

You could also start to keep notes of how many off-leash recalls result in the zoomies (location, immediate previous activity, etc). That’s about the only sure way to tell if your training is working and to predict when/where/how she’ll perform the behavior correctly.

Or, easier (and more like what I’d do) is to assume she will go into zoomies 100 percent of the time and work backwards from there. Set the bar low — don’t attempt recalls from 10 feet away, try them at 4, 6, then 8 feet, using a long line where needed to keep her from bolting.

Q&A: How to find a German Shepherd puppy

Q: I am very interested in finding a great big beautiful and healthy GSD, but I keep reading that a good breeder is hard to come by and others say I should just get a rescue dog. I don’t really want a rescue dog. I read that it’s hard to come by rescue puppies, and they’re usually already juveniles or older when they’re adopted. How do I get a nice German Shepherd puppy?

A: You’re not wrong, it is really tough to find a nice puppy without doing a fair bit of research. I recommend joining some of the German Shepherd email lists (check Yahoo Groups) and forums (such as GermanShepherds.com), as well as searching for German Shepherd or working dog Facebook groups, and get involved there. Not only do breeders hang out and advertise nice litters with pedigrees, parents’ photos, and titles, but their puppy buyers do as well — so you can get a fairly comprehensive picture of what the breeder is producing, just by talking to other GSD enthusiasts.

And of course, nothing beats the experience of attending a trial and watching the dogs at work. Look for IPO, Schutzhund, Ringsport and Mondio competitions to attend (you’ll probably have to use Google to find a regional club). Those can be a few — or several! — hours’ drive, but it’s worth it to see the dogs in action and asking their handlers where they’re from.

Best of luck!

Q&A: Older dog biting and mouthing

Q: I have a one-year-old GSD. He is a very sweet dog with tons of energy. I have trouble walking him, so to give him exercise I throw balls around and run him around the backyard. Still sometimes he can get bitey. I know he just wants to play, but sometimes he jumps on me and bites hard. Once he starts doing this it’s really hard to get him to stop. How should I handle this? I’ve searched for tips before online. One recommended to turn away and cross my arms but he is so big he can knock me down or will just continue to bite me anyway. How should I proceed?

Either a tether or a Gentle Leader headcollar can be effective in these situations.

Buy a Gentle Leader and train him to wear it; he should drag a leash anytime he is loose so biting, mouthing and other inappropriate behavior can be interrupted.
Here is a video on acclimating your dog to a head halter:

Teach your dog to love the head halter

Tethering him to a sturdy or stationary object while you are in the same area is another way to prevent inappropriate behavior, but tie him only using his collar or a harness, and NOT the Gentle Leader!

When your pup gets bitey, say “Ow!” in an unpleasant voice, and stop playing with him for 5+ seconds, then try again. Use toys as an intermediate when playing with him, like the fetch game you describe. If he bites you or grabs your clothing, pick up or step on the leash so he cannot reach you (if he’s wearing a Gentle Leader), or step outside his tether range (if you are not playing fetch and he is tethered). Try playing with him again in 20-30 seconds, or as soon as he’s settled into a sit or down on his own for three seconds.