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Can I train my German Shepherd to protect me?

Personal protection training for your GSD

If you are interested in protection training for your German Shepherd, here’s what you need to know before you start.

Know your GSD’s temperament

If you are purchasing a puppy, question the breeder carefully about protection titles in the pedigree, whether the breeder personally knows any of the dogs holding those titles, or has seen those dogs perform in person.

The best thing to do is contact a few breeders of German Shepherds who do protection work, and get an idea of what they usually have available.

Breeders can also keep you on a waiting list for a younger adult, if you are OK skipping the puppy stage and cost isn’t as much of an issue.

Thinking of protection training your German Shepherd?

If you already have a German Shepherd, and are interested in training your dog for protection work, you can still start your research by looking at your dog’s pedigree for information. Does your dog have many relatives with Schutzhund/IPO or other protection sport titles? If not, having your dog evaluated by a professional dog trainer who is experienced in protection work is a must.

Dog protection training involves bite training and agitation. Here are some points to keep in mind:

  1. Schutzhund, or any kind of protection training requires a dog with a generally friendly, outgoing and stable attitude to avoid teaching or triggering unwanted aggression;
  2. Protection training must be started carefully, to avoid teaching or triggering unwanted aggressive behavior;
  3. All protection training introduces more liability for the dog’s owner.

What’s involved in protection training GSDs   

Before you begin

First, get your dog’s veterinarian’s OK, as well as a professional dog trainer’s opinion on your German Shepherd’s suitability for protection work. Second, sign up for obedience training classes. See our online basic manners course. Or, visit apdt.com to locate a professional dog trainer near you.

Time

Make sure you have time in your schedule to add training to your dog care regimen. A fully trained personal protection German Shepherd Dog can cost upwards of $5,000. The high price tag is the result of hours that have gone into that dog’s training. Unless you are planning to purchase a fully trained adult German Shepherd, plan on putting in the hours needed to create a solid protection partner.

Taking care of your dog

While you should always strive to provide a healthy, comfortable life for your German Shepherd, this is even more important for a dog you expect to remain alert and athletic. A personal protection-trained German Shepherd needs to be free from disease, illness, or parasites. She shouldn’t have poor nutrition or grooming problems that might keep her from protecting you in an emergency.

Liability (a.k.a. understanding people’s expectations of your GSD)      

The general public will expect your protection-trained German Shepherd to be friendly with everyone who wants to pet him. Your dog’s attitude must be friendly enough to handle even the strangest-looking stranger, unless you tell him otherwise.

You will need to make sure that your German Shepherd is appropriately confined. I once witnessed a protection-trained German Shepherd get loose in a neighborhood, and attack a woman in a wheelchair. This situation is not only unacceptable from a public safety standpoint, but could open you up to tremendous liability, if that was your dog.

Dog sports with a personal protection training element

Find qualified help

If you are protection training your German Shepherd, the first step is to find a training club with experienced people to help you. You not only need an experienced trainer — you will need good helpers as well.

What’s a helper? A helper (or decoy) is the guy in the “bite suit” (helpers are often, but not always, men) who is ready to “catch” your dog as your dog learns the proper technique for biting the “bad guy.”

Dave Kroyer gives you the rundown on what a good helper/decoy actually does, and why they’re so important.

Controlling your protection dog

“Drive” is a word protection dog trainers often use to describe a dog’s preferred activity level, and responsiveness to a handler’s cues. The simplest way to explain it is that your German Shepherd needs a lot of exercise and mental stimulation.

Playing fetch and tug are terrific activities for your GSD. (Read how to play tug the right way in Jean Donaldson’s book, “The Culture Clash.”) Also, using a flirt pole/toy combo is great way to exercise your German Shepherd. Any of these games can be used to help teach her self-control. Another helpful activity is clicker training. You can use a clicker to teach your GSD to climb agility obstacles will keep her mind and body in great shape.

Your German Shepherd should have basic obedience training before beginning any personal protection work.

Before hiring a protection dog trainer

Many personal protection dog trainers still use tools designed to hurt your dog, to get the dog to release the helper after a bite. This can include, but is not limited to, shock collars, “stim” collars, electronic collars (e-collars), prong collars, slip collars, and more. Sometimes trainers will tell you that it is impossible to train the dog to release following a bite, without hurting him.

The truth is that such trainers don’t yet know how to train the dog another way. Choose a trainer who is skilled using humane methods to teach a release. This requires work on your part.

Ask questions about how specifically the trainer will teach the dog to “out” after a bite. If the trainer uses any of the tools listed above, ask what happens to the dog if he refuses to let go after the first small shock or leash tug.

Read more about Training Police Dogs and Military Dogs Using Positive Methods, from Whole Dog Journal.

Resources to get a protection-trained German Shepherd

Web sites

Posidog.org
Fenzidogtrainingacademy.com
PSAk9.org

Books

Der Schutzhund – The Protection Dog, Helmut Raiser
K9 Aggression Control: Teaching the “Out”, Stephen A. Mackenzie
K9 Schutzhund Training, Resi Gerritsen and Ruud Haak
Purely Positive Dog Training, Sheila Booth
Schutzhund Obedience – Training in Drive, Sheila Booth
Dog Sports Skills Series, 1-4, Denise Fenzi and Deb Jones

Teach your German Shepherd a great recall

Do you dream of having a dog who comes running the second you call? There are several ways to teach your German Shepherd a great recall cue. Below are the rules you must follow to have a German Shepherd who joyfully returns when you call:

Rule 1: Only use your recall word while you’re teaching it (and later, when you’re 99 percent certain your dog will come to you). Using your recall phrase over and over while your dog fails to respond only teaches him that the recall word or phrase is to be ignored.

Rule 2: Don’t call your German Shepherd for stuff he doesn’t like. This includes things like baths, nail trims, being put in the crate, the end of play with another dog, or leaving the dog park! If you have to, go and get your pup. You can also run away, clap or make kissing noises. If you use your recall word and your dog comes, but then you respond with something he doesn’t like, he’ll avoid you when you call. To teach your German Shepherd a great recall, have a plan before calling your dog. If you’re not sure your dog will come to you, use a different recall word, clap your hands, smooch, or run backwards.

Rule 3: Do make a big deal any time your dog comes to you on her own, even if you didn’t call her. To teach your German Shepherd a great recall, we need to build a strong association between leaving the interesting stuff, and coming to us. We want our dogs always to think of coming to us over a variety of distractions, so be sure to reward your dog somehow (with food like liver freeze-dried dog treats, a favorite toy or lots of praise) if he “checks in” with you, on-leash or off. (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Rule 4: Carry lots of your dog’s favorite treats when teaching the recall. You will need something that packs a punch, like canned cat food or chicken, when practicing off-leash or in new environments. We want our dogs to learn that there is nothing in the environment more exciting than we are — and this might mean leaving your dog on-lead in the woods for several weeks while you feed her sardines for coming when called. Get a long line (like Signature K9 Biothane Long Line, 33-Feet x 3/8-Inch, Black) to practice recalls at a distance, and always use treats your German Shepherd loves. (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Rule 5: You can swap treats for play with a favorite toy. If your German shepherd loves to play fetch or tug, you can use those as rewards for coming when called. The trick is to wait until your dog gets to you, then start a surprise game by pulling the hidden ball or tug toy out of your pocket. Toys are often easier to carry on walks, as well.

When should I start training my German Shepherd puppy?

“How old does my puppy have to be before I can begin training?”

This is a question I am asked often. The German Shepherd puppy in this video is 10 weeks old; but you don’t even have to wait that long! “Training” starts the day you bring your new dog or puppy home to live with you — GSDs are learning all the time. This is why it is easier to prevent problems and bad habits than to solve them later.

But what most people mean when they ask this question is, “How soon can I expect my German Shepherd puppy to start performing tricks and basic obedience behaviors?” Happily, the answer is the same — immediately. Clicker training is an easy and fun way to accomplish this.

How to teach your dog a rock-solid stay

Your dog’s first reinforceable stays will probably be about 1-billionth of a second long.

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 patience.

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

Scenario #1:
Dog sits, you ask dog to stay, dog stays, you click and treat, or say “Good” and release.

Scenario #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 #2 exists if you don’t have the dog on leash or in a fenced area, 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 #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.

Want a smarter dog? Try target training

An easy way to add to your German Shepherd’s repertoire of tricks or commands is to teach her how to target objects.

Targeting (or “target training”) means your dog pays attention to, and then performs an action based on, a particular stimulus (usually an object such as your hand, or a target stick). A dog putting his paw on an object on command, or bumping your hand with his nose upon request, is targeting. Targeting is a super-quick behavior to teach and has a variety of uses.

“Go to your mat” is one handy result of target training. We first teach the dog to “target” his mat, add the cue “Go to your mat,” and then place in a location of our choosing. Agility trainers use targeting quite often to teach their dogs not to skip contact zones while climbing or dismounting obstacles. Service dog trainers use targeting to teach German Shepherds to open doors, turn lights on and off, and more. Target training is useful in the show ring to teach dogs how to gait and stack.

Teaching hand targeting

Targeting your hand is an easy behavior for most dogs to learn. Follow the steps below to get started. You’ll need a clicker, a bunch of small, tasty, easy-to-swallow treats, and a leash (if your dogs needs a reason to stick around).

  1. Remember to always offer your dog a reward after you click, even if you have made an error.
  2. Offer your dog your hand, palm facing the tip of her nose (you can hold your hand in whatever position is most comfortable). Most dogs will sniff or lick your hand out of curiosity. As soon as she touches your hand, click and offer a treat. If your dog does not attempt to touch your hand, put it behind your back for a second or two, then try again. If your dog is having trouble finding your palm, hold it closer to her face. Click only when she reaches and touches your palm with her nose.
  3. Timing is everything! Be sure you are clicking as the dog’s nose touches your hand, not after. Otherwise, she won’t understand which behavior is earning a treat.
  4. Add the word “touch” or “target” just as your dog touches your hand. As your dog becomes more fluent, begin asking your dog to touch your palm, using the command.
  5. Raise and lower the target hand so that your dog has to take several steps to reach it. Have you moved it closer and closer to the ground, and up high so she has to stand up on her hind legs to reach it? Have you moved across the floor and had her follow you, nose to the target, as if her nose was magnetized?
  6. Begin asking your German Shepherd to target other objects with her nose, such as small container lids, pieces of cloth, the end of a stick, etc. You can also vary the length of time the dog must keep her nose on your hand or target object before she gets her click and treat.

Of course, you can teach your dog to target any number of objects, whether portable or not. The most portable object I ever used to teach target training was a sticker, which could then be placed anywhere, including unmovable places like walls!

Stop Your German Shepherd From Stealing Food

(Or, ‘Hey, Who Stole My #*%(@ Sandwich?!’)

If you’ve been a victim of the disappearing roast trick, you will identify with a recent episode at my house.
I left a sandwich unattended on the table to answer the phone. The conversation was short — less than a minute — but alas, it was too long. I returned to the room to find parts of my beloved sandwich dangling from the jaws of a greedy, four-legged predator.

“Hey!” I yelled, and the culprit, rather than dropping my food, repositioned her grip and took off down the hall.
I gave chase, but before I could reach her, she darted under the bed. Knowing how long it had been since I swept under there, I decided against following her. Muttering oaths, I returned to the kitchen to make a second lunch — and I vowed it was the last time I let a cat steal my sandwich.

Dogs, being typically bigger and better opportunists than cats, practically have turned food theft into a science. While dogs begging for food during mealtimes can be annoying (or cute, depending on your perspective), stealing food from the trash, off plates or counters can be downright dangerous.

I learned the dangers of trash-stealing firsthand after my 6month-old German shepherd puppy spent the day at the vet clinic recovering from food poisoning. With the help of a foster dog, she escaped from a makeshift kennel and tore open a bag of garbage — and ate things that weren’t even food. Tin foil, paper, plastic bags and plastic wrap all made it down the hatch, along with a robust serving of spoiled fare. I came home to a puppy shaking so hard she couldn’t walk, followed by an afternoon of sheer fright and a $100 vet bill. (The foster dog escaped any ill effects.)

Lesson learned: Only three years later do I trust her to be left unconfined in the house. Prevention and patience are the keys to reforming your furry larcenist. So what steps can you take to protect your dog and your foodstuffs?
Hamburger Investigation
Use of time-honored booby traps such as yelling, penny shake
cans, mouse traps or pepper-laced food might be effective to halt the most sensitive pooch, but a hardened counter-surfer will only be amused by your exertion. (And the clever pup will perform her scandalous acts on the sly.)

Save yourself time and trouble by following the tips below:

  • Use trash cans with lids and keep them sealed. Child-proof lid locks work well for all but the most determined dogs.
  • Crate your dog. If your dog is young, new to the home or a proven trash thief, a cozy and well-appointed crate will put your mind at ease while you’re out of the house.
  • Clear the counters and tables of all food unless preparing a meal. Make sure each member of the household understands that even one slip-up on a person’s part means many more weeks of training for the dog. Dogs who steal food see the kitchen as a doggy Las Vegas; they may get nothing, or it could pay off big-time.
  • Supervise your dog. A dog who steals food should be on a leash or tethered out of reach of the counter while in the kitchen. With your dog on a leash, teach an alternate behavior, such as a sit-or down-stay, or a stay outside the kitchen’s entrance. Only remove the leash once you trust the dog to maintain the stay. While you’re in another part of the house, make sure the dog does not have access to the kitchen.
  • Create a diversion. If you catch your dog running his nostrils along the table rim, gently interrupt him and ask for a sit- or down-stay out of the theater. A peanut-butter filled Kong toy or another attractive article can be used to reward the obedient dog.
  • If your dog gets hold of something he isn’t supposed to have, do what you must to get it back — but be careful. Many dogs who otherwise don’t guard resources will act aggressively if they have something of high value, such as a loaf of bread. This is the time to throw training out the window and offer a bribe — anything of higher value than what the dog has — to get the dog to trade.
  • Teach your dog to “leave it.” Start by offering your dog a low-value treat in a closed fist. Say nothing. As soon as the dog stops sniffing and licking your fist, even for a millisecond, say “Leave it,” and open your hand to give the treat. Work up to higher-value treats, extending the amount of time you ask your dog to wait. Begin using the “leave it” command as you present your fist.
  • Make a “food bowl” zone. Show your dog there is an appropriate place to eat treats, but not off the counter. Put a place mat or food dish in a corner opposite the food-preparation area and place treats inside on a random basis. Combined with a strict policy of keeping food off the counter, the dog will learn to check the food bowl instead.
  • Use counter-conditioning — literally. With your dog on-leash, place a very boring treat (or even a non-food item, if a treat is too exciting) on the counter. Stand beside the boring treat and tell your dog to “leave it.” Before your dog has a chance to snatch the treat on the counter, drop a more enticing treat on the floor (or in his “food bowl” zone). Repeat, placing increasingly high-value items on the counter.