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Choosing toys for your German Shepherd

Most German Shepherds take their play seriously — so it’s up to us to find toys that satisfy this powerful play drive, are safe, and last more than 20 seconds once the dog starts using them!

My German Shepherds love fetch above all games, so toys that feed this frenzy are the ones I gravitate toward. Soft latex or plush toys aren’t suitable for most adult shepherds (although some German Shepherds, females especially, enjoy carrying around a fleecy toy like it’s a puppy). Stuffed animals, particularly those with squeakers, tend to be disemboweled after only minutes of playing fetch, and latex ones are torn apart even faster.

Besides fetch, a game of tug with me or another dog makes my German Shepherds’ list of all-time fun activities, so knotted rope bones, strong rubber tug toys or large plastic bones are in the toy box.

My first criteria when choosing a toy is “Will it last more than five minutes?” If the answer is yes, then the toy likely passes the safety test, as well (no word on dog toys recalled from China). The second is, “Will my dog play with it?” Toy-treat combinations, such as products made from rawhide, might be enjoyed, but unless I use them for hide ‘n’ seek, only the dogs’ jaws will be exercised! Outside of treats shaped like toys, German Shepherds are usually happy to make a toy from anything, but it’s important to start teaching your German Shepherd early in puppy hood which objects are his and which objects belong to you.

Here are four of my favorite German Shepherd toys:


If ever a toy was designed specifically for German Shepherd Dogs, the Kong Company has made it happen. The Extreme Black Kong toy is made for hard chewers and can withstand more abuse than its red counterpart. If you have one of those rare German Shepherds who does not enjoy chasing or chewing the Kong, stuff it full of canned food and freeze — Voila! A doggie Popsicle!


The Jawz disc by Hyperflite is an extremely durable disc that flies just like a regular one. My large male German Shepherd will destroy a regular plastic disc in one 20-minute play session. Although puppies and young dogs should not jump to catch discs until their growth plates have closed, you can begin teaching German Shepherds of any age how to grab short tosses and snatch rollers off the ground.


The Buster Cube is one of my go-tos for occupying busy German Shepherd Dogs on rainy days. Like the Kong, you can fill it with treats (or kibble — I feed my dogs their meals this way), and it stands up to harsh treatment. The hard plastic outside is great for a dog who loves to pound toys with his paws, and stands up well to harsh treatment.


Jute tug toys are a must for big dogs who like to play tug. I particularly like the double-handled version of this toy, which gives the person a better grip. Be sure to follow the rules for tug when playing this game with your GSD!

5 rules for teaching your GSD a great recall

Below are the rules you must follow to have a German Shepherd who joyfully returns when you call:

Rule 1: Don’t use your recall word anytime except when 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 start avoiding you when you call.

Rule 3: Do make a big deal any time your dog comes to you on her own, even if you didn’t call her. 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, a favorite toy or lots of praise) if he “checks in” with you, on-leash or off.

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 (available in pet catalogs, online or pet stores) to practice recalls at a distance, and always use treats your German Shepherd loves.

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.

Teach your German Shepherd to stand still for grooming

Is your German Shepherd difficult to brush? Above is a video of Jabber the wooly mammoth, demonstrating a grooming trick you can try, along with a training strategy for teaching your dog to stand for brushing.

German Shepherds blow their coats twice per year: in the spring and again in the fall.

First, note whether your dog has any problems or sensitivity when you handle the following areas:

  • Ears (Does your dog have a history of ear infections?)
  • Tail
  • Skirts (hind legs)
  • Legs and paws (Any bad experiences with nail trims, in the past?)
  • Reaching toward her collar
  • Collar
  • Head

If so, you’ll want to resolve any handling issues before you begin teaching your dog to stand for grooming. (If your dog is growling at you or otherwise behaving aggressively when you attempt to touch him, do not attempt to train him on your own — contact a qualified animal behavior consultant or veterinary behaviorist!)

Steps for teaching your dog to stand on a platform while grooming

  1. Start by clicking for two feet on a platform.
  2. Once your dog will stand for 30 seconds or more on the platform, introduce the brush or grooming rake by showing it to the dog while he is on the platform, then clicking (or saying “Good”) and feeding. Don’t touch your dog with the brush yet! Repeat 4-5 times, or at least until your dog stops moving off the platform when you pull out the brush.
  3. Brush in short bursts, 2-5 seconds long, then stop, and feed.*
  4. Continue brushing 2-5 more seconds, then feed and release your dog.
  5. Start again, this time making some brushing sessions a few seconds longer before you feed / release.

Be sure to start brushing your German Shepherd in the easy-to-handle places (usually her chest and back) before you move onto trickier areas such as tail or skirts. Eventually, you can use the release as a reward, along with brushing areas he or she likes (such as the chest) as rewards for brushing the harder areas.

*You can drop the clicker at this step, unless you happen to be great at holding treats and a clicker while you brush! I do not use a clicker in the video above when I get to the brushing step, and carry the treats in my pocket.

What to do when your puppy bites

Puppies use their mouths for many reasons. Teething, exploration, taste, play, and chewing are just a few. Plus, your puppy needs to learn bite inhibition so he or she can regulate those powerful GSD jaws as an adult dog. So what do you do when those needle-sharp baby German Shepherd teeth are tearing up your clothes or skin?

First, let’s cover a few DON’Ts:

  • Don’t hold your puppy’s mouth shut. Besides possibly hurting your puppy and causing him to retaliate with a hard bite, think about what puppies do when they play — they mouth each other! If you start interacting with your puppy when he puts his mouth on you, he will be likely to try that strategy again the next time he wants your attention.
  • Don’t smack or hit your puppy (on the face, or anywhere else). Besides hurting your puppy, hitting teaches him to be wary or afraid of human hands — definitely not an association we want our adult German Shepherds to have!
  • Don’t shout NO! or Stop! If this worked, it would have worked the first time, and forevermore! Instead, shouting at your puppy teaches him to be afraid of you or to ignore you (or maybe both).

Here are some strategies to try if you find your puppy is biting too hard:

  • Decide what “too hard” is. Remember, your puppy NEEDS to bite. Biting with puppy teeth is how your pup learns how to be gentle with his or her mouth. You want your puppy to bite you! However, you get to decide how hard is too hard. My rule of thumb is if the bite leaves a red mark, that is too hard. If your puppy bites too hard, say “Ouch!” in an unpleasant tone, and stop playing with your pup for a moment. IMPORTANT: You should never allow your puppy to mouth or bite babies and children. Kids aren’t capable of appropriately telling a puppy how hard is too hard, and biting can easily become a game, or could hurt the child. Have kids play with the puppy with toys or feed your GSD puppy treats for being calm.
  • Use toys. Use a tug or fluffy toy to encourage your pup to bite a toy instead of your hands and clothes. Remember to trade your puppy the toy for a treat each time you want him to give it up, so he learns to give you the toy quickly and easily!
  • Teach a desired behavior. Teach your puppy to chase a treat up and down the stairs, or to walk nicely on leash, or to fetch something, instead of biting.
  • Create some downtime. Using a leash, tether, crate or other barrier is a good way to help your puppy calm down when he or she is to excited to play appropriately. If the “Ouch!” technique isn’t working, or your puppy is disinterested in toys and only wants to bite you or your clothing, it’s time to shift to a calmer activity. Use the teaching calmness technique as above, or put your puppy on a leash, temporary tether, or crate with a stuffed Kong or other tasty chew toy. Try playing again in a little while, after a potty break!