29. September 2008 by admin.

How To Solve German Shepherd Problem Behaviors - By: Jan Ryan, Posted on: 2008-09-09

German Shepherds can turn into one of two kinds of dogs. They can either be the best dogs you ever owned or they can be an owner’s worst nightmare. German Shepherd problem behaviors will usually arise from human interaction or a lack of it. A German Shepherd has natural instincts but it will gladly put aside those instincts to make its human family happy. A German Shepherd can get very attached and protective of it’s human family and if you do not follow the proper training procedures when the German Shepherd is a pup then you will get German Shepherd problem behaviors.

German Shepherds have a herding instinct that makes them very protective of their human family and also potentially very aggressive to anyone that comes near it. To offset that you need to make your German Shepherd a social animal and allow it to socialize with as many other animals and people as possible. A German Shepherd that is taught to socialize will be better adapted and much less likely to be a problem.

You need to play with your German Shepherd constantly and show it a lot of attention because German Shepherds can get really bored really fast and a bored German Shepherd will start to display problem behaviors almost instantly. That is the thing about German Shepherds, they can make behavioral adjustments almost instantly and when they do they usually revert back to their instincts. A bored German Shepherd will start to hunt and, as you can imagine, that is bad. So show your dog a lot of attention and avoid this German Shepherd problem behavior.

A German Shepherd needs to work and needs to feel like it has a job to do so always give your Shepherd tasks to accomplish and a feeling like it is doing something important. Even if that means just being the family dog, as long as the German Shepherd is working it is happy. If you neglect it then it can start to use it’s herding instincts and that can usually escalate into more aggressive behavior, which is a very bad thing.

I have always been shocked at the people that get so trusting of their German Shepherd that they let the dog watch the kids for just a minute or two. Never leave your children alone with your dog because one of the German Shepherd problem behaviors is the herding instinct.

A main German Shepherd problem behavior is the herding instinct and that can kick in at any time and if your small children are around unsupervised that can be a bad thing. So never leave your kids alone with your German Shepherd.

A German Shepherd is intelligent and loyal but just like any other breed it has natural instincts that can sometimes cause problems. A German Shepherd is not a dog you can just tie up in the yard and leave it alone, it will get bored and lonely fast and that can result in bad things.

You need to spend a lot of time with your German Shepherd and you need to teach it how to interact with other people and animals if you want to avoid major German Shepherd problem behaviors down the road.

Article Source: http://www.bestdailyarticles.com

Information about the Author: Jan Ryan is an avid lover of the German Shepherd and has a popular website where you’ll discover how to have a happy, healthy and well behaved German Shepherd. Among other topics there, you will find out more about German Shepherd Problem Behaviors plus a whole lot more.

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15. September 2008 by admin.

Teaching A Dog To Stay Can Keep Your Pet From Getting Hurt - By: Lee Dobbins

We as humans have a unique bond with our dogs and it’s our duty to make sure we keep them as safe as possible. In order to accomplish this, we need to train the dog properly and teaching a dog to stay is a critical part of this training as it could keep your dog from running headlong into a dangerous situation.

One thing you need to do when training is make sure your dog knows that you are the boss. Frequently using the ’stay’ command is a good way to do this. ‘Stay’ means that your dog will have to be still in one place while you walk around, and can’t move until you give permission. If you aren’t the alpha in your home, the opposite thing will usually be taking place.

First, teach the dog to ’sit’ on command utilizing the word and hand signals. I snap my fingers while flipping my extended index finger at a downward angle toward the ground at the same time. This attracts the dog’s attention without impeding my hands with a clicker. It also indicates the correct direction for the dog’s rear. Astonishingly, it works quite well.

Regardless of your dog’s age, they can all learn to “stay” the same way. When your dog is following the “sit” command, order them to “stay” in a voice that is firm and audible over any other sounds. Do not yell, as you do not want your dog to think they are being punished. When issuing this command, also give your dog a unique gesture for this command. The gesture I use is my hand in the STOP position, with my palm facing the dog and my fingers raised. After giving the command and gesture, take one step back.

Your dog will most likely try to follow you. When this happens, repeat your unique hand gestures for the “sit” and “stay” commands. If your dog continues to follow you, there is a trick to get them to comply with the “sit” command. Hold a treat or one of your dog’s favorite toys in your hand. Slowly move this over your dog’s head until it is a little behind his eyes. Make sure that it is still in your dog’s line of vision. This movement will force your dog’s chin to move up. If your dog chooses to rotate around rather than just moving his chin, move the toy or treat over their head again until he does move his chin up and sits down. Praise your dog and try the “stay” command again.

But, there is more to teaching a dog to stay than just this one step because you want the dog to stay no matter how far away you go. Once the dog will stay when you take 1 step away from him, take two steps. Then take four and then eight. Generally, the more distant you are, the less control you will have over the dog. The dog instinctively wants to follow the alpha (leader), so this may take some practice.

One thing you can do to get around this is to put a collar and lengthy leash on your dog. Use a tree to secure the leash behind the dog and hold it in front of the dog. Allow your dog to stand up and step forward, gently pulling on the rope and using the standard voice command and gesture. Be careful not to jerk your dog too hard and upset his concentration. Your goal should be to contain his behavior, not punish him. If you prefer to use another person rather than a tree you can, but it may confuse the dog and he won’t know who is giving the commands.

Many dogs will want to lie down during the procedure, even more so as you get farther away from them. It might be helpful to teach ‘up’ and ’sit’ in tandem before moving onto teaching your dog to ’stay’. It varies by breed and individual personality how many times you will have to repeat the exercise over what time period, but don’t worry. Every dog learns to stay in time.

When your dog has mastered the stay for a short while, tell him to “come” in a tone that differs from the “stay” command. Use a unique hand gesture with it. Make it exact but not something you normally do. Select behaviors and attitudes should have specific commands.

Remember, teaching a dog to stay is a basic core component of his training so be sure to heap praise on your dog when he listens, and with every successive try let the ’stay’ last a little longer than last time. You’ll know when you’ve reached the end of your training when you can go inside and be completely out of sight and your dog will still ’stay’. After one minute, though, give your dog the OK to move freely.

Article Source: http://www.bestdailyarticles.com

Information about the Author: Lee Dobbins is an avid dog lover who has owned many different types of dogs from a 90 pound Shepherd mix to a pure bred Pomeranian. She shares her years of research and experience in an Ebook and newsletter which you can download for FREE at www.dogcareandtrainingtips.com.

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