For those of you who want a loyal dog with very few special needs, German Shepherds might be the ideal choice. They’re one of the world’s favorite canine companions for households. Whether you want a dog that
will happily do work, or just a big furry friend, German Shepherds are great.
Because they’re so versatile, many groups that employ dogs will choose a German Shepherd, training them for jobs including police work, search and rescue, detective work, seeing eye dogs, farm labor, and as guard dogs.
Jump to: Temperament, Health Issues, or German Shepherd Training .
Social Temperament – German Shepherd
All it takes is the right dose of puppy socialization training, a lifestyle that includes regular exercise, and a little bit of specialized German Shepherd training. With that, a German Shepherd will become your best friend for life. They do great with families, and their adaptable nature makes them less fussy about things like climate and changes environment than most.
German Shepherds become deeply attached to their families, which does mean you should be aware of how to avoid separation anxiety in dogs, a common but avoidable problem.
Like with all breeds that are extremely popular, you need to make sure you’re buying a from a German Shepherd breeder with a good, established reputation. This is a breed of dog whose popularity has skyrocketed, and that’s the sort of thing that attracts the uncaring type, as well as the best kinds of breeders.
Because the size and strength of a German Shepherd, training them for basic obedience and doing proper socialization training is important. Good obedience training and puppy socialization will prevent behavioral problems before they start. Part of this will need to include letting the German Shepherd meet other animals during youth.
Unique Health Problems – German Shepherd
Buy from a German Shepherd breeder who can show you all the necessary medical records for the dog’s parents and grandparents. German Shepherds are prone to quite a few health problems, many of which are hereditary. A good breeder will know how to avoid raising unhealthy stock, and they will also be used to being asked for this kind of information.
Once that’s taken care of, the rest is a simple matter of being aware of the risks so that you catch any problems early, before they become serious.
- Hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia, which are both hereditary bone malformations.
- Gastric torsion, aka bloating.
- Spinal cord degeneration.
- Haemophilia, which can prevent the blood from clotting around a cut.
- And the most common problem with German Shepherds, skin allergies.
German Shepherd Training
It‘s very important to train a German Shepherd early, to train them both using obedience training and socialization training, and to train them in a fair, human, effective way.
An untrained German Shepherd will assume he is in charge of you. That’s why there are additional German Shepherd training steps beyond what most dogs need. The training requires more firmness and more consistency, but still must be fair and humane.
The ideal German Shepherd training program also helps them spend all the energy and mental intensity this breed tends to have.
But, don’t let me scare you – they are completely trainable, and they are wonderful dogs to have in your family. You just have to set the boundaries and make sure they’re well-understood. Start with potty training and basic obedience training as a puppy, and continue by studying the specifics of German Shepherd training. You may also consider a specialized obedience school.
However, I recommend you train every dog yourself, because this establishes you as the Alpha of the pack, and that’s very important with German Shepherds. The resource “Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer” has plenty of information for you to train your German Shepherd at home, and is useful for every kind of dog throughout their life.
Go back to how to train a dog, or learn about more popular dog breeds.