German Shepherds are bred to guard the herd. With proper training, they will become perfect guard dogs. Most guard dogs are trained to alert but not to attack. You can train your German Shepherd Dog by following these 5 steps.
To make your German Shepherd Dog a perfect guard dog, you must socialize him properly. Then you need to teach him obedience commands like ( Sit, Stay, Come, Bark, Stop barking, etc). It is important to show your German Shepherd Dog the boundary of the house so that he can protect it. Your dog needs to know the difference between a delivery person and a stranger who may be dangerous.
A German Shepherd is very confident and not afraid of new things or new people and if he notices something wrong, he will alert you immediately. I will teach you how to train your German Shepherd to be a good watchdog.
SUMMARY
Socialize Your German Shepherd Dog
Teach Your German Shepherd Dog Obedience
Train Your German Shepherd to Bark on Alert
Teach your German Shepherd to be quiet on command.
Show your German Shepherd the house boundary
The versatile, energetic, and fearless German Shepherd Dog is highly intelligent and easy to train. You can teach him anything because he learns very quickly.
The German Shepherd is a great watchdog, and its guardian should know that without proper training, certain disasters can occur. The German Shepherd needs discipline, fair and firm supervision, which teaches him certain rules and limits that a dog should never cross.
German Shepherds love to learn new things and enjoy the company and attention they receive in any type of training.
Keep in mind that each training session should be beneficial to the dog. For example, after completing a task, he should be rewarded.
The more dedication and patience you put into training the dog, the better results you will get.
It doesn't matter what you decide to teach your dog, but keep in mind that you should not hit or punish him during training.
Let's make your German Shepherd a perfect watchdog. Start with:
Socializing Your German Shepherd Dog
Socializing your dog (after he has received all his shots) is a very important aspect. Take your dog to dog parks or training classes with other animals. This is important because at first, your German Shepherd doesn't really understand what is good and what is bad. Socialization will help clear up his confusion and fears. For example, German Shepherds will sometimes run away or bite in fear when they see something foreign.
For a German Shepherd puppy or adult, socialization with family members will be of great benefit. In the family, they will learn what they can and cannot do, and it will be helpful to warn your German Shepherd when it is engaging in undesirable behavior. You can teach him a few sounds or a simple yes or no so he can stop when he hears. It doesn't matter what type of voice he makes, if long it immediately gets your dog's attention. German Shepherds will quickly learn to hear your voice and whenever you call them, they will immediately give you their attention and stop doing something they shouldn't. When your dog receives affection from your family, he will protect them at all costs, and believe me when I say "at all costs". The safety of your family will become a priority for the German Shepherd. The more loyal your dog is to you, the more he will become a guard dog.
German Shepherd dogs can sometimes behave strangely and do not want to be socialized. They may hide under the table or not want to come out. In this case, don't force them to do so. You can simply ignore them and start doing something your dog enjoys, such as playing with his ball or toys or cooking something he likes. When they go outside, reward them.
Don't leave your German Shepherd alone for an extended period. If you do go out, take them with you so they can interact with new people, see new things and have new experiences. If you leave your German Shepherd at home all the time, he may not understand how to react to new things. For example, if your dog is well socialized, he will recognize the stranger but will not attack him in the presence of his owner.
Teach Your German Shepherd Obedience
Obedience is essential if you want to teach your German Shepherd to be a guard dog.
"Come," "sit," and "stay" are the three most important words you should teach your dog.
These three basic commands will keep your dog safe in many circumstances. For example, if danger is approaching your dog, you can call it "come", so your dog can back away and come back to you.
Teaching basic commands will help you establish your authority over your German Shepherd. If your dog understands that you are the leader, he will become your happy follower.
The "Come" Command
This is the first and most important command you should teach your German Shepherd.
Start by teaching this command inside your home. Go into a larger room like the living room. Put a leash on the German Shepherd Dog and stand in front of him, then back up and call "come."
If he doesn't come forward, simply pull back on the leash and let him know that he needs to come towards you. Remember, when your German Shepherd has completed his task, give him a treat that he likes.
When your German Shepherd has completed this step, you should repeat the exercise. Practice this command in a variety of ways to get your German Shepherd used to it.
The "Sit" Command
This command is simple and easy to teach. Try teaching it when your German Shepherd is not very tired.
To start, simply ask your puppy to sit and if he doesn't understand, show him by simply pressing his back to show him what to do. Try to repeat this exercise at least 10 times the first time, then do it 2-5 times a day.
When you say "Sit", also use your hand together. Once your German Shepherd has learned the "sit" command, try it only with a hand signal and see if he understands.
The body signal is a natural way to communicate with your dog. When you go for a walk in the park, take your German Shepherd with you and
German Shepherd with you and get into the habit of asking him to sit and follow your commands.
For example, ask him to sit and wait for you to put on your jacket. Whenever you stop to talk to a friend or someone, ask your dog to sit. That way, he'll know to wait for you, because you're the leader.
Each time you ask your German Shepherd to sit under different circumstances, he learns new things. And when you get home, ask him to sit and wait for you to open the door.
A dog in a sitting position is easier to control than a dog in an alert position ready to jump on someone.
These simple exercises will help him become more obedient. Continue to teach your German Shepherd when and where to sit.
The Sit Command
When your puppy can sit, try to stay. Put your dog in a "sit" position and back away slowly. If he tries to follow you, calmly tell him "no" and put him back in the sit position, and give him a treat.
Once he's learned the three steps, keep training and you'll see that he's getting better every day.
Train Your German Shepherd to Bark on Alert
First, choose a word to say to the dog to command him to bark. For example, simply choose "bark" and also try to make a body signal at the same time. Body language is an important part of training because when your dog learns to bark on command, you can cut out the word and try to command him to bark with body language alone. This will be helpful as your dog gets older and his listening skills decline.
Once you have chosen the word (e.g., "bark") that triggers the German Shepherd to bark, say it in the same tone each time.
To start, simply tie your dog up with a leash in the yard and hide from him. And every time he barks or makes a noise while you say "BARK", go to him and give him a treat. You can keep practicing this a few times.
When the German Shepherd feels comfortable barking on command in the garden or at home, take him outside and try to command him to bark when you are jogging or walking in a park.
The important thing is to be clear with the command. Let's say you go to the park to play with your German Shepherd dog.
After a while, you've been playing, stop and command him to bark. If the dog looks at you confused, wait and give the command again.
Generally, your dog should bark once or twice, but if he continues to bark, do not give him the treat until he stops barking.
Training is the key to training your German Shepherd to be a guard dog, and there is no such option as "giving up."
Just try and try again in different ways and places, and the results are sure to come.
To take your German Shepherd training to the next level, create a scenario.
Try it at night if you can when the outside is darker. Put your dog inside the house, knock on the door and command your dog to bark to see if he barks.
This is the way to teach your dog that he should warn you when someone comes to your door in the evening or morning.
Try it every night if you can, and after you've done it several times in one evening, give your dog a break.
The important thing is to be consistent with the exercise. Never forget to give your German Shepherd dog the treat or reward when he completes a task.
Once you have trained your dog to bark, try the same door-knocking exercise with your friend.
Ask a friend to knock or ring your doorbell. When your dog learns to bark at strangers, it means you are doing a great job of dog training.
When your German Shepherd Dog can easily follow your commands, try to get him to bark only by knocking on the door without giving him the command. Give him the love and treat he wants when he does. When a German Shepherd can tell you that someone is at the door, he becomes an excellent watchdog.
Teach Your German Shepherd to Be Quiet on Command.
This command is more important than barking. If your dog continues to bark and doesn't quite want to, it can become a big problem.
After you have practiced the bark command a lot, you need to teach him to stop barking. Some German Shepherds are natural barkers, and it is difficult to stop them, but if you train them from the beginning, it will be effortless.
When your dog is ready to listen to your "bark" and "quiet" commands, it means you're doing well with training.
Let's start
Repeat the same exercise by knocking on the door and when your dog starts barking, simply command him to be "quiet" (choose a word you would like to say, you can simply say "quiet", "stop", or something else you want but don't say something that sounds aggressive to the dog).
When you start training the dog, try to make the training seem like a fun game. You can try saying "bark" a few times to your puppy, then say "quiet", and when he starts to follow your command, simply reward him with his favorite food perhaps. This can make training much easier for both of them.
Encourage him to bark at anyone who knocks or rings your doorbell, then command him to be "quiet. Your German Shepherd will not know who is at the door, which will help him to be more aware of strangers and alert you when someone comes to your door.
Practice and repetition will help you achieve your goal. Once your dog can follow your lead and bark firmly on command, he's ready to become a guard dog.
Show Your German Shepherd Dog the Limit of the House
It's important to take a daily walk around your property to show your German Shepherd the areas he should protect and also to teach him not to bark at strangers or friends outside the property. For example, if someone is simply walking down the road in front of your garden or house, your dog should not bark at them for no reason.
