In search of a new forever best friend? Not sure what puppy breed works best for you and your family? We’re giving you a deeper dive into popular dog breeds, from a puppy trainer’s perspective, to help you make this incredibly life-changing decision!
The German Shepherd Dog, one of the top ten popular breeds in the United States, is known for their regal appearance, bravery, intelligence, and noble character. They are hard-working dogs that fit into a variety of service jobs, but can also be amazing family dogs, making them an all-around great breed for dog lovers!
How do you know if the German Shepherd Dog is the right fit for you and your family? We’re offering you a puppy trainer’s take on this breed, from their personalities, care needs, and of course, training advice to help you raise a wonderful adult dog!
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A Brief Background on German Shepherd Dogs!
German Shepherd Dogs are a younger breed that started in Germany in 1899 by Captain Max Von Stephanitz who sought to create an unmatched herding dog. But as Germany became more and more industrialized, the breed shifted from herding work to police and military training. By World War 1, German Shepherd Dogs were used in the war as supply carriers, guards, messengers, Red Cross dogs, and sentries. Hundreds of these dogs made their way to the United States during WWI, one such being a small five-day-old puppy that was rescued from a destroyed kennel in France and brought home to the states to Los Angeles. This puppy later grew up to be one of the most famous four-legged movie stars, Rin Tin Tin, starring in 26 movies, forever making the German Shepherd Dog breed a popular choice in the nation!
What are German Shepherd Dog Breed Characteristics?
If you are looking for an attractive dog, look no further! German Shepherd Dogs have beautiful coats, strong muscular builds, a square muzzle, long bushy tail, and a black mask. Some colors like red and black, or tan and black, have distinct markings such as saddle or blanket on their back. However, German Shepherd Dogs come in a variety of colors: sable, silver, liver, panda, solid black, and solid white. Needless to say, depending on your preference, there’s a German Shepherd Dog for you!
What are German Shepherd Dog Personalities like?
German Shepherd Dogs can be reserved, often appearing aloof toward new people, but this very loyal breed loves their families and can be very affectionate. While they can be wary of new people and protective of their family, with the right socialization, German Shepherd Dogs can be friendly and easy-going.
They are an intelligent and high-energy breed that thrives with a job to do. Due to this, without the proper or consistent amount of stimulating work, they can easily become bored and frustrated. Those feelings could translate into behaviors like barking, howling, or chewing.
What is a German Shepherd Dog’s Ideal Living Environment?
An ideal home for a German Shepherd Dog provides ease of movement, and access to a large open space either at home or a nearby park where you can engage them in interactive activities like fetch and training routines to burn off energy, while also strengthening the family’s bond with them.
With higher energy and drive while they’re young, your German Shepherd puppy will do best where they can have the space to grow and maintain a healthy level of exercise and adventure. As they get older, they'll equally enjoy relaxing with you at home and getting up with you to do the next fun activity! If you are a lover of going for long walks or runs, enjoy hiking on the weekends, or trips to the beach depending on where you live, a German Shepherd Dog will gladly trot alongside you!
German Shepherd Dogs while they can be independent, do crave to be with their family and offer great companionship. With crate training, your German Shepherd puppy will learn to adapt to being left alone for periods of time without developing separation anxiety, however, this breed thrives with interaction and will do best a puppy parent that can provide them with a balanced amount of alone and accompanied time throughout the day.
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How to Care for Your German Shepherd Dog!
Like many large breed dogs, German Shepherd Dogs can suffer from some common illnesses including hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, degenerative myelopathy, degenerative spinal stenosis, and Von Willebrand disease. Some of these diseases were due to inbreeding during the breed’s infancy. Thankfully, responsible breeders today have bred out many of these and improved the health of the breed significantly!
When you bring home your new German Shepherd puppy, schedule their first veterinarian visit to discuss appropriate health care, proper nutrition and supplements, and exercise. During this visit, your puppy’s veterinarian can also evaluate their bone and spinal structure to ensure your puppy is getting the best start possible.
German Shepherd Dogs tend to shed regularly and heavily twice in the year during the Spring and Fall season. With soft undercoats and harsher topcoats, they would do best with regular brushing once a week will help remove their dead fur and maintain healthy skin! Occasional bathing, regular monthly nail trimming, and teeth cleaning are all recommended to maintain your German Shepherd Dog’s hygiene and health!
Note: When looking for a reputable German Shepherd Dog breeder, go through an accredited website such as AKC for their breeder locator. Additionally, many pure-breed and mixed German Shepherds are available in rescues and shelters for adoption!
Puppy Trainer’s Advice for Raising a Well-behaved German Shepherd Dog!
German Shepherds are smart and hard-working, so puppy training will not only provide them with the stimulation they crave but also solidify your communication, trust, and overall relationship!
1. Early puppy training
Lay the foundation for good behavior the day your puppy comes home, introducing them to basic obedience. Work on your puppy’s command skill set while at home, starting with “Sit”, “Come” with their name, luring using food, and guiding your puppy on a leash. Keeping your puppy on a leash at home while under supervision will help to build their focus on you as their leader and also help keep them from darting away. Soon, build up to more obedience training commands, work on their focus through distractions, and start to introduce training in different locations such as your yard, or neighborhood to solidify their communication with you in any situation.
Check out our blog, “Puppy Training 101: Starting Your Puppy with the Basics!” to help get you started. Also, check out the rest of our Puppy Training 101 and Puppyhood Made Easy for New Owners series to guide you through what to train your puppy next, how to troubleshoot, and other important topics every puppy owner should know!
2. Start crate training from day one
For young puppies that are just starting potty training, a crate can help speed up the potty training process providing your puppy a “den” environment. Going back to their wilder instincts, puppies will naturally avoid soiling where they sleep. Keep in mind that if your puppy is going to the bathroom on one side of the crate, and hanging out on the other side, it’s too big for them.
Crate training your German Shepherd Dog puppy will help boost their confidence and resilience while learning to be alone at home. Your puppy’s crate will also provide a safe and comfortable place for them to relax during downtimes in between active playtime or puppy training sessions, teaching your puppy to learn to settle down much faster.
3. Socialization is a must
German Shepherd Dogs are natural protectors and benefit greatly from being socialized with other dogs, people, new places, textures, and sounds.
When done correctly, socialization helps teach your puppy the proper way to greet people, other dogs and create boundaries. During socialization sessions, you can work with your puppy on barking or jumping, which are common puppy behaviors when they are excited or over-stimulated when meeting strangers. And if you're not sure how to do this on your own, hire a local puppy trainer to help set you up for the best success!
4. Consider advanced training to keep them engaged
German Shepherd Dogs are very intelligent and have high-prey drives which mean they love to work! Along with basic obedience, dog sports like agility are a great way to motivate them and help your puppy work out their energy. Agility helps establish a stronger communication bond through body language while your puppy is participating.
Nosework, which taps into a German Shepherd Dog’s natural prey drive through scent, helps channel their focus onto a healthy and challenging medium. Developed as part of K9 and military dog training, this is a perfect activity for your German Shepherd to burn off some mental and physical steam!
