Training Your Dog

 

In this chapter

• Understanding the essentials of dog training
• Making training fun
• Housetraining your puppy
• Teaching Come, Sit, Down, Stay, and Heel
• Deciding among home schooling, boarding school, and night classes

German Shepherds are among the most intelligent dogs. Intelligent dogs can be a challenge because they need mental stimulation. Remember, idle minds are the workshop of the devil — and idle German Shepherd minds work overtime! Training is a great way to keep your dog’s mind occupied, and as an added bonus, a trained dog actually minds what you say.

There’s no such thing as an untrainable dog, but many untrained dogs exist. A surprising number of these untrained dogs have been “trained,” but trained ineffectively. Their owners usually give up and decide that their dogs are dumb or that dog training works only for dog whisperers or people who de-vote their entire lives to training dogs. You can train your dog without devoting your life to it, however. You just have to know the rules.

This chapter walks you through the various aspects of dog training, from the all-important housetraining to lead training to Sit, Stay, and more.

The Ten Commandments of Training

Why do some people seem to be natural-born dog trainers? Because they have a sense of how to communicate with their dogs, and they also follow some basic rules. Following these rules is absolutely essential to your success in producing a well-behaved dog. If you obey these ten commandments, I can virtually guarantee that you’ll be pleased with the results of your training sessions.

1. Think like a dog. Dogs live in the present. If you punish or reward them, they can only assume that you’re acknowledging their behavior at that moment. So if you discover a mess, drag your dog to it from his nap in the other room, and scold, the dog will get the impression that he is being scolded for napping (or that you are mentally unstable). Good lesson!
2. You get what you ask for. Dogs repeat actions that bring them rewards, whether or not you intend for them to. Letting your dog out of his cage to make him quit whining may work momentarily, but in the long run you’ll end up with a dog who whines incessantly every time you put him in a cage. Make sure to reward only those behaviors that you want to see more often.
3. Mean what you say. Sometimes a puppy is awfully cute when he misbehaves, and sometimes your hands are full, and sometimes you just aren’t sure what you want from your dog. But lapses in consistency are ultimately unfair to the dog. If you feed your dog from the table “just this one time” because he begs, you teach him that although begging may not always result in a handout, it just might pay off tonight. This intermittent payoff produces behavior that is resistant to change — just like a slot machine jackpot. You could hardly have done a better job of training your GSD to beg if you tried!
4. Say what you mean. Your GSD takes commands literally. If you teach that “Down” means to lie down, what must the dog think when you yell “Down” to tell him to get off the sofa where he was already lying down? Or “Sit down” when you mean “Sit”? If “Stay” means not to move until given a release word and you say, “Stay here,” as you leave the house for work, you are telling your dog that you want him to sit by the door all day until you get home.
5. Guide, don’t force. Your German Shepherd already wants to please you; your job is simply to lead the way. Forcing a dog to do something can distract or intimidate him, actually slowing down learning.
6. Punish yourself, not your dog. Striking, shaking, and choking are extremely dangerous, counterproductive, and cruel; they have no place in the training of a beloved family member. Plus, they don’t work. Owners sometimes try to make it “a correction the dog will remember” by ignoring or chastising him for the rest of the day. The dog may indeed realize that his owner is upset, but he won’t know why. Besides, chances are that you’re doing things the wrong way, not your dog.
7. Give your dog a hunger for learning. Your GSD will work better and will be more responsive to food rewards if his stomach is not full. Never try to train a hot, sleepy, or tired dog.
8. You can be a quitter. You, and your dog, have good days and bad days. On bad days, quit. It makes no sense to continue when one or the other is not in the mood for training. Do one simple exercise and then do something else. Never train your dog when you’re irritable or impatient.
9. Happy endings make happy dogs. Begin and end each training session with an exercise that the dog can do well. Keep sessions short and fun — no longer than 10 to 15 minutes. Dogs have short attention spans, and you’ll notice that after about 15 minutes, your dog’s performance begins to suffer unless a lot of play is involved. Continuing to train a tired or bored dog will result in the training of bad habits, as well as resentment for the dog and frustration for the trainer. Especially when training a young puppy, or when you have only one or two different exercises to practice, quit while you’re ahead. Keep your dog wanting more and you’ll have a happy, willing obedience partner.
10. Once is enough. Repeating a command over and over or shouting it louder and louder never helps anyone, dog or human, understand what is expected. Your GSD is not hard of hearing. Repeating or shouting a command only adds to your dog’s confusion and anxiety. Instead, give your command once in a calm voice and then help your dog follow it.
11. The best-laid plans don’t include dogs. Nothing ever goes as perfectly as it seems to in the training instructions. You may encounter setbacks, but you can train your dog as long as you remember to be consistent, firm, gentle, realistic, and patient — and have a good sense of humor.

Yeah, I know. You got an extra commandment, no charge.

A MEETING OF THE MINDS

What if dogs ruled the earth? You wake one day to find yourself in a backward world with a collar around your neck and a German Shepherd holding the leash. The dog is barking and whining, and one of its whines sounds like “Tis!” Suddenly, you’re jerked by the neck and pushed to the ground. Then the dog walks away and whines, “Yats,” so you go to follow and whammy — a jerk backward with the leash. Better not do that again. So the dog walks away again and yanks the leash while barking, “Emoc!” What have you learned from this experience? Number one, being trained (if that’s what you call it) stinks. It’s confusing, unfair, unpredictable, and unfun. As if that’s not enough, your trainer apparently thinks that you’re either stupid or stubborn. What if you had a different trainer? This one first whines, “You, emchtaw!” so you look over and you’re handed your favorite snack. Then your new trainer whines, “Tis,” and slides a chair under your rump. You sit and are again handed your favorite snack. Then the dog says, “Yats,” and steadies you in your seat as she backs away. Then the dog calls, “Emoc!” and beckons you. When you get there, more snacks! Learning what these words mean wouldn’t take you long, and you might start thinking that you’ve finally found that easy job you’ve been looking for all your life. Remember to look at things from your dog’s point of view. Doing so might help you to quit being stupid.

Making Training Fun by Rewarding Good Behavior

The best obedience dogs, drug-detection dogs, and police dogs have one thing in common while they’re at work — their tails are wagging. They enjoy every minute, not only because the work itself is pleasurable, but because the reward following it is also fun. Did that attitude come about because they were dragged, slapped, and choked? Of course not! It came about because their trainers knew how to make training a game. Just like people, dogs may go through the motions of a job they’re forced to do, but they will never do it well unless it’s fun.

Remember

Old-fashioned dog training methods based on force are difficult, ineffective, and no fun for either dog or trainer. Punishment may tell a dog what not to do, but it can’t tell a dog what he should do, and it can’t make a dog want to do it. Your role should be teacher, not drill master; your goal is to teach through guidance, not punishment.

JUST FOR CLICKS

Professional dog trainers go one step further than food rewards: They use a signal, such as that from a clicker, to tell the dog instantly when he has performed correctly. They then follow the signal with a food reward. Trainers use a clicker signal because it is fast, noticeable, and something the dog does not encounter in everyday life. To apply this technique to the instructions in this chapter, issue a clicker signal before you give a treat.

Your first assignment is to find out what your dog loves. A special treat? A chance to chase a ball? A big hug? Whatever it is, make it your secret training ally. Save this special treat for training rewards, and don’t give it out too freely.

Dog owners have been told for years that dogs should work only for praise, but praise alone is not a strong motivator for most dogs. Praise can become a stronger motivator if you always praise immediately before giving a food reward. In this way, praise becomes a secondary reinforcer. Eventually, you can wean the dog from the food and he will come to work in large part for praise, but you should still give food or games as rewards intermittently.

Many years ago, people believed that dogs should not be trained with food. Yet professional animal trainers and animal learning scientists knew that food training produces excellent results. Only recently has food-motivated training become accepted in training the family dog, and owners are finding dogs that learn faster, mind more reliably, work more eagerly, and have more trusting dog/owner relationships.

You initially use food to guide the dog into position and then reward him when he is in place. After he knows what is expected, you hold the food out of sight and give it to him only when he has performed correctly. Ultimately, you wean the dog from getting a food reward each time but still give one every once in a while. This randomized schedule — as in slot machine payoffs — has proven to be very effective in both animals and humans.

Remember

Food is a great teaching aid, but eventually the best-trained dogs work for fun — the fun of the work and the fun of a special game or treat following the work.

Commanding a Good Performance

Issuing commands is essential to proper training. You can’t expect your dog just to do what you want him to — you must tell him that you want him to do something, and you must specify what it is that you want him to do. Make your commands consistent, clear, and concise.

The crux of training is anticipation. Your dog comes to anticipate that upon hearing his name and then a command, he will be induced to perform some action, and he will eventually perform this action without further assistance from you. A properly issued command has four parts:

1. Your dog’s name. You probably spend a good deal of your day talking, with very few words intended as commands for your dog. So you need to alert your dog that this talk is directed toward him by calling his name.
2. The word that tells your dog what’s coming next. “Fritz, sit!” tells your dog that after he hears “sit,” you will induce him to sit.
3. An induction to perform the desired behavior. Induce Fritz to sit either by luring him with a treat or by pushing him into position.
4. A reward for performing the behavior you told him to perform. Eventually, Fritz will make the connection that you always reward him for sitting when he hears the word sit, and he will find that it’s easier to go ahead and sit without your help.

Warning!

Many trainers make the mistake of simultaneously saying the command word at the same time they place the dog into position. The command should come immediately before the desired action or position. When the command and action come at the same time, the dog tends to pay more attention to your action of placing him in position and less attention to the command word, and the command word loses its predictive value for the dog.

Housetraining

You know you’ve lived with a puppy when the sound of running water awakens you from a deep slumber and you blindly stumble toward the source yelling, “Out!” Don’t think that you can raise a puppy and never have to clean your carpets. All puppies go in the house until they’re trained not to. For obvious reasons, housebreaking is the most critical type of training you can provide a dog who spends time indoors.

As dogs go, German Shepherds go in the house less often than most other breeds — maybe not at first, but they’re fairly easy to housebreak. No matter how gifted your German Shepherd is, he probably will leave occasional “gifts” for you until he is around 6 months of age, and he may not be reliably housetrained until he’s 1 year old.

If you want to eliminate household elimination, you need to heed the following housetraining rules.

Rule #1: Restrict your pup’s unsupervised freedom in the house

If you plan to let your dog roam freely about the house, plan on stepping in a lot of soggy spots (or worse!) in remote areas. Your dog is not being sneaky; he’s being a good little wolf. All canines have a natural desire to avoid soiling their denning area. As soon as wolf pups can teeter out of their dens, they walk away from the entrance to eliminate. The wolf den area is considerably smaller than your house, however, and your pup probably considers only his own bed to be the equivalent of the den. He may walk to another part of the room and eliminate there, not understanding that he has just soiled the carpet in your den!

The solution is to restrict your puppy to a wolf den–sized area when you aren’t around to supervise. You can use your dog’s cage as his den (see Chapter Shopping for Dog Stuff for more on cages), but if the cage is too large, the puppy may simply step away from the area in which he sleeps and relieve himself at the other end of the cage. You can divide an overly large cage with a secure barrier until the puppy is larger or housebroken. Even so, your puppy may step just outside the door of the cage when you open the door and eliminate there. That’s why you need to hustle your pup outside after he has awakened and you’ve let him out. If the cage is near a door to the outside, you have a better chance of getting the dog from the cage to the door accident-free.

Tip

If you can’t place the pup’s bed or cage near a door to the outside, you can fashion a runway out of portable construction fencing or even cardboard that you set in place when you let him out. You can also line the floor with plastic or scatter rugs.

Rule #2: “Just a second” is not in your pup’s vocabulary

When a puppy has to go, he has to go now — not after you finish that last bite or this TV show. Puppies have very weak control over their bladders and bowels, so if you don’t take them to their doggy outhouses often and immediately, they may not be able to avoid soiling. And when a pup soils in the house, he brands that area as his bathroom and is likely to go there again.

Learn to predict when your puppy will have to relieve himself. Immediately after awakening, and soon after heavy drinking or playing, your puppy will urinate. Right after eating, or if nervous, your puppy will have to defecate. Car rides also tend to elicit defecation. (You’ll be the one riding with your head out the window!) Circling, whining, sniffing, and generally acting worried usually signal that the big event is imminent.

Even if the puppy starts to relieve himself, quickly but calmly scoop him up and carry him outside — the surprise of being picked up will usually cause him to stop in midstream.

If your pup does have an accident indoors, take care of it without letting him watch you. Clean and deodorize the spot thoroughly by sopping up as much urine as possible and then using a pet deodorizer/cleaner that neutralizes odors. Diluting the urine and then suctioning it out with a rug-cleaning machine, followed by deodorizer, is the best way to clean up. After you clean the spot, block the pup’s access to that area for a week or more.

Warning!

Steer clear of ammonia cleaners. Ammonia is a component of urine, so using an ammonia cleaner is like posting a sign that says, “Go here!”

If your adult dog starts to go in the house, check out the list of possible reasons in Chapter Dealing with GSD Hereditary Health Problems.

Rule #3: Know your puppy’s limits

Learn how long you can expect your pup to hold it. A general rule is that a puppy can hold his bowels for at most as many hours as he is months old. For example, a 3-month-old can hold it for 3 hours. But remember that there are limits — your 12-month-old can’t hold it for 12 hours. Even an adult should not be expected to hold it for more than eight hours.

Remember

You can’t just stick a puppy in a cage all day while you’re at work and think that you won’t return home to a messy cage and a messy pup. If you can’t be with your puppy for an extended period, you may want to recruit a family member, neighbor, or friend to take over for a shift.

If leaving your puppy with someone else is not possible, you may have to paper-train him. To do so, place newspapers on the far side of the room (or X-pen), away from the puppy’s bed or water bowl; near a door to the outside is best. Place the puppy on the papers as soon as he starts to relieve himself. Be aware, however, that there are few more nauseating odors than that of urine-soaked newsprint.

Another option is to use sod squares instead of newspapers. Place the sod on a plastic sheet and, when soiled, take it outside and hose it off or replace it. By using sod, you train the pup to relieve himself on the same surface that he should use outside — and chances are you won’t have any sod squares sitting on the floor next to your chair to confuse him. If you place the soiled squares outside in the area you want your dog to use as his bathroom, they will be prescented and will further encourage your dog to relieve himself in that outdoor area.

Dummies Approved

Some breeders train puppies to go on guinea pig food pellets in a shallow litter box. The scent seems to attract puppies, and if they happen to eat some of the pellets, they suffer no harm. The pellets are absorbent and disposable, too.

Rule #4: Know that punishment doesn’t help

Dog owners have been rubbing their dogs’ noses in their messes for years, but this form of punishment has never worked. Punishing a dog for a mess he made earlier is totally fruitless; it only succeeds in convincing him that every once in a while, for no apparent reason, you are apt to go insane and attack him. That “guilty” look you may think your dog is exhibiting is really a look of fear that you have once again lost your mind.

Even if you catch your dog in the act, overly enthusiastic correction only teaches him not to relieve himself in your presence, even when outside. This doesn’t mean that you should ignore the peeing pup as he soils your carpet, though. You can clap your hands or make a loud noise to startle him so that he stops, or swoop him up and run for the door. You can add a firm “No,” but yelling and swatting are actually detrimental to the dog’s training.

Rule #5: Reward correct behavior

If punishment doesn’t teach your pup, what will? Rewards. Punishment doesn’t make clear what behavior you desire, but rewards make it clear very quickly. When the puppy relieves himself in his outside “toilet,” remember to heap on the praise and let him know how pleased you are. Adding a food treat really gets the point across — keep some tidbits in a jar near the door.

Rule #6: Go outside with the dog

If you want your dog to go outside for his duties, you need to go outside and watch him. Most owners think that they’re doing their part by opening the door and pushing the pup outside. After five minutes, they let the pup back in, and the pup promptly relieves himself on the rug. Bad dog? No, bad owner. Chances are the pup spent his time outside trying to get back inside to his owner. Puppies do not like to be alone, and knowing that you’re on the other side of the door makes the outdoors unappealing. If the weather was bad, the pup probably huddled against the door so that he wouldn’t miss the opportunity when you opened the door again.

The solution? Go outside with the pup every time. Don’t take him for a walk, and don’t play with him; simply go with him to his relief area, say, “Hurry up” (for some curious reason the most popular command words), and be ready to praise and perhaps give a treat after the pup does his deed. Then you can go to his out-door play area or go back inside.

Teaching the Basic Commands

You want a well-behaved dog in addition to a housebroken one. It’s never too early or too late to start your German Shepherd’s education. With a very young GSD, train for short periods. By the time your dog reaches 6 months of age, he should know Sit, Down, Stay, Come, and Heel.

Tip

A common problem in the training of any dog is that the dog’s attention wanders. You can teach your dog to pay attention to you by teaching him the “Watch me” command before going on to the other commands. Say, “Wolfman, watch me,” and give him a treat or other reward when he looks in your direction. Gradually require him to look at you for longer and longer periods before rewarding him.

Come

If your dog knows only one command, that command should be to come to you when called. Coming on command is more than a cute trick; it could save your dog’s life. Your puppy probably already knows how to come; after all, he comes when he sees you with the food bowl, or perhaps with his leash or a favorite toy. You may have even used the word Come to get his attention then; if so, you have a head start. You want your puppy to respond to “Wolfman, come” (use his name in place of “Wolfman,” of course) with the same enthusiasm as he would if you were setting down his supper. In other words, “Come” should always be associated with good things.

Think about what excites your dog and makes him run to you. For most young German Shepherds, the opportunity to chase after you is one of the grandest games ever invented. And of course, most young GSDs will jump at the chance to gobble up a special treat. Combine these two urges and use them to entice your dog to come on the run.

The best time to start training is when your German Shepherd is a young puppy, but it’s never too late. You need a helper and an enclosed area — a hallway is perfect for a very young pup. Have your helper gently restrain the puppy while you back away and entice him. Do whatever it takes at first: Ask the pup if he wants a cookie, wave a treat or a prized toy, or even crawl on your hands and knees. The point is to get the pup’s attention and get him struggling to get away and get to you. Only at this point should you call out, “Wolfman, come!” with great enthusiasm, at the same time turning around and running away. Your helper releases the pup at the same time, and you let him catch up to you. Reward him by playing for a second, and then kneel down and give him a special treat.

Repeat this exercise several times a day, gradually increasing the distance, taking care never to practice past the point where your pup begins to tire of the game. Always keep up a jolly attitude and make the pup feel lucky to be part of such a wonderful game.

After your puppy has learned the meaning of “Come,” move your training outdoors. With the pup on a leash, command, “Wolfman, come!” enthusiastically and quickly run away. When he reaches you, praise and reward him. If he ignores you for more than a second, tug on the leash to get his attention, but don’t drag him. Your dog can’t put off responding to the Come command until he feels like coming. In addition, the longer you separate the tug from the command, the harder it will be for him to relate the two, and in the long run, the harder the training will be. After the tug, be sure to run backward and make the pup think that it was all a grand game.

Next, attach a longer line to the pup, allow him to meander about, and, in the midst of his investigations, call, run backward, and reward. After a few repetitions, drop the long line, let your shepherd mosey around a bit, and then call. If he begins to come, run away and let him chase you as part of the game. If he doesn’t come, pick up the line and give it a tug, and then run away as usual.

Remember

If at any time your GSD runs the other way, never give chase. Chase the line, not the dog. The only game a German Shepherd likes more than chasing you is being chased by you. The dog will always win. Chase the line, grab it, give it a tug, and then run the other way.

As your dog becomes more reliable, begin to practice (still on the long line) in the presence of distractions, such as other leashed dogs, unfamiliar people, cats, and cars. In most of these situations, you shouldn’t let the dog drag the line, but hold on in case the distractions prove too enticing.

Some dogs develop a habit of dancing around just out of reach, considering your futile grabs to be another part of this wonderful game. You can prevent this habit by requiring your dog to allow you to hold him by the collar before you reward him. Eventually, you can add sitting in front of you to the game.

Warning!

Never have your dog come to you and then scold him for something he’s done. In the dog’s mind, he’s being scolded for coming, not for any earlier misdeed. Nor should you call your dog to you only at the end of an off-lead walk. You don’t want him to associate coming to you with relinquishing his freedom. Call him to you several times during the walk, reward and praise him, and then send him back out to play. Of course, it bears repeating that your dog shouldn’t be off lead anywhere he could run away or get into danger.

Sit

Sit is the prototypical dog command, and for good reason: It’s a simple way of controlling your dog, and it’s easy to teach.

The simplest way to teach a dog to sit is to stand in front of him and hold a treat just above his eye level. Say, “Wolfman, sit,” and then move the treat toward him until it’s slightly behind and above his eyes. You may have to keep a hand on his rump to prevent him from jumping up. If your dog backs up instead of sitting down, place his rear against a wall while training. When the puppy begins to look up and bend his hind legs, say, “Good!” and then offer the treat. Repeat this process, requiring him to bend his legs more and more until he must be seated before he receives the praise and reward.

Tip

Teach stationary exercises like Sit, Down, and Stay on a raised surface. Doing so enables you to have eye contact with your dog and gives you a better vantage point from which to help your dog learn. It also helps keep your little one from being distracted and taking off to play.

Stay

You may have noticed that you can get your dog to sit, but he may have a habit of bouncing back up after you reward him. Require him to remain sitting for increasingly longer times before giving the reward. You can also teach the Stay command, which is another handy thing for your dog to know.

A dangerous habit of many dogs is to bolt through open doors, whether from the house or the car. Teach your dog to sit and stay until you give him the release signal before walking through the front door or exiting your car.

Have your dog sit and then say, “Stay,” in a soothing voice. (Don’t precede the command with the dog’s name, because the dog will tend to jump up and be half-way to you by the time he realizes that you followed the command with “Stay.”) If your dog attempts to get up or lie down, gently but instantly place him back in position. Work up to a few seconds, give a release word (such as “Okay!”), and praise and give a tidbit. Next, step out (starting with your right foot) and turn to stand directly in front of your dog while he stays.

Work up to longer times, but don’t ask a young puppy to stay for longer than 30 seconds. The object is not to push your dog to the limit but to let him succeed. You must be patient, and you must increase your times and distances in very small increments. Finally, practice with the dog on a lead by the front door or in the car. For a reward, take him for a walk.

Warning!

Staring into your dog’s eyes as if hypnotizing him to stay is tempting, but doing so has the opposite effect. He perceives staring as a threat and can be intimidated, causing him to squirm out of position and come to you, his leader. Instead, look to the side of your dog, behind your dog, at your feet — anywhere but directly into the dog’s eyes.

Down

When you need your dog to stay in one place for a long time, you can’t expect him to sit or stand. This is when the Down command really comes in handy.

Begin teaching the Down command with your dog in the sitting position. Say, “Wolfman, down,” show him a tidbit, and then move it below his nose toward the ground. If he reaches down to get it, give it to him. Repeat, requiring him to reach farther down (without lifting his rear from the ground) until he has to lower his elbows to the ground. Never try to cram your dog into the Down position, which can scare a submissive dog and cause a dominant dog to resist. Practice the Down/Stay command just as you did the Sit/Stay command.

Remember

Remember to use a distinctive command for Down when it means that you want your dog to stop jumping on you or to get off the furniture. Many people use the same word, which can be confusing for the dog. Instead, try “Off” or use the German word for Down when you want your dog to quit jumping up. For more information about teaching your dog not to jump up, see Chapter Dealing with a “Bad Dog”.

Heel

One of the many nice things about having a dog is taking him out in public. You know you look good strolling down the sidewalk with your German Shepherd stepping along smartly at your side. It’s no fun if your dog drags you along behind him as he visits every fire hydrant and Poodle in sight. Not only that, but your dog will be out of control and will be perceived as a menace, and you will be exhausted by the end of what should have been a pleasurable walk. Walking alongside you on a lead doesn’t come naturally to your GSD, but it can come easily.

Walking on a leash may be a new experience for a youngster, and he may freeze in his tracks once he discovers that his freedom is being violated. In this case, do not drag the pup, but coax him along a few steps at a time with food. When the puppy follows you, praise and reward him. In this way, the pup comes to realize that following you while walking on lead pays off.

 Once your pup is prancing alongside you, it’s time to ask a little more. Even if you have no intention of teaching a perfect competition Heel, you need to teach Heel as a way of letting your dog know that it’s your turn to be the leader.

Have your German Shepherd sit in the Heel position — that is, on your left side with his neck next to and parallel with your leg. If your dog’s front feet line up with your feet, that’s close enough. Say, “Wolfman, heel,” and step with your left foot first. (Remember that you step off on your right foot when you left your dog on a Stay; if you’re consistent, the leg that moves first provides an eye-level cue for your dog.) During your first few practice sessions, keep him on a short lead, holding him in Heel position and of course praising him.

The traditional method of letting the dog lunge to the end of the lead and then snapping him back is unfair if you haven’t first shown the dog what you expect. Instead, after a few sessions of showing the dog the Heel position, give him a little more loose lead and use a tidbit to guide him into the correct position.

If your Shepherd still forges ahead after you have shown him what you expect, pull him back into position with a quick, gentle tug of the lead, and then a release. If, after a few days of practice, your dog still seems oblivious to your efforts, turn unexpectedly several times; teach your dog that he must keep an eye on you. Keep in mind, though, that every time you do so, you cause your dog to heel a little bit farther back in relation to you. It’s easier for your dog to keep an eye on you from behind you than from any other position. In the long run, more dogs have a problem with lagging behind than with forging ahead. In other words, don’t go overboard when trying to correct forging. It tends to self-correct with just a little guidance.

USING THE MOTHER TONGUE

Many Shepherd owners train their dogs by using German commands: Sit: Setz Down: Platz Come: Komm Stay: Bleib Heel: Bei Fuss Fetch: Bring No: Nein Watch: Achtung Let go: Aus

As you progress, add some rights, lefts, and about-faces and walk at all different speeds. Then practice in different areas (always on lead) and around different distractions. You can teach your GSD to sit every time you stop. Vary your routine to combat boredom, and keep training sessions short. Be sure to give the Okay command before allowing your dog to sniff, forge, and meander on lead.

Remember

Keep up a pace that requires your GSD to walk fairly briskly — too slow a pace gives your dog time to sniff, look around, and in general become distracted. A brisk pace focuses the dog’s attention on you and generally aids training.

Going to Obedience School

Home schooling alone isn’t the right choice for every dog, or every dog owner. Obedience school for dogs can be extremely useful if you approach it the right way. You have a few options here:

• You can send your dog to boarding school to be trained by a professional. Your dog will return to you educated and perfectly obedient — to the professional trainer. This is an expensive route to take, but it can work as long as you’re willing to work with both your dog and the professional so that you can bridge your dog’s obedience to you. Understanding the commands, and when your dog’s apparent disobedience may be your fault, takes practice. Just as your dog must be trained, so must you.
• If you have neither access to a professional trainer nor the money to pay for one, you can train your own dog. Do it the right way, and both you and your dog will have a good time, looking forward to the challenge of the day’s lesson and the rewards to follow.
• You can train the dog at home and join a dog obedience class.

Remember

Always do your dog’s training at home. Your dog practices, perfects, and trouble-shoots at class but learns new things at home, where there are fewer distractions. You learn how to teach your dog at class, then you go home and teach your dog, and then you come back next week and show what you’ve taught your dog. Then your dog shows off his genius in front of all his new friends.

Looking at the advantages of an obedience class

If you plan on competing in obedience, a class is a necessity. Obedience trials are held amid great distractions. It would be nearly impossible for your dog to pass without having some experience working around other dogs.

Dummies Approved

A big advantage to obedience school is the access you get to the instructors, who are highly knowledgeable about dog training and behavior. If you have problems, experienced instructors can help you deal with them. No two dogs are alike, and I guarantee that your dog will do something offbeat and weird that this book doesn’t cover. That’s when you need advice.

Finally, obedience classes are filled with people who share your interests. They’re a great place to learn about dogs, share your dog’s latest cute story with people who actually think it’s cute, and meet a lot of really nice people. If you take the plunge into competition, it’s a place to celebrate wins and laugh about flubs.

Finding a good class

Not all obedience classes are created equal, and some should never have been created at all. To find a good one, ask someone with a well-trained dog, preferably a German Shepherd, where he or she attends class. You can also get recommendations from a local GSD club. Even better, contact the AKC and ask for a local obedience club and about upcoming obedience trials in your area. Go to the trial and ask people with happy workers if they can suggest a good class. Then sit in on the class. If they’re still using outdated yank and jerk methods, look elsewhere.

Typical classes that may be offered include the following:

• Puppy kindergarten (for socialization of young pups)
• Beginners (for older pups and adults just starting obedience training)
• Novice (for dogs who know the most basic of basics)
• Graduate novice (for dogs who know the AKC Novice obedience exercises)
• Open (for dogs working toward a CDX title — see Chapter Showing Off Your Dog)
• Utility (for dogs working toward a UD title — see Chapter Showing Off Your Dog)

Some clubs also offer home behavior classes, which emphasize good behavior around the house, and Canine Good Citizen classes, which teach basic good behavior in public. A few also offer agility or tracking classes. Schutzhund clubs offer obedience classes as well, usually emphasizing the exercises needed to pass Schutzhund trials (again, see Chapter Showing Off Your Dog).

Remember

Be a joiner! Your dog will appreciate his night out on the town with you. But be careful who you choose to spend your time with. Remember that if you are ever in a class and are asked to do something to your dog that you don’t feel comfortable doing, just say no. Your friend’s well-being is worth too much.

by D. Caroline Coile, PhD