Basic Dog Training Commands
When considering training your own dog, or having someone else help you train it, there are certain basic commands that must be mastered in order for a dog to be considered truly trained. These basic commands include:
• Heel – it is important that any dog learn to walk beside its owner on a loose lead, neither pulling ahead nor lagging behind.
• No – the word no is one word that all dogs must learn. Training your dog to respond to this important word can save you a ton of trouble.
• Sit – Training your dog to sit on command is a vital part of any dog training program.
• Stay – A well trained dog should remain where his or her owner commands, so stay is a very important command in dog training. Read more
Basic Dog Commands
You can begin training your puppy as early as nine weeks old. He should learn to wear a leash and collar and start learning basic commands such as sit and down as well as leave it and drop it.
Positive reinforcement works best. Every time your puppy does something right, give him a treat and lots of praise (happy talk). You’ll be surprised at how eagerly your puppy will want to please you.
If the puppy makes a mistake, don’t punish him. Ignore the mistake and repeat the command in a manner that ensures he will comply.
Training should be short and upbeat. Don’t give your puppy a chance to become bored – they have short attention span. Take breaks often to play a game or just run around together.
A very useful coomand is leave it. This is used whenever you want your puppy to stop doing what he’s doing. This can save your dog’s life. If he’s chasing a cat into the street, the leave it command will stop him in his tracks.
To teach this command, you must have your puppy on a leash. Put a piece of food on the ground and walk by it with your dog. As he approaches the food, say leave it and pull him away. The say “good” and give him a scratch or a treat. Practice this with food, toys and anything that interests your puppy.
The drop it command is used when your dog something in his mouth that you want him to let go.
The best way to teach this is by trading with your puppy. If he’s holding one of his toys in his mouth, give im one fo his favorite treats and ask him to drop the toy as you offer him the treat. When he drops the toy, give him the treat. Keep doing this often until your puppy will instantly drop on command.
Perhaps the easiest things you can teach your puppy is sit. You can teach him to sit by using a treat lure. Stand in front of your dog holding a treat in one hand. Starting directly above his nose, slowly raise the treat upward and slightly out. As he lifts his head to follow the treat, his rump should drop to the ground. Make sure he keeps his front paws on the ground. Once he is sitting, give hime the treat and praise him. When he is consistently sitting with the lure, introduce the sit command. He will associate the action with the command and his compliance with the reward.
Teaching your puppy to come when called can save his life in dangerous situations.
To teach come you need to have a treat in your hand and call your dog’s name and “come” then run in the opposite direction from your dog. Once he starts chasing you, stop and wait for him to catch up with you and then give him the treat while praising him. Keep doing this several times a day for a few weeks until you don’t have to run for him to come when you call him.
You can also teach come using a long leash. If your puppy doesn’t respond, just pull on the leash gently but firmly. Give him a treat and praise him when he is in front of you.
You have to keep reinforcing what your dog has learned to ensure he retains the training he learned as a puppy.
German Shepherd Health
German Shepherd health is one area over which you have a lot of control. Long prized for its elegance, intelligence, loyalty, versatility and working abilities, the GSD can be a very stoic animal that will play and work hard through a lot of pain and not easily show any underlying health problems. It often takes a sharp and observant owner to know whether or not his or her dog is suffering from any type of pain or illness.
There is no reason any German Shepherd should suffer from any pain, disease or illness. It is the owners responsibility to keep the dog in great condition and healthy by:
feeding him a good and healthy diet, brushing his teeth often as possible, grooming him regularly and giving your dog plenty of exercise and attention to keep him healthy.
Another way of keeping tabs on your German Shepherd Dog’s health is by performing a weekly home German Shepherd health exam. This will help you spot many of the common German Shepherd health problems before they become serious. This will also make you very aware of your GSD’s body and easily help you detect any changes that may happen over time due to injury, disease or any kind of dog related emergencies.
The best way of taking care of your German Shepherds health is by taking your dog to the veterinarian regularly. Make sure your GSD receives regular physical and health examinations and is current on all its vaccinations. Finding a veterinarian that is familiar with GSD Health Problems and with dealing with all the hereditary diseases that affect our breed is an excellent idea. Not all veterinarians are as familiar with German Shepherd health issues as they might be with other dog breeds.
Routine vet exams will include a check of your German Shepherds eyes, heart, lungs, ears, mouth, teeth and coat as well as any lumps, bumps, cuts or bruises that the dog may have. Associate veterinary visits with a positive experience and it will make future doctor visits much easier for your German Shepherd puppy.
It is also a good idea to take your new German Shepherd puppy or dog to the veterinarian for occasional “social visits” just for them to see that going there does not have to always a bad thing. Both your German Shepherds health and socialization are very, very important. Check with your vet and his staff to “schedule” a time to visit that is not too busy. The GSD pup can have both a positive and healthy experience by going there – meeting the staff, meeting other dogs and owners to socialize with, etc. Keep in mind not to introduce your dog to truly sick animals, however, since you do not want to make your healthy German Shepherd puppy ill.
