The purpose of training a German Shepherd is for your dog to obey your commands. It can be frustrating if your dog doesn’t respond consistently. This is what happened the first time I trained a German Shepherd. The dog seemed to make his own decisions and he only listened to me when he wanted to. I started to think I had one of those dogs that just never learns.
Fortunately, I consulted an experienced trainer. She was able to demonstrate that my dog responded without question as long as the person giving the commands was clearly the Alpha leader. In less than 30 minutes, she established herself as the Alpha leader over him. Under her guidance, she suddenly became a willing participant and able to demonstrate what she had taught him thus far.
If your dog doesn’t see you as the Alpha leader, he won’t take your commands seriously. Your dog won’t obey unless there is something for him. The time spent training a German Shepherd will seem like a waste, as his dog seems to gradually forget the commands he has learned.
In addition to having mixed results during training, here are some signs that you are not an Alpha leader.
- You have to repeat commands and raise your voice for your dog to respond.
- You have resorted to the use of treats, a clicker or a collar of pliers so that your dog responds correctly in training.
- Your dog won’t respond to simple commands like “come” when you’re not in a training session.
Training a German Shepherd doesn’t have to be frustrating. You become the Alpha leader by doing what Alpha leaders do in the wild. The Alpha leader’s needs come first and dictate the time and place for interaction with others.
These are examples of Alpha leader behavior.
- You should always keep your dog out of at least one room in the house.
- Never let a dog sleep in your bed. He dictates where he is supposed to sleep.
- Have your dog wait for you to go out the door first.
- Don’t give your dog attention every time he wants it.
- Always feed yourself first, your dog second.
- Don’t feed your dog from the table or let it beg.
- If your dog looks at you, watch him until he walks away.
Your dog shows that he recognizes you as the Alpha leader when:
- He draws attention and looks at you when you say his name
- Always respond to your orders.
- Moves out of the way when you pass
- Respect the physical boundaries you have set and stay out of your space.
- He sits at the door and waits for you to go through first.
- Look away when you look at him
Maintaining Alpha leadership requires ongoing effort. Certain breed traits make training a German Shepherd a humiliating experience if you don’t continue to assert your dominance.
Even if your dog is an adult, it’s not too late to show that you are the Alpha leader. If he does, his dog will obey his commands and training a German Shepherd will once again be a pleasure.