German shepred coming to you on command
The very first command, which you can teach your german shepherd dog from a young age, is to come to you immediately you call him. The intention is that the dog immediately stops whatever he is doing and comers straight to you without any hesitation. To teach this, you use a long leash. Let the german shepherd pup sniff around a bit and then call his name, so he knows you are talking to him, and then immediately give a command “come”. If you squat down, the german shepherd dog will obey the command sooner. If he comes to you, reward him with an affectionate pet and a friendly word, and perhaps give him a dog biscuit. A stubborn pup may not listen immediately. Repeat the command and tug on the leash to back up your command. This makes it unpleasant for the german shepherd dog to ignore your command (the tug on the leash) and pleasurable to obey (petting, friendly word).
At a later stage, you can expand this exercise by training it without the leash. In the beggining the pup may stall, but remember: if the puppy has followed your command, no matter how it took, he is always a “good boy”. Unfortunately, many people make the mistake of punishing their dog if he eventually follows the command after stalling. The pup does not link the stalling with the punishment, but the eventual following of the command. He was punished at the moment he comes to you. The result of this is that the german shepherd puppy will stall even longer the next time, because there is a scolding waiting for him when he comes to you. At a certain moment, the dog will not come to you at all or will circle around you, because he is in conflict with himself. Do not make the mistake of saying “good boy” while he is still underway; only when he gets to you has he followed the command and can he be rewarded.
Not should you try and catch your puppy. You will always lose this game. If your german shepherd puppy does not obey, walk away in the opposite direction. Your puppy will probably follow you.
Author: Esther Verhoef – The German Shepherd Dog
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