How to Train a German Shepherd to Be a Guard Dog

German shepherds are a combination of four different shepherd breeds from Germany. They are very intelligent dogs and in addition are quite strong, as well as obedient. These traits make them very good guard dogs, as well as excellent family pets. Here is how to train your German Shepherd to be a guard dog.

Part 1:

Start off by teaching your German Shepherd basic commands. Don't move on to a new command until you know your dog understands and can easily comply with the first command. The four basic commands that every German Shepherd should master before going any further with guard dog training (which is considered advanced training) are No, Heel, Sit, Down and Stay.

Part 2:

Begin with initial training exercises once your dog has mastered the four basic commands. These can best be done with food when the German Shepherd is a puppy. Place a bowl of food in front of him, but don't let him eat it. Say "sit" and push his rump down until he understand, then say, "okay" when he may eat. Training him not to eat except on command helps later on, when your German Shepherd can be conditioned to resist taking food from strangers or eating road kill. Another part of initial training exercises is keeping your German Shepherd off the furniture. If he gets on the furniture say "no" firmly and swat him lightly on the backside to get him to move. This technique can also work for other disciplinary issues as well.

Part 3:

Set clear rules for dog training, and make sure any other trainers helping you adhere to them. A few examples are to use clear vocal commands, to reward your German Shepherd when he does something correctly, and to work on training daily to name a few.

Part 4:

Train your German Shepherd so that he knows you are the one in control of whatever the situation is, and that only on a command from you should he attack. Your German Shepherd should never be allowed to decide what is a threat when you are with him. You can do this by teaching him two commands. The first is "place," which commands him to stay in a particular spot until you tell him otherwise. The other command should be an uncommon word of your choice. That is the particular cue for your German Shepherd to attack. Because this is such a potentially dangerous response from your dog, the cue word should be used only in that context.

Part 5:

Enroll your German Shepherd in a guard dog class taught by an instructor that has experience in training guard dogs and German Shepherds. Be sure to check out their credentials before enrolling your German Shepherd. One place that you can contact to be sure someone's credentials are good is Global K9 as they train German Shepherd guard dogs as well as other breeds. These classes are important because they give you and your German Shepherd a chance to practice threatening situations where the dog might be required to attack an assailant. There are also other forms of advanced training you and your German Shepherd will get access to such as locating a hiding assailant for example.

Tips

* Begin training your German Shepherd when he is a puppy because this is when he will want to learn new things.

Warnings

* Don't always use treats to reward your German Shepherd because it is easy to overfeed him and have him gain extra weight.