Crate training
I recommend you crate train your new puppy with a small crate. Some basic tips. These tips used can house train a puppy fast!!
The pup should be at least 10 weeks old and crated overnight but for no longer then 5-6 hours, depending on its age,some pups will sleep several hours at night and will not need to go but its still best to wake him up after 5-6 hours until he is at least 14-16 weeks old. After 6 months to an adult 8-10 hours if necessary will be fine regarding your dog has went before you go to sleep.
If your puppy is under 10 weeks I recommend keeping him in a small room with news paper until he is old enough to start crate training. If crated to young he will go in the crate if not taken out enough.
Reasons why your pup might go in its crate
1 He is to young to hold it, usually under 12 weeks.
2 He has parasites or diarrhea
3 the crate is to large
4 He was raised to lay in mess
5 fear of new home usually the first 3 days and when kept alone.
6 Bladder infection or stress
The main real reasons are number 7 and 8
7 Not being taken out enough. A puppy between 8-12 weeks old must be taken out every 2 hours or after water 15 minutes and after food one hour.
8 drinking way to much water and eating to much food within 3 or 4 hours of bedtime.
Many owners allow adult dogs to roam in then home at night. I do not recommend this until your GS is at least 2 years old and crate trained. Some dogs seem trained but then fall back into accidents in the home if not confined. However some do not and its up to you.
You can make the crate a fun place. Dogs are den animals so your dog should not refuse its den. You can put treats, toys and a bed in the crate. Some pups will tear up beds at a certain age or when teething be careful with this one.
Any puppy should have urinated and defecated just before crating overnight this will help prevent accidents.
Allow no food at least 4 hours before bed time and no water for 3 hours before bed time if under 4 months old to be safe. You can put a few treats in the cage though. I usually give a small sip of water 2-3 hours before bed and a small treat.
Always keep the crate near your puppy during the day Incas of any wetting accidents, if your pup should have an accident it should go immediately outside and shown where to go then it should be crated up for at least an hour once back inside make sure you put toys and treats in with him so he knows its not a punishment.
Never leave a puppy alone even for a moment or turn your back when it is out of the crate, this is when accidents happen. Always walk your puppy first thing in the morning after being crated overnight. I suggest you take puppy out doors every 2 hours between 8 and 12 weeks even if he may not need to go. You can even take him out every hour for several days so that he trains faster and work your way up to every 2-3 hours until she or he is 16 weeks old
Warning signs of a puppy needing to go are restlessness, running away to another room circling and barking or crying, rapid movements in or out of the crate.
Most pups will try or even manage to hold it over night if in the crate at these young ages, that is why crate training is important. Dogs will realize that if they go in the crate, they will have to lay in it and they do not like this at all. Dogs who allow this over a certain age were made to lay in mess, if your puppy messes in the crate be sure to use a cleaner that rids all odor and wash the puppy, if there is even a small bit of smell your pup may take longer to train and keep going in the crate.
Most pups are crate and potty trained between 4 and 6 months old, depending on your efforts.
I do not recommend news paper training unless the pup is too young for a crate, this is still considered your floor. You can start crating as young as 8 weeks to see how things go for a while. I recommend trying it for at least 10 days and see if it gets better each day before doing the floor news paper thing.
If your puppy has an accident in the crate overnight place the feces outside in the area you want your pup to go and show him it several times a day after meals. Clean the area with a urine and odor remover.
When to start protection training
This breed is naturally protective, this type of training should be done by a professional unless you have done it before, it is easy to mess a dog up and ruin it. It should start at about 12 months old but You can start your puppy off by doing rag work and tug of war at about age 4 to 7 months old, also fetch is something that builds prey drive, this drive will help later with bite or protection training.
None of this training should be done until the dog has learned sit, stay, come heel and lay down as these are the basic commands and most important he must know OUT. Teach one command per session and allow only 10-15 min of training as the dog will get bored. When your dog is obedient enough allow her/him to be trained for bite work and be at least a year old, some dogs will need to be older depending on level of confidence. I recommend you go to a Schtzhund club once your dog is obedient to you and is able to take the next step.
Basic important commands
The first step is socializing at 8-12 weeks old with people that you will see often.
Teaching sit.
With a treat in front of your puppy hold it up and say sit. If the puppy does not listen push the hind area down until it sits then give the treat right away try again for several times it may take as little as an hour to train sit or as long as 2 weeks. keep doing the command that day and days after even if your dog has learned it, then work on another command.
Teaching lay down.
In a sitting position tell your puppy to lay down holding a treat, push the dogs body down until it lays down, give short commands like Lay instead of lay down. give treat
Come:
Bend down and call your puppy showing it a treat and tapping your leg with the other hand, puppy should listen after a few times. Always use treats. this command can take about a week to learn.
Stay.
Have the dog get into a lay down or sit position. hold out your hand with all 5 fingers spread out like a cop signal, tell the dog to stay as you walk slowly away do not make eye contact while walking away have your back turned for a second and turn around if the dog is following you, say no and make her/him sit or lay down again. repeat this several times a day, it can take days to weeks.
The dog should eventually stay while you take farther steps away until you are several feet away and able to hide without him following, each time the dogs stays give a treat.
Teaching out. This one is very hard and takes time sometimes up to a year to teach but can be learned in as little as 3 months.
When your dog has a toy in its mouth say out and keep saying out. If the dog does not listen pull up on its collar so it will have to drop the toy. Keep doing this and at least 10 times a day.
Stay will be a harder one, do this one last and at about 12 weeks
Dogs should be fully trained at about 8-9 months, with these basic commands.
If you find that a puppy is to fidgety to learn then he might be to young for commands wait a few more days if he is at all uncomfortable with your commands. Sometimes trainers will tell you to wait another week and try again.
Treats should be gradually weaned now slowly, only giving them on some commands and switching what commands that do not get treats and what ones do. Treats can still be given as a snack as an adult or to do commands just for fun and being sure your dog has memorized all commands.
I recommend that training never stops it just slows down, once all commands are taught then you should give commands still at least 2 times a week even if your dog knows them.
Do not Leash a puppy by its self ever, as this can cause severe harm of itself and even broken legs If he panics and tries to free himself. I prefer a kennel for exercise not a chain.
Do not over train a young puppy!
Always give a loud firm no when he does not listen but never over train a young puppy, if you are to hard on your pup and gives to many commands as a puppy, he might grow up to have problems and even something called submission wetting, where your dog feels she has to submit and bowel down to you, this creates submissive urination, it is the dogs way of saying I know you are the master I am submitting to you and ready for your commands.
Most puppies grow out of this at about 9 months to one years old if they do develop it, some dogs are very sensitive and even a greeting from its owner will make it urinate, this is from either excitement or even fear. If you hit your dog it may never grow out of submission wetting and or take months to years to go away, in fearful situations like yelling at the dog being away for a while after yelling at it and then greeting the dog or bending over the dog or making eye contact during a new greeting is when you will notice it.
Basically the dog will only wet when you try to pet it, bend over it or during harsh correction, this will not happen with every time. Sometimes a new greeting when you come home will also cause this, this is not from fear but excitement.
If your dog has not seen you for several hours or even several minuets when you enter the room do not make eye contact with your dog if she/he has a submission wetting problem, let the puppy come to you and check you out without touching it for several minutes, never hit a dog that submission wets or it will make it worse.
When this kind of wetting happens it is known that the dog will have its ears down and or it will appear scared and low to the ground when walking. When its excitement wetting it will have ears moderately back and wagging its tail and act hyper. Neither urination should be corrected. If it occurs say no in a firm voice and take the puppy out immediately each time it happens. Try also not to over excite the dog when it has not seen you for a while.
Also allow your dog to jump up on you some of the time, if you can take it as this makes a more confident dog. Tug of war games also can be done at the first sight of submission this will give them confidence and even stop the problem right away by taking there mind off the problem.
while abused dogs can have submission wetting as adults its not always the case, many puppies and young dogs have this problem that respect there owners and these types of dogs make the best listeners as they are always trying to please there owners. However it is seen mostly in over trained pups that are made to do to many commands and if there is to much correction at an early age.
Make training fun and keep a low voice but use firm loud no's when correcting but do not yell,confidence boosting games such as rag work and tugging games along with fetching and walking with its owner, to make it overcome this you must ignore the dogs submission such as ears down crouching while walking and tail tucking, but do not praise the behavior when it does this or wets, these dogs lack confidence.
Socializing with cats.
This can be a challenge but in 90% of all dogs can get along just fine if taught to just ignore the cats and that they are a part of the pack.
All pups or dogs will chase cats if not use to them and sometimes if they have any reason to think they are aloud to. Never allow this or training will take longer.
When training, crate the dog or pup up and if you have several cats the better! Allow all cats in the room for at least a week several hours at a time to get the pup use to them. Pup and cats will not be locked up for a week but he will be brought to the crate for a week a few hours a day or overnight. If any barking occurs cover the crate up for several minuets as punishment then take it off. then by the end of the week take the cats out and leash the pup holding the leash allow the cats back in, he will most likely try and chase them, say no loudly while tugging on the leash.
An hour or 2 of exercise broken up during the day also helps a lot too. Also allow him/her to have prey toys that they can chase,like balls and toys.
Some dogs will need the scruff of the neck shook until they scream in order to be trained to live with cats. I do not recommend a shock collar unless the dog still chases cats after 6 months of hard effort training this is the age when a dog can hurt an animal badly and something needs to be done but if you go right to shocking a dog when a cat runs by your dog, he will end up hating the cat more and fear that there is a magnetic force associated with cats there for he may kill it later.
Schutzhund training
This is a fun sport to do with your dog. You must join a club to compete against other dogs. There are three phase, judges look for temperament, protection and tracking goals and then are given points for each phase.
See our links page for more.