Basic Training
“Sit! I said Sit, dang it!” Have you ever yelled that at your dog before? I have. And while the sit command seems to be a simple request, we humans seem to think our dogs should understand it the very first time we yell it at them. But sorry to tell you, it doesn’t work that way…
photo credit: A30_Tsitika
Dogs view us us as part of their pack, and as I have said in a previous article, there is one leader in the pack, called the Alpha Leader. And that alpha leader needs to be you. Please read more on pack leadership, and once you are done, come back and read on…
Teaching your dog basic OB commands is not only a way to establish a strong working bond with your dog, but it also is a great way for your dog to live. You see, domesticated dogs live to please and with a job to do (being commanded certain things to obtain their daily requirements), they will flourish as dogs.
So let’s get right to the training. Before we get into “sit/stay” stuff, let me first tell you about the four different training phases I use.
Training Phases
Teaching your dog is more complicated than just repetitive actions that form a behavior. Yes, your dog will do “ok” with that command you teach in the front room, but what about using that same command in a “high stress” environment?
You see, just because your best friend will “sitz” (I teach my GSDs in German, for ease of Schutzhund) for you in the living room without distractions, but what about when you are at the park, and 17 kids are all running up to you and your GSD? Will he break that command? I dare say so, unless you are using the 4 basic phases below:
- Learning Phase
- Distraction Phase
- Correction Phase
- Maintenance Phase
Learning Phase
In this phase of training we begin teaching our commands using “markers“. Markers can be viewed just like in clicker-training. You see, clickers will “mark” the expected command at the very second your dog does what you’ve asked. Basically, you click the clicker. I use verbal markers, which I recommend you do to, so you won’t need a clicker handy at all times during training.
What you do is simply “mark” the desired behavior the second your doggie does it. I use the word YES! So I say to Zero (my 4 year old male GSD), “Platz” (German for “down”) and the second his tummy hits the ground, I mark with YES! – then “Good Platz!”.
Distraction Phase
In this phase of training, once your dog is doing great in your living room or kitchen, then you gradually add distractions to the environment. So you’d give the command Platz while your kids roll your dogs favorite ball his way. Motivational training works really great here (I’m all for motivation training, coupled with compulsion for an all around great dog), with the result of a failure to “down” because of the added distraction leading to not getting his food reward (or toy, etc).
Another distraction I feel you really must include is moving your pal outside for this command training. Remember, inside your house are very few distractions, but the great outdoors offers tons of them! So repeat your training outside. Once Fido has it down, slowly add distractions like you did indoors. Please remember to have tons of patience!!!
Correction Phase
In this phase – and in my personal opinion, and the opinion of the professional dog trainers who train PSDs (Police Service Dogs), PPDs (Personal Protection Dogs), and sport dogs that I know, motivational only training fails. Here is where you, after adding distractions, you being to correct your dog for failures to comply.
You must make sure, however, that your dog understands the commands 100% – and thus a failure to comply means disobedience warranting a correction. You must be a fair pack leader!
So back to my dog Zero. I got him at 3 years old, and he didn’t have much obedience trained into him. So I started with the outline above, adding distractions as I’ve written. When I give him the sitz command, and he fails at it, I will use his prong collar to correct him. This is done not very often, as he loves to please me.
Maintenance Phase
Maintaining your pals training is a simple matter of taking your dog through the steps above when he seems to be bending a command or two.
In part two of Basic Training, we’ll cover the following commands:
- Sitz (pronounced siitz, meaning sit)
- Platz (down)
- Hier (pronounced hee er, meaning come)
- Bleib (pronounced bly’b, meaning stay)
- Fuss (pronounced fooss, meaning heel)
- Hopp (meaning jump)
Get to part two to learn these basic OB commands.
Back to Training Articles.
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March 17th, 2008 at 1:05 am
I have a few questions to ask from you.
1. Can you share me more about how to trained dogs such as where they should do thier poo poo, not to run and so on.
2. i have 6 dogs (5 Australian Silky Terriers) and (1 German Shepherd). They normally get jealous of each other when comes to playing or spending time with them. How do i get this two different breed like and share it together. My Terriers are 2 years old and 3 (next month 1 year old). Whereby my German Shepherd is 5 months old.
March 17th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Hello Saculina,
I’m off for the day, but I’ll post an answer this evening. Please stay tuned! But while I’m in front of my PC, let me tell you this first thing: What you have is a dog pack. A dog pack that needs a Fair but Firm Pack Leader – you.
Raising multiple dogs without the ability to separate them during their “puppy year” is very hard, as the young dogs become “doggy”; meaning they will feel more comfortable and secure with the other dogs. Even more importantly to state, they will want the company of the other dogs more than wanting to be with you.
Not that people can’t have multiple dogs…it just depends one what type of relationship you want with them. For this site, geared towards “working dogs” trained in protection, you’d want to have your dog look to you as the center of his universe. And while in a typical “pet” relationship, we’d want that as well, it’s mandatory for training in Schutzhund/Personal Protection training.
So you do have your hands full
– Again, I’ll post specific answers later today. Please stay tuned!
Martin
March 18th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Please note that this question is being answered in our GSD Questions and Answers page.
May 9th, 2008 at 2:15 am
[...] Basic Obedience Training Articles [...]
May 17th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
when you are training your dog, what kind of treat do you give him for doing something right? just a piece of regular dry dog food or something else?
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Hello Natalya,
I’d give pieces of raw beef (beef hearts, etc.) – just make sure to wash thoroughly. I actually stop the food treats after a command is learned, and have them work for me, and not just to get a treat.
June 13th, 2008 at 1:58 am
Hello, i have a 5 month old german sheperd pup, we have not had her long but she pees every where when you stroke her or if she comes in to the house. How can i prevent her from doing this.
June 14th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
@Amy Walton:
A few things may be going on with her. Excessive peeing can be an indication of a bladder infection. I’d take her to your local vet to make sure there is nothing medically wrong with her.
Another issue can be nervousness, which can result in “submissive peeing”. This happens when a dog is very submissive, and they’ll pee when approached by people. Even when they arrive into a new environment, like from outside to indoors.
Can you ask (most times this will be denied, but you should ask anyway) the breeder about her attitude/behavior prior to you getting her? Was she: raised with young kids (that may have “harassed” her young life – NOT on purpose, but just as kids may do if unsupervised)? Raised with a dominant dog that may have brought her to submission every day, and during every encounter?
And while this peeing behavior is not wanted, it can be (read: patiently) worked out. Here’s what I would do, taking the results from the vet as a negative for any medical reasons:
Do NOT approach her initially with affection. Do NOT even make eye contact with her. Let her come to you (or back inside) - without any touch/eye contact at all. This will eventually (read again: patience!!!) lead to her determining on her own that there is no need for submission - OR over excitement when entering a new environment.Patience is the key. Simply do not give her opportunity to (in her mind) react to a situation with submission. We owners (and other family members) are leaders, and as such, approaching our dogs seems to be a reason for submissive behavior on some dogs, dogs with history (read: a reason) to show submission.
Let me know how she develops!!!
July 21st, 2008 at 6:41 pm
My husband and I just picked up a 4yearold female german shepherd from an animal rescue. We have had her for about 2 weeks now and she will not listen to anything we tell her to do or not to do, she keeps trying to jump out fence, she tries to fight our friends dog that comes over (although she was around a lot of dogs at the rescue) and she has already destroyed the house. Since she is already four years, how can I get her to listen, not try to fight other dogs, not try to jump the fence and not destroy everything.
July 21st, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Hello Angel,
With any breed, a 4 year old will come with a history. And so we as dog owners need to be able to handle that. Especially the large breed we’ve chosen, the German Shepherd Dog. So let me say this, before anything else – this is a training issue that can be handled with proper “pack leadership“, obedience training, and patience.
Does she know the sit command? From the sound of it, she’s not trained at all, so I’d start with the basics. What’s her temperament like? Is she a “hard dog”, or “soft dog”? How do you handle discipline now?
Probably the best thing you can do is search out a reputable dog trainer, and or a dog club. I would suggest having your new dog’s temperament evaluated, so you can better judge your response as far as corrections go.
Please reply to the answers above, and we can get into greater detail on your training.
July 26th, 2008 at 4:16 am
Hello
I have a 9 month old German shepherd that I have raised since he was 6 weeks old. I have followed your advise and he is a great dog in my opinion, but I keep getting negative feedback about his behavior when I am not around. My vet says he can’t walk on a leash without dragging her across the floor, and a friend of mine says he bit him but my pup, Jericho, is nothing but sweet around me, although he is extremely hyper. I just got him neutered 3 days ago, but how can I address the change in personality when I am not around?? Jericho is very loyal and protective over me, even over my boyfriend, although im 5’3 and he is 6’5. I don’t even have him on a leash most of the time because he will not get father than 10 feet away from me at all times, even at the dog park where I let him run around. He is very friendly with other animals until I show them any attention, then he growls and covers me up (for ex, if my cat jumps on the bed to lay with me, he will lay on top of me and growl at my cat, although he will not hurt the cat) I am worried about the behaviors he is exhibiting, especially since he has always been a very submissive dog. Please help me with any suggestions you might have. thank you
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:40 am
Hello Elisabeth,
Your dog is exhibiting what is called, “resource guarding”, as he is becoming aggressive when he feels that “his possessions” are being threatened. And for a dog raised as a pet, this can become a bite waiting to happen.
You mentioned that
I’m sorry to say, but this can become a bite very quickly. And not only against your cat, but for him to lay on his possession (you), you could also get caught up as part of the aggression.
Statistics on dog bites run very high – at the top even – for a dog to bite its owner, or a member of the household, due to this exact “resource guarding” behavior.
But with all that said, let me tell you that all this is simply training issues. That and begin a new way of leading him. It’s called NILIF. That stands for “Nothing In Life Is Free”. It’s a way of pack leadership that is a must for a dog like this. He’s very young (still a pup!), and so within a few months, you’ll have a new boy.
Basically, he needs to earn everything he gets. He wants water? make him sit first. You eat before he does, and when it’s his turn, make him sit before – then release him to eat. Correct him if he breaks the sit. You walk out the door first. If he “pushes” his way ahead of you, either close the door on him, or leashe correct him for it. He needs to know that he cannot make decisions on when he leads (which is exactly what he’s doing when showing aggression and lying on you), and when he follows. He Must Always Follow!
As far as the leash pulling and such when he’s not with you, these are simple obedience matters. Enroll in a local dog obedience training class. but for now, you can set up training with him and a friend (or boyfriend) for these types of situations. If he listens to you, but not others, then you can have your boyfriend run your dog through obedience commands. Sit, platz (Down), walk on leash, etc… If he pulls, or otherwise breaks the commands, correct him. Again, he’s making decisions on his own as when he can lead, and when he selects to follow.
And one last thing
– if you do not have 100% control on your boy using commands such as “sit/stay/down” – and especially “HEIR” (German for “Come”), then I would not take him off-leash. That can lead to (as you’ve seen with other dogs you show attention to) a dog bite.
We never, ever want to think as dog owners that our dogs would ever bite another dog, or our very own cat, or other family members. But we need to remember that besides our dogs loving us unconditionally and are faithful family members – they are DOGS. And dogs are genetically wired to base their actions on instincts and re activeness. I have a great friend who raised their dog from a pup. Well, their dog got his head stuck in their backyard fence. As my friend removed a board to free the dog, it turned and attacked him. NOT because the dog was angry about the time it took to free it. And it didn’t attack because it was raised as a fighting dog. No…he attacked because he was in a “re active” state.
Let me know more info, and we can begin to really work on this!
Martin
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Thanks for all the ideas.. I have been working on a lot of them! He is gotten A LOT better with behaving when i am not around, And I still don’t keep him on a leash much because, when it comes to me, he is very strictly obedient. I am still having a hard time with the “guarding” he does of me. He doesn’t really care when we are out and I play with another dog, but he is very sensitive when he feels that I am threatened. I found out the issue with the cat was the cat likes to “jab attack” the dog as he is trying to get to his food, so he perceived the cat as a threat to me, so I got the cat declawed and that is fine now. I guess I just have to put a little more effort into teaching him how to behave around other people. He doesn’t really try to attack or anything, he sits down, right on my right side, and remains there watching me. As soon as he perceives a threat he growls, although he doesn’t even stand up. As soon as I say “ok” he stops and just watchs me again. It is bizarre since I did not train him for anything other than a companion.
On another note, the idea of nothing in life is free is brilliant. It corrected a lot of his actions towards my boyfriend almost immediately. As soon as I correct the over protective attitude, he will be the perfect dog! Thanks for all the help!
July 28th, 2009 at 6:25 am
hi i have german shepherd puppy he is 2 months old i want to start his training can i start it now or he is to young to train i live in appartment so their are kinds near my house so i want him not to be aggressive at all so could u help me one more thing his one ear is going up and other is not i asked my vet but he told me that this is normal it will take time and his ear will be normal cold u help me in that
August 8th, 2009 at 8:24 am
Hello Ashvinder,
The best thing to do with your new puppy is to socialize him as much as possible. If he is not going to be trained in protection, then I would give your neighborhood kids the opportunity to pet and spend time with him.
And as far as the ears go, most times ears will stand by 4 months old, and will tend to go back down as they teeth. I wouldn’t worry about it until your dog gets about 5 months old.
Send us pictures of your new puppy!
August 22nd, 2010 at 9:41 am
Good morning!
I have an 17 month old GSD who is overall a wonderful boy. He is neutered (since 6 months), has been through puppy OB classes and has been VERY socialized with other people, lots of kids, other dogs and even cats and birds (I work for a bird rescue). Overall, he is very mellow, I would say 90% good on all commands (we do have very rare moments of OH THERE”S A SQUIRREL and he goes brain dead!).
Okay here is the problem, over the last 2-3 weeks he has started having barking fits. When I let him out to go to the bathroom he goes on these barking/hackles up sessions that only last for a about 30 seconds and he stops when I say enough. Also when we go to places where we run into other dogs now he has started barking and “puffing up” (I am tough guy stance is what I call it!). Of course people look like OMG its a killer GSD (rolling my eyes!). Any ideas on what is causing this? I am assuming it is his duh I am a teenager stupid stage but I wanted more opinions. I adore him but can not have him trying to act tough with other dogs. While I will not say he won’t hurt anything, I can say he is a gentle giant an done of his fave playmates is the nieghbors toy poodle………. however we did have a dog come in our yard and attacked our young son about 2 months ago and Alex not only chased him out of the yard but had no issue getting in between that dog and our son (I thanked him for protecting our son). I worry that might have caused some of this barking tough guy issue as well but would think it would have started sooner.
Any ideas?!?! Also how do I curb this when we are in public? I had someone tell me to muzzle him to make sure he doesn’t hurt something or someone but that seems a bit extreme and seems to me it would put him on the defensive even more.
Thanks
Michelle
I included a pic of our handsome guy!