At the age of four
months and over a puppy
is no longer regarded as a young dog. During this stage in
the
dogs life its behaviour will differ from well behaved to mischievous
and destructive.
German Shepherd's are naturally energetic and very active and so
they have large amounts of energy. The excessive amounts of energy can
cause havoc during training sessions. The dog will
not want to learn or it will want to play.
If the dog chooses not to listen and disobey commands then action
should be taken.
A sharp "No!" accompanied by a clap of
the
hands or the loud tap of a folded newspaper will do the trick with most
dogs. A light smack with your hand on the rump of the dog will cause
the dog to reframe from bad behaviour.
Young
German Shepherds need lots of love and loads of exercise.
Always
remember that disobedience must be punished immediately. No matter how
well trained your puppy
or young dog
is, it will not
always obey
every command instantly. Dogs, too, have their moods. Don't forget that
your
dog's world differs largely from yours. It's world consists
mostly
of
smells
and sounds. Your German shepherd is bound to get
entirely different
impressions of its surroundings than you do. For example if you throw a
stick
for it to retrieve in the dark of night, its nose and ears will
probably guide
it to the stick; and it will bring the stick back.
Your sensitivity and ability to
understand the dog's point of view are
just as
important in training your German shepherd dog as are patience and
consistency that is required.
