How to Train a German Shepherd Puppy to Protect

Whenever your Shepherd takes an interest in a stranger, go over and give a reward. You want to encourage any signs that they are taking note of and sniffing around strangers.

Once they have taken an interest, point and whisper to get the dog worked up. Continue to do this until they bark or growl. This is the most time consuming part, so don’t be put off if it takes a little while.

As soon as they do bark, give them another reward. This could be a treat or it could be playing around with a toy for a minute. If you use a clicker when you train, now is the time to click too.

Now have someone approach the front door or area they are protecting. Stand close by and use the same encouragement as before to get them barking. However, when they start barking, have the stranger scream and run away. It’s important the pup knows they need to bark until the person flees. Continue practicing this two or three times a week. Before you know it, it will be habit to bark at strangers.

Until you are confident your dog can be trusted to only bark, you may want to keep them on a leash. This will ensure you have control in case things get out of hand. Then when you feel they can be trusted and understand how far to go, you can then lose the leash.

The first thing to do is watch your German Shepherd puppy for situations that naturally trigger a bark. This could be when you’re about to take them out for a walk or feed them a meal.

Now put the pup in one of those situations. But issue a ‘bark’ command just before or as they start to bark. Give it only once and give it in a relatively playful tone. You can use any word or phrase you like. For example, ‘speak’ is a popular alternative.

As soon as they do indeed bark, hand over a tasty reward or play with a favorite toy for a little while. The trick is really making the reward so enjoyable they’re desperate to play again. Then practice for a few minutes each day until they get the hang of it.

Now have a friend or family member slowly approach. Then get the pup's attention and issue a 'bark' command while pointing at the stranger. It may take a few seconds for them to catch on the first time, but they will quickly get the hang of it.

Once they start barking, have the friend scream and run away. You can then hand over another round of rewards. Again, keep the praise generous. You can then slowly phase out the rewards as they get the hang of it. Now simply practice a few times a week and your German Shepherd puppy will soon naturally start barking at anyone that approaches.

Secure your German Shepherd puppy to a leash. You’re going to walk them around the perimeter of the space you want them to protect. Do this each morning and it will make anything within that boundary feel like part of their territory. They will naturally want to protect anything within that space.

You also need to take your pup on the same walk each evening. This will further reinforce where their territory begins and ends. Do this every day for several weeks and then you can start doing the same walk but off the leash.

In the day time, tether your pup with a long leash in the space you want them to protect. Again this will make anything within that area feel like theirs to protect. This means they will naturally take an interest in anyone that encroaches within that area.

Take your puppy to group obedience classes. Not only will it teach them useful commands, but it will socialize them with other pets and people. This is important, as you don’t want them barking at anyone and everyone.

It is important you don’t use punishment as a training tool. This could make your German Shepherd puppy overly aggressive and too challenging to control. Your puppy will respond best to positive reinforcement.