How to Train a German Shepherd Rottweiler Puppy

Hello Brandon, Check out the Bite inhibition method from the article linked below. Know it's going to take a couple of weeks for pup to start to have enough control to respond, but it's still important to continue the training because it can pay off in huge ways with ongoing work. Bit Inhibition method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite While using the bite Inhibition method, also start teaching the Leave It method from the article linked above. It will take pup a bit to learn leave it, so use the bite inhibition method starting today but work toward leave it. Leave It can help pup learn not to bite completely. If you have any friends with young puppies, invite them over often and let the puppies play. Pups learn bite inhibition most from interacting with other puppies. Either way, as soon as pup is old enough enroll in a puppy play group or class that has time for moderated off-leash play with other puppies. No class will be perfect but check out the article linked below for what to look for in a class, and tips on timing and safety. https://www.petful.com/behaviors/puppy-classes-when-to-start/ Finally, practice handling with pup. Use puppy's dog food and gently touch an area of pup's body like an ear and give a little food. Touch a paw - give food, touch muzzle - give food, touch tail - give food, touch collar - give food, touch belly - give food, ect...Practice this daily to teach tolerance of handling and provide gentle stimulation. Pup can be fed a meal this way each day that you are able. Continue doing this regularly throughout the first 6 months. Continue is periodically for at least 18 months. For the noise, work on teaching the Quiet method and begin rewarding pup for not whining or barking at times when pup normally would. Also, read the Desensitization method from the article linked below. Some puppies are naturally more vocal than others, so need more assistance in that area. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Betty, First, you need to stop the accidents. She needs to be very strictly crate trained. Old and new accident spots need to be cleaned with a cleaner that contains enzymes to remove the smell better (enzymes remove the smell enough for a dog's sensitive nose - even bleach won't). She needs to be rewarded for going potty outside - when she finally does, and she needs to be attached to you with a six or eight foot leash AFTER she goes potty outside, while free in your home until time to put her back in the crate again. After several months of going potty inside, your schedule and potty training routine for her needs to be very strict for at least four months. It will be work but remember that being strict now can save you years of accidents later - which is much harder than a few months of regiment now. Check out the Crate Training article linked below. Do not put anything absorbent in the crate with her. Check out www.primopads.com for non-absorbent dog beds. Also, make sure the crate is not too large. When you are not home she can be in the crate for 5-6 hours and should be able to hold it for that long if she went potty outside right before. When you are home, take her outside more often though to speed up potty training. You can experiment a bit with how much freedom to give her and how often to take her potty since she is an older puppy. Start with taking her every hour. If she does well, you can try every 1.5 or 2 hours, but if she has accidents again when you increase the time go back to 1 hour. For freedom outside of the crate, give her between 1-2 hours of supervised freedom (no more) and if she still has accidents decrease that to only 45 minutes of supervised freedom, before returning her to the crate. At night when she is crated she should be able to hold it overnight or only need one potty break. After she gets used to holding it for a couple of hours during the day and gets familiar with the crate she will probably start sleeping through the night in the crate without an accident. She needs to be taken out as soon as she wakes up though. If she does need to go potty during the night, take her on a leash, don't play with her, don't feed her, don't give treats, don't get her excited, and don't let her off leash. Keep it super boring and sleepy. After she goes potty outside, take her right back inside and put her back into the crate - you don't want her to have any reason besides needing to really pee to wake up at night. Ignore any crying - expect up to a week of crying. Stay firm about not letting her out when you know she doesn't need anything. If you give in and let her out when she doesn't have to go potty she will cry for longer and you really need to be able to crate her for potty training to work at this point. Crate Training method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-german-shepherd-puppy-to-poop-outside Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Heaven, How to train him depends on his current level of training and what behaviors he has more than his age unless the issue is socialization. If he doesn't have any training, then start with basic house manners and basic obedience. Look into lure-reward training for basic obedience commands, and teach things like sit, Down, Come, Stay, name recognition, Heel, and Place. ww.Wagwalking.com/training has a lot of articles on teaching those individual commands. YouTube is also a good resource for learning how to teach basic commands if you can find a good trainer to follow, such as Ian Dunbar, Kikopup, Zach George, or James Penrith, among many others. For house manners, check out the articles linked below: Respect and listening: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo For the chewing, check out the articles linked below: Chewing: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/train-dog-not-to-chew/ Chewing also: https://wagwalking.com/training/not-chew-on-furniture Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello, first I would suggest that you do not let Zeus outside unless he is on a leash, ready to go for a walk. This is essential - jumping on people is a trait that will scare people, and wandering the streets is putting Zeus in danger of getting hit by a car. Zeus is more than ready for obedience training. Classes are quite reasonably priced and can change an unbearable dog into a companion that is a joy to have around. The older Zeus gets, the more out of hand he may become, so structured training is the option. Please make a call to a training school. To get Zeus ready for school, start him with the Heel command at home: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel. All three methods can work - practice on every walk and vary the methods to keep it challenging. Both parents, the Rottweiler and the German Shepherd like to have a job to do and must be kept mentally stimulated. So, training is essential. Lots and lots of walks are important, too. Work on these training methods to get Zeus ready for doggy school: https://wagwalking.com/training/obedience-train-a-whippet. Good luck and consistently train!

Hello! I am sending you quite a bit of information on potty and crate training just in case you want to use the crate to help with potty training. Potty training: Know Your Pup. As you spend time with your puppy, learn your puppy’s love language. Just as some people prefer gifts, touch, or time spent together, puppies can be the same way. Some puppies love praise or pets, while others prefer treats. As you get to know your puppy, consider what reward your puppy loves the most. Create a Daily Schedule. It is best to have a routine for your puppy. A schedule helps them understand when to eat, play, and “go to the bathroom.” Your puppy should go out frequently and the routine should be the same every time. When? Start the day by taking your puppy outside, and repeating based on age and ability. They should also go out after napping, chewing, playing, and within 10 to 15 minutes of eating. Although some puppies can sleep for seven hours, it is important to set an alarm and take your pup out during the night. When you do, don’t make a fuss about it. Quietly take them outside with minimal stimulation and light. Praise them if they go to the bathroom and gently return them to their bed or crate. You don’t want them to get stimulated and ready to play in the middle of the night! As you get to know your puppy, you will become aware of their individual habits. Click here to learn more about house training schedules for puppies. Where? Take your puppy to a specific area to urinate or defecate. Be consistent. You can create an area by using urine-soaked paper or bowel movements to help create an aroma to stimulate your puppy. How? Take your puppy out on a leash so they can focus on the desired activity. This will help prevent them from wandering off to play. Once your puppy is in the selected area, use your verbal cue, such as “Hurry Up,” “Poopies,” “Go tinkle,” or any phrase your puppy responds to. What? Know the signs that your puppy has to go to the bathroom. Every animal may have a different “I gotta go” gesture, which often include restlessness, sniffing around, circling, scratching at the door, barking, and, eventually, squatting. At the first sign that your pup has to go, calmly and quickly take them outside to their bathroom spot. Deal with Accidents. Accidents are a normal part of house training a puppy. What to Do If you see your puppy in the process of urinating or defecating inappropriately, calmly and quickly interrupt them in the act. Tell them to stop (either by a jarring sound or command), and immediately take them to an appropriate location for elimination. After your puppy goes to the bathroom, lavishly praise them and offer a treat. Thoroughly clean up accidents, so your puppy is not attracted to this area again. Create a consistent feeding and watering schedule. Depending on the age of your puppy, they will eat three to four times a day. A consistent feeding routine can create a regular bathroom schedule. Take away water about 2 hours before bedtime. Learn more about ideal dog schedules here. What NOT to Do Don’t punish your puppy when they have an accident. At that point, it is too late. When a puppy has an accident in the house and they walk away, within seconds they have already forgotten about what they did. Taking them to the scene of the crime and yelling and/or rubbing their nose in it does not help and, in fact, can harm your puppy! Supervise. The best thing you can do is to prevent accidents and the best way to do this is to supervise your puppy at all times. You can tether your puppy to your waist with a five or six-foot leash and carefully observe them for signs that they need to go to the bathroom. If you can’t supervise, then crate or confine your puppy. The more accidents your puppy has in the house, the more confusing it will be for them and this can delay house training. Reward, Reward, Reward. It is important to give your puppy a reward for their good behavior. This can be for commands such as sitting and coming to you, or for appropriately eliminating outside. In a puppy, a reward can be a couple kibbles of puppy food or a treat, such as a small piece of meat. The treat should be exciting for them and only available as a result of good behavior. Crate training can take days or weeks, depending on your dog's age, temperament and past experiences. It's important to keep two things in mind while crate training: The crate should always be associated with something pleasant and training should take place in a series of small steps. Don't go too fast. Step 1: Introduce your dog to the crate Place the crate in an area of your house where the family spends a lot of time, such as the family room. Put a soft blanket or towel in the crate. Take the door off and let the dog explore the crate at their leisure. Some dogs will be naturally curious and start sleeping in the crate right away. If yours isn't one of them: Bring them over to the crate and talk to them in a happy tone of voice. Make sure the crate door is open and secured so that it won't hit your dog and frighten them. Encourage your dog to enter the crate by dropping some small food treats nearby, then just inside the door, and finally, all the way inside the crate. If they refuse to go all the way in at first, that's OK; don't force them to enter. Continue tossing treats into the crate until your dog will walk calmly all the way into the crate to get the food. If they aren’t interested in treats, try tossing a favorite toy in the crate. This step may take a few minutes or as long as several days. Step 2: Feed your dog meals in the crate After introducing your dog to the crate, begin feeding them their regular meals near the crate. This will create a pleasant association with the crate. If your dog is readily entering the crate when you begin Step 2, place the food dish all the way at the back of the crate. If they remain reluctant to enter, put the dish only as far inside as they will readily go without becoming fearful or anxious. Each time you feed them, place the dish a little further back in the crate. Once your dog is standing comfortably in the crate to eat their meal, you can close the door while they’re eating. The first time you do this, open the door as soon as they finish their meal. With each successive feeding, leave the door closed a few minutes longer, until they’re staying in the crate for 10 minutes or so after eating. If they begin to whine to be let out, you may have increased the length of time too quickly. Next time, try leaving them in the crate for a shorter time period. If they do whine or cry in the crate, don’t let them out until they stop. Otherwise, they'll learn that the way to get out of the crate is to whine, so they'll keep doing it. Step 3: Practice with longer crating periods After your dog is eating their regular meals in the crate with no sign of fear or anxiety, you can confine them there for short time periods while you're home. Call them over to the crate and give them a treat. Give them a command to enter, such as "crate." Encourage them by pointing to the inside of the crate with a treat in your hand. After your dog enters the crate, praise them, give them the treat and close the door. Sit quietly near the crate for five to 10 minutes and then go into another room for a few minutes. Return, sit quietly again for a short time and then let them out. Repeat this process several times a day, gradually increasing the length of time you leave them in the crate and the length of time you're out of sight. Once your dog will stay quietly in the crate for about 30 minutes with you mostly out of sight, you can begin leaving them crated when you're gone for short time periods and/or letting them sleep there at night. This may take several days or weeks. Step 4, Part A: Crate your dog when you leave After your dog can spend about 30 minutes in the crate without becoming anxious or afraid, you can begin leaving them crated for short periods when you leave the house. Put them in the crate using your regular command and a treat. You might also want to leave them with a few safe toys in the crate. Vary the moment during your "getting ready to leave" routine that you put your dog in the crate. Although they shouldn't be crated for a long time before you leave, you can crate them anywhere from five to 20 minutes prior to leaving. Don't make your departures emotional and prolonged—they should be matter-of-fact. Praise your dog briefly, give them a treat for entering the crate and then leave quietly. When you return home, don't reward your dog for excited behavior by responding to them in an enthusiastic way. Keep arrivals low-key to avoid increasing their anxiety over when you will return. Continue to crate your dog for short periods from time to time when you're home so they don't associate crating with being left alone. Step 4, Part B: Crate your dog at night Put your dog in the crate using your regular command and a treat. Initially, it may be a good idea to put the crate in your bedroom or nearby in a hallway, especially if you have a puppy. Puppies often need to go outside to eliminate during the night and you'll want to be able to hear your puppy when they whine to be let outside. Older dogs should also initially be kept nearby so they don't associate the crate with social isolation. Once your dog is sleeping comfortably through the night with the crate near you, you can begin to gradually move it to the location you prefer, although time spent with your dog—even sleep time—is a chance to strengthen the bond between you and your pet. Potential problems Whining: If your dog whines or cries while in the crate at night, it may be difficult to decide whether they’re whining to be let out of the crate, or whether they need to be let outside to eliminate. If you've followed the training procedures outlined above, then your dog hasn't been rewarded for whining in the past by being released from their crate. If that is the case, try to ignore the whining. If your dog is just testing you, they'll probably stop whining soon. Yelling at them or pounding on the crate will only make things worse. If the whining continues after you've ignored them for several minutes, use the phrase they associate with going outside to eliminate. If they respond and become excited, take them outside. This should be a trip with a purpose, not play time. If you're convinced that your dog doesn't need to eliminate, the best response is to ignore them until they stop whining. Don't give in; if you do, you'll teach your dog to whine loud and long to get what they want. If you've progressed gradually through the training steps and haven't done too much too fast, you'll be less likely to encounter this problem. If the problem becomes unmanageable, you may need to start the crate training process over again. Separation anxiety: Attempting to use the crate as a remedy for separation anxiety won't solve the problem. A crate may prevent your dog from being destructive, but they may get injured in an attempt to escape. Separation anxiety problems can only be resolved with counterconditioning and desensitization procedures.

Hello Teresa, Check out the free PDF e-book After You Get Your Puppy, which can be downloaded at the link below as a PDF. www.lifedogtraining.com/freedownloads Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello! Here is a very in depth article which covers all of the steps needed to correct this behavior. https://wagwalking.com/training/stop-chasing-bicycles