How to Train a German Shepherd to Stay in the Yard
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Introduction
Your German Shepherd is a big ball of energy and you would love to let them run wild in your yard. Unfortunately, you can't trust them to stay in the yard and not take off whenever something grabs their attention. You take your pup on walks and to the dog park, but you can tell they need more time outdoors. If only there was some way to make your German Shepherd stay in the yard.
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Defining Tasks
Boundary training is a great way to teach you German Shepherd to stay in the yard. With consistent training and a little patience, you can train your pup to respect the edges of your yard as if a fence were really in place. Compared to shock collars and other methods, training is a more humane way to keep your buddy safe. However, it is important to keep in mind that Shepherds have generations of working dog instincts in their DNA. Years of breeding have encouraged the prey instinct in your pups and there is always the possibility that some distraction will be enough to make your dog throw their training out the window. While you can train excellent manners into your German Shepherd, you should never leave your pup alone in an unfenced yard.
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Getting Started
For boundary training, you will need a variety of treats of different values to show your dog which behaviors are ideal. Start with some good treats your pup doesn't usually get and reserve the top tier treats, such as roast beef and other high value meats, until later. You will also need a long training leash and for some of the methods, it is a good idea to use flags. You can buy small flags or tie a strip of white cloth to a dowel rod. A training clicker works very well for sculpting this behavior.
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The Flag Method
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Teach your pup to target
Start off indoors and teach your German Shepherd to target a flag. When your pup touches the flag with their nose, mark the behavior with a click or verbal cue such as "good." Then have your Shepherd return to you to get a treat. Practice this activity for a week or so before moving onto the next step.
Set up a boundary
About every eight to 10 feet around your yard, place a flag. With these flags, you are establishing a boundary in which you want your German Shepherd to stay. How much of the yard you want your pup to use is up to you.
Have your dog touch each flag and return
With your German Shepherd on a long leash of about 15 feet, walk around the yard. Your pup should already understand that touching a flag means a reward so they should run to each flag and then return to you for a treat. Increase the value of your treats once you go outside.
Practice, practice, practice
Once or twice a day, walk the boundary of your yard with your pup. You can increase the length of the leash. Once your dog consistently touches each flag on a long leash, you can add in distractions, such as friend running past the boundary line or throwing a toy over the line. If your dog stays within the boundary line even after a big distraction, give them a big reward.
Try going off-leash
If you feel confident your German Shepherd respects the boundary line, you can let them into the yard without a leash as long as you are with them. Continue to stage distractions and offer big rewards for returning to you. You can also try running back to your front door or porch after a big distraction and giving your pup an extra special reward if they come back to you
The Sit and Wait Method
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Decide on a boundary for your yard
Just as in the 'Flag' method, set up a boundary line in your yard by using flags. For this method, it is best to set up the flags two or three feet before the actual boundary you want your German Shepherd to respect.
Brush up on basic commands
You want your pup to have a strong understanding of certain basic commands, such as 'sit', 'no', and 'wait'. If you don't already have a release command for 'wait', work on that with your German Shepherd before going outside to begin boundary training. Common release words for 'wait' include "let's go" and "okay."
Walk the boundary line
With your German Shepherd on a leash, walk along the boundary line. If your pup crosses the line, correct them with a quick jerk on the leash and a firm "no." Do this several times a day for a few days.
Practice waiting at the line
Keeping your dog on a leash, walk up to the boundary line and stop. Give your pup the command "wait" and stay in place for a few seconds before giving them a reward. You can also have your German Shepherd sit at the edge of the boundary. Practice stopping at the line several more times until your pup stops instinctively when you reach the boundary line.
Step over the line
After a few days, walk up to the line as before and then tell your pup to wait as you step over the line yourself. On the other side of the line, wait for a few seconds and then step back over and give them a treat for staying put. You can reinforce this step by walking further away from the boundary line and waiting for longer periods of time before rewarding your pup. Repeat the same steps at many different areas of the boundary.
Practice off-leash
When you feel confident that your German Shepherd has a good sense of the boundary, try repeating the same steps without the leash. If your dog struggles with staying within the boundaries, put the leash back on them and practice a bit more. Remember - never leave your dog alone in an unfenced yard.
Reinforce the boundary
A good step to take once your dog is familiar with the boundary is to add in distractions. Place dog toys outside of the line or have someone else stand outside of the boundary to tempt your pup. Any step over the line means going back through your German Shepherd's lessons. Always have your dog on a leash and use the release word when they step over the boundary so they know the acceptable conditions for leaving the yard.
The Don't Chase Me Method
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Start with the basics
Make sure your German Shepherd has a good handle on their basic commands, including 'sit', 'stay', and 'come'. If you're working with a puppy, practice leash-walking as well to make sure they feel comfortable on a leash.
Walk the yard
With your pup on a leash, walk close to the boundary of your yard, but stop a few feet before you get to the actual boundary. You can decide how far from the edge of your property you want to instill the boundary. If your German Shepherd keeps walking forward, gently tug on the leash, say "come," and start walking in the other direction.
Reward the retreat
The pull on the leash should startle your pup enough to change direction. When your Shepherd turns and retreats from the line with you, give them a treat and lots of praise and love. Practice approaching and retreating from the boundary line for a few days before moving on to the next step.
Have someone run across the boundary line
Ask someone your pup loves to help out with this step. You want them to run through the yard and cross the boundary without calling your German Shepherd or taunting them in anyway. Keep your dog close to you with the leash so they cannot break the boundary and then give them a special reward for staying in the yard.
Keep adding distractions
Continue practicing on the leash and adding in more distractions with your puppy pulled close to you. Once you think your dog has a good sense of what is expected of them, you can institute a distraction without pulling them close. If your German Shepherd refuse to break the boundary line, give them a big reward and lots of praise and affection.
Try going off-leash
After a few weeks, play in the yard with your Shepherd without a leash. Make sure they stay within the boundaries. If your dog struggles with staying in the yard, go back on the leash for a while longer and then try off-leash again. When they get the hang of the boundary line, you can stop giving treats but keep rewarding them with praise and affection for staying in the yard.
Written by Christina Gunning
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 03/28/2018, edited: 01/08/2021
More articles by Christina Gunning
Training Questions and Answers
Kaiser
German Shepherd
3 Months
Question
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0 found this helpful
Nipping
Aug. 3, 2021
Kaiser's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1133 Dog owners recommended
Hello Rachael, Check out the article linked below. Starting today, use the "Bite Inhibition" method. BUT at the same time, begin teaching "Leave It" from the "Leave It" method. As soon as pup is good as the Leave It game, start telling pup to "Leave It" when he attempts to bite or is tempted to bite. Reward pup if he makes a good choice. If he disobeys your leave it command, use the Pressure method to gently discipline pup for biting when you told him not to. The order or all of this is very important - the Bite Inhibition method can be used for the next couple of weeks while pup is learning leave it, but leave it will teach pup to stop the biting entirely. The pressure method teaches pup that you mean what you say without being overly harsh - but because you have taught pup to leave it first, pup clearly understands that you are not just roughhousing (which is what pup probably thinks most of the time right now), so it is more effective. Biting - Leave It method, Bite Inhibition method, and Pressure method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite When pup gets especially wound up, he probably needs a nap too. At this age puppies will sometimes get really hyper when they are overtired or haven't had any mental stimulation through something like training. When you spot that and think pup could be tired, place pup in their crate or an exercise pen with a food stuffed Kong for a bit to help him calm down and rest. Finally, check out the PDF e-book downloads found on this website, written by one of the founders of the association of professional dog trainers, and a pioneer in starting puppy kindergarten classes in the USA. Click on the pictures of the puppies to download the PDF books: https://www.lifedogtraining.com/freedownloads/ Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
Aug. 4, 2021
Quill
German Shepherd
11 Months
Question
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
We live on a 10 acre ranch off of a busy highway to the north. Across our property line (unfenced) my sister lives to the south. My dog frequently races over there to hang out with her dog or just wandering around or other neighbor's property even if he is outside for just a few moments unattended. This problem has just developed in the last few weeks. I'm hesitant of doing any harsh training because I do not want him to get "trained" to not run south, and end up on the highway to the North. I also am confused with boundary training because when I'm with him, we frequently will walk this area and I do not want him to be hesitant and not sure if he can figure that out. Our older dog (golden retriever) has not had issues with wondering off ever and knows the boundaries and always stays close.
Dec. 14, 2020
Quill's Owner
Alisha Smith - Alisha S., Dog Trainer
257 Dog owners recommended
Hello! Training your dog to stay inside a boundary is quite simple. To get started you will need to purchase marker flags from your local hardware store. These are generally found in the garden section. You will also need high value treats for your dog. I like to use grilled chicken, roast beef, or cheese cut into very small pieces. Look for a treat your dog will go crazy over, and only use this special treat for boundary training. I prefer to use a clicker as a marker for training this behavior. The clicker is a reward marker communicating to your dog that she did the right thing and will get a reward. You will start inside your house with your dog. Show your dog the flag, when she touches it with her nose click the clicker and give her a treat. This will teach her that touching the flag is what gets her the reward or treat. Next, place the flag a few feet away from you. Have your dog touch the flag; when she does this again you will click. She should then return to you to get her treat. Move the flag further way and practice having your dog go to the flag, click and give her a treat when she returns to you. By doing this, you will be conditioning your dog to move away from the flag. Before moving the training outside, I like to work with my dogs for about a week to make sure they understand they are to move away from the flags. Remember to always use a clicker and a treat to reinforce this. Once your dog understands they get rewarded for moving away from the flags, it is time to take the training outside. Place flags along your boundary line every 8-10 feet. Using a 15 to 20 foot long line, walk your dog around the boundary of your yard. She should go to the flags and touch them. After this happens you will click and your dog should return to you for her treat. Remember to continue to use your clicker and click and dispense a treat every time she touches the flags. For the best success practice this several times a day. You are classically conditioning your dog to return to you when she sees the flags. The flag become the cue to return to you, this becomes an involuntary response to the dog. Practice as often as you can, 8 to 10 weeks of practice will help make this a very solid behavior. The more you practice the more solid the behavior will be. As your dog gets better at returning to you, increase the length of the long line to 40 or 50 feet. You can also introduce some low level distractions to the training. This increases the difficulty of the behavior so make sure your dog gets a lot of praise and reinforcement for returning to you. Gradually increase the level of the distractions. If your dog is having trouble with this part of the training, make sure your distractions are not too high level. The last step is working with your dog off-leash. Make sure you are supervising your dog during this part of the training. Reinforce your dog often during the off lead sessions. Be aware of what is going on outside your yard and if you feel the distractions are too much for your dog to handle put her back on the lead. You will also want to make sure your yard is a fun environment for your dog. The yard should be a place where your dog feels safe and happy. One last tip; Do not punish your dog if she goes out of her boundary. Simply call her back and praise her when she returns. This will teach her that being inside the boundary is always rewarding and good things happen whenever she is inside the boundary.
Dec. 14, 2020