How to Train a German Shepherd to Stay in the Yard

Hello Lorns, If he is fearful of you, I suggest hiring a trainer to help you build his trust and evaluate why he is fearful. If he does not seem truly scared, he is probably playing "keep away". Most dogs find it very fun to avoid their owners so that the owners will chase them. Some dogs avoid their owners because they have learned from past experience that when they are caught they have to go inside or do something else that is no fun. He needs to be generally off-leashed trained before being given off-leash freedom. Check out the article linked below on teaching Come. Follow the "Reel In" method, and when outside with your pup, until he will come every time while on a forty foot lightweight leash do not let him off leash - You start with a shorter and stronger leash, like a twenty or thirty foot one, and progress to a less noticeable one long and lighter one as he improves. When you are outside with him and he chooses to come up to you on his own, without being called, also give him a treat (hidden in your pocket so he doesn't see it beforehand), to encourage him to follow you willingly as well. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-whippet-to-recall You may also want to consider enrolling in an off-leash obedience training class. If he cannot perform commands around distractions while on the leash, then you will need to start with Basic or Intermediate Obedience first and once he knows those skills, move onto an advanced off-leash class. building general off-leash reliability will help a lot with boundary training. For boundary training to work, the dog needs to respect you well enough to listen to your instructions while off leash, unless you are using a device that enforces the training for you, like a barrier training device. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello, here are tips on getting your dog to play fetch or retrieve: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-vizsla-to-retrieve. and as well: https://wagwalking.com/training/fetch-9. Keep practicing and it will come before you know it. As for getting Nova back on the leash, the best way is to perfect her recall. You may want to work on it in a setting other than the beach at first, such as a quiet fenced in dog park or the back yard. Then, by all means, start practicing at the beach. There are good methods here: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-whippet-to-recall and https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shiba-inu-to-come. Happy training!