Jennifer C: What is the best way to housebreak a female German Shepherd?
I have an 8-week-old German Shepherd puppy and I am having a hard time potty training her. She is very stubborn and is not cooperating with me. Please give me some advice!
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Answers and Views:
Answer by Kaley D
I've never had a hard time training a dog… I guess it's harder for most people. What you need to do is crate her. Take her out immediately from the crate, praise and give treats when she pees or poos outside… make it a big deal…and it'll be a snap!
Answer by Draggy
Basically just take your German Shepherd outside a lot. Scold her if she goes in the house, but don't overdo it. If she has a problem with accidents, get puppy pads. They'll lure her so when your not home she'll go on that, depending on if its a good brand or not.
Answer by Mutt for the Truth
Potty training is simple:
Put her on a schedule – if you feed her the same time each day that will help regulate her bowels so you can "predict" when she may have to go.
Keep her with you – you must watch her like a hawk. Block off rooms to keep her with you or use the tether method (hook her to a leash and hold onto it/tie it to your belt.)
Watch for potty signs – most dogs show them. Sniffing, circling, sudden loss of interest in toys or playing. If you THINK she might have to go, rush her right out.
Bring her out often – she'll have to go first thing in the morning, after eating, after drinking, after playing, after napping, and right before bed. WHEN she has to go after these events may vary, but it will almost assuredly be between 0-60 minutes. At her age, every hour otherwise is a good start (then slowly increase by half an hour as you notice her potty schedule, signs, and depending on accidents/lack of.)
Rule of thumb – one hour per month of age. That is the most a pup can "hold it" physically.
Crate train – if you can't watch the pup, put her in a properly sized crate. She should be crated when no one is home and at night. Again, no more than one hour per month of age – for overnight stays just go to bed later, wake up earlier, and/or make the effort to get up once or twice to quickly let her out (no playing, just potty.)
Answer by Bozema
Try crate training. It works really well. I've housebroken two dogs that way with great success.
Answer by Chase
Well, German shepherds are rough dogs so you have to be rough with them. Don't just talk to them and say "no don't do that". Put them near where they peed and speak up "NO DO NOT PEE IN THE HOUSE"! This advice works best on couple-month-old dogs. Don't be as rough with a pup - you might scare it for life.
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Answer by alis_n_1derland
I raise German shepherds and sometimes they can be a little difficult to train, once they have it down they are very good about letting you know its time to go outside. Here is what I do with my puppies, I have 7 right now so not just me I have to get all of us involved.
I hate to keep them in crates all the time, so when they are out, they are leashed to the ankle of one of us/or all of us if they are all out. They can play and have fun, but can't get too far and you can tell easily if they start doing that little poop dance or sniffing for a place to pee. At that point, take them out. If we're inside and they haven't gone out for two hours, I take them out, also 1/2 hour after eating.
At night the same thing, except I try to make it four hours for the sake of sleeping. I do not crate my dogs at night, so we all sleep with a dog or two leashed to us in the bed, once they get older I put them on a pallet on the floor beside me, still leashed.
Eventually, I move the leash to the footboard of the bed, and I go longer periods of time before taking the dogs out, but 8 weeks is still very young. My puppies don't leave their moms until they are at least 10 weeks, and preferably 12.
German Shepherds are very "needy" and right now that 8-week-old girl is probably missing her parents and siblings more than you might realize. It might take her a few weeks to adjust to being the only one, but stick it out and you'll have a most loyal and I believe one of the best dogs in the world!
GSD don't need to be manhandled and they are very voice sensitive, be firm, but do NOT raise your voice or scream. Really, once she gets it she will work very hard to please you, she'll be able to tell when you are disappointed so don't be too rough – and for the love of God don't use those pads.
Once your dog adjusts to being away from her family she is going to EAT – and EAT BIG – the pads won't do.
Answer by Midwest
Crate train.
Whenever you can't watch her 100% put her in the crate. Let her sleep there at night too. She will consider it her den and will not go to the bathroom in there.
Large breed dogs are usually trained within a couple of weeks.
Answer by luvexotics
The most effective way to housebreak a dog is to not allow mistakes to happen so that the immediate habit becomes to go outside not in. When your GSD puppy can not be supervised, crate her. When she is out of her crate, take her out hourly until you learn her schedule.
Each dog is a little different about when they go. Once you know when you need to go you can extend the length between outings. Every success gets a lot of praise. If you are watching her closely you will not have accidents, but just in case accidents mean you were not paying enough attention, learn from them, clean them with an enzyme remover, and do better next time. If she is never allowed to mistake inside she will not think that she can go there and she will learn to wait and go outside.
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