Grooming - Bathe your German Shepherd when necessary

Bathe your German Shepherd only when necessary or every 2 months. Use a high quality dog shampoo for dry skin. Ask your vet, breeder or pet store for breed-specific recommendations.

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Grooming - Remove any mats or tangles

Remove any mats or tangles in his undercoat with a metal rake. Matting is typically worse in their neck, chest and thigh areas.

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Grooming - Brush your German Shepherd twice a week

Brush your German Shepherd twice a week to manage shedding. Use a natural bristle brush and pin brush to remove hair shedding from both the outer course coat and the woolly, dense undercoat.

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Guard dog training - Dog training class

Sign your German Shepherd up for guard dog training classes with a qualified instructor who has experience training German Shepherds in this specialized discipline. This type of training will help teach your dog more about guarding and protecting. The training will help fill in any gaps. Professional training is also beneficial because your dog will see another person teaching her some of the same things you do. That will help reinforce the importance.

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Guard dog training - Create rules in your home

Create rules in your home for your German Shepherd to teach her discipline. She will need this in order to be a good guard dog. German Shepherds respond well to this type of training and enjoy pleasing their owner. It shows that you expect her to behave. Some good house rules include no begging during meal times, staying off furniture (get a dog bed for your German Shepherd), no jumping on people, and sitting before playing with a toy.

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Guard dog training - Obedience training

Train your German Shepherd to be a guard dog with obedience training. Your dog should understand that you are the master. Use a clicker to teach her the basic commands necessary: come, sit, stay, and down. See "How to Train Your Dog Yourself" in References to help you with obedience training.

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Guard dog training - Begin training very early life

Begin training your German Shepherd to be a guard dog very early in her life. Starting at eight weeks old is best. Socialization should be the first part of training. This is where you introduce your German Shepherd to new people, places and things. This socialization training will help your dog learn to see what is a threat and what is not. You can do this by going for walks in different areas, taking her to different parks, bringing her along on car trips when you can, and allowing visitors to interact with her. If German Shepherds do not receive this training they could become dangerous to anyone.

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Guard dog training - Stay safe with your German Shepherd guard dog

Stay safe with your German Shepherd guard dog. Call your homeowner's insurance company to make sure you are allowed to have a German Shepherd as a guard dog or even a pet. Check your local laws as well. Some will not allow trained guard dogs. You might need to get your German Shepherd special training to obey the law and/or your insurance company's rules.

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Guard dog training - German Shepherds can make great guard dogs

German Shepherds can make great guard dogs due to their loyalty, intelligence, strength, and sense of protection. A German Shepherd will usually be happy with the job of protecting you and your family as a guard dog.

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Training - Training a German Shepherd is well worth the time and effort

Training a German Shepherd is well worth the time and effort. German Shepherds are large breed dogs and need to learn how to respond to your basic commands.

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Training - Socialize the puppy as much as you can

If you get your German Shepherd at a young age, socialize the puppy as much as you can. Bring them everywhere and expose the puppy to as many places as possible.

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Training - Teach your German Shepherd by reinforcing behavior

Teach your German Shepherd by reinforcing behavior. Some great commands to teach your German Shepherd are "sit", "down," "stand," "stay," "heel" and "come."

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Training - German Shepherds need exercise

German Shepherds need exercise. If your German Shepherd has too much pent up energy, he will be very difficult to train. Take your German Shepherd running, swimming, hiking. Let your German Shepherd play with other dogs.

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Training - German Shepherd needs a strong leader

Dogs are pack animals. As the owner, you need to develop a leadership role. A German Shepherd needs a strong leader.

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Training - The first step in training a German Shepherd is to develop a strong bond with the dog

The first step in training a German Shepherd is to develop a strong bond with the dog. Developing a bond is done by walking, playing, feeding and spending time with the dog. The better the bond, the better the training will go.

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Dog care - Some serious training starting when he was young.

To properly take care of a German shepherd dog means some serious training starting when he was young. This breed is highly intelligent and trainable but has some serious muscles that can be used on the wrong person or object when training is not done. Socializing is just as important because the German shepherd dog is by nature on its guard with strangers. It needs to know that not everyone is bad.

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Dog care - German shepherd shed heavily

Although German shepherds have very short coat, they shed heavily. It is important for those that are allergic to animal fur to avoid this breed because the shedding is so heavy that your home will be covered in dog hair everyday. Overall, grooming is not very challenging.

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Dog care - The German shepherd is also a dog that is prone to bloat

The German shepherd is also a dog that is prone to bloat. This can happen to large breeds that are fed only one large meal a day and drink plenty of water afterward. Then they exercise vigorously either by running or playing with family. You must avoid this situation by not letting the dog exercise too much before and after his meal. After each exercise sessions, withheld water for at least 15 minutes.

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Dog care - A lot of German shepherds have hip problems and weak bones

A lot of German shepherds have hip problems and weak bones. When it is a puppy, be sure to not let him play extensively on hard pavements to avoid damaging his young bones. It is also important to choose food that is especially made for large dog puppies because those are formulated for the bones. If you still have concerns about his bones, you can supplement his food with calcium.

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Owner guide - What is the reason that people give up their German Shepherd?

The No. 1 reason people give up their German shepherds is because this breed sheds too much. The No. 2 reason is that the dog got bigger than expected.

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