Avoid These 15 Common Mistakes New German Shepherd Owners Make
The German Shepherds are highly intelligent, and they are loyal animals that can be incredibly helpful whether it is as pets or working purposes. These qualities are usually building a strong and satisfying relationship between a German Shepherd and its owner.
But at the same time, the new owners of this breed may experience difficulties as they gradually familiarize themselves with the needs and peculiarities of the German Shepherd.
It is crucial to recognize these and other similar issues in order to improve the interaction with a German Shepherd and have a better formed and more joyful cooperation. Here are the most common 20 mistakes that beginners who got the German Shepherd dog should avoid in order to have this wonderful dog and make the Right Steps
1. Lack of Research Before Adoption
Perhaps one of the worst things that can be done is to get a German Shepherd without really taking time to learn more about it. Knowing the main characteristics, requirements, and possible problems in interaction with a German Shepherd is necessary to avoid a breakdown and build a good relationship. In its turn, the breed of German Shepherds is characterized with the high level of intelligence, activity and increased need for work. Inexperienced buyers might not know what they are getting themselves into concerning exercise, grooming, and training needs of this breed.
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Thus, the case helps prospective owners determine whether their current lifestyle and home environment are suitable for the breed. For instance, these dogs do well in households where they can play and exercise since they need to do a lot of walking. Also, knowing the basic predispositions of the breed, for example hip dysplasia or predisposition to any behavioral problems, one can make wiser choices concerning treatment or prevention.
2. Inadequate Training
This is one of the worst mistakes that the new owners of the German Shepherd make – they do not value training as something essential and goods for their dogs in the initial stages of their interaction. Standard practice with GSDs is that they require structure in their training due to their intelligence levels and thirst for constructive learning processes. However, left untrained, their intelligence results into them becoming bored and a nuisance as well as having no well-defined rules or regulations.
Early training is important because laying the groundwork for the dog’s behavior and it also ensures that the German Shepherd is tamed, and becomes a well-behaved dog. Be sure to repeat the commands and the right behaviors that your dog needs to exhibit often so that he or she understands that you are the one in charge. Because they are intelligent and love to work, going for a structured method will not only benefit the dog’s obedience but also increase the training relationship with your dog.
Lack of proper training can lead to a lot of problems as basic as disobedience to more severe problems of behavior. Thus, paying much attention to the early training in addition to being consistent, you’ll ensure that your German Shepherd has a proper and comfortable life with your family.
3. Neglecting Socialization
German Shepherd is a very smart and active breed and that is why proper socialization of this breed is a very important thing that should not be neglected by the owner as it can cause various problems in behavior of the dog. Socialization is a crucial process in the life of German Shepherds because it enables them to get used to different individuals and species as well as various surroundings that are beneficial to their health and emotional state. In the absence of proper socialization, the German Shepherds turns into a fearful and aggressive dog or the new faces or unfamiliar environments.
Socialization is important in early ages of a German Shepherd’s life as this make them well behaved and confident dogs when they grow up. Socializing them with different people, animals and surround them with different environments when they are still month old puppies will help minimize some of the frequent habits that develop and make them comfortable with virtually any circumstances that they may encounter in future. This process not only reinforces the implementation of good conduct but also enhances the neural capacity to respond properly to the new stimuli.
A German Shepherd that is well socialized will not have those imbalances and interacting with people and other animals will be more enjoyable. It is crucial to make socialization a causative factor from the early age, so there would be no problems in the future and your German Shepherd would develop into a polite and versatile pet.
4. Overlooking Exercise Needs
This among many others is one of the mistakes that people make when they own a German Shepherd; they fail to put into consideration the exercise needs of the dog. They are working dogs and they need their regular exercises both physically and mentally to enable them live a healthy life. Neglecting the need for adequate play causes the animal to get bored leading to destuctive behavior or being overly hyper.
These dogs require daily moderate to intense exercise, and love activities that are physically and mentally stimulating. Gardening, taking daily walks, play sessions, and time to run or do something like agility or obedience exercises are important for their lives. If your German Shepherds lack adequate exercise, they are likely to develop vices say in areas like chewing or digging or barking excessively.
Both of these problems are prevented through the implementation of physical and mental workout in its German Shepherd together with helping it to be fit and happy. Thus, avoiding situations when your pets stay idle or get too much exercise, you contribute to their happiness and the stable functioning of your home.
5. Poor Diet Choices
Hence, it becomes evident that a German Shepherd can be affected by diseases due to a poor diet. This paper discusses breed-specific aspects of nutrition focusing on the dietary requirements for the German Shepherd. Food that has not been of a good quality or lacks some nutrients can therefore result in people developing complications like obesity, digestive complications, cases of poorly nutritious diets and the likes.
Because the German Shepherds are lively dogs and they are always active, they should be fed with good amounts of proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. Onward, proper dog foods that are specially designed for their breed or their size will make sure that they get the required nutrients to keep them going, muscular, and have healthy coats.
Some of the consequences of feeding your dog a poor diet include deterioration of his/her health and poor quality of life. In this way you maintain your German Shepherd’s physical shape, feed it properly, meaning that the animal is strong, lively, and cheerful all the time.
6. Ignoring Grooming Requirements
One of the grooming mistakes is not considering the need to groom because it is often neglected though it does affect the German Shepherd’s health and coziness. The coat of the German Shepherds is a double layer coat ; therefore, the coat needs to be well maintained most of the times. These include the regular brushing to help in managing shedding and to help in preventing forming of mats and skin checks of some form of itchiness or infestation by parasites.
Its brushing aids in removing loose hair and skin flakes; thus, cutting on the amount of hair shed within your house and promoting healthy skin on your dog. These times includes the spring and the fall seasons, at this times one should brush the dog more often because they do shed a lot of fur and entangled hair.
Failure to groom their pet means that they will develop skin issues such as rashes, tangled hair, and may even be prone to get infections. If you carry out grooming sessions as a schedule, you end up helping your German Shepherd to live a healthy life besides ensuring that your pet has the best looks. Grooming also involves cleanliness and freedom from diseases that may hinder their overall fitness; this is due to proper care on their coat.
7. Skipping Regular Vet Visits
Missing your appointed vet visits is something that you should not do because it could compromise your German Shepherd’s health. Annual health check-ups and immunization are very crucial in avoiding health complications in your dog and later treatment when needed. A preventive health care plan is implemented to ensure that your German Shepherd is healthy at all times by checking for new infections and reviewing the vaccination calendars.
Vaccinations help shield your dog from several diseases and illnesses and regular checkups afford the chance to attend to your pet’s health needs and guarantee the well-being of your German Shepherd. This implies that diseases that may possibly originate from dental issues, joint problems, or parasitic attacks are likely to be detected early to enhance more efficient remedy and improved results on the affected party.
When you take your German Shepherd for a veterinary appointment, you are doing yourself and your dog a favor as it is one way of creating a healthy and happy dog for the longest time possible.
8. Inconsistent Routine
Disregulation of schedules can negatively influence a German Shepherd both physically and psychologically. This breed of dogs has a coping mechanism with so much structure and discipline that any jam in their schedule would cause ruckus. Whenever your GSD is fed, exercised or trained, it is important to do it at the same time every day, this will help the GSD to feel secure as they know when the next time comes it will be time for that specific activity.
Unpredictability in the feeding schedule will interfere with the digestive processes of your dog and may cause behavior problems concerning food in your pet. As for physical conditions, irregularity of exercising routines may result in certain diseases, and unstable mental state, which manifests in cases of restlessness and destructive actions. Of all the breeds, confusion may arise in this breed due to their training since they require orderliness in their training the commands and the various do’s and don’ts.
This way, you create the proper structure that helps the German Shepherd feel comfortable and work on any of its issues. It makes the good behaviors become enduring, helps to gain the sufficient amount of physical activity, and contributes to the feeling of safety and protection.
9. Lack of Mental Stimulation
Lack of mental stimulation is one of the most common mistakes that a dog owner can make which will have a considerable impact on his or her German Shepherd. German Shepherds are exceptionally smart and the breed needs something more than just a physical work to keep them literally and figuratively ‘on their toes’.
Mental activities can include toys that take time for a dog to solve, games and tasks where the dog has to follow commands, offer his paw, etc. These provide a way and means of discouraging dullness and at same time provides an avenue to channel the energy of the dog in the right manner. For this reason, when kept at home, German Shepherds may not perform intellectual tasks required to satisfy their brain capacities, hence they get frustrated progress to destructing every thing within their reach.
This is how different elements of training as well as kinds of mental workouts should be integrated into the daily schedule of your dog. This inculcates a better mental state, enhances the problem solving abilities, and also enforces good conduct thus making the companion to be balanced and well mannered.
10. Inadequate Space
Lack of space is another problem that can have an adverse impact on a GSD’s health and welfare. These are active breed dogs primarily and they require a lot of space to move around and exercise. Depending on how big the yard is or how freiendly the house is, one has to ensure that there is enough free space to be capable of containing their energy levels and playfulness.
Returning to the bred’s behavior, it can be stated that German Shepherds need spaces to run, play, and investigate. If the dog lacks space, s/he may easily get bored start to bark a lot or perform other destructive actions and reactions. Territorial space and exercises should be provided in your home or yard that would help your German Shepherd expand his/her activity and energy level.
This ensures you satisfy their instincts, remaining active the whole day, permanently in a good mood, devoid of behavior issues. It does not only improve their standard of living but also improves the general standard of living for yourself and your dog.
11. Ignoring Behavioral Issues
Major behavioral problems of German Shepherds should not be overlooked since they lead to lifelong issues in that dog and the owner. when one leaves these behavioral issues untreated, they are bound to get worse; these may include those problems like barking too much, chewing, digging or even aggressive behaviors. The above behaviors need correction at an early age so that your German Shepherd can grow to be a well-trained dog that would not pose a danger to the society.
German Shepherds are work minded, smart, and obedient but can be destructive when problems are left unsolved. If certain behavioral issues are not corrected immediately, or at all, there are high chances that the child will have a rather deep-rooted issue, the management of which will be far from easy. If you notice such problems in the initial stages, you are in a position to foster right trainability techniques that will help your dog to change behavior.
Training also does not only discourage or erase any unwanted actions but also helps in improving the relationship that you have with your German Shepherd. Repetition and positive reinforcement assist the dog in comprehending what is required of them and assist in building up the dog’s confidence and trust in you. In this manner, you are getting to the root of many behavioral problems effectively enabling your GSD to have a happy and fulfilling life.
12. Misunderstanding Their Protective Nature
One of the things that owners often by mistake is the innate protective responses of the German Shepherds, which results in overprotection or being aggressive. For this reason, German Shepherds have been considered as loyal, defensive and have a strong desire of guarding their family and property. Though that is good in a way that can make them good guard dogs there are cases where this trait can be challenging to handle.
They also have this facet in them, and for this reason, it is significant that this aspect is appreciated and comprehended so that it can be directed to the most suitable course. Failing to train the dog and expose it to the social environment will make its protective nature work negatively to develop hostility towards strangers or other animals. It is necessary to train your dog to distinguish between potential dangers and ordinary interactions as overprotection of dogs is essential.
This is especially because constant training and encouragement assist in controlling their protective mechanisms. When the German Shepherd is introduced to other people or different situations, it can learn how to respond properly. Also, standing as the alpha-setter through posture and assertiveness prevents the need for your dog to protect territory or family and sets the house rules.
Therefore, knowing and bringing control over their protective mode can help to makes certain that your German Shepherd would continue to be the obedient and reliable pet of the family that could respond to acts of violence or threats to your safety without necessarily being violent.
13. Inappropriate Exercise
Thus, it is possible to state that improper exercise negatively influences the German Shepherd’s health and further growth. The type of exercise one should give differs depending on the age of the German Shepherd; it is also important not to over-exercise a young German Shepherd, at the same time, one should also ensure that an older German Shepherd gets enough exercise.
Training and entertaining a young german shepherd with excessive exercises will harm the skeleton and joint structures of that youngster possibly causing problems like hip dysplasia or joint pain in the future. Puppy should only be allowed to play moderately engaging activities appropriate for their age to ensure that they do not strain their growing muscles.
Conversely, lack of sufficient exercise for the older German Shepherd will lead to obesity, muscle wastage, and other related complications arising from the excessive energy that the dog lacks outlets to expel. Older dogs just like humans require physical activity in order to maintain muscularity as well as the cardiovascular system. However, the exercise should be modified to their age and fitness level, therefore making the exercise mild and within their strength.
Thinking about the individual need in exercise at different age periods in the life of your German Shepherd will help to avoid embodied critical exits, fulfill a mission of prevention, and provide the pet with comfortable conditions for active stay in the future.
14. Failure to Establish Boundaries
German Shepherds need their space and they need to know what is allowed and what is not so when proper boundary /rules are not set then chances of such complications as dominance etc are inevitable. German Shepherds are smart and stubborn, They are also highly dependent on clear instructions and build a schedule, in a word, they require structure. They become challenging to manage because they will cross the fine line and engage in negative behaviors.
Applying and maintaining rules form the basis of the required conduct to improve your German Shepherd’s conduct within the home. Restrictions put in place an organized or scheduled behavior which your dog will not be confused or anxious about. This is achieved by acting like a mother and define taboo behaviors that must not be allowed for instance the running around the house erroneously, begging for food, tugging on a leash etc.
One needs to be consistent when it comes to addressing the rules of discipline. Everyone in the family should follow the same rules in order to prevent signals that are conflicting and might ‘’baffle’’ the dog. Many specific techniques include crate training, leash training and teaching the dog basic commands that would help avoid the dog dominating over the owner.
In this way, you rise as a trainer of your German Shepherd, and the dog becomes polite, obedient, and balanced friend who actually respects your relationship rooted between the owner and the dog.
15. Not Providing Enough Mental Challenges
Lack of mental stimulation is one of the most common mistakes which may result in German Shepherds’ boredom, and therefore, behavioral issues. To keep the minds of these complicated dogs exercised and thus satisfied, they ought to provide their brains with pertinent tasks that can cause it to work out continuously. If bored, they may before start destructive activities since the mind will be yearning for the challenges it is not getting.
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Obtaining obedience, agility training, and scent work are some of the best training regimens to make a German Shepherd’s brain active. Such activities enable the mental functioning of the dog while at the same time creating a close bond between the dog and its owner due to the interaction during the exercises.
Other highly recommended stimuli include toys that you can interact with your dog, for example, problem-solving feeders or treat delivering toys. These toys will challenge the intelligence of your German Shepherd and may also take a long time to destroy. This way, the children will not get bored easily and their interests will remain engaged with new toys and challenges brought in the playpen from time to time.
It is recommended to engage the German Shepherd in many activities that will stimulate it mentally to ensure that it remains well-behaved, and happy. Apart from this, they should be stimulated for them to be able to solve some mental tasks needed for their well being, and for a better or healthier relationship between them and your dog.
Conclusion
Consequently, knowing all these 15 possible mistakes that people, who became the first owners of German Shepherd, might face, you can have a great chance to improve your experience with this breed. On adopting a rescue, the possibility is that you have done your homework well in understanding everything that they require to have so ensure they are okay when they get adopted, training makes him or her more obedient and socializing also helps to ensure that they are well behaved.
Vigorous physical and mental activities help to counter the boredom and destructive propensities while balanced diet and proper hygiene keeps them physically healthy.
Daily checkups, other timely visits to the vet, defining the rights and wrongs for a dog, and training them when they are young are very important. Knowing and avoiding these issues makes it possible to raise a happy, obedient, and well brought up German Shepherd as a member of the family.