Gallant Edge German Shepherds

Below are a list of rules to follow to ensure your dog knows his place in your human pack. Not all of these rules have to be followed to a tee if your dog shows no signs of aggression. However, if your dog guards his food, or growls at humans in the family.  These rules should be strictly followed. Dogs need to have a clear place in their pack. A dog lacking in this clear order is an unhappy dog.

 1.    The people in the family the dog growls at must be the only ones to feed the dog.  Give the dog a command before giving them their food.  If a dog does not follow the command (ie, to sit), he does not eat.  Try again in about 20 minutes or longer.  Repeat this until the dog listens to the command.

2.    All humans must eat "Before" the dogs, as the leader always eats first.  When you give your dog its food, eat a small snack first while he is watching, lay the snack near the dogs food so that he thinks you are eating out of his bowl (the leader always eats first).

3.    No Table scraps should be fed to the dogs during a human meal. 

4.    Feedings must be at a scheduled time.  No self feeding dog food dispensers should be used.  This allows the dog to choose when he eats. 

5.    Humans must not let the dog go through any doorways first. Dogs must always go through the doorways After the humans, as the leader of the pack always goes first. The dog must be told to "stay" and given the command to "come" after all humans have passed through.

6.   When you have left the house or the room, even for a minute and come back in the room, ignore the dog for a few minutes.

7.     A simple obedience command such as “Sit” should be given before any pleasurable interaction with the dog. (i.e. play session, petting, feeding or a walk etc…) The children should give the dogs commands at least once a day and reward with a treat when the command is followed. A simple “Sit” will do. No treat should be awarded if the dog does not follow the command.  

8.     You should not lay on the floor to watch TV when the dog is around and no one should roll around the floor playing with the dogs.  Humans should never put themselves in an equal or lesser height position than the dog. 

9.   You are the one who greets newcomers first, the dog is the last who gets attention (the pack leader is the one who greets newcomers and lets the rest know when it is safe to greet the newcomer)

10. If a dog is laying in your path, the dog Must get up and move out of your way. Do not step over the dog even if you can. In the wild, the pack leader always makes the lower dogs in the pack move.  

11.  During the time you are establishing your higher pack position, no hugs should be given to the dog by you, as a dominant dog may consider this a challenge of power.

12.  If you establish eye contact with the dog, the dog must avert his gaze first.  If the human averts first it reinforces the dogs highter position.  For this reason tell children not to have staring contests with the dog.

13.  Dogs must not sleep in your bed. The comfortable bed is reserved for the higher humans.

14.   Dogs must never be allowed to mouth or bite anyone at any time, including in play.  

15.  Any attention given to the dog, including petting should be given when the Human decides attention should be given.  Never give attention to a dog when jumping for attention, or acting inappropriate.  Petting at this time will only tell your dog that you approve of the behavior and you would reinforcing, in his mind, that he is higher on the scale than the human. 

16.  Games of fetch or play with toys must be Started and Ended by the Human.  

17.  Dogs should not be allowed to lie on your furniture, as the leader of the pack always gets the most comfortable spot. Dogs belong on the floor.  

18.  No tug-of-war, as this is a game of power and you may lose the game giving the dog a reinforcement (in the dog's mind) of top dog.

1.  Dogs need to be taught a “Drop it” or release command. Any objects the dog has in his possession should be able to be taken away by all humans.

20.  Dogs own no possessions, everything belongs to the humans. They are all on "loan" from the human family. You should be able to handle or remove any item at all times from the dog with no problems from the dog. Even if you are taking a chicken bone out of the dog's mouth.

21.  Dogs should not be allowed to pull on the leash. When they do this they are leading the way and it is the humans that need to lead the way and show they're higher up in the pack order. (In the wild, the leader of the pack always leads the way; the leader leads the hunt.)

22.  When on a walk, a dog must not be allowed to sniff or eliminate anywhere he wishes. One marking against a tree is enough for male dogs.

23.  Small dogs or puppies who demand to be picked up or put down should NOT get what they want until they sit or obey a command and are showing quiet, calm submissive behavior.  They should not be put down if until they are settled quietly in your arms.

24.  Dogs should never be left unsupervised with children or anyone who cannot maintain leadership over the dog.  

Note:  You may need to consult a behaviorist if you have any problems with any of these issues.  Understanding your dog is the key to a successful, life long happy relationship. 

You may wish to also read our article "Behavior Issues - How to Take On the Pack Leader Roll" or refer back to our help page for further assistance. Help Page

There are many good books at our bookstore which can also assist you to better understand and relate to your dog.

     
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For Your German Shepherd Dog
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