Introduction
Your German Shepherd is the perfect family pet. He is a great guard dog and gives his fiercest bark when the doorbell rings to warn anyone off. He’s a gorgeous dog with striking markings and has a loving personality. However, out on a walk he can be a handful due to his strong build and you find it difficult to hold him back. Due to his size, if he is not taught how to be obedient when out and about, you will run into many problems. Do not let this deter you from taking him for walks as German Shepherds need a lot of exercise. Taking him out for regular walks will keep him happy and healthy and help keep his abundant energy levels down. It is important that you train him to walk patiently beside you while out on walks and only when it is safe to do so, you can let him have a run around.
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Defining Tasks
If your Shepherd were to pull away from you on a walk and run into a road or even attack another dog, you could be left with a disastrous situation. Leash pulling is not an acceptable behavior and training him to walk beside you will solve this problem. If you can train him to walk at your will and pace, he will learn that you are in charge. Having a good basis of obedience commands such as ‘sit’ or ‘wait’ will serve you well in this training. If your dog is a puppy, he should pick up learning to walk beside you in a couple of weeks. If he is an older dog and has years of experience going out for walks and not having to stay by your side, his bad habits are going to be a lot harder to rectify and replace with new behaviors.
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Getting Started
Before you can start training, you will need to get your hands on a few key items. First, you will need a leash around 2 to 3 feet in length or an extending one. You need the leash fairly short as he will need to get used to walking close to you. You may also choose to purchase a harness, which you will be able to get fitted in any reputable pet shop. You should also have a generous supply of his favorite treats at the ready. If you have all this, you are ready to start!
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