Generally, you can start to teach your German shepherd basic commands once he has reached the age of six months. Try to have everybody in your family take part in these lessons – everybody will need to use the commands at some point – and keep lessons short, ideally around ten or fifteen minutes.
As with other aspects of training, you should reward your puppy with affection and perhaps a treat when he does well. If he isn’t learning quite as quickly as you had hoped, then you can withhold the reward. Don’t punish your dog for not obeying these basic commands – he will then associate that particular command with punishment.
All the commands that you give your puppy at this stage should consist of just two words – your puppy’s name, followed by the command – “Rover, come!” When giving commands to your dog, make sure that you use a tone of voice that’s both firm and enthusiastic. Be sure to praise your puppy when he gets it right.
You should start training your puppy to obey the word "come" just as soon as you have brought him home the first time. To train your puppy to come, you should use the lead at first. Extend the lead distance as far as it will go and then use the command while at the same time tugging gently on his lead.
If you don’t see positive results at first – persevere. Make sure you are crouched down on the same level as your dog and are using the word “come” in a positive, firm way and not angrily. Praise and reward your puppy – don’t be cross if he doesn’t get it right the first time. After he has got the idea, take the lead off and repeat the procedure.
To train your puppy to lie down, first command him to sit. Lower one of his favorite food treats between his front paws and say “down” or “lie”” – most dogs will lie down to get at the treat. Once he is lying down, you can then give him the treat. Try to practice the command to lie down from different positions – from both a standing and a sitting position.
Dogs tend to lie down in two different positions – “flat” where the hips are rolled and the legs are to one side; and “sphinx” in which his hind legs are tucked underneath. Training your dog to lie down helps to show him who is in command – it can also be helpful in a busy or dangerous environment. And a puppy that’s lying down is usually a quiet puppy!
