Challenges Faced in Owning and Training a German Shepherd

A lot of people wonder if you need a lot of experience in German Shepherd training and how difficult is the process. Whether the dog you are looking to train is your first ever pet, or if you’ve already been through the process of training several other dogs, it is vitally important to understand what potential challenges you need to overcome in order to succeed in the training your dog or puppy.

There are plenty of dog owners who are adults working 9-5 jobs, not to mention that many of them have a family to take care of – parents,  husband or wife and kids. All of these, as you might already know, dictate what your obligations and responsibilities are to your family. As an example, if you’re married with kids and work in a 9-5 job, you’ll most likely get home feeling tired at six in the evening. By the time you unwind, prepare and have dinner, have some family time, and watch some TV shows, it’s ten at night! Soon, you’ll have to start preparing tomorrow – packing your kids’ lunchboxes, making sure you have everything you need completed for work tomorrow and so on. Now, what if you were to add owning and training your German Shepherd to the list? Will it be more responsibilities for you? What if your kids really want a German Shepherd as a family pet?

Certainly having a dog as a pet requires additional responsibilities which can be “too much” for many individuals. But that’s just looking at the negative aspects of owning a dog; what are the positive aspects? There are countless of positive aspects, but for the sake of this article, let’s go through three main ones. First, numerous studies have shown that having any pet at home helps relieve and reduce stress. Second, it will be fun for your kids as they learn how to socialize with animals in general. Third, the journey of training your dog can be very satisfying and fun, such that it can instantly become a hobby for you. To be able to fully enjoy and experience these positive aspects of owning and training your dog, you need to first overcome these three common challenges.

Making Time for Your German Shepherd

This is one of the most challenging obstacles potential dog owners have. As a dog owner, you need to make time for your German Shepherd not only to build bonds, but also to train your dog which requires a lot of patience. You can certainly overcome this challenge by setting up schedules and daily goals so that you’ll be used to having the daily routine of spending time with your dog.

Learning Techniques to Train Your German Shepherd

One of the challenges many new dog owners face is that they believe that dog training requires a ton of experience. While this is in part true, there are dozens of dog training resources you can take advantage of to learn about the skills you need to train your German Shepherd. And don’t forget, everyone has to start from somewhere!

Monetary Constraints

This is a big one, but in part, is also a function of how dog owners overcome the first two challenges listed above. A lot of new dog owners, when faced with a difficult or stubborn behavior from their dogs, gravitate towards the direction of seeking a dog trainer. While this is sometimes a viable option, it can be costly (hundreds to thousands of dollars) and keep in mind, it can take several tries to seek a good, compatible dog trainer, which can result in even more money spent.

So, the next time you’re doubting yourself in training your own German Shepherd, or if you should even own one, go over these three challenges and try to develop solutions for them. Don’t forget to check out our Ultimate Guide to German Shepherd Training to understand how identifying and overcoming these challenges play a vital role in providing training for your German Shepherd.

Hope you enjoyed this post and learnt something new. If you did, please share this article! Thanks!

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