15 Tricks to Teach Your German Shepherd Puppy

So you purchased a German Shepherd Puppy, now what? Teaching your German Shepherd Puppy tricks can be fun, exciting, and a great way to bond. Below are some fun tricks to teach your German Shepherd Puppy.

Speak
This one usually comes a bit easier than one might expect. Get your puppy excited, or even a bit noisy and out of control. Now, hold a treat, and let your puppy see that you have a treat. Your puppy, if already trained, may do tricks it already knows, such as sitting or laying down. Once your puppy goes through the tricks it knows, it will try to figure out what you want. Your puppy will become excited. Give the command, “speak.” Once your puppy barks, either out of excitement, or to get you to release the treat, give your puppy the treat. Repeat and practice as much as you need in order for your puppy to establish the connection between “speak” and his/her action.

Hush/Quiet
 This one is especially useful, and it can be very easy to teach if your puppy already knows how to speak on command. Give your puppy the command to speak. Let your puppy bark a few times, then give the command “Quiet.” As soon as your puppy becomes quiet, give him/her a treat. Practice this with people at the door. If your puppy becomes quiet when told, give them a treat.

Beg
If your puppy already knows how to sit, this one is quite simple. Get your puppy to sit. Then, holding a treat, raise your hand above its head. Most puppies will automatically pick their front feet up and beg. If your puppy is standing on its back feet, try putting the treat closer to the puppy. Give the command as you raise your hand. Once your puppy begs properly, give it a treat.

Shake
 Another simple one. Have your puppy sit. Then, say “shake” and grab your puppy’s paw and shake it. If your puppy allows you to do this, give it a treat. Do this one or two times more. Now, give the command again. This time, simply put your hand out for your puppy. It may take a few more times of grabbing your puppy’s paw, but eventually they will want the treat and put their paw on your hand. Give the puppy a treat when this happens and practice from there.

High Five
This one is super easy if your puppy already knows “shake.” Have your puppy sit. Then, give the command “shake.” Each time you do “shake,” raise your hand higher and higher, until it is level with the puppy’s head. Now, flip your hand over. Give the command “high five.” Your puppy will put it’s paw up out of habit from “shake.” Make sure you do this one a few times with your puppy in order to drive the concept home.

Wave/Salute
This one stems from “shake” and “high five.” Have your puppy sit. Give either the “shake” or “high five” command. When your puppy goes to give you their paw, move your hand away and give your puppy a treat. Your puppy may be confused at first. After the first time, switch the command out with “wave.” Do this a few times with your hand up, then take your hand away. Eventually, your puppy will be waving without your hand up. Be sure to give your pup lots of praise!

Fetch
This one can be tricky if your puppy doesn’t enjoy running around. Get your pet’s favorite toy, and get your pet excited about playing with it. Toss it just a few feet from you. If your puppy takes off with it, don’t chase them. Chasing them will only make it a different kind of game, one you will not likely win. Instead, call them back to you, and wait for them to come back with the toy. If they drop it somewhere, go get it, and toss it again. Keep doing this until the puppy brings the toy back. Once it does, reward it with a treat. Keep practicing, and soon your puppy will have this trick down in no time.

Put Away
 This one is both fun for your pet, and useful for you. Many puppy owners are also parents. It’s nice once you children are old enough to be told to put away their toys, and even nicer when they actually do it. What if you could teach your four-legged friend to do the same? Well, you can. Give your puppy a toy. Show them their toy-box, and say “put it away.” If your pet needs to be enticed to drop the toy, offer them a treat. As soon as the toy is dropped into the box, give them a treat. If the toy is not placed in the box, don’t give them a treat. Instead, give them their toy again, and repeat the process.

Dance
This one can be extremely easy for a puppy who already knows “up” or whatever variation you may use to have your puppy put its front paws on you. Give your command, and have your puppy hold the position. Give them a treat once they have held it for a moment. Now, give the command again. This time, catch their paws and say, “dance.” If your puppy lets you walk around a few steps with him/her, give them a treat. Repeat this process.

Army Crawl
This trick is super fun, just be careful about doing it on carpet or other textured surfaces; we don’t want any carpet-burned bellies! First, start with having your puppy lay down. Next, show them that you have a treat. Let them smell and even lick the treat, but do not let them have it. Then, drag the treat across the floor, and give the command, “crawl.” If your puppy successfully crawls a few inches, give them a treat. If your puppy gets up, start over and repeat the process. Each time your puppy masters a few more inches, give them a treat. Soon they will be an expert crawler!

Kiss
This one is for the ultimate puppy-lover, and not the germaphobe. Almost all puppies love to lick, but getting one to touch noses with you without leaving a slimy slick mess across your face is another story. For this one you can choose to have the puppy “kiss” you wherever on your face you like: cheek, nose, etc. Start off by putting a treat in front of your face and saying the command “kiss.” As soon as your puppy’s nose touches your face, pull back and give the treat. Do this a few more times and soon your puppy will have it down pat. (Note: If your puppy is licking, it’s not the same, and should not be rewarded with a treat).

Walk Backwards
This is actually more useful than you would think, especially when trying to get your puppy to move away from something dangerous or not appropriate for you puppy to be around. For this one, start by having your puppy stand/stay. Take a treat and put over their head and say, “back.” Some puppies will catch on very quickly, while others will take work. If your puppy is having trouble with it, nudge your puppy with your leg or body. Each time the puppy takes a step back, praise and reward it.

Take a bow
For this one, start your puppy in the standing position. Hold a treat at the end of your puppy’s nose and slowly move it down. Use the command “bow.” Make sure you keep the treat close to his/her body, as this will help keep his backside in the air. Once he/she has their chest on the ground, slowly move them back up. Once they are back to standing, reward your puppy with the treat and praise. If your puppy is having trouble keeping his backside in the air, use your arm, or another object of good height to encourage his buttock to stay in the air. Most puppies usually catch on pretty quickly.

Spin
Super easy and super cute, “spin” will have you laughing, and your puppy exercising, in no time! It is super easy to lure your pup into spinning with a well-placed treat in front of their nose. Use the command “spin” and move your hand in the motion you want your puppy to follow. Once your puppy makes a full spin, give them the treat. Repeat until your puppy is spinning on their own. Just be careful not to let them get to moving too fast. Your pooch may get dizzy and hurt itself if it spins too much/fast.

Play Dead
This one is made a lot easier if your puppy already knows “down” and/or “roll over.” If your puppy doesn’t already know these, you may consider going back and learning those first. Start by having your puppy lay down. Put the treat in front of your puppy’s nose and use your command. A lot of people like to act like their puppy is being shot by their fingers, so “bang” could be the verbal command. As you give the command, have your puppy roll onto their side using the treat to coax them. Once they are in the correct position and holding it, give them the treat. Keep practicing until your puppy falls or roll over without the treat. Some people even like to remove the verbal command and only use the hand command with two fingers like a gun, but that’s up to you.

No matter what tricks you choose to teach your German Shepherd Puppy, always be sure to keep your canine’s health and safety in mind. Enjoy the hours of fun to come with these awesome tricks!

15 Tricks to Teach Your German Shepherd Puppy

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