1. Focus on how you want the German Shepherd to behave
You must be very clear about the exact behavior you want from your dog. For example, a German Shepherd may become highly excited when someone knocks at the door or when food is being served. If you want it to stay calm instead of reacting intensely, you need to provide specific training for that situation.
2. Use zero force principles
Shape the German Shepherds behavior through positive reinforcement and increase the chance that the correct behavior will happen again. Punishment does not teach the dog what it should do, and it may create fear or increase aggression.
3. Reinforce good behavior
Catch the German Shepherd doing something right. Whenever good behavior appears, reinforce it immediately. If you do not have a clicker or treats nearby, use verbal praise such as good. German Shepherds are always learning, so you always have opportunities to strengthen the right choices.
4. Set up the situation so training can succeed
Break each new behavior into small steps so the German Shepherd can succeed and receive rewards more often. When teaching a new behavior or working in a busy and distracting environment, make sure the clicker and treats appear frequently. Ten click and treat repetitions per minute is not too much in some cases.
5. Teach self control
We also need to understand that a German Shepherd can learn to control its own behavior. Sometimes we can control the environment, and sometimes we can control the training setup, but we must also teach the dog how to stay calm and regulate its emotions.