Shepherd dogs are a general name for dogs that help shepherds herd sheep, not referring to a single breed. It includes "Border Collie", "German Shepherd" and others. Nowadays, people often raise Border Collies, while the military commonly keeps German Shepherds. Over the past few thousand or hundreds of years, shepherd dogs mainly were responsible for herding sheep and livestock. Their role is equivalent to protectors of the pasture, safeguarding livestock, preventing them from wandering off, and scaring off invading animals. They are the most reliable animal assistants for farmers. Currently, it is well known that shepherd dogs rank high in intelligence among dog breeds, are well-behaved, and relatively easy to train. However, some owners only bring adult shepherd dogs home. Animals are still animals; even if naturally smart, without training, they can still behave mischievously or cause headaches for their owners. So how can we keep adult shepherd dogs obedient good habits?

1、 Mechanical Control of Shepherd Dog Actions 

Mechanical control uses tools to control the dog’s behavior when it doesn’t obey commands. The most common are leashes or dog ropes. When the dog goes out with the owner or undergoes training, if it doesn’t act according to the owner’s intentions, the leash can be pulled to keep it under control, preventing disobedience.

2、 Food Attracts Attention 

Food motivation is a training method known to most owners and is almost always effective. After all, which dog can stay still in front of food? Moreover, training without rewards will make shepherd dogs feel that training is boring. Even the smartest dogs will feel tired, just like us feeling exhausted doing homework without breaks when we went to school. Food can capture the dog’s attention and let it know that obedience will result in tasty treats.

3、 Mechanical Control and Reward System Go Hand in Hand 

The combined method of mechanical control and reward system uses a leash to restrain the dog if it is unwilling to accept training, commanding the shepherd dog to follow instructions, and giving rewards when training shows progress. Excessive forced behavior can cause the opposite reflex, where the dog becomes fearful, evasive, or resistant at the start of every training, unable to remember trained actions. Rewards are necessary but should be moderate. Too many rewards can affect normal eating habits, and petting and verbal praise can replace food to encourage the shepherd dog to achieve the purpose of reward. Dogs really love their owner’s affection.

It is precisely because of the shepherd dog’s intelligent and obedient nature that many dog lovers want them. Owners should cherish their dogs while remembering to maintain good habits!