Training your German shepherd to interact with other animals can be a challenge, as most dog owners know only too well. However, German shepherd dogs are considered to be one of the easiest dog breeds to train – they also tend to get on with other animals and people particularly well.

Try to create a relaxed atmosphere when you bring a new puppy into your home for the first time – it’s all too easy to have a frantic environment which just makes the dog excitable. Your puppy will find himself the center of attention – and it’s easy to forget the basics of training him.

You will find it easier to get a puppy used to other animals and people – socialized, as it is known – if your puppy is less than four months old. A puppy that’s older than four months may find if difficult to fully socialize with other animals – and you may find it more difficult too.

If your home has other animals, such as cats or guinea pigs, it can be effective to first introduce your puppy to the smell of the other animals. As far as your puppy and cats are concerned, you should keep them separate for the first few days. At the first meeting, hold your puppy securely on a lap or floor and allow the cats to smell the puppy with no contact.

Once the animals have all inspected each other, you can allow the puppy to walk around the room with the cats – be sure to keep an eye on all the animals. If your puppy chases the cats or barks at the cat, a firm “no” should persuade him not to do that – you may also want to give him something to chew on. After a few weeks of this, your dog and cats should be able to live together peacefully.

Another effective way to achieve harmony is to put a small piece of the other animal’s bedding near the place where your puppy will be sleeping. A new puppy is far more likely to accept the other animals as harmless family members if he first becomes accustomed to their smell.

If you are walking your puppy, you may have trouble when encountering other dogs. A puppy that has been socialized – exposed to other dogs, people and things – will generally have fewer problems in this respect. You should start getting your puppy used to other dogs just as soon as you can, by taking him to parks, playgrounds etc or allowing people with dogs to come and visit you.

Fortunately, German shepherds are well known for their ability to get on well with most other animals – so you should have no serious problems achieving a peaceful environment for all your pets!

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