All dogs need training! You may have owned many dogs all your life and have never had any problems. Please don’t let your first problem be with a Beauceron. As a dog trainer, I can tell you that a well-trained dog begins with a well-trained owner. A poorly-trained owner may result in a Beauceron that barks incessantly, is aggressive, and bites. A Beauceron like this usually ends up in a shelter because the owner cannot control it, and the breed gets a bad reputation. A Beauceron puppy should attend a puppy training class with its owner. You will learn how to relate to your dog and how to be a leader.

Beaucerons are very easy to train. Of course, you should start with house-training your new puppy. Please purchase a crate that can be adjusted for size. This is usually a separate screen that can be moved back and forth in the crate. Allow enough room for the puppy to lie down but not so much room that the puppy can mess its crate and lie down without getting into the mess. A dog will try to stay clean and not soil its living quarters. When you get the puppy out of the crate, immediately take the dog outside until it does its business. Don’t worry, it won’t take long! When you get outside, tell the puppy repeatedly to “get busy” or “hurry up”. Before long uttering this phrase will stimulate a response in the dog that will stay with it all its life. Feed your puppy only twice a day. Put the food down for 15 minutes then pick it up until the second feeding. When your puppy stops eating, immediately take it outside. You will soon be rewarded with number 2. Naturally, as with all training, when your dog performs as you want, lavish praise is expected and required.

When walking your Beauceron, the training starts before you leave the house. You are in charge and as the leader, you should go out the door before your dog. Do not allow the dog to lead you out the door. When walking, your dog should be by your side, not out in front of you. I recommend that you use a choke chain and a loose lead as long as the dog is by your side. If your dog starts to get out in front of you, a quick snap of the lead will remind your dog to walk beside you. It should be combined with a verbal command like “heel”. It won’t take long before your dog responds to the verbal command alone.

There are many other training tips that a qualified trainer can help you with. It is well worth the investment to find a qualified trainer to help you with your Beauceron. There are many different training methods and your trainer may use a method that you are unfamiliar with. Please give it a chance to work before you dismiss it as worthless. Different breeds respond differently to various training methods. A Beauceron is sensitive and only wants to please its owner. Undesirable behavior can be corrected with a sharp command or scolding. Your Beauceron will be crushed because you are displeased with it. You might have noticed that earlier, I recommended a correction with a snap of the lead while walking. This is about as strong of a physical correction as will ever be needed. While the Beauceron worships the ground you walk on, too severe of a physical correction will result in your dog defending itself.