It is fun watching dogs doing activities like running, fetching, and jumping high over the obstacles. Small dogs look cute when they make small jumps but huge dogs like German Shepherds make huge jumps. One common thing that the people wonder about is the height to which a German Shepherd can jump.

Does all the Dogs Jump High?

There are so many aspects related to a German Shepherd but jumping is something that people mostly talk about.

It is a fact that a dog can jump high but not true for all the dogs. Some dog breeds have an instinct and the physical traits to jump high but some of them can make a jump to a few inches only.

German Shepherd is a herding breed with strong muscles and active physique in their genes. This makes them strong enough to make high jumps. Dogs use their hind legs to jump. The more the hind leg muscles are strong, the higher the jump will be.

So, German Shepherd with the strongest hind leg muscles can make the highest jump.

What is special about German Shepherds?

Dogs are naturally active and some of their special breeds are more active, athletic, and intelligent like German Shepherd.

German Shepherd has an instinct of being active and intelligent. The German shepherd has a high ability to learn and remember things. This is the main reason why the German Shepherds are trained and used by the spying officers and interrogatives during their investigations.

German Shepherds are one of the most loving breeds of dogs. They build strong bonding and affection with their owners and love to play and spend time with them.

Can We Train the Dogs to Jump?

The dogs have an instinct to jump. Some make high jumps and some make smaller. However, every dog breed can be trained to jump higher.

But there are a few things you need to keep in mind while training a dog.

1. The foremost thing you need to consider is to look for the physical genetic issues of

The dog you want to train for a high jump. If there is any issue, do not go for that training. It can hurt the dog. If that dog is not suffering from any physical genetic issue, then it is safe to train.

2. Another thing you need to consider is safety. Be it a German Shepherd or any other

Dog breed, you need to make sure of the safety while doing the training. If you do not have any prior experience of training a dog for a high jump, do not risk

The life of the dog. Take the help of a professional trainer. It will minimize the risk to safety.

Even if you can do it by yourself, take proper guidance before starting the training. A single mistake or wrong step, and you may end up hurting the dog.

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• Are German Shepherds Good Service Dogs?

• How to Train a Dog Not to Jump?

Why do German Shepherds jump over the fences?

Most of the time, the German Shepherds are found jumping over the fences. People often wonder why the German Shepherds are so interested in jumping over the fences all the time.

According to the psychology of dogs, there are a few basic reasons why a German Shepherd jumps over the fences.

• Owner’s Attention

German Shepherds are one of the most faithful and human-friendly dog breeds. They have a strong bonding with their owner and they always crave the attention of their owner.

German Shepherds are known to suffer through a behavioral issue called Separation Anxiety. It is caused when the owner gets busy and does not get time to spend with them. As a result, they start jumping over the fences to grab the attention of their owner.

So, it is important to spend proper time with a German Shepherd. Try to make a routine to play with your dog. It will make them organized and they will be patient to wait for the routine time to play.

• Boredom

Some of the German Shepherds start jumping over the fences out of boredom. They have active minds that need some engaging tasks all the time. When they do not get something to do, they start getting bored and try doings acts like this.

To keep your dog engaged, try using the obstacle courses if you have a big open place for your dog. Do not use fixed or permanent obstacles. Try using the temporary ones that can be moved so that you can alter them and make a new course as a new challenge for your dog. It will keep them mentally stimulated and they will not get bored.

• Exercise lacks

German shepherds are active by nature and love to have activities that involve exercise. The people who keep German Shepherds try to exercise their dogs inside the house which is not enough for them.

Dogs like German Shepherds need an open place to walk, sniff around, run, fetch, and hunt. So, make it a habit to take your dog out for a walk to the dog parks regularly. Let them run and walk around, let them sniff in the open air, and fetch things.

• No Hunting

The dogs have always been the hunters before getting domesticated. To fulfill their instinct of hunting, you can make a habit to feed them after a walk. It will give them a soothing feel of hunting and will satisfy their stimuli.

Why is it difficult to keep a German Sheppards in apartments?

The German Shepherds develop the habit to jump since the age of a puppy. This habit of jumping is not a problem unless you live in an apartment. An apartment is not able to provide enough space for a German Shepherd to play around and jump all the time.

This can be dangerous for the dogs if they keep on running and jumping in the small apartments. Due to insufficient space, they can get themself badly hurt.

To keep a German Shepherd in an apartment, you need to train it right from the beginning to run and jump only in the open places, not inside the apartment. Your dog is intelligent. It will understand it by training and will develop the habit not to jump and run while being indoor.

How to prevent a German Shepherd from jumping over the fences?

There are a few steps that you can work on and prevent your German Shepherd from jumping over the fences.

• Increase the fence height

If you have a fence around the yard where you keep your dog, try increasing its height. Remember that a long space for run-up, the higher the GSD will jump. So, if you have a big yard for your dog, try to have a higher fence.

A German Shepherd can easily jump from 4 to 6 feet without any run-up. An area of 10 to 15 feet run-up will increase the jump height of your dog. So, make the fence higher than 7 feet to keep it curbed.

• Game-play

Try to keep your dog engaged in games like hide-n-seek, fetch, treasure hunt, etc. Use dog toys and puzzles. Hide them in the yard and let your dog dig it out. Dogs love to find their favorite toys and treats.

• Take it for swimming

Swimming is another great activity that can engage your dog and keep it from jumping over the fences. If your dog doesn’t know how to swim, you can get it trained for swimming. A puppy can learn swimming well but a grown-up GSD can also learn to swim quite easily.

Final Verdict

If your dog loves to jump, do not try to kill its instinct. Get your dog trained and exercised properly to make it less likely to jump over the fences. Just provide some other ways to let it jump for its satisfaction and make the jumping safe and sound for you and your dog both.