Why does my German Shepherd talk so much?

If your German Shepherd talks a lot, this post will show you why it might be the case and what you should do about it.

So, why does my German Shepherd talk so much? Possible reasons are that it is hungry or thirsty, it wants to go outside, it does it naturally, you have inadvertently trained it to do it, illness or injury, fear or boredom.

There are a number of nuances to consider when trying to figure out why your GSD might be doing it. Depending on the cause, there are also a number of things that you can do about it.

Why your German Shepherd talks so much

Each of the different reasons why your GSD talks a lot will likely come with some clues.

Below, I will mention some reasons why your German Shepherd might be doing it and what would make them more likely.

It’s hungry or thirsty

The reason why it has been talking a lot could be that it is trying to let you know that it is hungry or thirsty. This would be more likely to be the reason if it tends to talk more when it has not eaten or drunk in a while and if it does it less right after it gets to eat or drink.

In this case, it would help to make sure that you are feeding your German Shepherd the right amount and to ensure that it is getting plenty of access to water.

It wants to go outside

The reason why your GSD does it could be that it is trying to let you know that it wants to go outside. This would be more likely if it only does it when it is by the door to the backyard.

In this case, it would help to make sure that it is able to go outside whenever it needs to especially if it is still young.

Nature

German Shepherds are a breed that was bred to work alongside their owners for many hours on a daily basis. As a result of this, they will look to interact with their owners a lot and they will look to their owners for direction. The reason why your GSD talks to you a lot could be that it is looking for direction from you.

In this case, it would help to make sure that you train your German Shepherd regularly to keep it stimulated.

Related post: How to tell if your German Shepherd loves you

You have inadvertently trained it to be that way

It might be the case that you have inadvertently trained it to talk a lot by giving it things that it wants when it talks. This would be more likely if you tend to give it things such as more attention, toys or treats when it starts talking. In this case, it will have learned that talking to you gets it things that it wants so it does it more.

If you don’t want your GSD to do it then it would help to avoid rewarding it when it does it and to reward it when it is behaving the way that you want it to instead.

Illness or injury

The cause could be that it has an illness or injury. This would be more likely if it started talking more suddenly and if it has been showing other signs of being ill or injured such as vomiting or limping. If it does seem like it might be ill or injured then the best option would be to take it to a vet.

Boredom

German Shepherds are a breed that requires a lot of exercise on a daily basis in order to be properly stimulated. If they do not get a lot of exercise then it can cause them to develop behavioral issues.

Generally, it is recommended that they get at least an hour of exercise per day. If your German Shepherd is not getting that much exercise then it would help to make sure that it does.

Fear

It could be the case that your German Shepherd talks a lot when it is scared. This would be more likely if it tends to talk more when it is in a situation where it might be scared such as there being noises outside like construction works or if someone is around that it does not like.

In this case, it would help to try to figure out why it might be frightened and to see if you can remove the thing that is causing it to be afraid if possible.

Related post: Why does my German Shepherd act afraid?

Things to consider

Below, I will mention some things to consider when trying to figure out why your GSD might be doing it.

When it started talking more

It would help to consider when it first started talking since it could be the case that there was an event that triggered it.

If it started talking a lot suddenly then it could be the case that you inadvertently trained it to do it, it’s ill or injured or that it has had a change in its schedule.

If it has always seemed to talk a lot then it could be the case that it learned that talking gets it things that it wants from an early age or it could be that it talks to let you know that it wants something.

When it talks

The timing of when it seems to talk more would also be something to consider.

If you notice that it only seems to talk at certain times then it could be due to things such as wanting to go outside, to get exercise or to get fed.

Whereas, if it seems to talk at random times then it could be the case that it is ill or injured, you have inadvertently trained it to do it or that it does it naturally.

It’s age

Another thing to consider would be the age of your dog.

If your dog is still young then it will be likely that it will talk less as it gets older and that it talks a lot now naturally and because it is looking for attention.

Whereas, if it is older then it would make it more likely that it has learned that talking a lot gets it things that it wants. However, it could also be due to any of the reasons mentioned above.

What to do about your dog talking a lot

The best thing for you to do will depend on the cause. However, I will mention a number of options that you have below.

You can look at the book Training Your German Shepherd on Amazon to get more tips about how you can train your GSD.

Avoid negative reinforcement

Negative reinforcement training is where you inadvertently train your GSD to do things that you do not want by giving it things that it wants when it does them. As mentioned above, this could be the reason why your GSD talks a lot.

Instead of giving your GSD things that it wants, when it talks, it would help to avoid rewarding it and to reward it when it behaves the way that you want it to.

Make sure that you are feeding it correctly

It is also important to make sure that you are feeding it correctly and that you are giving it plenty of access to water. You can look here to see what you should and should not be feeding your GSD.

Take it to a vet

If you are not sure why your GSD talks a lot, it has been showing signs of illness or injury and it has started doing it suddenly then it would help to take it to a vet. By doing so you will be able to ensure that it is not ill or injured and you will be able to get a better idea of why it is doing it.

Give it exercise

As mentioned above, it is important to make sure that your GSD is getting exercise on a daily basis. You can give it exercise by walking it, playing fetch with it or getting a dog walker to do it for you.

Give it things to be distracted with

Another option you have is to give it lots of things to be occupied with. You can give it things such as toys, puzzles or chews to play with. By doing so you will also help to keep it stimulated and to avoid having it look for its own ways of being stimulated.