An image of a german shepard with their owner - contact Dog Training Elite for your german shephard training in Metro Detroit, MI.
Dog Training Elite

German Shepherd Dog Training in Metro Detroit, MI

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Our German Shepherd Training Could Help:
Excessive barking
Aggression
Separation anxiety
Destructive chewing
Leash pulling
Over-protectiveness
Resource guarding

German Shepherd Training in Metro Detroit, MI

German Shepherds consistently rank in the top five most popular dog breeds in America—and for good reason. German Shepherds are highly intelligent and loyal. With proper training and socialization, they are also obedient and great with other dogs and children. Not to mention, they’re beautiful!

Dog Training Elite has years of experience with German Shepherd training in Metro Detroit, MI and has developed obedience programs suitable for this breed. Because of their intelligence and natural herding instincts, German Shepherds can also be trained as service dogs.

Like any intelligent dog, however, a German Shepherd without proper training can become a handful. Their intelligence can lead to stubbornness. Extensive training and socialization are key to harnessing the unique abilities of this breed and diminishing any potential destructive behaviors. Thankfully, the high intelligence of German Shepherds enables them to learn commands quickly.

With our targeted and specialized breed training programs, Dog Training Elite Southeast Michigan can help any German Shepherd become an incredible companion to individuals and families.

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An image of multiple german shepherd puppies - our Metro Detroit german shepherd trainers ensure you pup is ready to be the best companion possible.

German Shepherd Puppies vs. Adults


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Dog Training Elite recommends starting dog training as early as possible, soon after a puppy is ready to leave its mother. Puppies are capable of learning basic commands, and smart German Shepherd puppies do great with early training.

If you adopt an older German Shepherd, or never got around to puppy training, don’t worry! Dog Training Elite Southeast Michigan offers adult dog training programs as well. A complete puppy training typically takes a few months. Adult dog training can take longer or shorter, depending on whether a dog needs to unlearn bad habits in addition to being trained.

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You and your canine companion really can have it all. See how easy it can be to become a member of the elite pup society by requesting a free consultation today!

Hear From Our Customers

Learn Why Dog owners choose Dog Training Elite

  • Isabella De Fazio
    May. 20, 2026
    Hailey is the best trainer ever! We've been working with her since my puppy was 8 weeks old, and he is the good boy he is today because of her. In just under a year, Arlo has now come everywhere with me as my service dog and has changed my life for the better.
  • Alison Burke
    May. 15, 2026
    I cannot say enough about the transformation that occurred with the training sessions we had with Hailey. Our puppy would not go outside, did not want to walk on a leash or go in the car. He was anxious and had separation anxiety! Now he is able to ride the car, go on walks and be in crowds at our son's baseball games without ant issues! We are so happy - he is just the best boy! We can't wait to see what he does next and we really could NOT have done it without all of the support and guidance from Hailey.
  • Julie Braman
    May. 14, 2026
    I got my dog Theo on April 2nd and from day one, he was a lot – in the most lovable way possible. Adorable, affectionate, and quick to learn new things, but he kept jumping our fence and running away. After the 7th incident, I was referred to Hailey at Dog Training Elite Southeast Michigan, and we had our consultation on April 21st. We paid for the training course the same day because we were blown away by how knowledgeable she was and knew we would benefit from her coming to our house to train him. After that, we scheduled training appointments every week at a time that worked best for me and my husband, and training began on April 30th. We have seen Hailey for training three times now, and by the third training (today, 5/14/26), it's like I have not a different dog, but a way better version of the dog I knew Theo could be. When I got Theo, he ran away constantly, had a very intense prey drive around my two cats (to the point where we had to keep them in our bedroom), jumped up on people upon meeting them, and had a few accidents in the hallway. We've had him a month and a half now, and he's received training from Hailey for about three weeks. Now, Theo doesn't run away, he runs around outside freely (I bought him a dog run, but don't even have to use it anymore), he coexists peacefully with my two cats (who we no longer have to keep in our bedroom) – he can even sit next to them on the couch – and he now knows the terms "place," "break," "sit," and "come." We were actually considering paying a company to install a higher fence and we were talking about installing doors in between our mud room and den so the cats could live in peace. After training with Hailey three times, we no longer need to hire someone else for those home repairs (thank goodness, since it probably would cost us around $21K). Thanks to Hailey, we got training for roughly 10% of that cost. We would highly recommend Hailey to anyone who thinks their dog might be "just a little too much." Three sessions and she gave us our home back – cats included. You will not regret it.
  • domenic guadagnino
    May. 13, 2026
    Duke is an 8-year-old stubborn Ridgeback. Hailey was our trainer and was Amazing With Duke. Highly recommend
  • Noah Dorfman
    Apr. 27, 2026
    Hailey has been amazing helping us learn to work with our young dog. I could not recommend this training method enough. Having off leash control has been life changing for us and our family.
  • Michelle Landry
    Apr. 27, 2026
    Hailey is amazing. Our beagle went from wild and insane to actually trained and polite. The e-collar really makes all of the difference too. Training a beagle puppy (7 months old) is not easy, and Hailey truly made it all possible. We plan on continuing with more training. I highly recommend her, even with the most difficult dogs. She’s so smart and confident and I instantly trusted her knowledge.
  • Erin Concas
    Apr. 24, 2026
    We were looking for a psychiatric service dog for our special needs teen From the initial phone consultation to ongoing text support, the team has been helpful and professional throughout. They guided us in selecting the right puppy, and training began in the first week, which made a big difference. Our dog is always excited to see Hailey who comes to our house and meets us in public settings for training- and she’s doing great in group classes. Overall, a very positive experience—I’d recommend this company, especially Austin and Hailey.
  • Serena Felix
    Apr. 22, 2026
    Hailey was a fantastic resource in training my service dog. I could not recommend this company enough!
  • Fay 5
    Apr. 21, 2026
    The trainers are all so knowledgeable and do an amazing job training the human, not just the dog! Every trainer I’ve worked with is awesome! I’ve trained with Austin, he was so impressive! Right now I am doing sessions with Hailey! She’s absolutely amazing and so knowledgeable. Hailey works so hard to get to the root of any issues and works with me to fix them, She is patient, I am so appreciative of that! She takes her time and goes the extra mile, my dog Bane loves her! I highly recommend Hailey for training! You will be so happy you did!
  • J W
    Apr. 19, 2026
    Has been a great experience going through training with my dog becoming a therapy dog! Hailey has been amazing working with him. It is so impressive to see how well he’s doing as a 10 month old puppy.
  • Amy Francis
    Apr. 15, 2026
    I would direct anyone with a new dog or puppy to this company! Hailey was awesome- she was professional, accommodating and was able to help our family train and turn our young puppy into a well-behaved service dog! Cannot extend enough appreciation to Hailey!
  • Kelsey Kramer
    Mar. 27, 2026
    Dog Elite Training is one of the best decisions I ever made! I have a little cavapoo who came home as the most timid in the litter. She now has such confidence. I couldn’t have done with without Hailey! She is truly amazing and goes above and beyond to make sure we are both confident in any situation we face. Highly recommend Hailey from Dog Training Elite 10/10!
  • Kelly Mcpherson
    Feb. 26, 2026
    Austin and his crew is awesome! We are so very thankful for them!!!
  • David Mcpherson
    Feb. 25, 2026
    Austin is great! Wouldn’t trust our dogs with anyone else. Excellent trainer.
  • michelle kobernick
    Feb. 22, 2026
    Dog training elite has delivered me the dog of my dreams. I worked with Hailey Roover, who was kind, knowledgeable, patient and always available. My dog being sprout is now a Certified service dog. We couldn’t have done it without her. Thank you, dog training, elite!
  • Maria Petrides
    Jan. 16, 2026
    Austin and his dad were so great with consulting me on our aggressive dog. I would recommend them to anyone seeking help and support. They are truly experts and I can't thank them enough.
  • CAITLIN HENRY
    Jan. 13, 2026
    We have been working with Hailey since October to train a future school therapy dog, Poppy! Hailey answers all our questions and goes the extra mile to not only set Poppy up for success, but also us as handlers. Poppy loves her weekly sessions with Hailey. We are so appreciative of Hailey and Dog Training Elite!
  • Margaret Olivier
    Dec. 20, 2025
    Hailey was outstanding to work with. I’ve had two trainers in the previous years and she is just outstanding.
  • Mike Craig
    Nov. 12, 2025
    Hailey has worked miracles with our 18month old Golden. I just 4 visits so far she is a much more obedient and we are only begining. She has also trained everyone it the house the right way to communicate with our dog. We can now take walks with no pulling, charging, or jumping up. Best decision we have made. Hailey is the best!
  • Karen Simms
    Nov. 7, 2025
    Steven helped us so much with our new puppy! He took time to listen to our needs and was able to guide us through navigating the common new puppy issues like biting, potty training, and crate training with a positive focus. Steven’s calm presence and thoughtful explanations of training protocols created a successful environment for our puppy to learn the basic commands. Focusing on a variety of training tools and guiding us to find the ones that worked best has helped our puppy grow into a well behaved part of our family. Thank you Steven and Dog Training Elite!
A dog owner with his German Shepherd - get your professional german shepherd training in Metro Detroit, MI with Dog Training Elite today.

In-Home German Shepherd Training

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Dog Training Elite offers specialized in-home German Shepherd training for both owners and dogs of any age. Working with a German Shepherd and the owner directly in the home allows dog trainers to create personalized training plans for individual dogs, as well as address any unique needs or issues.

Once a dog has completed in-home training, they can take group classes for more in-depth training - Dog Training Elite Southeast Michigan offers both puppy and adult dog group classes.

Beginning training in the home also helps owners bond with their dogs so when the dog trainer leaves, no progress is lost.

Additional Breeds We Train

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French Bulldog

German Shepherd Training Tips

German Shepherds are loyal and intelligent dogs that require a thoughtful approach to training. They are eager learners, but they also need structure and clear guidance to reach their full potential.

Here are some essential training tips for German Shepherds.

Dogs, and especially German Shepherds, do best with consistency. Always make sure to use the same verbal and/or physical cues during training to avoid any confusion. Also, be consistent about rules - establish at the beginning, for example, whether or not your dog is allowed on the couch. Then, don’t change the rule under any circumstances.
German Shepherds are an energetic breed - if you don’t have a yard for your dog to play in, that’s fine, but make sure your German Shepherd gets daily exercise through walking, hiking, etc. An energetic dog with little to no exercise can become a destructive, disobedient dog.

Since German Shepherds are historically trained as working dogs, they thrive on being busy. Training is a great way to give German Shepherds the mental stimulation they need.

A group of dogs being trained by the expert team at Dog Training Elite Southeast Michigan.
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An adorable German Shepherd with their owner - Dog Training Elite is your go-to choice for Metro Detroit german shepherd trainers.

Your Expert German Shepherd Trainers in Metro Detroit, MI

The Dog Training Elite Difference

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Dog Training Elite uses modern training methods focused on balance and bonding between dog and dog owner. Dog Training Elite never resorts to the use of punishment to help dogs unlearn bad behavior. The difference becomes clear when comparing a dog that is trained out of anxiety and intimidation vs a dog who truly desires to please from the inside out.

The Dog Training Elite training theory is mostly based around classical conditioning, also known as the Pavlovian method or respondent conditioning. This includes developing conditioned or automatic reflexes to commands. In its simplest form (after proper conditioning), when an owner says "sit," their dog automatically sits without thinking about it.

Through a combination of commands and an electronic collar, dogs learn to follow commands at once. The electronic collar is not a shock collar; it is a gentle electronic pulse, similar to the tug of a leash, used to get the dog’s attention. Other dog trainers use harsh static collars or spray collars which have been shown to be less effective. Dog Training Elite’s training methods nurtures a dog's loving and naturally obedient nature.

Ready to turn your dog into a loyal and loving companion? Contact Dog Training Elite today for professional German Shepherd training in Metro Detroit, MI!