Stop German Shepherd Dog
Barking

One of the most common problems with German Shepherd Dogs is their inclination to bark at almost anything or anyone that moves!

This can be a real problem and be annoying to both you and your neighbors, especially if your dog is left alone all day or it's late at night.

What you must be aware of is that German Shepherds do have a natural instinct to protect both you and members of your family. They are excellent guard dogs and will warn you if anyone approaches your property.

•  a stranger approaches your property
•  someone knocks on your door
•  the telephone rings
•  another dog starts barking
•  visitors coming to your house
•  someone enters your back yard

These are the most common occurrences that your German Shepherd will start barking at to alert you to an impending situation.

Your German Shepherd will likely start excessive barking if he is left alone for long periods and feels isolated - he gets bored easily and wants human company and can suffer anxiety depression.

The answer to this is that German Shepherd Dogs need plenty of daily exercise and he is happy to lay down and play with his toys quietly when he has enjoyed playing with you, or has come back from a nice walk.

The first thing to bear in mind is that your German Shepherd Dog is intelligent, you must learn to communicate with your dog and recognize the signs that he is trying to warn you of (in his mind) a possible threat or sign of danger.

So what you need to do (as his Alpha pack leader) is to exert your authority and dominance over him. Once he has warned you of an impending threat, you must take charge of the situation.

For example, someone knocks at the door or rings the doorbell - then go with your dog, command him to sit before you open the front door, hold him by the collar and then if he is still barking - tell him "Quiet" (you've now taken over control) and then open the door.
Once he sees you have taken over the situation - he should relax and sit there patiently, watching proceedings.

How many times has the phone been ringing and you haven't heard it?
But your German Shepherd has, so he barks to let you know!

So what I do is smile at him in a calm manner (to reassure him everything's OK) pat him as a way of saying "thanks for letting me know" and then answer the phone.
He is relaxed and calm as he has warned me and I have taken action, he now has stopped barking.......... It really is that simple!

It's all down to communicating with your dog, and is part of training your German Shepherd Dog.

When he has done what you wanted him to do - then reward him (sometimes with a treat) and let him know he has done well. If on the other hand, he does not do what you want him to do - then you must let him know that this behavior is not acceptable - You're the Boss - be dominant over him and exert your authority at all times so that he becomes submissive to you and accepts that you are in charge (Alpha pack leader of his pack i.e. your family)

If he continues to bark, and his excessive barking is causing a problem to you or your neighbors, then you must not let him get away with it.
In most cases just tell him "NO" or "Be QUIET" in a loud commanding tone, and then make him 'SIT' and you will find that this will stop your German Shepherd Dog barking.

check this out for German Shepherd Training:
Obedience Training for German Shepherd Dogs

This is really all about training your German Shepherd Dog, forming a bond between you, and enjoying a good, stable relationship of trust, understanding, and discipline
 i.e. you must be the Boss!

Do not ever tolerate bad behavior from your German Shepherd, he should never be allowed to get away with it, deal with it immediately. If you treat your German Shepherd in a fair but strict manner, believe me - he will respect you for it as the Alpha Dog
i.e. his leader of your pack.

The number one reason that dogs mis-behave and don’t listen to their owners is because they think they can get away with it and won't get into trouble.

check this out for German Shepherd Training:
Obedience Training for German Shepherd Dogs