Undesirable actions. - Page 1

Mostly genetic. That is why I pointed out to you that the pup has 0 titles in the first 3-5 generations, which tells you nothing of the parents, grandparents, etc. Pups out of titled parents are a gamble and your situation is a very long shot.--------------------take the pup a good distance from a gun range. feed or play there where you can barely here the shots. When comfortable and neutral, move closer, next week. Continue this until you are literally in the range parking lot.

I assumed it was the bicolor. If I am wrong, I am wrong, but my post still stands. The reasoning and possible solution still stands,but as anything else, this needs to be considered before one breeds.

Sure sounded like you were talking about a particular pup.  You wrote:

Any ideas of the possible cause of this behavior or what can be done to correct it, if it can be corrected. I know its impossible to give a definite answer, but any ideas or suggestions would be apprecaited. Has anyone experienced this? Please, I am asking for serious answers or opinions, not comments from the peanut gallery that are not constructive answers or comments.

  That sounds pretty specific.  I'm sure it is a pup of yours based on the original post.  No sense in trying to change what you already said. 

FWIW, your pup could be going through a fear stage or it could be from weak nerves.  In any event you need to socialize your pup and do not praise or console the pup when it is acting fearful.  I would bring it by the noises or large objects starting at a distance and only praise when it is not acting shy or fearful.  I would use a toy and play with the dog.  Encourage the dog when it does really well and ignore the dog when it is acting timid or fearful.  I would distract the dog with playing, then praise and reward when you have the desired behavior.  I would take this pup everywhere and expose it to as many things as possible. 

You can change the behavior, but the temperament will not change. 

Jim

not enough loud noises when the pup was 10 weeks to 4 months.......

clanging pots and pans, droping books on the floor, clanging food dishes togeher.......

they need to realize that loud noises are OK at a very early age so the don't become skittish durng their fear periods.

Some pups hit these 'fear periods' around 5 months. The 'cure' is to work very hard at socialization and desensetizing the dog to things that cause it anxiety. Take it everywhere, but be careful not to overload it. The method given above for the gunfire is the right sort of approach.

Some dogs never get over this, and remain timid for life. It is a trait that comes from the wolf ancestry. A wolf that wasn't cautious in checking out new sights and sounds very often wound up a dead wolf.

This type of temperment problem is much more common in the American line dogs. I currently am working with a dog that started to show fear around 5 months, and it has been the biggest challenge I've ever faced in training. It is very difficult not to loose patience with the dog, and progress is very slow.

Slamdunc, Its amazing how you got it all figured out and you are so certain. Sorry but, No it is not about a particular dog.

But anyway, Thanks for the very informative reponse. It was truly appreciated, and I mean that in a sincere way.

SS, thanks for your response, very informative also.

I have a dog right now that you gave for an example that I got from the shelter. I am saturating her with all the things she doesnt care for. I will at times still get responses from her that are fearful but now she knows that nothing is going to happen that she cant deal with and recovers quickly. Once recovered she comes back to investigate which is a positive sign for me.

I don't necessarily think its weak nerves just a young dog without enough socialization.

I never write on here, but Chaz every time you write on here you always write negative things about it. Can you write something positve?