Brag Post - Page 2

Sounds like your dog has a higher drive for food than prey.  That is the first step.  Determine what motivates your dog.  You may find it easier to train with food as a reward than a toy.  Dont give up on the toys.  Try to build the drive.  4-3 Yoschy should bring prey.    Go to the "flirt pole" thread on this board and buy yourself one.  They are great for building drive and it takes little effort from you.

Soft and hard dogs both have their advantages.  You just have to know your dog and adjust to him.  If he is a bit handler sensitive, he will probably need less of a correction.  Handler sensitive doesn't mean that he cannot do the sport.  Sometimes, if you are a novice, a H.S. dog will be easier to control and train than a hard headed dog that requires two electric collars and a shovel to get in line.

He is really cute! I love his little face!

I think it is quite common in GSD's to be vocal, some are more so than others but I have had more who are. He is just a baby so its my opinion he is just really happy to see you!

As far as good or bad on a soft or hard dog, I think it depends on what the owner wants. Hard dogs can take a harder correction and be more forgiving after. A soft dog you don't usually need to use a hard correction to get the same result. If you think your pup is sensitive then just don't be hard on him, especially while he is so young.  I would say if he is learning well for a treat he has good food drive. Use it to your advantage for a motivator. You should not be using hard corrections on a pup this age, it should be all fun, for a toy or food. I would continue trying to play with toys with him and maybe he will come around. I have a male who likes toys but would do anything for a stick! Yeah a cheap toy I can pick up most anywhere!! Also you might want to watch him on eating those grasshoppers. I have heard they are hard to digest and can cause some problems if to many are eaten.

Have fun with him, like someone mentioned he will be looking like an adult before you know it!

What a beautiful pup.  I very well remember those puppy days.  Your pup reminds me of my boy when he was 10 weeks old.

I wanted to comment on the handler sensitive dogs.  My pup was like that--when I tried to teach him to stack, he peed all over my hand, for an example of how he was.  I was worried--oh here is my nice dog I shopped for for quite a while.....................anyway with kindness and taking into consideration his sensitivity, one day he was over 2 and the light came on, so to speak.   He totally changerd and turned into the dog I wanted.  So tqake it easy, work with him at his leval and oine day you will probably be surprised as I was.  Good luck with him.  By the way I would like to see pics as he grows, I love to watch the sables change colors.......................

I would'nt worry about the whining to much either, my pup softly whined constantly when he was little, even when i was in the room and there was no obvious problem, for a while i thought there was something wrong with his tummy or joints cause he seemed restless, like he could'nt get comfortable. but then i found this site and after reading about the way GSD'S are i realize he does that when he gets bored---kinda like a kid when they lay across the couch whining "I'm so bored..but theres nothing to dooo, it's sooo boring hereee..waaaa  waaa" 

He also does it when he wants me to turn the A.C. on...its a window unit  so HIS spot is right where the vents are turned so the air will blow on him...when he comes inside he will go straight to his spot and look at the AC whining untill i come turn it on...it was really funny when he got big enough to climb up on the couch and stand on the arm directly in front of it, he would get up there and kinda sway his head back and forth letting the wind blow through his hair....

~JULIE~

julie boss sounds like quite the character!

i just can't get over the size of him.  seems like he's going to be a very big boy.

and yes GSD's are very vocal!  some more than others.  :)

Rezkat5--thanks..andnot to toot my own horn (or his, which would it be?)but he is something else, and yea he's getting bigger by the min, the pics i have on his page are actually getting kinda old, i took most of them over a month ago i think, as you can imagine he's even bigger now, i know most people would say to big is over the standard, no good, but i don't ever plan to "show" him and doubt i will ever get to do anything "offical" with him, so to big is fine with me (as long as it does'nt effect his health),. It will actually serve his purpose more because i got him just for a family pet/ that will keep stray dogs & bad people away from my kids, it seems to me that a bigger dogwould do that even more effectively, just by size/ sight. downfall to a bigger dog-->he already hogs the couch and he's almost the size of a fullgrown dog with the mind of a young puppy.....lately everytime he and my rat terrier plays his favorite diving spot is the recliner-which of course flips backwards when he lands on it...lol...u shoulda seen the look on my daughters face when one night he did it while she was sitting in it! (she was not hurt at all just shocked for a sec...we all were) im gonna have to move that thing so the back is against something : )

~JULIE~

You should take some video of him and Daisy Duke playing.  

Thanks for all the advice and the compliments.  I will definitely send some more pictures as he matures. I love sables too and have no idea what shade he will turn out to be. His sire is at the bottom of this page (BABLO) and his dam is on this page (CLEO) The pictures of Galan were taken a few weeks ago and he's already changed.

I am not a very big woman (5' 1") so his temperment and eagerness to learn should suit me well. He also shouldn't be too large so that should help me out I think.  I was just a little concerned I guess if he has the right temperment for the sport. I have to keep reminding myself he's still a baby :-)

And that is so true about "being bored" sometimes he seems to whine just for attention, while sticking his snout right in my face LOL

On my way out the door now, but if I forgot anything I wanted to say, i'll be back with more questions