Strange behavior in 1 year old GSD - Page 2

I think you should try tracking with him....lol

He may be a natural...they all need a job or an outlet and that may be his.  It would be worth a try.

Don't do it in your home right now(Training you perves).  Take the dog by yourself or with your husband to a park or a school.  Get him away from home and start working him there.  Get pumped and get the dog focused.  NILF-Nothing in Life is Free.  Make the dog work for the reward (ball, frisbee, stick).  Through the ball and make him retrieve immediately.  When he returns don't let him drop it. make him bring it to you.  If he drops it, kick it a foot or two and say "Bring".  Make him sit and down and later on stand befre you will give back the ball by throwing it etc.  You need to pep this boy up!  He should be so excited to do whatever you want because it is fun  when there are benefits.  I like the Bernard Flinks video for building drive and focus.  I use the balls on a rope and I love them.  They are easy to get the dog moving to build drive and they are great for throwing and playing tug.   ......................Using your housguests as an excuse is just that, an excuse!  If I had friends living at my house, I would probably use the dogs as an excuse to get away.

If  it wasn't for the deck story, I would still say it was an avoidance behavior.  I have dogs that if you let them out they have their nose to the ground, going in circles to sniff their turf, but if I was in the middle of playing ball, that is all they know.

this is the problem i have with sch enthusiasts.. always in terms of  "drive. " --- training is in truth Understanding your dog : the genetic make-up , which directly corresponds to THOUGHTS , FEELINGS , EMOTIONS , Innate abilities[ ie stress levels , problem solving , locomotion , aggression /hardness , socialbility - abilities. etc].. the desires needs and wants of the GSD. For example .. a dog may have ehat ypou call "ptey drive" but if you look at DRIVES you lack knowing your dog. a prey behavior has several components 1. the chase 2. the capture, 3. the kill 4. the guarding / to keep what has been captured  . So forget frive .. WHAT is you dog thinkning and feeling? this is the KEY to interacting with your dog .. doing Sch or any training? Also .. I DO NOT MAKE MY DOGS DO !  given what i just wrote : if you have developed the RELATIONSHIP with your GSD through play / codtioning /training /or what ever you do .. and if you have tepped into your dog .. then your dog whould want to offer that beahvior PROVIDED ut has the capability inherent within it. for exapmle . i have a GSD who would cahse an objest [ball] then he would just stand over it ... i watched him and understodd .. HE WAS POSSESIVE ! i knew right there anyone else would have passed him by as a pup for Sch .. thy ould have made a mistake if they thought low retrieve instincts.. WHY .. simple .. i just attended to HIS thoughts and needs... and on that note .. simply communicated that it was in his interest to bring back the item to me . [ this weas taught all off leash and no collar] .. then i discovered .. forget the ball .. he would blater bring back to me a bite yug like a lightening bolt... why?? becuase he loved to chase , bite / kill. guard .. just so he could cahse /bite / kill again and again . for some dogs .. having to bring back an object is sufficient if [ and if they want this ] get to chase again ! i get critisezed when i tewll people forget about "drive" but . you will do better knowing the thoughts etc. of you dog, it's make-up and concentrate more on your Relationship .. [ and yo will so call have 'to make' your dog do less]

forgot to insert in the last post : some dogs have chase but no kill or guard instincts. others willchase / kill but have no sharing instincts[ retrieve instincts] . some have high pack synergy others do not. you can't make a dog what it is not , we can only develop what it is.

Actually I agree with a lot of that.  Sometimes people get too hung up on discussing drives.

Don Corleone, your reply was right on.  If I hold a ball in my hand (or a stick or frisbee) he is all attention and wants it.  He just has to go back and forth a few times and sniff where he has been.  I know I'm using my house guests for an excuse and if it wouldn't be so darn hot I would take him out in the "brush".  We usually go for a long hike and he loves it.  He is doing very good on caming back when called, just the stay and down is a problem.  I had him in puppy class and basic and he did good, just didn't keep it up.  My fault.  There are things he does real good after just a few times training, like "wait" before he goes outside, or "bye, bye" when he has to go in the kennel because we are leaving.  I will check for that Bernhard Flink video and I promise i work with him.  I was also thinking of enroling him in Agility class, but not until Fall, we had the hottest summer in years and it's no fun training in 100 plus degree.

thanks for all your advice, Tucker's mom

Tucker von der grossen Heide

Sounds like you dog has what I call low-medium ball/prey drive. I can leave a bucket of balls with my girl all day long and the second she sees me she wants to play. Second a high drive gsd will retrieve anything.

The important thing now is to teach your dog to return the ball to you. Couple of suggestions is start by only letting it have a ball/toy when you play with it period.  Second is start by throwing only a short distance and you must be excited and get it to retun quickly to you. you have to really be energetic and excited. Do not allow him to be distracted or not return immediatley but you scold but be positive. Keep workouts short at first until he gets the ideal.

As for drives in a Working Gsd;  they are very important and extremenly criticial. Depending on the need or job the dog has to perform will determine which and how much of each drive you need. Remember, without strong nerves and drives you have nothing in a working dog.