The on Off switch - Page 1

I don't know about anyone else, but for my male he is very high in drive for the sport, but has that on and off switch which I love.

I have a male for which I'm looking at a female to complement. One thing I would like to see in puppies is the On/OFF switch so that they are more livable in house rather than being kennel dogs. My Male is just on the move 24/7. Just tooo much of drives and stamina :)

cheers

B

 I wonder if it depends on the dog. I have 4 shepherds here...my two highest drive boys can laze around the house until something happens (ie I touch ball or a toy or they think they're getting a treat) THEN they go batty...but they technically CAN chill out and calm down. The highest drive of the bunch was an import from Eurosport but I did ASK for high drive with an off switch so he could not only just be my sport dog but be able to come with me out into the real world and hang out in public or curl up at my feet. When I first let him in he is squirrely but he does settle down. 

What exactly is meant by an on/off switch?  I guess you could say all mine  have had an off switch - providing I work them pretty hard at least a couple times a day.  When I do not,  things can get a little hectic around here by day two!

Two different things, magnitudes and thresholds.  One dog may have great drive, but always "on", while another could have incredibly intense drive that can turn on or shut off instantly in it's appropriate context.

Oh okay, are we talking about capping drives?   I don't want a dog to voluntarily shut down when he's working, regardless of how intense his drives are.   I thought on/off switch was related more to whether or not a high drive dog could "turn it off" in the house and relax!

So, would a dog with an on/off switch be one that no matter how little he is worked will act like a rug in the house or are we talking about drives during training.....................or am I completely off in left field?

I was actually talking about  my male having the on/off switch on the field training. He would be a maniac in the house, and most likely kill my cats given the chance. On the field he has that on/off switch that I really like about him, which I mean after bite work with or without the sleeve a little child could go and pet him. I have seen other dog's where a child would not be able to go up to a dog after bite work.

 When I think on/off switch, I think of a dog that is a beast on the field, but utterly calm and stable in the home, a powerful biting dog and safe for neighborhood children to pet. I prefer a dog like this over any other.  Anyway, this is my definition of the "on/off" switch, and I have dogs that fit that description. There is nothing wrong whatsoever with their drive.

I'm under the same impression as KCzaja about the "on/off switch". And since I like my dogs to go with me everywhere they are welcome (I only have 2 right now), I prefer this kind of switch.