Working Pup - Page 2

Well, I disagree. If you have to supress what the dog naturally brings, please find another breed. This is the thinking that is hindering the breed as a whole. I don't buy a Potuguese Water dog if I live on a highly populated alligator pond. And I'm sure as hell not going to breed them to dislike the water. Nevermind. I deleted half this post and will start my own thread. Don't want to rant and highjack this thread. Carry on.

 Sam Spade - the question was - is the training different between having a pet puppy or a schutzhund puppy.  When I use the word suppress - I use it lightly - You have to pick the right puppy for each situation - one might have more drive than the next.  But there are alot of GSD that have found their way to the local pound because of the drive.  The training is different in the fact that most people wouldn't  want to build drive in the pet GSD.  I am not saying to get rid of it - but one wouldn't try to build the drive to be greater than the dog already might have.... I on the other hand wouldn't mind a pet with alot of drive - but I am not the average bear - and the average person that has a GSD for a pet doesn't appreciate a dog with a lot of drive and bouncing off the walls...

'FIND ANOTHER BREED"?   That is a statement that I don't really understand,  dogs differ from each individual to the next - and the correct  training for each lifestyle is required for any breed of dog.   Should I not have a daschund as a pet because after all they were bred for hunting badger.  Last I checked, I don't have any badger in my neighborhood. (and my weiny dogs thinks the badgers are in my floor air vents" .. My neighbor has a bird dog of some sort - a pointer- and he doesn't hunt - should he not have this dog either?    I do however agree that you might not want to have any dogs if you live near someplace with a lot of alligators...

We are not talking about breeding anyway, we are talking about the different training for a GSD from pet vs schutzhund.  I frankly think it is simple minded to say: 

Well, I disagree. If you have to suppress what the dog naturally brings, please find another breed. This is the thinking that is hindering the breed as a whole

To each his on with the breed that a person is fond of.  I am not a believer that the breed is going down the tubes based on the fact that each dog might need a different temperament for the job at hand.  Even if the job is just "pet".. That is what is so wonderful about the GSD - they are an all around dog..

But my question would be,  if I don't like a trait then why would I build on it - if my dog was a poop eater, some GSD eat their poop you know, I would try to modify that behavior, I wouldn't decide not to get a GSD just because the breed might or not do that... All behavior can be modified -even drive.   It  is my personal opinion that a pet wouldn't need the drive that a schutzhund pup would need- so why build it... But if you are training for schutzhund - then that is a different story..But oh that is what this thread was about wasn't it...  Pet Training vs Schutzhund Training.


Yogie Bear




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Hey der, yogie! You're the one that stated that a pet home has to try to suppress drives that are in the dog. My point is that this is idiotic and the whole reason the breed is what it is today. Get a lazier breed if you want a lazy dog that conforms to your busy lifestyle. I don't go out and buy a ferrari and replace the engine with a 17 hp briggs and stratton because I just want it to look like the real deal. Your way of thinking is common. Don't think that I am picking on you. It is and has ruined most of the working breeds out there. People like the looks, but don't want what the standard should be when we talk about character, drives, temperment, etc. I know that breeding wasn't the major issue of this thread and you believe I'm going off track. For that, I apologize. It just makes me cringe to think that we have three seperate types of GSDs. Working, show, and now strictly pet. If I was a responsible breeder and I was breeding what is supposed to be a GSD and you called me and asked for the laziest piece of shit I have, I'd tell you to find another breed. If I found out that what you really wanted was a dog with low prey drive so that it fit into your lifestyle better, I'd tell you to get another breed. I wouldn't want any of my dogs in a home where the dogs natural abilities were suppressed. Now, I agree when you back-peddled and said as a pet you don't build or promote. That I understand. Many dogs are in shelters because people like the looks of a dog, but their energy, drives, etc are too much. I wouldn't go out and buy a Visla from a reputable breeder and expect it to be lazy. I would expect to have to spend a good deal of time fulfilling it's needs.

I think the most important aspects of ANY puppy at this age is socialization, play, and bonding.  Any dog no matter what the venue you choose as the dog gets older should be well socialized and handled alot. It will make it much easier to work the dog down the road.