GSD and Shadows - Page 1

Okay I'm losing my mind.  I have a male GSD, he is a year old.  About 3 weeks ago he noticed shadows, and ever since he is just constantly looking for and jumping shadows.  I was told by some people it was because he was bored.  This dog has a lake to swim in, he does his Schutzhund work, and he is always with someone doing something.  This is so freaky and like I said I'm losing my mind.  He stops activites to look at shadows, all activites but Schutzhund.    PLEASE PLEASE help me it is getting worse not better with time.
Thank you,
Mrs. Circuited

It could be that he is bored or he could be developing an obsessive compulsive disorder. When he starts chasing shadows try to distract him, keep him busy. It can be like tail chasing very difficult to stop.

Hmm... As to "why" is he doing that , I really cannot tell you why, with any certainty, I can only guess and speculate. And my guess is... It seems, he is developing and showing signs of obssessive compulsive disorder behaviors, definitely not good, maybe going to get worse.

I have never experienced that firsthand with any of my dogs, no tail chasing, no shadows etc... so I definitely never bothered delving deeper into the issue,  but then again my dog gets 2-3 hours a day, every day, especially on Sunday of one on one time with me and an hour with the rest of the pack. Perhaps somebody else that had a tail chaser or a shadow boxer can chime in with a possible solution to your problem.

It is most assuredly NOT normal for a healthy, sane, properly and consistently exercised dog to be so obsessed and preoccupied with shadows. Remember, tired dog is a happy dog, especially one so young.

You say he has a lake to swim in? Well, I have a swing set in my backyard, but I never swing in it. Is he actualy swimming in the lake, fetching a stick or a ball and retrieving it for you, for at least 30 minutes or so, possibly more?

Do you have time, like, 1 or 2 hours to spend DAILY with your dog, while he is swimming in the lake, hiking in the forest, play tug of war with him, throw ball, practice heeling, chase squirrels etc...? Get the dog plenty tired, like really REALLY play with him and see if shadows still interest him after an honest to God, vigorous exercize day when he is clearly had enough.
 
If still shadow boxing, even when tired, then some psychological issue, like obsessive compulsive behavior already mentioned is the likely culprit.

Best of luck!

Hello,

Thank you for your thoughts.  Yes, he does play and swim in the water and he is never alone when he is swimming.  He goes out first thing in the morning and does tracking, then obedience.  He comes back home waits an hour has his breakfast.  He takes about a 30 minute nap and then it is off and play and run.  Yes he is played with all the time, he will fetch a stick but I don't use a ball as that is what I use in training.   He is never left alone as most everything I do involves dogs.  He has won 2 regional shows for confirmation, and he is worked and played with on that type of training at least once a day.  I do totally fear he has OCD as before he started doing the shadow thing he was chasing his tail.  Before I take him to the vet can anyone tell me what they do for a dog with OCD?  

Mrs. Circuited

Drake did this and it made me crazy!  It started with butterflies in the yard, he'd chase them and when they were out of reach, he'd spot the shadow and chase that.  Then, my daughter teased him with a flashlight and it got worse.  He even started chasing his own shadow in the house when the lights were on bright.  I made him go to another room and lay quietly.  I tried to ignore it for a while and I thought I was going to have to take him to a doggie shrink.  Periodically, he still catches sight of a shadow, but it is no longer obsessive.  I just kept taking him away from the situation.  A friend also had me worried about OCD but now I've chalked it up to teenage issues because he got over it.  He was about the same age as your boy when it started and it lasted about 6 months.  Don't get too frustrated because he'll sense it and that can make it even worse.  Take him away and give him your command for ignoring, such as "leave it" and mean it!  Put him in a platz and don't let him move from the spot.  Given the opportunity, he will still chase a flashlight, BTW, but I don't allow it.  If I need to use one, if he goes after it, I tell him NO very firmly and he'll go away.