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by jeysalim on 21 July 2009 - 02:07
Hi,
I am new to GSD and I have a 6 month old german shepherd puppy, Coby who has started with some obedience training.
Coby has started training with a trainer who suggested that we should train him with sausages and everything went well....
But coby starts to show problems when the trainer tries to get his attention with tennis ball and other toys.....
He would focus his attention on balls and toys but not overly obsessed with them...
I have tried towels and other toys, he would sometimes chase and bite....but he is not chasing them down like "mad" compared to other dogs like Belgian Malinois.
For now, I am worried that my puppy has low drive and this is what his trainer has been commented so far. Trainer (who favors more towards Malinois) said that this puppy will encounter problems in his future training....
With food, he is fine......
What's his problem? and how could we increase his prey drive? Is this normal for GSD?
I hope you could share some of your views on my puppy.
Thank you so much.....
I am new to GSD and I have a 6 month old german shepherd puppy, Coby who has started with some obedience training.
Coby has started training with a trainer who suggested that we should train him with sausages and everything went well....
But coby starts to show problems when the trainer tries to get his attention with tennis ball and other toys.....
He would focus his attention on balls and toys but not overly obsessed with them...
I have tried towels and other toys, he would sometimes chase and bite....but he is not chasing them down like "mad" compared to other dogs like Belgian Malinois.
For now, I am worried that my puppy has low drive and this is what his trainer has been commented so far. Trainer (who favors more towards Malinois) said that this puppy will encounter problems in his future training....
With food, he is fine......
What's his problem? and how could we increase his prey drive? Is this normal for GSD?
I hope you could share some of your views on my puppy.
Thank you so much.....
by Freda on 21 July 2009 - 04:07
I have had the same situation with my 18 week old puppy. She doesn't care for balls and will chase most toys half-heartedly. Her favorite toy is a stuff-free squirrel. I tied it on the end of a fishing pole and she chases that like mad when I race it across the ground. She stares at its hiding spot every time I take her outside. I don't know if that is prey drive, but I do know it is great exercise for her and easy work for me!
by VomRuiz on 21 July 2009 - 04:07
My s/l female has very low drive too! I'm curious to see what others post on here. She's super people friendly but she'd rather jump all over me than chase anything lol.
by von sprengkraft on 21 July 2009 - 04:07
This was posted on the general board. I answered there.
Debbie
Debbie
by GSDPACK on 21 July 2009 - 04:07
first of all every GSD is different, every bloodline is different downt to a litter and a pup..\I do not know if your pup has low, medium high drives. I have not seen it. Drive needs to be build. Malinois is a totally different dog. I would agree that a good malinois and a good GSD have about the same drives with the exeption of a malinois times two. lol.
I am a shepherd person:
build drive, let the pup chase . Get a stick, with a string and rag/leather.. drag it, let the pup chase it, let the pup win EACH and EVERY time it catches it ( of course you have to let the pup win,no chewing on it). This way a lot of things can be introduced.. (whip, gun shots, sounds, new environment) This a a great tool for a lot of things.
I take pups and I play with them everywhere.. even in Home depot.. great introduction to slipery floors. Over things (of course doable for a puppy)...
I am a shepherd person:
build drive, let the pup chase . Get a stick, with a string and rag/leather.. drag it, let the pup chase it, let the pup win EACH and EVERY time it catches it ( of course you have to let the pup win,no chewing on it). This way a lot of things can be introduced.. (whip, gun shots, sounds, new environment) This a a great tool for a lot of things.
I take pups and I play with them everywhere.. even in Home depot.. great introduction to slipery floors. Over things (of course doable for a puppy)...
by happyday on 21 July 2009 - 13:07
I would like to start by saying that everybody has a different opinion with what it takes for a GSD to make "IT". There are some that say - no prey drive - don't like balls - get rid of them and get a new GSD. Then there are those that say you can build the drive and work with what you got. I guess it also depends on what you are training for as well.
I am sure that if your pup is 6 months old you noticed if he likes balls or not by now. You seemed suprised that your traininer said this.... I have a 16 month old female that didn't like balls so much, didn't like food so much and I have worked my butt off trying to build these drives since she was 9 wks old. It has been a long hard road - but you know what - she likes both now...She likes playing two ball - and she works for food. She is slow to mature but I see with her maturity a difference in what I saw as a pup. Not so many people liked her when she smelled the flowers at the schutzhund field. Cant say I did either - I got the pup before I got into schutzhund... So I worked with what I had and hoped that she would change....I kept that one - but wouldn't do it again.
I think that a dog with low drives can do what they are intended to do. Is it hard - Yes - would it be easier with a dog with Higher drives - Yes - your dog likes food - that is good - use that -you got half the battle won. As far as problems in the future - your pup is 6 months old -a baby - you can use the food to train - and he likes that - and it works - I cant see that his low ball drive will be that big of a deal if he does have the food drive.... but your dog is 6 months old and when he is 16 months old he will be a different dog - Mine is....
Happyday
I am sure that if your pup is 6 months old you noticed if he likes balls or not by now. You seemed suprised that your traininer said this.... I have a 16 month old female that didn't like balls so much, didn't like food so much and I have worked my butt off trying to build these drives since she was 9 wks old. It has been a long hard road - but you know what - she likes both now...She likes playing two ball - and she works for food. She is slow to mature but I see with her maturity a difference in what I saw as a pup. Not so many people liked her when she smelled the flowers at the schutzhund field. Cant say I did either - I got the pup before I got into schutzhund... So I worked with what I had and hoped that she would change....I kept that one - but wouldn't do it again.
I think that a dog with low drives can do what they are intended to do. Is it hard - Yes - would it be easier with a dog with Higher drives - Yes - your dog likes food - that is good - use that -you got half the battle won. As far as problems in the future - your pup is 6 months old -a baby - you can use the food to train - and he likes that - and it works - I cant see that his low ball drive will be that big of a deal if he does have the food drive.... but your dog is 6 months old and when he is 16 months old he will be a different dog - Mine is....
Happyday
by mollyandjack on 21 July 2009 - 16:07
If you or your trainer is set on building ball/toy drive, have you looked into using toys that can be stuffed with food? Just a thought...I think Leerburg and probably the large pet supply stores sell tugs and balls that you can stuff with treats to build toy drive. I used one with my dog and it worked well.
by jeysalim on 21 July 2009 - 18:07
Thanks for the advices.....greatly appreciated. After reading some replies, I get the impression that German Shepherd tends to mature slower than Malinois....Is that right? That's why some people prefer Malinois...........easier to train.....??
by mollyandjack on 21 July 2009 - 18:07
Just from hanging out with my fiance's cop buddies....they think that's true. Their department uses the Mals. I think its easier to get quick results maybe? But then again, they all own GSDs for home protection/Schutzhund. Maybe the Malinois is easier to train, but the GSD is easier to live with? This is a vaaaaaast generalization though, because my GSD's a freakin alligator.
by happyday on 21 July 2009 - 18:07
I think maturity depends on the dog. I have also heard that some lines do mature slower - such as DDR - I cant verify that myself. I have my female that is slower in maturing - but I have a 6 month old male that is maturing at a very quick rate...But I picked him out a lot differently than I did my female - had a greater criteria this time...
As far as Mal's go - I have seen several - they are either off the chart or crap - of course that is my personal opinion. I cant advise of their maturity rate either. I guess to each his on on the breed you pick --I am partial to the GSD--- good luck with your pup.
As far as Mal's go - I have seen several - they are either off the chart or crap - of course that is my personal opinion. I cant advise of their maturity rate either. I guess to each his on on the breed you pick --I am partial to the GSD--- good luck with your pup.
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