April 19, 2011
My dog has good prey drive but gets very nervous when exposed to new situations. I have your DRIVE and FOCUS video - will this solve the problem?
Full Question:
I have a one year old GSD dog that seems to get scared very easy around certain objects and things. As a pup he never showed any signs of fear towards anything but all of a sudden he started getting scared of even coming in the house. As a pup he would always be inside but as he grew I had to make him a outside dog. He also gets scared around large objects. I'm concerned because I did pay a lot of money for this dog from a respectable breeder, at least I think I did. He told me that it is just a phase he is going thru because of his age. He has good prey drive and is very friendly with people in any environment. I just bought your Grip and Focus video with Bernard Flinks, he is doing great, can this DVD help me or do you know how can I help him overcome his fears? Thanks for your time. 
Ed's Answer:
What you describe is a dog with very weak nerves. It should be a concern.
It is possible for a dog to have prey drive and weak nerves. I see this a lot with Malinois. Usually when these dogs grow up they will be very sharp dogs - some can be fear biters.
Dogs like this do respond well to obedience training. They like to be in an environment that they feel comfortable in. Training teaches them that DOING WHAT THEY ARE TOLD is a comfortable position to be in.
The drive work will help the dog - but its not going to change genetics. 99% of the time these problems are a result of a mistake in breeding. This does not make your breeder a crook - it only means he made a mistake. We all do that. The key is to admit it and never repeat the breeding.
I would focus on doing the work at your house and then when it is doing well in your back yard, start to take the dog to other locations and work it in drive in these locations. In the mean time, you need to take this dog everywhere - expose it to as many different environments as you can think of.
It is possible for a dog to have prey drive and weak nerves. I see this a lot with Malinois. Usually when these dogs grow up they will be very sharp dogs - some can be fear biters.
Dogs like this do respond well to obedience training. They like to be in an environment that they feel comfortable in. Training teaches them that DOING WHAT THEY ARE TOLD is a comfortable position to be in.
The drive work will help the dog - but its not going to change genetics. 99% of the time these problems are a result of a mistake in breeding. This does not make your breeder a crook - it only means he made a mistake. We all do that. The key is to admit it and never repeat the breeding.
I would focus on doing the work at your house and then when it is doing well in your back yard, start to take the dog to other locations and work it in drive in these locations. In the mean time, you need to take this dog everywhere - expose it to as many different environments as you can think of.
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