A quick question....
Are dogs born with a clean slate so to speak. That we nurture them into them animal they become. Or are there breeds of dogs that are born nervous. Is it something that we ourselves do wrong or again are there breeds that are just nervous.
Gav xxx <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />

A dog's nerve and temperament absolutely have a large genetic component.


So yes, there are dogs. . .and whole breeds. . .that are born nervous. It also doesn't help if they are in a bad environment that will add to the problem, rather than help to lessen it.

To add to Robert's statement - even though genetics play a huge factor in this, you can also instill fears and anxiety in your dogs, which is why it's important to act totally neutral around strange things when the dog is a puppy. Example - take an 8 week puppy n drop a trash can on his head... don't be surprised if your dog's gonna be scared of trash cans banging near him.

Oh, the nature/nurture debate, it's like being back at Uni <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
My opinion is both <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Choose them like it's nature but raise them like it's nurture.

Exactly, Anna.

...ok,so what would you do in a situation like mine: you have a dog who was in SchH training,started on bitework,then "washed out because she wouldn't go for the sleeve". this same dog was supposed to have had major ball drive,big on retrieving, i have photos of her running around with tugs,but now she is obviously avoiding anything to do with retrieving/balls/tugs/anything to do with her mouth. she has no problem at all with her mouth being handled-just is utterly uninterested acting in balls,tugs and such. i was also told that she was perfect with people,but she has always been hesitant at best,and prefers to ignore or avoid contact or close proximity to people where they might reach out to pet her. she tolerates it,but doesn't welcome or care for it,just puts up with it and gets on with the job.

...i've had this therory that she was washed out of training because something happened that made her hate anything that she had to do with her mouth,and that it made her dislike any contact with people she does not know....perhaps a bad training session with a helper? could this account for the sudden disinterest in her once beloved balls and tugs,and the leeryness with strangers? i have had good results with accustoming her to people,but the toy thing is still a mystery....the only toy she likes is her laser pointer,and is insanely in love with it,the way most dogs are over a ball,like she has transferred all that drive to it. prior to discovering the pointer,she wouldn't play with anything at all with me,no matter what i did. she will take things on command,hold and drop,but no retrieve,though i can't say i have worked on this for some time.i bought a toy that looks a bit like a canvas tug,and have been reconditioning her to that with food rewards (responds well to that),and that has gone well but still no interest,just working for the food,not seeing it as a toy as she once did.....

...what does this sound like?

Gail, will your dog play tug with other members of your family. The reason I ask I'm wheelchair bound have a workingline GSD female who will not tug for me but will for anyone else. I couldn't get her to respond to me doing Flink's ball on the string. I quickly realized I couldn't put enough movement to catch her attention and make it worth her time. So, I tied the ball on the string and a piece of jute to a Lounge whip . That did the trick it allowed me to challenge her.

I don't like lazer pointers, my dog goes nuts for it, but he doesn't stop looking for it when it's gone, he'll spend more than an hour thinking it's still around here somewhere n it drives me nuts. Be careful with those things, you don't need an OC dog.

There is no way to tell you what happened, if anything. Might just be a low drive dog that was washed out because she's a low drive dog.


If it's important for you to play ball with the dog, play ball with the dog. Don't play anything else or allow her to play with anything else herself, only ball play with you. The dog should eventually transfer the prey drive for the lazer to the ball.

Whether or not she retrieves or not, that's another thread.