Okay, so Ive had dogs before but this is my first sch. dog. He is a GSD from Czech lines and is about 3 mo and a week. I have had him for just over a week now and his hunt drive is killer! He seems to focus very well on a track. Its almost all he wants to do which is causing me problems also. I had started trying to play with him with a ball on a string, but he just didnt really show any interest, so I got the bite rag and he loved it. The next time I got the bite rag out he didnt care for it, so I tried a soft puppy sleeve and he thinks its great! Now this, yesterday he went crazy for the ball on a string and I was thrilled! Then he somewhat ignored the puppy sleeve! He tries to chase my cats all the time, but I dont let him, I try to redirect. So sometimes when we go outside he does not want anything I offer him, he wants to chase leaves and chew on rocks and sticks! It's like he always wants somthing different. So I have seen his prey drive and it's really not bad, but I am having such a hard time finding what triggers it. Is this a problem or am I just being overly concerned and am seeing normal puppy behavior? Any help would be very, very, much appreciated!


Sorry, I forgot to add that I have building drive, focus, and grip and preparing your dog for the helper. Obviously I'm still working with Melee on building drive!

Edited by Matthew Thurston (01/06/2008 05:40 PM)
Edit reason: Added info.

sounds to me like typical 3 month old behavior, their attention spans are short but they are developing so rapidly both mentally, physically and emotionally that what gets them going one day might well be boring the next.

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Matt,
I wouldn't worry so much about it at all. The pup is only what, 13 weeks old. On top of that you've only had him one week. His experience with you in his life is so short compared to his life experience before you and him meeting. Give it some time. Keep at it, do the bonding thing for awhile (a few weeks at least) and work with him; not try to force something that may be counter productive.
He'll start centering.

If my dog isn't learning, I'm doing something wrong.
Randy

Okay, I guess I just needed to hear it from someone else! Thanks.

Oh yeah, let him chase leaves . Whatever he's into that stimulates his prey drive (except the cat), use it, whether it's the ball, tug, sleeve, leaves, or some other toy. Let the wind do the work for you with the leaves . Prey is play and puppies love to play.

Later a few months down the road he may decide he likes the ball best or the tug best, but until and if he develops a preference let him have at it.

At seminars Flinks will hold up a couple of different toys and let the dog choose with his eyes/body language which one he wants to use as the reward. He also makes a point out of saying that it will change on different days...

If you have never done this type of work before, I would suggest getting your pup out to a SchH club and in turn an experienced helper/trainer ASAP to do structured drive building and protection foundation work as well as so they can see how you are playing with him and offer advice. There are SO many variables with dogs this young that unless you know how to read the dogs body language and reactions you just don't know. In addition, you really need to understand prey movement, which we as humans are not born knowing. He could be kind of low in prey drive, he could just have no focus this young, or you may not be putting enough movement into the prey item and he could be bored with it so he is finding other things more interesting. I would also suggest taking him to a field away from the house and working with him there consistantly. Ideally you want the pup to understand "time to work" when coming out of the truck onto a field. Structured drive building really did that with my pup. She comes out of her crate in my truck looking to bite something. It is also helpful in keeping house and field seperate, which for me is the key to having a companion animal dual as a sport dog.

Just wanted to post an update. He is actually doing very well. My concerns were unfounded, I tend to worry about those sorts of things more than I should. He is chasing ball on a string like crazy these days! He likes the tug just as well!