Oh WOW! He loved the turkey neck! He chomped on it for awhile then started whining and didn't know what to do. So I told him to get it and encouraged and praised him so he began chewing on it again. He took the whole 30 minutes to enjoy every last morsel of it and then wanted more! Alteast I know he'll eat it!

My cat on the other hand, thinks that she needs lobster flown in from maine or her sugary corn cat food.

Great looking pup! Have fun with him. He looks like he is or will be a hand full What's in the future for him?

My cats feel the same way................

I think I need another Mal pup.....OMG somebody STOP ME...

Nice pup....

Stop Carol! Stop!

Did that help? :laugh:

mmmmmmmmmm.....kinda

I will wait until my bitch has her pups, either at the end of this year or next spring.
The two GSD pups and the other 4 are keeping me insane, ooops I mean busy enough.
The Lab is getting ready to go home so I have to remember that less dogs is okay.

I really do like that pup though. He is beautiful and looks to be a handful.

Alison,
How is it going with him? It is great that he liked his raw treat....keep up the good work on that!!

Edited by Carol Boche (04/11/2007 08:40 AM)
Edit reason: spelling errors

Alison, I FEel sO soRRy foR You! (typing with bandaged hands!)

Here's the best part. I've already gone through what you are about to experience. Good for me, bad for you. LOL

Howard

Yes a big handful- He is very confident and stubborn!

LOL! We were "bonding" yesterday and I was trying to calm him down to do some grooming and just relax the darn pup & it turned into a wrestling match! He kept biting my hair and shaking it! ouch! He is such a handful- and he's always moaning, growling, groaning and whining. He talks like a german shepherd!
Is this normal?

He also runs and play with his hackles up between his shoulders- is he just excited?

I plan to train him for anything and everything! Sports (maybe ring, not sch), ppd even though I didn't choose him for it- we'll see if he can), therapy maybe, and I'd actually like to try to teach him how to hun/retrieve (but we'll see)! I'd like to try agility too. As far as bitework goes, I'm not going to train for anthing specific, more on the ppd or military side. Maybe I'll so a sport later.

Here's a odd question: Why does he balk when he gets near a tennis ball?
He will chase it, but is somewhat reluctant to do so, then when he gets there he goes to pick it up and balks. He acts like something has stung him and runs away or may sniff and act like he's on the trail of a scent while leaving the ball there. He will chase a soccer ball, but not a tennis ball. I do not have a ball on a string, so no, I didn't hit him in the head with it. Why would he be doing this? Weird huh? Maybe the previous owner did?

sounds like he didnt get afull training on the ball:

im sure you know that the ball simulate prey, and prey drive push to chase, catch and kill prey (moving object) so he chase the ball (the prey) than catch and than he has dead prey in hes mouth and even not ayummy prey so he leave it and lose drive/ search alive prey.

optional soulotion:
you need to make the dog belive that the ball is never die and when he is leaving it it will run away:
get aball with astring and when the dog catch the ball give tiny short pulls (the prey is trying to eascape /fight than when he hold stady give alitlle stady tens and calm him down by long peting and voice and ecourage than give him around of fast walking and encourage him than you can give another fight and reapet when ever he let go or open hes mouth and it- will happen alot- pull out the ball (beaware of the puppy teeths -dont pull to hard) and let the "prey" run away.

give him agood chase on it and somtime gets it and somtime not.

oh and use your voice:

in the chase whisper hash sound like tss...tss shhhh...chsss...

in the catch (the prey scream in pain and fear) high tones like prrr... or chick chick

than weaker with the pulls and voice (the prey is dying)

and on the hold use your voice to calm and encourage.

you can allso use an upper part of arod or just aflexi stick and tie to it the ball and doing about the same (it will make the ball similar to prey even more.


iheard alot of great things on the building drive and focus of leerburg (allthou istill hasnt seen it) and im sure youll find alot of other great solutions like that in there.

make the time he holds the ball abit longer each time.

what do you mean by:" he talks like agsd" ?


Edited by sefi sahar (04/11/2007 06:23 PM)
Edit reason: adding deatails

Thanks Sefi! I will try the things you suggested, if not with a ball, atleast with a tug or towel right now. He did get a late start. He hasn't had any drive build other than what I have done in the week I've had him- He has improved alot taking that into consideration!

He whines and moans and groans alot. He does this high pitch growly thing when he is wrestling or tugging. Some of it is insecurity, some it seems playful, and when I pet him or groom him, he lays there and goans and sighs and talks! - it's not aggressive- we've heard that when we reached for his rawhide. He "talks" alot!
I've heard German shepherds do this right? Atleast the last three I had did...

Anyone else's mal do this?