Whilst it might mean some extra work in the later training stages.... are you of the opinion that this means she's got some strong nerve and dominance...and her working abilities / courage etc..are looking positive. ? Or is that a totally different ballgame ?

 Quote: Betty Waldron

Oh my goodness, you would not believe what went through my mind when I read the title to this thread!

Shame on you Betty!

We have one single attractive club member (not me!) who we have been trying to get to sell her body to get us a new helper.... something like that?

 Quote: Deanna Thompson

We have one single attractive club member (not me!) who we have been trying to get to sell her body to get us a new helper.... something like that?

Oh, THANK YOU, Deanna!

FINALLY, a new idea for getting a new decoy/TD !!!

 Quote:

I personally believe it's early signs of dominance as Connie said, but I have heard people who believe it is just a puppy reflex action, kinda like "practicing the moves without knowing why".

I know this author is not always well received here, but I really liked this article when I read it. How good is your dog at the Four F's !

http://www.dogsincanada.com/Default.aspx?tabid=64&iID=128

Cheers,

 Quote: Deanna Thompson

 Quote: Betty Waldron

Oh my goodness, you would not believe what went through my mind when I read the title to this thread!

Shame on you Betty!

We have one single attractive club member (not me!) who we have been trying to get to sell her body to get us a new helper.... something like that?

Well, all those whips and leather do have a certain... appeal...

I like the part where my girly dogs get to bite men.
Something about that just seems so right to me.

(Sure hope my hubby doesn't read this thread) ROFL

Gary this type of behavior really has very little to do with the nerve of the dog. Working ability really doesn't have much to do with it either however, the nerve of the dog can effect the working ability of the dog because when the dog gets to distracted because his/her nerves are turned on they don't think as clearly. The weak nerve dog can actually find themselves in trouble because of their turned on nerves and may come across as a dominant type dog when in fact it is not.

Nerves and Dominance don't go hand in hand. Assuming her nerves are good, then the dominance will be beneficial in her bitework. If the nerves are weak, then the dominance won't mean anything in bitework because her fear of the helpers threat will outweigh her desire to dominate him.

At that age just expose her to as many crazy things as possible. Do it carefully. Don't fire a gun next to her for example, because if she has any hint of gun shyness then that'll make it harder to get her over it later. Even a pup that might not be gun shy as an adult can become gun shy if you introduce it improperly. Take her to the train station and gradually bring her closer to the trains rushing by and let her get used to the noise. Take her to walk thru a crowded street with lots of people walking in all directions around her. Not only is this good for a pup, but it lets you evaluate their nerves. If they don't have a problem with any of it right off the bat then excellent. If she is spooky at first but gets over it then thats fine too. If she is terrified of these things and doesn't seem to get over it, you need to work on the problem until she does get over it, but it will IMO demonstrate that maybe she is not so solid and will need a skilled helper later on to help her get stronger mentally.

Also remember, the bitches can act flakey when they are young, it takes 3 heat cycles before they are mature, so if you do see something negative now, don't be too discouraged because she might come out of it when she is more mature. My own bitch is as flakey as they come, but her field-work is beautiful! She has had 2 heat cycles and I see improvement in her temprement after each one.

Great post Mike..

Thanks for taking the time and trouble..

Appreciate it.