I have to jump in here. It has been 10 years or so but my old competition dog was completely 100% a house dog and anyone that knew her would tell you she was always focused and correct in her work.

She was Sch 3 by 2 1/2 years old, 2 time regional champion and scores usually in the 280's to 290's. A female Doberman too!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Bottom line, it depends on the dog!!!

Yeah Vince! You kennel your dogs? You monster. . .

Cindy:

Your knowledge and experience by far exceeds mine but my philosophy is that a dog can be a 299 World Champion by living on the couch but the same dog would be a 300 if he was kenneled. Make any sense??

Vince,
What you are saying hit home real hard. I have no concept of any sport work. My Gsd is a house dog. When I take him outside after having free roam of house it takes a while for him to focus. When I remove him from his crcate the focus in there.

I guess the difference is when removing from crate I always give a command (wait) before opening crate door, Although the command isn't needed ( waits anyhow) it slows down the urgency to get out. The he's directed to check the house.

I do the same when letting him out from the outside kennel.

Do you think that redirecting his urgency to get outside has made the difference??

It seems that the dogs have to know the difference of PLAYTIME and time to WORK.

This shouldn't be a hard thing to teach. I know that almost everyone on this BOARD should be able to do this! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

My GSD and AKITA never play unless givin the command "LET'S PLAY" and then only outside. My wife says I'm a dictator but that's how I feel it has to be. The GSD when in the house unless sleeping is always making eye contact, is he waiting for a command to do something?? He better be! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
We have to remember that we instill the conditioning that our K-9's respond to. Even when they react without a command it should be from some stimuli that we have introduced.

Mike: Good Post

My competition dog is a house dog. He has competed twice in a National event. This dog and I have an exceptional bond. He has great work ethic and knows the difference between being at home and on the field. He's calm in the house yet when it's time for work he's ready and focused. My younger dog who also lives in the house is even more focused than my older dog. He has the best concentration out of any dog I have trained. The ones I have had trouble with are the ones that were kenneled and I didn't create a bond with. My first dog was also a house dog and she won the 1994 Mid Eastern Regionals. I also knew Cindy's dog Elka and I really have never seen a dog more focused than her. Thanks to that this is what I strive for in my dogs. I also think it depends on the dogs themselves and what they find rewarding. My dogs happen to find working is extremely rewarding for them. The first thing I do when I get to training before I step on the field is let my dog out for a small walk to potty and sniff around for about 5 min. then it's business. They got to snoop now they are ready. When I say foos heads up and they are ready to work.

Not really knowing what I'm talking about, but jumping in anyway <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> , I must say I can see both aspects. On the one hand, a dog that only gets out of his kennel to work would probably be really excited by, and really focused on, the work. On the other hand, there is a special bond that you get with your dog when he lives with you. When you have that bond, you know it, and it shows in the work that you do with your dog. You're like partners, working together harmoniously (OK, I know that sounds like a soft drink commercial!!!).
I'm not convinced either way, but I still lean toward the house dog thing, simply because I cannot imagine having the bond I have with my dog if he were living in a kennel; and I think that bond is a really important part of why he trusts me enough to follow me anywhere, and investigate anything that I tell him is OK. I think that bond plays an important role during training. Can you bond like that with a kennel dog? I don't know......

Thanks Cindy and Karmen... so what, if anything, did you two do to "cue the dog" that it was time to work... not just run in the park?

Did either of you have focus issues when the dogs were young (11 months)?

If you do drive building and use play and prey objects as rewards for the dog it is very easy. I have a routine I go thru when I am getting ready to work the dogs--collars go on (fur saver, prong and e-collar) at least an hour before any kind of work whether it's tracking, OB or protection. Show the dog the toy and build a little drive and depending on the dog and what level of training she is at, work a little and then play and then back to the van. I try to do most of my training out of the van because that is where the dog will be during a trial.

If I am just going for a walk , the routine is much different. I may still put all the collars on but no drive work.........just "let's go for a walk". Even young puppies figure this out after a couple of times.

The level of focus and concentration can be trained but I believe it is also genetic. Many of my Dobe Elka's puppies have her same focus and work ethic. Different bloodlines and breeds have different levels of maturity and individual dogs do as well. My 7 month old puppy is very immature but I have had different dogs at the same age that were able to do focused heeling---just like people, they are all different.