Someone mentioned in another thread they were trying the Flinks methods for building drive with water from a hose. What is on the video about building drive with water?

I just recieved my first video "The First Steps of Bite Training." I didn't see anything in there about water.

I have three GSD puppys I want to train for protection work but I am very new. They have the genes for the work. I bought them from Iron Dog Kennels in Tucson, AZ.

Two are 13 months and one is 9 months old. They all have extremely high prey drive. I have been playing tug with them since they were very small, first with rags, till they tore them to pieces, then with larger, harder tug items and a burlap sleeve. They attack the sleeve when I put it on. They live for all those games.

But I have never used a ball and string and have never tied them to a post while playing with them. The always run free. I didn't have any help and was just guessing as to what to do, (Till I seen the video.) Also I have no helper.

I also try to build drive in them with the water from a hose. I turn the water on all the way and let them chase the stream of water back and forth around the yard. They go crazy for it and beg for more. They jump high in the air and run at top speed chasing the water with everything they have. Is this what's on the video? Is this OK?

What other videos should I buy at this point and any words of advise would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Alan you obviously invested some money and time in you effort to produce the desired quailties in your 3 puppies. The prey drive that they are displaying is important to do this type work.

You can keep up the prey drive yourself, but any civil training or defense training that will inspire real biting/fighting you will need a helper. Trying to train other then prey drive will give you a dog that nips at you, which is not fun, let me tell ya.

I'd suggest looking in the yellow pages for quialified dog trainers or SchH clubs in your area, ask who they recommend for protection training.

Here are some videos I'd recommend .

1. Training Drive and Focus 101E
2. Protection training the begining 101
3. Training the new helper 115
4. Bite training for puppies 108
5. Basic dog OB 302
6. Training the personal Protection dog 105
7. Frist step in defense 101D

These tape will give you insight in what to look for in a good trainer, helper and enhance your handling skills. By yourself you can only take them so far.

The water hose message was a guy saying the samething you are the dogs like to chase the water streaming from the hose. I think this is fun, but its too wet and sloppy for practical training. The dogs and you get too muddy. Look at these videos and it will show you how to build the drive needed in your puppies.

You are gonna have to find a helper to further their training past the prey.

Good luck in your venture. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

You won't find water being used as a drive builder on any tape, so don't bother looking.

If you want to play with the hose with your dog, then by all means do it, but you must understand that it is not training your dog.

What is practical about it? Can you have a water hose anywhere you go?

Building drive with little or no drive satisfaction can have the opposite effect that you want anyway. When a dog can never catch something, some will eventually quit trying...

And I must add... 3 puppies? I hope you have a lot of spare time.

Don

Thanks for the advise and the list of tapes, I'll buy some more.

Yes, all three of these dogs have a great prey drive. Some much so, they are always begging to do something. I don't know if this is good or not but one chases bird and butterfly shadows almost all day in the yard. Another one is constantly alert with his ears up and watches my every move, even when I look out the window at him in anticipation that we are going to play tug or some other game.

I have stopped the water play and everything else for now till I see more videos, I don't want to ruin them.

Where is a good place to find reliable training for protection? You mentioned the yellow pages, what would I look under?

Thanks

Thanks for the advise on the water. I have stopped it and want to see more videos and maybe find good training before I continue with anything.

What does good training cost? Where should I look for it and how will I know what's really good?

The videos ARE good training. The more you watch the more you learn to sort out good from bad in various training programs. If you follow the steps in the drive building video they will work. And, it is so cool when it does. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Be wary of any group that trains all dogs the same way, in any phase. Look for consistant helper work and good communication between handler and helper.

So far as where to find it... well, that will depend on your sport of choice and where you live. Check out whoever you find WITHOUT your dog at first. Watch them. I mean really watch what they are doing and how the dogs react to them. There are some people I would never turn a leash over to.

Good Luck!