So I've been working with my dog for about a month or so...maybe a little longer. Most of the work we've done has been in general obedience (sitz, platz etc)...but we also play a lot w/ the ball & tug.

I think I'm going to stay away from the tug until I purchase the drive & focus DVD for awhile but that's another story. He was almost 9 months old when I got him and I think he had very little training up until that point.

In a relatively short matter of time, I've been able to make him sit / stay for his food, treats etc...sometimes longer than 2 minutes. He just stares at me until I say OK and then he literally attacks the food or the treat.

The same applies w/ the ball. He will literally play forever. I started training him "hier" a few weeks ago when we're playing w/ the ball. At first I could get him to come and then I started working sitz into it. Then, I started taking a few steps backwards with another ball so that he would always be positioned to my center in the sit. Now he returns to me and sits almost perfectly about 75% of the time dead center w/ the ball in his mouth (without an additional sitz command on top of the hier). If I say "aus" he usually lets go of it on the ground almost always on the first try...again about 75%. Another question about that, is that the appropriate command or should I use something different? When I throw it again, he runs after it at an insane pace...I have to be careful not to get it too close to my fence, b/c I'm pretty sure he would go right through it if he had enough momentum. Also, I can make him stay when I throw it until I say "OK". He's obviously agitated by it because he twitches to go until he hears the OK come out of my mouth.

What my question is...is this normal? He's my first GSD and I've had other dogs that it took months to teach them what I have him in hours.

Did I get really lucky? Or is this kind of stuff just normal for the breed? Am I doing anything wrong fundamentally? I would eventually like to give him a shot at Schutzhund, even though I started kind of late.

I'm a total noobie at this stuff so any advice the experienced trainers on the board could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Nathan,

Count yourself lucky. Super ball drive is not "normal" given the bazillion GSD's out there. You have a dog that should be fairly easy to train. Get the "Drive and Focus" DVD so that you can maximize the dogs' potential.

Whether or not he will be good in Sch...you need to start working with him now and have a competent person evaluate him. Ed sells DVD's that can get you started. Good luck.

Howard

Thanks Howard...

Definitely on my "to buy" list. I plan on ordering it within the next couple of weeks. I see that you're sort of in the neighborhood (Melbourne)...I live in Deltona.

Do you happen to know Ed Reyes? He's a trainer (and a pretty damn good one from what I gather) in the Central FL area...

Ed is a darn good trainer and a skilled decoy, have no doubt. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
You're lucky to live close enough to him to train with him, I believe that a few other forum members also train with him on a regular basis.

Good to hear <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> I haven't made it out there as much as I would have liked to so far...but my schedule has cleared up. I want it to be an every weekend thing. I've been very impressed with him so far.