Quote: Jennifer Marshal

Imagine a dog that can run head first into a tree and keep going to get the ball that was just thrown - some dogs would tuck tail and shake their head and lose drive for the ball.

this quote is from another topic but I thought Id better start a new one because my question is off topic...

Am I correct in thinking that dog A in this quote is High drive and Dog B is Low?
so if a dog has high drive and focus But has relativly low energy is this dog still a good prospect for sports?

i might be way off here, but it seems to me that a dog can have:
a high energy level, and a low drive,
a high energy level, and a high drive,
or just a low energy level AND a low drive.
i don't see how a dog hat has a very low energy level can have a high drive, though if you know such a dog, let me know so i am not saying something totally wrong.

drive and energy aren't the same thing, but are interdependent.

a dog that is just a couch potato, who really doesn't feel like running or playing at all isn't going to have a lot of drive.

i mean the extreme lazy dogs, there are plenty of dogs that are chill until you bring out a ball!

Yes Mallory I believe you are correct - I've never met a dog that had high drive and low energy. I've met dogs that chill in the house but as soon as you bring out the ball or the tug the game is on. I've seen dogs that have good drive and are just not physically fit, that get too tired too quick but the focus is still on the ball etc.

Low energy can be from food, overweight, underweight, illness, out of shape/no stamina, too hot out, just a low energy dog period, etc.

Cajun was not super high energy but he was not couch potato. He would about run himself to death for his tug or his ball, or the decoy hah. He would jog alongside my bike for 5 miles 4x a week, had a treadmill. But he would chill if I wanted him to, he settled in the house. He didn't buzz or vibrate all the time with unspent energy.

Most people were very surprised at his athleticism because of low stature and beefy look, but he could turn on a dime and holy cow he was fast! Like a bolt of red lightning.

Though a dogs athletic ability isn't always a key to their over all level of energy. A lot of racing greyhounds, top athletes, are quite mellow and low key outside of a race.

perhaps thats what Im seeing then. My shepherd is very easygoing in the house, and will save energy whenever shes given the chance BUT if her drive is triggered she can move like a cat and I just assumed that she had the energy of a Basset Hound (the steriotype Basset)until I felt the power and energy through the leash once. We live on the border of Mx/US and its so hot here that Ive never tried to see how long she would go but I think that for her ball she would chase it till she keeled over...
so she wouldnt be low energy shes just not off the scales with it..?

Edited by Mary Velazquez (01/19/2008 05:05 PM)
Edit reason: missing vital word ;-P