This quote was taken from another forum. "Drive is drive. If your dog has it he has it, you can't "make" a dog have drive."
My question is what is the point of all these drive exercises? I own the video Building Drive, Focus, and Grip. My 5 month old GSD is excited to go after a rag. He is very interested in it. At times he looks excited like the dogs in the video. Other times not so much he kind of half asses it. If you introduce real life prey like small animals, bugs, or even water he goes into a frenzy much like the dogs with tons of drive in the video.
I was under the impression that these exercises would bring the dog to its full drive potential. Am I incorrect on this? Will my dog ever develop into these drive crazed machines that I see in Building Drive and Focus? How can I spot my dogs true drive potential?
The video is pretty good at explaining what the point is of building drive, to bring the dog to its full drive potential. The video also goes on to show how you can use your dogs drive to teach him what you want him to do.
I think it also explains well that you can only bring out the drive that is geneticly in your dog. You can NOT bring out what isn't there genectily.
The second Flinks DVD "Preparing Your Dog for the Helper" shows an example of one owner who came to a seminar with a dog with average drive. Ed explains that after learning some of the drive building techniques, the owner then worked with his dog 3 times a day for 1-3 minutes a day and then showed how the dog's drive had improved at another seminar about 8 weeks later. The results are pretty impressive.
The point is, as previously stated, drive building exercises bring out the full potential of your dog's genetics. If you don't exercise your dog's prey drive, it's going to diminish. The "use it or lose it" addage applies here.
One other note: if your dog doesn't want to train, i.e. participate in drive building exercises, then don't train at that time. Wait until he is more interested and then train.
Make sure you quit while the dog is still in high drive. 1-3 minute sessions are adequate. If you stop while the dog is still in drive, the dog will be frustrated, which inherently builds more drive.
If you train the dog until he's exhausted, the novelty will be lost and the dog will lose interest, which is counterproductive. Your dog should never have access to your drive building toys except when you are doing drive building exercises with him.
Reg: 10-17-2008
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Quote: Brian English
My question is what is the point of all these drive exercises?
The drive and focus exercises help you develop a tool for further training a dog. Before I got into drive training my dog had already learned how to sit, down, heel, stay, etc., but he'd perform these commands with a disinterested attitude. After drive training my dog now performs all of these commands with lots of energy and attention. For him it's a game and he loves to play it.
The trick is to not focus too much on results and just have fun, the dog will come around. If you're not having fun, the dog's not having fun. Also, taking the dog into your arms creates a bond between you and your dog. Your dog learns to trust you, and to listen when distracted by his/her drive.
steve strom Webboard User Reg: 03-17-2006
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For me the drive building itself helped build on the bond with my dog. Over time he has learned that the play with me is the reward not the toy. Your dog's only 5mos old and you say you are new to it. Be patient and you'll see what you can bring out your dog as your skill gets better and he grows up.
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Drive Exercises Whats the Point?
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