Hi all,

I've got a problem with my 3 year old neutered male doberman that, unfortunately, cannot be fixed by referring me to the local dog club, as there is none for about 1500km. To put it in Ed's words: he doesn't mind. I have another dog, and I'm pretty well bonded with her, but I get the distinct feeling that the two of us don't like or respect one another. He is pretty well trained for a dog that doesn't want anything to do with his handler, he responds to all commands (albeit on his own time) whilst looking at the clouds, or searching for something to chase. I know it sounds absurd, but he'll do everything that is required of him, unenthusiasticly admittedly, but do it nonetheless. His biggest motivation for anything is freedom, the freedom to run free and explore. He is not moved by verbal praise at all, rather give him permission to have a runabout, a couple of sniffs and then call him back to continue what is fast becoming his frustrating training session. I know this dog well, and I know what he is capable of. He has sharp, quick brilliant moments, but these are so few and far between that it is hardly worthwhile holding out for more. In short, he is the kind of dog that, when you see him at a shelter, will not be looking to greet you enthusiasticly, but be looking for a way to get out and do his own thing. I'll say it again, I know what he is capable of, he is a quick thinker, and when he cooperates he is the most wonderfull dog, but it never lasts long. He loves chasing fast moving objects, but toys doesn't do it for him at all, no, give him live bait in the form of swallows or some other animal. I've tried to convince him that toys is far more fun, but he disagrees. I wonder if there is a way for the two of us to start enjoying training and working as a team, or whether he is just destined to become a beach dog.
Regards
Imps <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

It is often difficult for Dobermans to transfer ownership. An adult Doberman can take a long time to bond to new owners.

This dog has prey drive. That is obvious from his wanting to chase live prey. The challenge for the handler is to train the dog that there are prey items that the handler has that can also be a lot of fun to play with.

I am just finishing editing a new training tape that was done with Bernard Flinks titled Building Drive, Focus and Grip with Bernard Flinks - it will be out in Aug.

This tape shows how to build drive, it shows how to let a dog show you which prey items it likes the most, it shows how to channel the drive into focus exercises and then how to build the first steps of grip work for bite training.

If this drive work is done properly it does more for building the bond with the handler than letting the dog sleep in your bed. This work is going to open the eyes of a lot of dog trainers in this country. I have not seen anything that got me this excited in the past 27 years of going to dog training seminars.

When the tape is done I will announce it on the <a href="http://leerburg.com/table.htm"> Table.htm</a>

Imps wrote: but I get the distinct feeling that the two of us don't like or respect one another. He is pretty well trained for a dog that doesn't want anything to do with his handler, he responds to all commands (albeit on his own time) whilst looking at the clouds, or searching for something to chase. I know it sounds absurd, but he'll do everything that is required of him, unenthusiasticly admittedly, but do it nonetheless. His biggest motivation for anything is freedom

Snip

I wonder if there is a way for the two of us to start enjoying training and working as a team, or whether he is just destined to become a beach dog.

***** Here’s the broken record again. I’d use an Ecollar on this dog. By teaching the recall you create a feeling of safety and comfort next to you. The so–called “safe zone.” Rather quickly you’ll teach him that there really is no such thing as a safe zone, but meanwhile he’ll come to rely on you for comfort.

***** I’ve used this to speed up the bonding between a handler and a dog whose just got “off the airplane.”

You might also take a look at what I wrote regarding “Trust and Respect in another place on this Forum.
http://www.leerburg.com/cgi-bin/UBB/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=8&t=000005

Hello, Without knowing how much training you have done you could try retreiver training so find the book Hey PUP FETCH IT UP, OR TRY confinement as you would learn in the book as way of a crate for two hours before training and after training he is in a crate unless he is with you, or he can go on a six foot chain or shorter so he gets bored this is a training tool the dog must see you as the best thing that can happen to him is to be with you not confined to a chain or crate.Then in training if you are not getting what you want from him he goes back to the chain for two hours but remember the KISS principle KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID, we have to make training a fun thing for you and your dog or else we will fail in our training unless you want to use compulsion then the training is do it or you will do it no matter what.

To steal a line from the movie Pulp Fiction. "Just walk the earth".

This dog does not like you and vice versa. Don't ask anything of him for a while other then to walk with you, on leash, for a few miles every day. This tends to help make a solid bond with you without making pressure and conflict. Animals that live in packs tend to spend a large portion of the day just walking and being together.

I noticed that homeless people that have dogs tended to be very well bonded with them and the dogs were well behaved. My friends and I took a cue from this and started to do this with the adult dogs we bought and although the initial training went by at a slower pace, within sixs months training had caught up to or surpassed where we felt it would have been without walking the earth.

You can always go to compulsive methods later if this does not work. But it's much harder the other way round.

Have you tried tying a long length of light nylon cord to a toy? You get the dog excited about the toy by using body posture, and if at all possible, get him to bark at you for the toy. If the dog is excited enough to bark, then he's excited enough to chase the toy. Toss the toy for him, and when he gets close to it, yank the cord so that the toy moves like a small prey animal. That should do it.......

You might have to crate him for a couple of hours before you try this, to get him excited about being out, and you should be sure to do this in a place where he can't run off and self-reward. You have to be the most interesting thing around.....