I have a 7 month old GSD male that thinks he is a Labrador retriever. I have never had a GSD so fanatical about retrieving. He will retrive anything, small big, round square. Hell if you tossed a frying pan he would bring that back too. you have to force him to stop retrieving. he will retrieve until he drops (we stop when I realize he needs to take a break). He is extremely pushy and will take the ball or whatever away from you if don't throw it for him. If not careful, he will knock the person trowing the ball down in order to get it. If for example we are watching TV and he wants to play, he will bring a tug (just as fanatical about playing tug, but retrieving is his favorite), ball or whatever of his toys he can find and push it against you and try to initiate a play session. If you ignore him he will start a high pitch play bark. If you continue to ignore him, the next thing you know he will have dropped every toy he can find into your lap. If I ignore him still he will take his toys back and try the same thing with my wife (we are the only ones that play with him, stangers and family members not residing here do not play with him). He is not allowed to play after eating or before eating and during break periods (should refrase that to mandatory break periods). Now from what I understand these are good traits but is there such a thing as too much of a good thing? I have decided to wait until he is a little older to start his schutzhund traing. I do however use his want to retrieve as a tool to teach him his sits, and platz. He will sit for the ball (spring loaded though), as well as platz (but always from a sitz). He will go from a platz to a sitz for the ball (he is also now barking, like a maniac for the ball, similar I guess to a bark and old). I do not throw the ball when he is in a platz position. he does not require treats for bringing the ball back to me (a kong actually because he crushes anything else). he is content that I throw the kong for him as his reward. At times though I still reward him with a treat.

Someone is finally going to post and tell you they know how you feel. Although my 11 month old now pup is 25% lab she is also 75% Rottweiler. Right from the day we brought her home at 6 weeks, no matter what I threw she would run and get and bring back. She all day is bringing me stuff. No matter how gross it is I take it, thank her and treat her. It has been fantastic in teaching her the give command. She also is fanatic about retrieving!!! We have been teaching her how to go get things by name and take to the family member that we name. She loves it. The only thing she will not release without a little struggling is food items... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> But she is only 11 months!!! Give us time. Her newest work has been learning names of tools to go get her Human....... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

burnsway this is good try hiding here ball somewhere and see how long she looks and tries to get to it sounds like she might make a sar dog!!! then put it where she can see it but not get to it and see what happens bye

Larry I know,

She is a bit reactive personality and a little over hyper but I had her looked at from a friend that does some SAR and she said if we get those 2 things under control she believes she could be very successful at it. We are training her for the CGC now. We are trying to tackle the part on not getting so totally licky and lovey dovey when a stranger walks up....She gets so excited.... . After that we will try for basic obedience. If we can tackle these 2, we will then look into SAR a little more!!! Yes I hide things......MY DAUGHTER!!!! I have my daughter hide and we go look for her in the woods....she gets so excited and can hardly contain herself when she finds her....but she is only 11 months old and still very much a pup... A 90 POUND PUP..... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Interesting you guys should be talking about "hide and seek" for my pup and I have started playing hide and seek as well. My wife lets him out to the back yard then i go hide somewhere in the house (closets, under bed, bathtub etc...) she then lets him in and tells him to go "find daddy". At first he tried finding me by sight but after several times we have played these games , he is starting to use his nose to find me. He loves this game. I have even watched as he climbed objects like beds or table so that he could get a better sent of the air. Later on we will start playing this game outdoors. Humm, wonder if he can find me if i hide in the bed of the pick up truck