Training goals for a 9 Month Female GSD

11371 Views 43 Replies 11 Participants Last post by Jeff Oehlsen, Sep 17, 2006

Martin Espericueta

Discussion Starter · Sep 3, 2006

Training goals for a 9 Month Female GSD

Hello All,

Just a quick History: I have a 9 month old female GSD, which I've had
since she was 9 weeks old. When Sable was 5 months, I took her to get
evaluated at a SchH club by Gregg Tawney.

She was concidered "ok" by him, not going to win any big SchH
competitions, but just had "ok" prey drive. Again, she was just 5 months at
the time, and Gregg told me to really work w/her on building drive (and focus).

Her temperment is fine. She's beginning to bark at noises outside at night.
I like this, as I would really like her as more of a deterent than PPD. I just
don't think she has the genes. But as a sports dog, I want to do SchH with
her.

She's a "soft" dog, althought I don't correct her much, just only for bad manners.

She recently has begun to pee when I walk up to her, after a bit of time
away from her. I think my sons may have been picking on her. I've never
caught them, but have a feeling. That has stopped (as far as I can tell,
after telling them, "LEAVE MY DOG ALONE!!!"), but now she kind of cowers
- just sometimes, not all the time - when I aproach her.

So, now that I've bored you all w/her history

I'm trying to build up her
confidence (again

) and her OB.

What should I be concentrating on right now? Her sitz/platz
are great, but her heir has diminished, I feel, due to the issue
above (acting scared). She's 100% with her heir when I'm all alone
w/her, and 75% w/distractions. Sometimes, she'll cower and go the other
way

I play tug w/her every day, and (get this...) have made a bite sleeve from
my wife's old jean overalls. I've wrapped it on my arm, and let her tug at
it like the tug she has.

So, what else should I do? and should I continue the jean-tug? I have no
extra $$$ for club membership anywhere (couldn't you tell by my
jean-tug?) and don't know anyone "close" to me who I can train with.

Thanks!

See less See more

Save

1 - 3 of 44 Posts

Jose Alberto Reanto

· #20 · Sep 6, 2006

Greg Long said:
Ok ,Ill address the real issue!

The cowering and peeing I dont like.Tell the kids to leave the dog alone for awhile.Then take the dog everywhere with you.You may already do this.
Another thing you can do is take her out somewhere she can run loose in a big area without any other dogs or people for that matter.I get dogs in that lack confidence sometimes and this seems to help as much as anything.Let her be a dog and do what she wants for awhile.
When you do work her, dont allow anyone else to give her commands.All the while,you need to be very in tune with her every action and recognize when she is coming under stress.When you see this you tell her "its OK".
There's tons more to it than that but this can be the beginning to developing a communicational bond between you and the dog.She will put her trust in you and she has something to fall back on and this builds confidence.A soft dog like this will often want to work for it's handler very much.
Also,you're attitude needs to be very confident and relaxed.

As for flashy and happy :roll: :roll: you gotta do what you gotta do for points I guess. :x

I believe it's a good way to go, if not the only way. This "starters" alone should benefit the dog well. It needs a leader.

Save

Jose Alberto Reanto

· #24 · Sep 6, 2006

susan tuck said:
And Greg, lest you forget, most of us in the "real world" have no need for a "real" protection dog. Frankly, "happy flashy" dogs look good, & get the points. Also, I have been lucky enough to have had sch dog that did have to get after a real bad guy for me once, & he sure did the job. Of course, he was a Tiekerhook dog!!! Honestly, you guys!

Pardon me please, but I don't think suggestions about asking kids to lay off the dog nor boosting the dog's confidence thru walks have anything to do with either sports or real. Something has got to be done to "bring the dog back" first so its owner/handler can utilize it for any future discipline.

I believe any dog well-loved by its handler will put up resistance if it finds its owner at risk. Even my showline dog I owned at first tore the pants off a mean bill collector. Though it was enough to scare and drive the man away, I also knew it was the most that dog could do. I had a call from an inquirer who told me of his highly-titled dog watch him got mauled by 3 guys. It was the second I heard of such case. One tabloid I read tells of a lady with her dog confronted also by 3 drunken men. The dog put up a fight but was down in a minute and the 3 proceeded to rape the lady.

Most may not really need a personal protection dog at all. I even doubt if they can handle or develop a real one. Only a serious need can one really decide and be motivated enough to own and develop one.

Just my opinion...

Best regards...

See less See more

Save

Jose Alberto Reanto

· #30 · Sep 8, 2006

Martin Espericueta said:
I get you man :wink: And I'll re-focus her onto something else when her
behavior is fearful.

Replies welcome: :wink:

Once the bond between Sable and I is back where is should be, and I can
begin (light???) OB again, what would you sport dog trainers be consentrating
on w/a 9 month old soft bitch w/medium prey drive?

I think the focus should be on the work and the handler, not on "something else". Working this way as Greg suggests, stress that becomes "fearfull" to the dog must be overcome by going thru it with its handler.

You may likewise want to do like most do, throw a ball, play tug or toy and let the dog build tons of prey. It doesn't need "oneness" with the dog.

Hope it helps...

Save

1 - 3 of 44 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month