After watching the neat “Tanner Eval” video and after a few hours of research, do you all have any tips you’d like to share on how to begin building drive (like what works, or what to avoid doing as a handler)? I’ve read Julie’s comment on what to watch for when building drive which she posted under the video, but wondered if there was a correct way to properly introduce a pup to this type of fun or if that was Tanner’s first time at it. I’ve got a lunge whip in which I’ve secured a 5″ x 10″ piece of leather to the end of the popper, so I think that part is ready to go, but as the handler, I want to ensure that I’m confident on the correct techniques (to prevent any early bad habits). I remember doing something similiar with the GSD’s of my youth, but nothing that was goal orientated like this is supposed to be .. Our Max is going to be full of drive from what I can tell so far, and I’m just looking for any helpful pointers that you may be able to offer… (from what I’ve read, it’s recommended to begin with either a burlap piece or leather on the end of the string, and then after a period of time, replace the piece of leather with a “ball” on the end) I’m in WI, otherwise, I would love to be able to attend these sessions with Gustavo!
Thanks for any help!
I will answer more later, but one option is to come over and take a private lesson from Gustavo, and observe his training with others. He has people come in from all over the country to work with him.
You will be getting some emails from Youtube with a link to some private training videos.
Thank you Julie, I appreciate your help with my questions!
This i shard to answer because there are so many nuances to what you should do. All the schutzhund trainers I have worked with the do not want you, the owner, to play with the rag. That is something only they play with your puppy with. They want you using a ball on a stick or a rope. The ball on the stick is more animated and less intimidating to the puppy as it is farther away from your body. The ball cannot be too big so that it is uncomfortable for the puppy to put in his mouth, and with a puppy it may have to be smaller ball. To start with the Planet Dog Orbee balls are nice, but may not be necessary for your pup, as his Lynn’s puppy went right for a regular training ball which I do not think I got any of the ball play on the video. The trick with playing with the ball is you need to teach them to put the ball in their mouth and not bite on the rope.
Here are photos of Zeta learning to play with the ball, as you see in the beginning it is a lot more chase:
https://24kgsd.com/blog/?s=zeta
Don’t leave the ball lying around it only comes out when you want to play….or you need to tire your dog out. Always quit when the dog wants more. Reward barking, yes in this case barking is a good thing.
Yep, that’s what I’ve been doing, and you’re right, the barking for more does come naturally!
One of the reasons the trainers don’t like you to play with the cloth or what have you is because you can screw up their bite, they can learn bad things just as fast. It is a whole lot easier to teach it right the first time, then to have to go back and fix it later
Be careful what kind of balls you use, one with a rope going through it is best in case it gets stuck in their throat, you have a way to hopefully get it out.
Good Luck.
Thank you Karen, I hope more people jump in and contribute.
Also be careful when your dog is teething. A fun game can quickly cause issues if your dog is in pain. If your dog is having pain from teething, then instead of a fun game it becomes something negative that the dog avoids.
This is very individual. With some dogs pain actually builds drive but with others it can kill drive so watch your dog and adjust your play accordingly or even take a break for a few days from tugging. Still play with your dog and do drive building play but don’t tug. Also, rather than an up and down motion which can injure your dog’s neck, use a side to side motion. Imagine your hands doing a sideways figure 8.
Great point about the teething reality of a 12 week old pup. Thanks for the informative post!
All obedience is taught with play and/or treats…no discipline during obedience. Only discipline is for manners-type activity…i.e. no jumping on counters, stealing food from the kitchen table etc. No discipline for biting or mouthing, redirect.
Yep, I remember this phase (jumping up, talking back, etc. for sure.. 🙂 It’s coming back to me clear as a bell, and the positive reinforcement is still the training method of choice – for a good reason. After the passing of our other Shepherd at 13.5 yrs, it’s sure refreshing to have this little guy despite some of the behaviors that need frequent modification! The good thing is that they learn really fast and usually retain that new skill.