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Intense Ball Drive?

3K views 34 replies 16 participants last post by  Cassidy's Mom 
#1 · (Edited)
I was talking to my pups breeder about more of her pedigree today. He told me her dads side are all law enforcement dogs, and also bread for intense ball drive. He explained it bit more. But what is intense ball drive really for besides she loves to never put down her tennis ball.

Her moms side is completely white, and bread to be calm.

But I am very curious about what intense ball drive actually is, or is this concept so simple I'm just looking to far in it.
 
#4 ·
Intense ball drive, as others have noted, is what it sounds like, drive for the ball.

Now where intense ball drive comes in to play, is again, as said, they will do anything for the ball. That means I can teach my dog to do X and since she wants to ball so bad, she will learn and do X with extreme speed.

It also means that the dog will do things quick, fast, or precise when she THINKS I have the ball.

edit: PS before anyone else jumps to conclusions don't use actual tennis balls (use balls made for dogs)
 
#5 ·
First (because it's driving me nuts) bread is what you eat. Animals are bred.

Onto the breeder issue. Breeding for 'ball drive' is a load of junk. There are a million other things I'd like to hear a breeder tell me they're breeding for. Ball drive? Whatever. Next issue- why take generations of 'police dogs' and breed to a white GSD for "calmness"??? It sounds like this breeder doesn't know what they're doing in their breeding. If you haven't bought a pup from them, DON'T. I'd also like to see proof of the 'generations of police dogs'. There are sleazy breeders out there that will say all kinds of junk, and people buy it without checking it out. Most shepherds love balls. Over the years, I've seen so many pics of shepherds with tennis balls (or other balls) in their mouths I began to wonder if they weren't born with a ball in there, lol! Seriously, though, I don't think this is a reputable breeder. I've been wrong before, though. I don't like what they're telling you, though, or what they're putting together to breed.
 
#15 ·
Yeah I love her color, and She is very sweet, so far shes a great puppy. She does do anything for her ball though, that made training her to sit, lay and shake really really easy cause she did it for that ball, only thing I have a hard time teaching her is house breaking her but shes only been around for 2 weeks with me I am sure she will get it.
 
#14 ·
So this is the pedigree of the pup you're thinking about?

I see the dam's half is all white. But the sire's half is all mixed up. Looks like the sire's dam is coming from European lines, but his Sire is AKC show line. I don't want to make a sweeping judgement but that rarely happens to be a police dog (not saying impossible, just not usually seen or equated to high ball drive).

What's interesting to me is the Sire's registration date with the AKC (I think its 09-05) which means that since police departments rarely register their dogs with AKC the dog was probably registered after its retirement (if it was truly a LEO)...which would make this dog terribly old at the time of breeding.

Even if it wasn't retired...it would be at least 7 by the time he's being bred to make this most recent puppy which is quite old for a GSD to be bred...and I've never heard of a police department allowing their current police dog to be studded while in service (or usually ever).

All the AKC titles would show up...there are a few Championships (easy to tell) and then I think I saw one CD in there somewhere. Schutzhund titles, and anything from other registries would not show up on this pedigree.
 
#16 ·
Yeah the police dog thing may not of been true or it may have been true, I have no clue on that part. But she is a great puppy, and I was just curious of her pedigree so I bought it anyways to see if there was anything interesting in it.

Seems there is nothing very interesting in it but still ethier way I love the puppy and shes smart. So I like her ethier way.

What does CD mean. I have never really read a pedigree before.

CH Collinswood Fine Four-WD CD
DL354530/01

Thats who you saw the CD on
 
#17 · (Edited)
OP i have heard report apparently based on a medical study that tennis balls can erode a dogs tooth enamel, something about the glue- i would switch to an orbee or a kong if i were you.

geez guys yr all being a bit harsh imo - ball drive is DEFINATELY something many breeders brag about and breed for, rare to find a wl breeder website that isn't hyping up the amount of EXTREME ball drive, blah blah blah, their dogs have, the modern LEO training seems to be all about ball-drive for dtetction, obed....etc and thats a great thing.

Seth defend yr dog - yr dog is yr dog and YOU should think it is the greatest dog that has ever drew breath, don't take it man, push back.
 
#21 ·
It is pretty amazing that she's so into balls this early. Most dogs don't develop it for a while...mine developed his love at 6 months old.

Or maybe it was the love to actually retrieve. He'd chase and just sit there with it, took a while to figure out the game of fetch. Now he'll dig to China to get to a tennis ball.
 
#22 ·
I said the same thing, I didn't think she would be in to a ball so much this young ethier, But she takes it everywhere she goes in the house, and if you sit a treat and the ball down she takes the ball instead, idk what it is about the ball that shes so fascinated with. She loves fetch I will throw it across the room and she will run and get it bring it back and drop it at my feet.
 
#23 ·
"Drives" describe internal instinctual urges a being seeks to satisfy through some drive goal. Prey drive is the desire to chase and capture prey items. Food drive is the desire to eat food. Sex drive is the desire to mate.
Ball drive is not a drive at all... its prey drive, redirected on a ball and the dog gets its drive-goal by chasing and possessing the ball. Tennis balls are a man made invention.
 
#29 ·
I think you can make a bit of a distinction for ball drive as opposed to prey drive.

What about dogs who love chasing the ball but who don't want to chase real prey. They are motivated by the ball and the fun to be had rather than actually chasing a real live animal.

Next someone is going to say there is no such thing as play drive
 
#32 ·
I had a Springer Spaniel growing up and she was nuts for tennis balls. It's borne of prey drive, I know, but boy, those retrieving breeds love to chase tennis balls.
One of our GSDs so far liked to fetch tennis balls, or toys or frisbees. But the others, not so much.
 
#33 · (Edited)
sounds painful to me. kong tennis balls make no mention of better for teeth, in fact they say made in the same factory as regular tennis balls. my girl is slow on ball drive, she had a jw squaky with feet but not much interest. Now I got a tennis ball and a golf ball that she knocks around and chases on her own. I researched and threw away the golf ball. Shes 10 weeks and a tenis ball cant hurt her adult teeth. But her fave toy to roughhouse on her own with is a empty gallon milk jug. Shes a soccer star.
 
#34 ·
I think both Treue and Vala were born with a ball in their mouth. :) Vala would chase and carry a ball by at least 6 weeks.

As Hunter pointed out, ball drive is just a form of prey drive though I have owned a dog (Treue) that would have gone off a cliff for a ball yet had no interest in real prey. I do think the desire to chase and retrieve a ball is also some how connected to the dog's desire to play and interact with us (a form of pack drive).
 
#35 ·
As Hunter pointed out, ball drive is just a form of prey drive though I have owned a dog (Treue) that would have gone off a cliff for a ball yet had no interest in real prey. I do think the desire to chase and retrieve a ball is also some how connected to the dog's desire to play and interact with us (a form of pack drive).
That's how Dena was, her overall prey drive was about 1/4 of what Keefer's is but she was absolutely obsessed with balls, specifically tennis balls. He's nuts about Jolly balls, soccer balls, footballs, basketballs, and she had zero interest in any of those.
 
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