Grim 'turns on'...do they know?

[Jag]

When I took Grim's agitation harness out of the box to fit it to him, he was all excited. He then got serious, and seemed almost proud. He posed for photos, etc. In the house, I can get Grim's focus and engagement. He's "with me". Out of the house, I seem to lose it. However, just the word "work" gets him excited, and the sight of his harness set him over the top today. He couldn't wait for me to get it on him. Sat in front of me while I untangled the long line, whining on and off. Right out the door, he was "different". He was serious. He wasn't going in a million directions. He kept looking at me... "what are we going to do? Where are we going?" I had his complete attention. I first had my wife handle him so I could work the flirt pole.. show her what to do. I was trying to get more excitement out of him... get him barking a lot, etc. but I felt I needed to be on the other side of the leash. So we switched. I was then able to praise and encourage him from the 'right' end of the leash. He was giving 100% and is stronger than I realized! He was all business. His attention NEVER wavered. He was "with me" the whole time. I was able to teach him to take his prize and go with it quickly. He looked SO proud... like he was walking on cloud 9.
He didn't even THINK about trying to walk off anywhere. On the way back to the yard, he didn't pull ahead. He kept 'checking in' with me. He's now exhausted and resting and thinking in his kennel.

I wonder- do some dogs just "know"? Is there some piece of equipment, etc. that shifts them into 'work mode' or 'serious mode'? It was like flipping a light switch with him. When he was 'on', he was ON. No puppy games. All serious. I'm thinking about getting a light weight harness of nylon without the chest plate to put on him when I take him out to 'work' since this seems to be his 'cue'. I also like that you can put 'in training' patches on it so he won't be messed with by people. The biggest thing, though, is that it seems to ground him, and put him into 'work mode'. I saw today just what a terrific team we make when he's engaged with me. I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing with him to try to get him and keep him more engaged with me. He is absolutely the dog of my dreams, and when things like this happen I see exactly how things are supposed to be. What (if anything) makes your dog "turn on" and go into work mode?? Did they seem to know right away? Is it possible that there's a genetic component to it? Maybe that dogs from long lines of military or police dogs have some genetic predisposition to do this?

[onyx'girl]

Just getting into the crate in the vehicle is the 'turn on/it's time to train mode.

I always cue Karlo verbally on what we will be doing. The harness use to be the visual cue for protection, but we did away with it long ago.
When I go lay a track, I show him the articles and his reward toy(fox tail on a flirtpole) and ask him if he wants to find it. So he's already going into that mode while the track ages. Then when I get him out to track I put the fursaver on and tell him it's time to such.

Same for obedience, I tell him what we're doing while I put the collar on(fursaver or pinch)
Protection needs no cue, he's already heard the other dogs barking or the whip cracking and knows what's up. But I will now and then mix it up and just bring him out for another obedience session then put him back up.
His control during protection needed some work, and I found doing more ob will have him more readily what is asked before he's rewarded with bites.

[Sunflowers]

Yes.
They do.
I had Hans do a couple of sessions with a K9 handler.
I could not believe his presence and aplomb. The handler said, "He wants to work."
And yes, it is genetic. The guy told me that maybe 1 out of 200 dogs are like that.
I told him I thought all GSDs were, and he looked at me as if I were a fool, LOL.

Makes me feel kinda bad that I have not gone since. Hans's whole world seemed to light up as he did those search and rescue exercises.

[Jag]

Watching him do that... go into that mode... he has GOT to have a job and be worked. It's not fair for him not to. I'm going to be begging around to find a place to take him. I'm wondering if there's a way to watch enough video, ask enough questions, and read enough books to not come across as inexperienced in IPO? Then I'd have a better shot. I'm going to try to get some 1:1 training for him so he doesn't look like a totally green dog, too. Have van, will travel.

[Jack9211]

I use a couple different leashes. I only use the leather 6 foot when we train. The minute I take that leash out of the closet, Ben is a different dog. He just know's we're going to work on something, and he pays attention. He loves it, and so do I.

[Chicagocanine]

Yes, in fact some people purposefully use the specific gear in order to cue their dog to when it is time to work or do a specific activity, for example a carting harness means it is ok for them to pull versus a walking collar/leash means it is not.

Also some people and some organizations do this with service dogs, the harness or vest on means it is time to work, harness off means they are allowed to sniff the ground, play or do other things that they are not allowed to do while working. Not everyone does this because some people feel it means the dog wont focus without the equipment, but some do.

[Shaolin]

Yes. Finn's SAR collar and harness means "work" versus his regular collar and leash. Also, if the kennel is in the back of the truck and he's in it, he just knows. I love his 'switch'.

[hunterisgreat]

Yeah, they get super excited to get the ecollar on, or the prong, or a fursaver, or a harness, or the muzzle.

They also have mini freakouts when I grab my keys, pull socks out my sock draw, put on a coat, or feed Aska in her crate (the other two know that often means we are leaving)