Stop The Obession

[JackB03]

Hey everyone!

I finally got my 2 1/2 year old GSD and she is amazing. Already knows how to speak on command, jump and catch frisbees and jumps and retrieves balls. Theres one problem.....

This is all she wants to do. All day long she looks for balls or toys to fetch and play. How can we get her to stop doing this. We bring her inside of our home and instead of her wanting to lay down by us or come cuddle, she looks for toys to get us to throw it. When we hide the toys, she circles around the living room and walks around the house.

I understand this is a good training dog, but she doesnt know how to sit or stay or anything when we have a ball around. What can we do about this?

Thanks,
Jack

[JustMeLeslie]

Originally Posted by JackB03

Hey everyone!

I finally got my 2 1/2 year old GSD and she is amazing. Already knows how to speak on command, jump and catch frisbees and jumps and retrieves balls. Theres one problem.....

This is all she wants to do. All day long she looks for balls or toys to fetch and play. How can we get her to stop doing this. We bring her inside of our home and instead of her wanting to lay down by us or come cuddle, she looks for toys to get us to throw it. When we hide the toys, she circles around the living room and walks around the house.

I understand this is a good training dog, but she doesnt know how to sit or stay or anything when we have a ball around. What can we do about this?

Thanks,
Jack

You should make her earn the ball. She doesn't get the ball thrown until she sits or does whichever command you want. It's called NILIF(nothing in life is free). I'm sure someone more experienced can explain it better to you than I can.

[Elaine]

More exercise so she's too tired to keep looking for her ball.

[JackB03]

More exercise? I probably do this with her 6 hours a day. Yet she's ready for more. I dont think more exercise is the answer.

Jack

[Elaine]

Yes, more exercise. You need to be doing more long distance endurance type exercise like jogging.

[JackB03]

I'll try that. I thought she might need a trainer to teach us how to control it.

[Cassidy's Mom]

Here is a book that can help: CHILL OUT FIDO! - HOW TO CALM YOUR DOG

There is no reason you should spend every waking minute catering to your dog and her desire to constantly play. I would work on teaching impulse control around toys, ignore her when she pesters you to keep playing once you're done (and I mean COMPLETELY ignore - don't talk to her, or even look at her, she's the invisible dog), and teach her how to relax and calm herself by rewarding that kind of behavior. The book has exercises and step by step exercises that show you exactly how to do this. Behavior that is reinforced will continue, so you need to stop reinforcing what you DON'T want and start reinforcing what you DO want.

[Whiteshepherds]

I don't think the dog needs more physical exercise, she needs mental stimulation and training..reread Cassidy's Mom's post.

In the meantime check out this page it has some good suggestions for mentally stimulating and tiring out your dog. (towards the bottom of the article)

Mental Entertainment for Dogs

[Cassidy's Mom]

Originally Posted by Whiteshepherds

I don't think the dog needs more physical exercise, she needs mental stimulation and training.

Exactly. I know that when I work my dogs' brains hard they're just as tired if not more so, than when I work them hard physically.

Keefer crashes in the back seat the whole way home after his Scent Detection class, and there's very little physical activity involved. But he's thinking and learning how to use his nose!

[Jax08]

OP's other thread

New 2 Year Old GSD