Share examples of good nerve!

[sparra]

Originally Posted by carmspack

yes . here is what was going through my imagination Whitetail Deer attacks Hunter - YouTube

only me, with dog, and two donkeys.

Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs

Wow....I didn't realise deer would be that aggressive...maybe we need one of those with our sheep!!!
Mind you we did find a fox dead in the paddock once and he was squished to a pulp.....the donkeys had done a pretty good job on him
I am glad you escaped!!!!!

[Debbieg]

What a great topic. It is good to have a long weekend and time to read all the stories. I have had only one dog that I would say had great nerve. He was unflappable and trustworthy in every situation we encountered durung his 14 years. He was my companion when I left home at 18 and hitch hiked everywhere. He is also the only GSD I have had that had the Genetic Obedience that is discussed in the other thread. I wonder if GO and good nerve go together?
Here is a link to his litter mate
(USA) CH Idol v Celler Schloss - German Shepherd Dog

Benny does not have good nerves, but they are not awful. Loud noises, fireworks, crowds do not bother him. But even with great socialization he will back up, lunging and barking at people ( usually men) who approach him in a cautious manner. ( As if their caution makes him suspicious).
He is wonderful with children, lets them climb all over him, but with adults I have to always be very vigilant with him.

[carmspack]

debbieg , I do believe they do go hand in hand . I was going to bring that up on the genetic obedience thread.\
Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs

[codmaster]

I wouldn't say that barking at something or someone is always a nerve problem - if so there are a lot of police dogs that have nerve problems.

Sometimes it is just a signal that the dog sees/hears something that they don't recognize. particularly if they are at the end of the leash going toward the sound/person/thing. I agree if they are moving, or hanging, back it is likely not a really good thing.

[Lin]

Originally Posted by doorman330

Would you say this is true of adult dogs only? Because one would think a puppy or younger dog's smartest reaction to something threatening would be to avoid it.

First off, my experience is mostly with adult dogs.

However... Yes I would consider it concerning for a puppy to avoid something threatening. GSD puppies of good nerve are mostly fearless. A lot like teenagers, they think they're invincible. So I would be concerned about weak nerves with a puppy running and hiding. Now it also depends on how threatening you're talking about. Also the age of the puppy, I would be more accepting and lenient if it was during the fear period. Also the care of the puppy, one coming from an abusive situation could be fearful due to that but have the basis of solid nerve to quickly recover from the experience.

[prophecy]

FeNyx and the loud train - YouTube

FeNyx and the loud train - YouTube

I say this would be a decent example for a puppy.This is my girl FeNyx.This is the first time she'd EVER heard a train.....and it is VERY close that the ground trembles. Not even phased!

[Richk515]

Originally Posted by Anjulian

Thanks for the link, made interesting reading. Now I know that my boy is not as bad as I feared he was. lol.

Same here with my girl. My trainer said her nerves were soft and I took it personally but after reading that article, I was confirmed, that I have a great dog. :-) She may not become the next captain but I'm ok with that.

[msvette2u]

When Ruger was younger - last fall in fact, he'd have been around 5mos., we took him to a parade.
I was concerned and ready to walk him away from the noises and sights, but he he tolerated it all so well, didn't even blink. Noises, not a big deal (sirens, etc.) people, everything, he just laid there and watched.
Then these big tall...things came by--





He didn't even care! Didn't get up, startle, bark, anything, he just hung out and watched.
The most excited I saw him was when he saw a few other dogs and he got up and wagged at them like he wanted to check them out.
Other than that, nothing fazed him. I was amazed and so proud of him!

I might add, Ruger was a stray dog and we have absolutely no history on him at all, where he came from or what his parents were like, so we really lucked out with him

[marshies]

Puppy at 6 months old, went out with me during the middle of the night for a potty. This was the first lightening storm she had seen with me. The sky was WHITE from the lightening, and thunder was rumbling everywhere. She did her business and wasn't at all bothered by the rumbles.

I think a reasonable expectation of a healthy pet should include expectations of their reactions to challenges and uncomfortable situations. Puppy is ALWAYS willing to try something for the first time with me. We were introduced to a mini dog walk. This one was about a meter off the ground, and 30 CM thick(?). The first time we were introduced, Puppy walked without hesitation while I clutched nervously at her collar and got off without incident.

In terms of challenges:

After our glorious first go on the dog walk, Puppy decided that she really wasn't too thrilled about walking 1 meter off the ground. She went into a down when I got near the ramp. That's okay, I don't blame her, I wouldn't be thrilled to repeat the experience again. To overcome this, I put a few treats on the ramp leading up to encourage her to get on. She took the treats, and when the treats weren't there anymore, she offered to get on the dog walk herself to earn some more treats. This took less than 10 treats. She walked straight off, more coordinated than she had ever been, and even was able to hold a "wait" in the ramp coming off. She now readily goes on the dog walk when I go near it, and has no hesitation left whatsoever.

[Castlemaid]

I'm absolutely LOVING all these great stories of nice, solid, dependable dogs! Gives me hope!