Building ball drive

Ball drive is part of prey drive. You definitely will want to discuss the drives (not just prey) that have been inherent in the lines your gsd is coming from with the breeder.

If you just restrict the thinking to ball, you may miss other opportunities and objects that you can utilize in your relationship and interaction with your dog-more than just training.

Where are those opportunities? That is part of the fun of learning /building your relationship with your dog. I have plenty of toys/balls for Lancer who has strong drives. While he plays/chases all of them, this is one of his favorites:



A simple rag tied to a piece of leather.

As far as I'm concerned, prey drive/toy drive/tugging are all vital 'basic' training skills needed in a puppy that we want for some kind of training. So much easier to train a dog that has those drives (when we learn how to harness them to do good and not evil ) Here's some good sites:

http://siriusdog.com/articles/prey-drive-schutzhund-promotion-winkler1.htm

http://www.clickerdogs.com/createamotivatingtoy.htm

http://www.beardieagilitydiehards.org/BADagility/foodsock.html

i've never worried about drive in my dogs. i've never had a Shep that wouldn't play tug, retrieve balls or play hard. i'm amazed that people can measure drive in a puppy. i wonder in the way we play with them when they're young do we bring out the drive that's in them? let's say a dog doesn't have drive does that mean we can't teach them to act like they have drive? because a dog doesn't have drive does that mean we can't teach them to retrieve, play tug or herd or whatever? or is it easier to teach them when they have drive? what are you planning to do with your dog that it needs drive? as far as building ball drive i don't know. when it comes to my dog he always had toys available from day one. he had and has balls of different sizes. when he was young i would roll balls towards him and he would push them around. i didn't try to make him retrieve them because he was to young. i got him him when he was 9 weeks old and he had his toys from the begining. i didn't teach him to retrieve untill he knew come. i noticed from a young age that my dog would play with his toys by himself. i'm assuming that's drive. he also likes to herd our Grey Hound. i'm sure your dog will have all of the drive you want it to have. becarefull that it doesn't drive you crazy.

Thanks jesusica for the new link! It was great and now part of my favorites to share.

While I absolutely agree there is a genetic component to the 'play' drives our dogs have (or do not). We CAN make it better for all our dogs.

I personally feel that many of us take our dog's natural seeming ability to play and either do not continue to build and increase the drive as our dogs grow, but (more importantly and this I really do see all the time) increase our dog's drive's and ability to play WITH US!

And the 'with us' is the key part FOR THE TRAINING. I have a friend who has dogs that shut down and are not drivy at all when he trains and recommended he try to add the toy to his regime. The guy flatly responded, his dogs do not tug. I dropped the subject for a bit (I was really cut off like I was an idiot ). Later I kind of brought up the subject again about all his dogs (he's breeder with quite a pack at the house) and asked if the dog's will play and tug with toys among themselves. Know what the answer was? YES.

So I'm sitting there being told by the guy 'my dogs won't tug' when the reality is 'my dogs won't tug WITH ME'. And that is a VASTLY different answer with different reasons behind it. Is he not fun? Does he not encourage play WITH him? Is he too serious and only an authority figure (who wants to play and have fun with a dictator?).

And 'ball' drive is NOT the same. It's easier for us, the dogs love it, they get exercise and all we have to do it throw the ball, but the REWARD and the PAYOFF doesn't involve us at all. So the bonding, fun, work ethic WITH us isn't fulfilled either.

But tugging (which IS work for us.....) DOES involve us. Does make us an intregal part of 'the game'. Does bring the dog into, close, and realizing that we are worth having in the game.