Gilypoo Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 I have a 13month GSD that loves to chase anything that moves.. I recently posted about her esacping every day... My question is should I be worried about her constant need to chase things now? Is it likely to develope into a more sinister Obsession later in life? I have a feeling that she is bored although she goes for an walk every day for approx 45min- 1hour, she has a 13month old Great Dane puppy to play with. She has more toys then you can imagine (her fav being a red tennis ball) It is rarley seen out of her mouth, she normally sleeps with it . My OH plays with her for about an hour non stop when he gets home from work, yet she will look for things that are moving so she can catch them in her mouth. It is now at the point that she will stare at a leaf on the ground for approx 5 min in the hope that it is going to move.. Any suggestions on what i can do, as i would hate to have an over stressed obsessive dog on my hands!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks :D p.s here is my baby girl with the above mentioned red tennis ball Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Now is the time I think you should consult a professional. This could indeed become worse... and I believe you need someone personally there to help you. She is a lovely looking girl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aidan Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 It's generally regarded as a good thing if you are interested in training your dog. If you haven't already, sign up for agility, obedience, flyball or something of that nature where an instructor can show you how to use the force for good instead of evil. When I was a teenager my piano teacher had a GSD who was a mad retriever at heart. He would spend the entire piano lesson dropping little bits of soggy leaf or wool (piano teacher was a spinner) or a toy on the stool then waiting furtively for you to finish your piece so that you were free to throw it for him. With half a dozen or so students each afternoon I can imagine the dog was quite satisfied by dinner time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilypoo Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 It's generally regarded as a good thing if you are interested in training your dog. If you haven't already, sign up for agility, obedience, flyball or something of that nature where an instructor can show you how to use the force for good instead of evil. I have started to look into training but I havnet found any in my area that im completley satisfied with or suit my schedule. Ive started doing clicker training at home which she absolutley loves. I can keep her occupied for huge time frames. I have also started using handsignals for something interesting and a bit different to see how she goes with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 (edited) It's generally regarded as a good thing if you are interested in training your dog. If you haven't already, sign up for agility, obedience, flyball or something of that nature where an instructor can show you how to use the force for good instead of evil. Agree. You have a working dog. Taking her for walks, playing with her and her having another dog to play with are just not enough. There is no real mental stimulation in these activities. She has a completely different mind-set to your Great Dane, who will probably be happy with these activities alone. Her mind needs a lot more to occupy it to stop her from going stir crazy. The drive to chase things should be put to good use, by regular training in obedience, tracking, trick training, agility etc. As she is highly motivated by the tennis ball, this would be an ideal reward. A mentally bored GSD is usually a recipe for disaster. Julie Edited March 17, 2010 by Echo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Does she enjoy playing tug? Have you looked into Training in Drive? This utilises the desire to chase and if you can harness it and put it on command/demand you can get some super performances in whatever your preferred sport is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raineth Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Gily make sure you put her in the (non) Dane challenge every three weeks as well. that means she will be learning something new every couple of weeks all the time - great for a doggie like her that needs lots of mental stimulation. The new challenge will be announced on thurs or Fri in the Dane thread :0) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilypoo Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 Gily make sure you put her in the (non) Dane challenge every three weeks as well.that means she will be learning something new every couple of weeks all the time - great for a doggie like her that needs lots of mental stimulation. Yeah I was wondering about these things..... What do I have to do with them? I tried the throw one (when you throw stuff at them, i think it was called Bomb proof Stay????) with Bella but she wasnt at all interested. Thinking about it she was probably really good at it cause she just went to sleep and didnt pay attention at all.. hehehe. :D Ill keep my eye out for it.. I just called my Local dog club and they meet on sundays and Wed so I am dragging OH down there for a look on Sun... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raineth Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Gily make sure you put her in the (non) Dane challenge every three weeks as well.that means she will be learning something new every couple of weeks all the time - great for a doggie like her that needs lots of mental stimulation. Yeah I was wondering about these things..... What do I have to do with them? I tried the throw one (when you throw stuff at them, i think it was called Bomb proof Stay????) with Bella but she wasnt at all interested. Thinking about it she was probably really good at it cause she just went to sleep and didnt pay attention at all.. hehehe. :D ;) Ill keep my eye out for it.. I just called my Local dog club and they meet on sundays and Wed so I am dragging OH down there for a look on Sun... I hope the dog clubs turns out to be great Well you can do the challenge with both of them. But if Bella is ok and its Molly who is needing extra stimulation you can just do it with her Sas will put up a link to a video which describes the steps you need to go through to teach the dog. Then you just follow that and if you get stuck on anything you ask a question on the Dane thread. Video tape a few (or all) training sessions so you and everyone can see how you're going. And then at the end you submit your final video! Its well worth it because if you win you get an awesome prize! Its not going to Help Molly with her actual obsession of course. But as part of the problem is probably boredom - well it will certainly help with that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilypoo Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 I hope the dog clubs turns out to be great Well you can do the challenge with both of them. But if Bella is ok and its Molly who is needing extra stimulation you can just do it with her Sas will put up a link to a video which describes the steps you need to go through to teach the dog. Then you just follow that and if you get stuck on anything you ask a question on the Dane thread. Video tape a few (or all) training sessions so you and everyone can see how you're going. And then at the end you submit your final video! Its well worth it because if you win you get an awesome prize! Its not going to Help Molly with her actual obsession of course. But as part of the problem is probably boredom - well it will certainly help with that Kool thanks for that, I will keep an eye out 4 it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr.mister Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 +1 to what others said. Perhaps she'd enjoy flyball? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilypoo Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 Perhaps she'd enjoy flyball? Whats Flyball? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aidan Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilypoo Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 That looks like soemthing that Molly would like... Do you know how I find out if there is a Club or Team in my area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huski Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Does she enjoy playing tug?Have you looked into Training in Drive? This utilises the desire to chase and if you can harness it and put it on command/demand you can get some super performances in whatever your preferred sport is. I agree, channel it and use it for something positive, and a way to teach her self control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aidan Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 That looks like soemthing that Molly would like... Do you know how I find out if there is a Club or Team in my area? You could call your ANKC affiliate (DogsWA?) Flyball is an ANKC sanctioned sport so they will know of any clubs in your area. Some of the obedience clubs run flyball teams. Check also the "Dog Sports" sub-forum here, there may be a flyball thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarope Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Hi Gilypoo, Does your GSD have a problem or will this turn into a sinister obsession now or later in life ? The answer is no, you have a normal hyperactive GSD. Will she calm down or grow out of this, no what you see is what you get. By 18 mths she will mature and you will notice an improvement in behavior but she will always be hyper. A hyperactive GSD is not for everyone, as they need more training and much patience more so than a hypoactive GSD. It's a real shock to the system to get a hyper GSD,I know because I have one. My girl was a monster and nearly drove me crazy,just to give her a brush was impossible as she wouldn't stay still and was like a jack in the box. She started obedience training with the GSDL at 4mths and was the worst one there. Today my girl is loving,loyal and very protective but still hyperactive and she's 7yrs old and runs around with her ball. I should mention that my GSD boy is hypoactive and has never chased a ball or played tug o war,is quite happy just to sit on the lounge what a joy. Take her to obedience training which she will love and get her used to other dogs and don't worry because you have one of the best breeds there is, she'll be just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 pity you dont have a schutzhund club there she would benefit from prey based obedience, agility and tracking. Your dog has to learn how to switch off. It is possible, she simply has her prey button stuck to on Have a look at some of the free articles on www.leerburg.com on training with prey and markers as a start Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laeral Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 A hyperactive GSD is not for everyone, as they need more training and much patience more so than a hypoactive GSD.It's a real shock to the system to get a hyper GSD,I know because I have one. My girl was a monster and nearly drove me crazy,just to give her a brush was impossible as she wouldn't stay still and was like a jack in the box. She started obedience training with the GSDL at 4mths and was the worst one there. I too have a very high energy GSD. She has been quite a handful and difficult for me to train, she just doesnt stop. All she wants to do is go go go, chase chase chase! Unfortunately I dont have access to a schutzhund club in my area and the 'traditional' training on offer here just didnt suit. As others have said, use this behaviour to your advantage. Look into training in drive, my girl is loving it and it has really helped to redirect and give her an outlet for her drive to chase things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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