Thread: puppy prey drive

He is just playing with the pup in a form that is preparing it for what it will encounter in his chosen sport of Schutzhund. The pup is unaware it is absorbing a routine and being desensitized to some things it will encounter in training. l have seen 3 year old kids put a lot more pressure on a 12 weel old pup. He is enjoying it and learning something, that is training.
lt does look more like a Mal though.
Tony

Yes, there is nothing wrong with this type of conditioning; encouraging the pup with rag work at an early age is a good thing. As Tony says, it’s all a game which you encourage and build upon without putting too much pressure on it. As long as the pup is happy, also a good thing is to teach the “out” at the same time which can be achieved with another toy or food distraction; this makes training the “out” so much easier with very little or in fact no compulsion when the pup gets older.

One word of caution, make sure you do not do bite conditioning when the pup starts the ‘teething process’; wait until teething is over before resuming bitework training. The slightest discomfort/pain the pup experiences could set-back training, or even ruin a very promising pup.

Peter

Originally Posted by Summit K9

One word of caution, make sure you do not do bite conditioning when the pup starts the ‘teething process’; wait until teething is over before resuming bitework training. The slightest discomfort/pain the pup experiences could set-back training, or even ruin a very promising pup.

Peter

thank you for the reminder... i have noticed with my lot i can pick them up off the ground when they grab onto me and all but it's something i wonder about once they start teething..
what is a good way to keep the puppy working but not so much pressure on the teeth.. just to release earlier?

what is a good way to keep the puppy working but not so much pressure on the teeth.. just to release earlier?

By making the pup retrieve the item rather than playing tug.

NOW why didnt i think of that!!!

You're a legend Jeff thanks!

I think if the pup can handle it,then it's ok.However teeth and a growing baby is of utmost concern with the lifting high,I would not personally do it very often.Though I remember with Cisco as a youngen he could latch on and swing from a sittiing position!. Caution is the word .....If he dropped then that could set back a pup's confidence,as could a sore mouth etc but a fall would be more stressful.

I don’t see the value of lifting a pup off its feet all the time. It’s a bit of a party trick. Imprinting is based on gently encouraging the pup to do something which leaves an enjoyable and lasting impression; risking injury even though it may be accidental is just not worth it. Very young pups are extremely susceptible to pain with their mouth at this stage, especially when teething; an unpleasant experience at such an early age could very well remain with it for good.

Let a pup be a pup and have fun experiences; once teething is over bitework can be resumed.

As Jeff says, retrieving is far safer than tugging or lifting when teething, and the pup is still learning and most importantly having fun.

Peter