# gsd's different rates for maturing



## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

since the issue of "letting a dog mature" comes up from time to time i'm curious about how this relates to training, particularly for gsd's, since i will be boarding one for about five months this coming summer

i have had many people tell me that different gsd bloodlines mature much slower and some may take up to four years to fully mature. 
so, for for those with gsd experience : is this T or F ??
next question is how do you know when it IS mature, and lastly, how would this affect your training ? 

i'm no gsd expert and i know how to judge the physical side, but i'm assuming when this is discussed it is more about mental maturity, which for me is not so easy to see and i question how much of my training should take maturity into consideration
- actually i've been with pretty old dogs that often show obvious immature puppy behaviors and have also been around a few pups that seem like they never were puppies at all .... guess what i'm saying is that i haven't seen that big of a switch in overall temperament that i could say was a result of "maturing"
- is it just because i lack the experience and it's one of those " you'll know it when you see it" things, or are there definite behaviors that indicate the level of maturity in gsd's and if so, how does it affect your training ?

- as you could probably tell by some of my posts, i tend to not really think about how mature the dog is, and just adjust my training sessions to the temperament of the dog at the time i'm with it 
- i'm thinking this is just because i generally don't live with the dog and don't know it as well as the owner and also since haven't worked with enough gsd's to see the difference


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## brad robert (Nov 26, 2008)

My dog matured early she is from satoris and mink lines but mentally around 4ish years i did notice a slightly harder mental edge but i wouldnt call it night and day.Still pretty much the same dog she was from 18mths.

As a side note i question the let them grow up speel many great trainers have always trained there dogs from pups and this is when the best imprinting is done they never forget.


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## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

Imprinting is fine but escalating the training particularly from the standpoint of pressure is the problem. I have two puppies now and they are completely different in terms of what I would ask of them in training. I think if its a new dog that you didn't see grow up, you start it as if it were a puppy and take it through all the steps before deciding what and how much it can take. For me young dogs and puppies stage in terms of pressure until then they start approaching age 3. They can be different week to week. Then everything sets and they become consistent . I pick them based on selection tests and then some can be all over the place for awhile until they settle in to what I picked in the first place. Again bitches can be faster in this regard--just what I see with my dogs, anyway.

T


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## brad robert (Nov 26, 2008)

Terrasita Cuffie said:


> Imprinting is fine but escalating the training particularly from the standpoint of pressure is the problem. I have two puppies now and they are completely different in terms of what I would ask of them in training. I think if its a new dog that you didn't see grow up, you start it as if it were a puppy and take it through all the steps before deciding what and how much it can take. For me young dogs and puppies stage in terms of pressure until then they start approaching age 3. They can be different week to week. Then everything sets and they become consistent . I pick them based on selection tests and then some can be all over the place for awhile until they settle in to what I picked in the first place. Again bitches can be faster in this regard--just what I see with my dogs, anyway.
> 
> T


All good points and i have to agree about females too.Definately have noticed my dog become more consistant with age.


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## Randy Allen (Apr 18, 2008)

I think you're on the right target enre to the individual dog Rick.
But along with others, I've noted a slower maturity rate of males. That is, as a 'general rule'.

On the other hand, to your question of lines. Yes, from where I sit maturity rates vary a good deal.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

My 8 yr old GSD has always been a serious, deep thinker and I saw that by 6-7 months old. My younger (4 in May) didn't start showing maturity till the past 1- 1 1/2 yrs. 
Both are WG over Czech but different lines.


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## Thomas H. Elliott (Aug 6, 2011)

Great post Rick. I often wonder if some pups/dogs mature in certain areas of training. Like humans. Some "get" the math like butter to the bread while others get the grammar end of things. So, could a pup just like doing tracking more instead of bite work and therefore excel in it quicker than the other? Further, does it matter their birth/pecking order in the litter? Anyone know of any studies?


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## herman williams (Nov 23, 2011)

you have to look at what levels of drives a dog has , as a high preydrive dog will be looked at as maturing young ,and a low preydrive , high defence dog will be seen as maturing late ,* generally speaking*

a defencedriven dog , with natural suspision will show different behaviour than a high preydrive dog with no suspision at all , at young age , and as we all know preydrive can be adressed way sooner than defence


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