# Laziness (long)



## Bob Martin (Jul 19, 2014)

This is kind of a side question from my other thread on training with 2 dogs in the house, but I was wondering if there were any adverse affects during teething or growth spurts that cause a pup to be lazy?

Fitz will be 15 wks tomorrow and yesterday I left the training field a bit dissappointed. Normally when I get home he is rearing to go out of his crate. Yesterday he just mosied on out. My first thought was that was strange but I attributed it to my GF being home all day and she had visitors so he was out and playing up until about an hour before I came to get him. Got to the field and did some OB then he was back in the crate till it was puppies turn for some prey work. I will say that before hand I came back to his crate wearing some scratch pants and just moving around a bit in a fun way and he got up and did some frustration barks wanting to come out, so what happened next was unexpected.

I pull him out, put the lead on the harness, and make our way out to the trainer and small group. All he wanted to do was jump on me and wasn't looking at the rag at all. Tired to positin him a little better but it took the trainer kneeling down and calling him over for a few pets before he noticed the flirt pole. So he goes after it and catches it. Good grip at first then it pops out. The chase is on again then he stops mid chase and notices a yellow ribbon he wants to investigate. Now back to the rag...catches it. Really good grip this time. Parade around and back to tugging at which point he lays down, still gripping the rag but like on his side, using dead weight. I asked the trainer and he said he was being lazy. 

So another pup comes out and the handler brings him a little too close and Fitz loses concentration so we move out into the field a little more. One last round of chasing and a good grip in which he rolls around hanging on for dear life then stands and releases the rag all together and strolls back to me. I'm embarrassed at this point having never seen this out of him and even after a great play session Saturday expected good things last night. I opt to put him up so we get him to take the rag and run him back to the crate. 

On the drive home I thought about a couple of things that may have caused this. * 1) Maybe he's still not entirely comfortable at the field. 2) Possibly he was just spent on energy from playing all day. 3) He may be startig to teath and would there be any affects to this that would cause this lack of drive and energy? Growth spurts as well? 4)Possibly he doesn't have the genetics to do the work, all though he's shown he can in the past and especially at home.*

He is eating really good, 3 times a day. His stool is solid and we check for worms and have treated for such. He's up on all his vaccinations and recently got a clean bill of health at the vet's. We got home and he went back to being spunky Fitz to the point I wanted to pull out the camera and show the trainer he's not a couch potatoe.

So that's what's on my mind this morning. Anyone else go through this at all?

Bob


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

BOb,

what type of dog is Fitz again?

why is Fitz rolling around hanging on to a rag/tug for dear life? what was going on?


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## Bob Martin (Jul 19, 2014)

He's a Mal. I couldn't tell you why he feels the need to go dead weight at times. I first saw it once when he and his house mate, the yorkie, were playing tug with a toy. He went limp and she pulled him across the floor. He's done it twice now at training and once with me when I had him back tied working him myself.

I read somewhere where a change in diet sparked some energy and a GSD snapped out of his lethargic nature. Could diet be an issue?


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

is there 3 dogs now? with the new pup


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## Bob Martin (Jul 19, 2014)

Nope, just Fitz and frannie.


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## leslie cassian (Jun 3, 2007)

First thing...
"_I'm embarrassed at this point having never seen this out of him _"

Take your ego out of your training. 

Your puppy had a less than brilliant training day, so what? He wasn't the wildest most badass puppy there. Oh well, maybe next time he will be. Maybe all those things you considered were going on. He's a baby... stop being so hard on him and yourself and stop overthinking every little thing. Are you really ready to call him a washout at 15 weeks? Give him some time to grow up, you'll probably like what you see. If not, I'll take him off your hands - I need a new dog for Team MalaDee. :-D


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## Bob Martin (Jul 19, 2014)

Well I think it's a direct reflection on me since I'm the one who feeds, cares for, and shapes him. To some degree each dog has that natural instinct of survival, but otherwise it's the owner/handler that does everything for the dog. So in essance, my embarrassment was due to my own lack of ability in knowing what I could and can do to help Fitz succeed. That lack of ability is why I'm on the forum to garner information from those that have had similar experiences and the knowledge that may help our situation.


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

Bob Martin said:


> Well I think it's a direct reflection on me since I'm the one who feeds, cares for, and shapes him. To some degree each dog has that natural instinct of survival, but otherwise it's the owner/handler that does everything for the dog. So in essance, my embarrassment was due to my own lack of ability in knowing what I could and can do to help Fitz succeed. That lack of ability is why I'm on the forum to garner information from those that have had similar experiences and the knowledge that may help our situation.


Been there. It's not. And, add something else to your list: vaccinations.

Once I got away from the thought that some how I could over turn the genetics of my dog by my will (time and effort) alone, I managed to see the dog for what it really was and began to appreciate her an entirely new and unexpected way. 

Turns out she is a very strong natural trailer, amongst other things. Not too long ago I got the opportunity to put her before someone (several people) that knew they were looking at where scent work was involved. What they saw moved one of the instructors so deeply that she was in tears when she said this: What we just saw from your dog, we have never seen before and probably never will again. Coming from people with 65 years of combined experience, it certainly was meaningful to hear.

If you haven't already done so, check the forum archives. This is a subject touched upon a lot here in varous ways and stages of life. Be prepared for the possiblity that what you envisioned for this pup may not come to fruition. Have a back up plan. You can develop one by spending some time observing the puppy as he matures, note what his natural inclinations are and go from there.

BTW, I have experience on the opposite end of the spectrum. Out of the box the pup is today as it was then. Schutzhund was the sport I started her in. My resources were different then, mistakes were made, not much more to say. On a whim I tried out weight pulling last winter and she went from a Novice to taking the title in two different weight classes by her 4th weight pull. Like I said, have a back up plan.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

I just washed a dog not long ago for health reasons.

That particular dog was 13 months old and just getting her big girl pants on and turning into a real powerful beast.

repost of old video...should make you feel better though 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlNP5rd7GUw&list=UU5Teu-yr3ggIqso1oVYTE2A

drive was not great as small pup.

other dog I had had not so good drive as small pup or young dog, but matured to have great drives. Went from lame to awesome in 1 session at 9.5 months. Her son that I held back was a drivey idiot at 13 weeks, would grab anything you had, I mean anything. 

dogs are all different.

if its a mali and you are not expecting to compete at the worlds my advice would to be to not even worry about "bitework" stuff at this age. yeah its fun, but whether its really necessary is a toss up...

do your exposure, scent work, environmental stuff, your shaping and molding..chances are very good that the bitework will be fine, if the "nerves" are good, and dog is not a basket case..

drive levels often fluctuate, come go, appear disappear, in pups, young dogs for various reasons, depending on the dogs of course.

also I wouldn't let a trainer drag the pup around on a flirt pole personally, why not just encourage a good bite and correct biting/countering behavior instead?


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## leslie cassian (Jun 3, 2007)

Bob Martin said:


> Well I think it's a direct reflection on me since I'm the one who feeds, cares for, and shapes him. To some degree each dog has that natural instinct of survival, but otherwise it's the owner/handler that does everything for the dog. So in essance, my embarrassment was due to my own lack of ability in knowing what I could and can do to help Fitz succeed. That lack of ability is why I'm on the forum to garner information from those that have had similar experiences and the knowledge that may help our situation.


At every trial I have ever been to, whether protection sport or other, there has been at least one handler saying, "He's never done that before!" It's been me, and one day it will likely be you, too. Dogs just do weird shit out of nowhere sometimes and you need to learn to roll with it and laugh at it or it will take all the fun out of training and trialing.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Could be the dog is no different then lots of kids when cutting teeth. 

Not lazy! Just not feeling on top of the world. 

Many pups don't respond well when teething and doing bite work. Doesn't make it a bad pup, just a pup that isn't feeling up to snuff.


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