# building drive



## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

while keeping the pup from injuring himself.

Ike has CRAZY prey drive, he jumps, twists, turns, falls in order to get the item. he's surprised me a couple of times the crazy stuff he'll do to get the "whatever".

he's not 6 months old yet, the most agile, quick pup i've ever had. so i try to work the retrieve/build drive on surfaces with good footing so he doesn't slip and fall (not that slick surfaces slow him down at all), but he really seems to have no self-preservation instinct--he took a freaking huge vertical leap 3 days ago going after a ball, missed, crashed to the floor, hurt his R front leg/shoulder badly enough that he cried out, shook it off, and wanted to go again.

so how do you Mal ppl work crazy pups? i try not to work him in bad footing, but TBH, footing doesn't seem to make a difference...help!!


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## Jerry Lyda (Apr 4, 2006)

Be carefull, but not to the point that you hurt his drive. You want his drive over the top. Do things lower not as far and things like that. Have a good decoy to work him to try to keep him from spinning and jumping hoops. That is hard to do with a dog that is locked in prey. Try to use comman sence and let him have fun. Hope there is no injury.


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## Adam Rawlings (Feb 27, 2009)

I have the same problems with my GSD. The things he does on our hardwood floor make me cringe at times.I have been working to keep him calm in the house and that it's ok to act like a mad man in the field. I only work him on the grass when building drive with a ball/tug and back-tie him when for some of the tug work. I really worry about hip issues down the road with all that puppy energy.

Good luck.


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## Timothy Saunders (Mar 12, 2009)

how about letting hime retrieve something that doesn't move around when thrown. that way he can judge better his movements


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

thanks for all the suggestions; i'll definitely try to keep stuff lower. at less than 6 months i don't he's locked in prey yet jerry--but he has plenty of it. also no fear about environmental stuff if he's in drive.

this boy is gonna be fun, fun, fun


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## Tamara Villagomez (Nov 28, 2009)

he sounds like hes gonna be awesome have fun with him!


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