Pick your brains... 6 month old won't go after "dead" prey - Page 6

Pack drive, here's mine;

Update:

I have come to the realization that her lack of play is partly due to running herself exhausted. It is too hot for her to be doing that and started puking from too much exercise and heat. More crate time in the mornings has allowed more play time. We're up to about 5 minutes of retrieve before I cut her off (leave her wanting more, right) in the crate to cool off then out in the kennel. I do have to ration her water so she doesn't obsessively chug, also causing vomiting.

Melissa

IMO a dog needs to learn to regulate its activity, most crate dogs never get to learn.

crating give a false drive level....often deliberately done so.

She's not regulating when left to do it herself. She's going to bloat, or die of heat exhaustion. For now, this is going to have to be the way it is. Dogs eat in the morning, so crating for a few hours after is no biggie to me.

Melissa

I'm not new to dogs. She's much different than any dog I've ever raised. Trying to make the best of it, and see where we are at 12 to 18 months.

Ah, so she's a busybody when left to her own devices...that's a tough one. Malinois in a GSD-dress

Edit: Reference to 'Malinois in a GSD-dress' = I like a dog that's a busybody  and which will entertain themselves, but without exhausting themselves and able to settle when nothing's happening and they're asked to chill out. Many years ago, I dog-sat a friend's Euro-line Mal, a dog I loved dearly, while her owner was recuperating from surgery. I was surprised to discover that the Mal didn't have much of an 'off' setting...had to crate her for a few hours in the morning and the evening so she'd stop moving for a bit and stop dropping toys in our laps.

melba, hope as she matures mentally she learns to regulate herself better, for the sake of her health if for no other reason.

Sigh ! Pete, not all dogs are your dogs. Not all GSDs are
like your one GSD. They do vary, as individuals. I know
exactly what melba and hexe mean, I've met some of these
characters too. Sometimes you just have to use crates and
other ideas you would not normally resort to, for their own
safety, and your sanity.

Hexe, exactly :)

I'm hoping she does eventually develop that off switch.

Melissa