Testing a Working Dog’s Drives
This is a brief video I shot of my German Shepherd X Dutch Shepherd ‘Phender’ one day during group class. My main goal here was to test Phender’s genetics in an environment with quite a lot of distraction.
Up to this point Phender would not hesitate to play with all the usual dog toys such as Kongs, tennis balls, rags, puppy bite sleeves and even brooms. I decided to see how strong his desire to retrieve really was and so I found a few odd items laying around the training room that I tested him on.
I found a Hula-Hoop, a length of PVC pipe, and a section of plastic tarp. Each of these had a new an strange texture, as well some of them will startle even adult dogs. This retrieve test also tested Phender’s confidence levels with strange noises and sights. If he plays with the items, then it also helps to socialize him to those items so he is less likely to be afraid of them later in life.
Check out the video below to see how Phender did.
