[TxDobieLady]

Well i know you need something that motivated the dog to train them but alice is very unmotivated for food,toys, and attention she just wanted to sleep all day i dont know what to do

 

[Tater927]

My first thought is to ask if she's always been like that or if it's something kind of new. I only say that because it doesn't seem normal for a 6-7 month old puppy to want to sleep all the time so I can't help but wonder if maybe there is something causing her to not feel well.

 

[KevinK]

Have you had a thorough vet check? If I had a 6 month old dobe puppy who wanted to do nothing but sleep, I'd be awful concerned about the health of my pup...

 

[dobebug]

Well i know you need something that motivated the dog to train them but alice is very unmotivated for food,toys, and attention she just wanted to sleep all day i dont know what to do

I'm surprised that a puppy that age only wants to sleep. Usually puppies are energetic and more than willing to learn things.

But you do have to be more interesting that sleeping or playing with your other dog.

There was a very good discussion about another "unmotivated" dog which started I think early in 2010 (maybe even as long ago as 2009) which was resurrected by the OP a year later after she's worked to motivate her young dog using many of the suggestions offered by readers of the thread.

Her program developed from those suggested had evidently been very successful and her dog was now very excited about going to work and was well motivated.

One of the things that practically everyone suggested was to get the puppy into a good Obedience class with a top notch trainer so that she (the owner) could have some direct and immediate help in learning how best to motivate her dog.

I'd search under Training and Motivation but maybe someone can remember that thread and put up a link for you.

 

[sam&macksmom]

This thread on biddable dogs is pretty good: http://www.dobermantalk.com/doberman-related-chat/49872-rate-your-dogs-biddability.html

 

[TxDobieLady]

SHe has had a thorough vet check she has always been like this just lazy in general she play with the other dogs outside but inside she just wants to lay down. she just has never been super interested in people. she doesnt greet people when they come over like my pibbles do

 

[TxDobieLady]

if you notice 95% of all photos posted of her on here are of her sleeping

 

[Darkevs]

not normal of any young dobes i have known.

has she 'bonded' with you, or is she indifferent, lacking 'loyalty'?

a complete blood panel...........and talk to her breeder.

Hugz!

interesting read...............Bach Flower Essences | The Spirit of Animals | The Spirit Of Animals

 

[TxDobieLady]

i know she loves me but we have always have "bonding problems" she just seems indifferent about everything

 

[Herb2relax]

Kyrah is 2 1/2yrs now and is very laid back compared to what I hear most dobes are. But when she was young she had tons of energy. Is your girl using up all her energy playing with the other dog when she is outside?

Kyrah has never been interested in meeting new people unless they have food. Then she doesnt really want to meet them she just wants the food. My brother-in-law tells people just leave her alone. She isnt interested in making new friends. She tolerates being around people well and its fine with me. She stays by my side 24/7 and I love it!

 

[Okie-dobie]

SHe has had a thorough vet check she has always been like this just lazy in general she play with the other dogs outside but inside she just wants to lay down. she just has never been super interested in people. she doesnt greet people when they come over like my pibbles do

If I wanted to motivate my dog more to learn and play with me I would not allow her to play with other dogs. This does not have to be forever, but I think it's worth a try anyways.

She could be using all her energy playing with other dogs. When it comes time to do any training she's to tired! If you don't instill this when they are young they will always want to play with dogs more than you.

How often do you walk her?

Do you try and play with her without any other dogs around?

 

[Tperkins]

She is younger than your other male dog if I am not mistaken. Me and my dad had a similar problem with two labs years ago. The male was older and we brought in a female puppy. Once she was old enough to go outside with him she did so. The bond between her and my dad was minimal at best. His male was fine it was a non- issue, the female would only give him(my dad) minimal attention. That was if she was out of sight/smell of the male. I figure she spent more time with the male dog that my dad, so she was closer to the dog. Like I have said in many threads about adding another dog. It is crucial to keep them apart and to imprint in the relationship into the puppy. The female in question was a firecracker too, very driven dog. In the end a resolution was made and my dads good hunting buddy took her in and finished her training. She was I believe 5-6 months at the time and bonded quite well with the new owner. She turned out in to the best dog the guy had owned. My dad has trained bird dogs for 40 years, but I seriously doubt she would have worked out in our household.

Not saying this is exactly what is happening in your situation but it is something to consider.

Another thing people need to consider is that some dog(even working breeds) just don't have a lot of biddability/drive to work. It may be the breeding or just a fluke. None the less it does happen. Now a puppy your dogs age should not be sedate all the time. But playing with another dog will flat out drain a dog of any age. Do you watch them play, do they play very hard? I would be curious what would happen if you some how kept their time to a minimum together(or not at all) and did a lot of one on one focus work?

Good Luck! let us know how things progress.

 

[TxDobieLady]

Ill try keeping them separated . not sure how the house is small but we will try maybe alternating who is inside when ? I dont think ill ever be willing to give up on her i love her with all my heart i just wished she loved me more. I think thats what it is now that you all mention it that she just relies on him and not on me. I can get her interested SOMETIMES not all the time with food training but if she doesn't want to do it at that point in time she wont. I hope something works . Cause my pibble is the opposite he relies on me for everything doesnt wanna do anything without me he is overly attached and she is under attached cant they balance each other out.

 

[TxDobieLady]

BTW. she isnt lacking in prey drive ive never had a dog that hates squirrels, birds, etc so much she will see one from 4 blocks away and its all i can do to control her.

 

[Okie-dobie]

Again, how often do you walk her? If at all.

Do you try and play with her without the male around?

Everyday I would take just her out. Take her for a walk, play with her in the park. Betcha in a couple weeks if you are consistent you will start to see her perk yup. You will see her start to look forward to her walk and play time.

 

[MeadowCat]

Has she had a full vet screening, including blood panels, run? If not, I'd do that first. I know you said she had a vet check, but that doesn't always include blood work.

If playing with another dog is a reward for her, start using that as her reward for working with you. If chasing a squirrel in the yard is rewarding, that becomes her reward. I would do some reading on the Premack principle; you can use your dog's interests to your benefit. Is she completely unmotivated by food? You may start trying to have her work for her meals. Have you taken any type of class with her? A good trainer can help you identify what is rewarding for your dog. Not all dogs are food motivated, or toy motivated.

Make sure you are spending one-on-one time with her, too. It's very possible she's bonded more to your other dog than to you, especially if she spends most of her time playing with the other dog. You might pick up a copy of Susan Garrett's book, "Ruff Love: A Relationship Building Program for You and Your Dog" (Amazon.com: Ruff Love: A Relationship Building Program for You and Your Dog (9781892694065): Susan Garrett: Books). I've used a modified version of this program pretty successfully. You may also do some NILF (Nothing in Life is Free) to help her learn that all good things come from you. I personally found that my bond with Shanoa grew exponentially once we started clicker training together. If you haven't used clicker training, a great book to check out is "The Thinking Dog: Crossover to Clicker Training" (Amazon.com: The Thinking Dog: Crossover to Clicker Training (Dogwise Training Manual) (9781929242627): Gail Tamases Fisher: Books). This is one of the best dog books I've read.

 

[TxDobieLady]

Thanks medow cat that is very helpful
okie dobie she is walked atleast once a day sometimes twice each walk is about 2 miles. I am trying to get in touch with her breeder but since her breeders arent reputable its a complicated story and im not sure they will be much help because they bought her dam while she was prego and sold her after she had pups so they dint have much contact with her and never met the stud to my knowledge i know the woman who they bought her from but she is a less than nice woman. who has made me jump threw hoops just to get alices papers

 

[MeadowCat]

This thread on biddable dogs is pretty good: http://www.dobermantalk.com/doberman-related-chat/49872-rate-your-dogs-biddability.html

It almost sounds like you have two problems, OP. You mention both her lack of motivation to work (biddibility) and a lack of a bond between the two of you. Those are not necessarily related. Shanoa, for example, is not very biddible. She'll work eagerly, if there's something in it for her. She couldn't care less if what she does pleases me or not However, she and I have a very deep bond. So you may have two separate issues to address here. One is that your dog may not be as interested in working with you/pleasing you, and the other is the lack of bonding. I would personally start with the issue of bonding, and you may see a change in her work attitude as you develop a better bond. If you don't, then you start working on how to work with her better and find ways to motivate her.

 

[TxDobieLady]

the way you describe shanoa is alice to a T she doesnt care if i reward her or punish her she does what she likes. Im hoping when I start the hands on portion of my dog training coarses at animal behavioral college that I am taking the training counselor will be able to help me and her.

 

[Okie-dobie]

Has she had a full vet screening, including blood panels, run? If not, I'd do that first. I know you said she had a vet check, but that doesn't always include blood work.

If playing with another dog is a reward for her, start using that as her reward for working with you. If chasing a squirrel in the yard is rewarding, that becomes her reward. I would do some reading on the Premack principle; you can use your dog's interests to your benefit. Is she completely unmotivated by food? You may start trying to have her work for her meals. Have you taken any type of class with her? A good trainer can help you identify what is rewarding for your dog. Not all dogs are food motivated, or toy motivated.

Make sure you are spending one-on-one time with her, too. It's very possible she's bonded more to your other dog than to you, especially if she spends most of her time playing with the other dog. You might pick up a copy of Susan Garrett's book, "Ruff Love: A Relationship Building Program for You and Your Dog" (Amazon.com: Ruff Love: A Relationship Building Program for You and Your Dog (9781892694065): Susan Garrett: Books). I've used a modified version of this program pretty successfully. You may also do some NILF (Nothing in Life is Free) to help her learn that all good things come from you. I personally found that my bond with Shanoa grew exponentially once we started clicker training together. If you haven't used clicker training, a great book to check out is "The Thinking Dog: Crossover to Clicker Training" (Amazon.com: The Thinking Dog: Crossover to Clicker Training (Dogwise Training Manual) (9781929242627): Gail Tamases Fisher: Books). This is one of the best dog books I've read.

Good suggestions MeadowCat!

Yes I forgot to add that using her meals for training is a great idea. This builds drive for food.