My GSP, Max, is a very highly driven dog. He is now 18 months. He has been in obedience class since he was 4 months in 2 different places, does NAVHDA bird/water work, goes to shows, on and on. Basically, if I am out, he is out. Right now we take private lessons as well as go to a weekly Competition Proofing class.

I am running into some new issues with him mainly dealing with his drive and confidence at obedience class. This is not an issue with an unfamiliar building/training area. He is a much  more "meek" version of himself. I use food, toys, lots of praise but cannot get the drive I can get at home or while doing NAVHDA work which is strange b/c he is very food and toy driven.

I just purchased a "Training in Drive" book by a woman who does Schutzhund training hoping it will help. I have also taken clinics with a very highly regarded trainer in this area who has put OTCH's on dogs as well as shows at national level Schutzhund trials. Nothing seems to be clicking.

Could this be an age thing? I know they go through all sorts of phases. I am trying to correct this now as I have an OTCH goal for this dog. He comes from extremely strong obedience lines and I am very motivated to get him into national rankings down the road like his mother, grandpa, uncles!

Thanks for any kind of advice.

i am not trying to do too much. NAVDHA is over in the northest so- just obedience. Not expecting the drive I have for birds- just the drive i have at home. for example, at home- recall fine. At training he sits and looks at me. At home I work on fetch, go outs, etc and he loves it. At training class- he is dull. He LOVES my obed training at home. As a friend with his littermate puts it "Max is balls to the wall" at home. How do I get this away from home? This is what makes him awesome. He would have Prized I at his NAVHDA NA, but he would not point. Found every bird but he was so exicited, he flushed them all. Judges loved him- just "needs focus". I don't expect this enthusiam for obedience but would like an improvement in drive. Thanks again. Love any help!

Also, it may be a confidence issue, not drive issue. However, he has been out and about a lot since he was a pup. He should not have issues with other situations other then home.

 At home, he is so confident-willing to do anything. At training, he is mild mannered- ears back, etc- this is where I want my wild Max!

I think you started way too young.  It is easy to bring a dog back, but hard to instill enthusiasum. He sounds bored, it is common IMO with birddogs. Their love is the field...He may need a break, or change of scenery.   

"At training he sits and looks at me. At home I work on fetch, go outs, etc and he loves it. At training class- he is dull."

My guess is you are going too fast and he is not confident enough in the exercises.  It is easy for him at home.  He is in his comfort zone at home with very few distractions.  Back up in your training in class.  For the recall he is not ready to be off leash.  Put him on a check cord or long leash.  When you call if he does not respond give one pop and he should start moving toward you. Gently reel him in (don't pull him in).  Give him encouragement when he starts to you and then give him a ton of praise.  Make if fun, get excited and act silly the moment he starts toward you.  You can fade that later.  Use treats, toys whatever you have to to make it fun. Are  you more reserved in class with your praise?  Be sure you are just as excited in your praise and let him know when he is doing it right.  I like to use a marker word that means that is what I want you to do and you will get a treat for it.  The concept is the same as clicker training, but I don't have to fumble around with the clicker. I wouldn't worry about the speed right now as he is trying to figure out what you want and is uncertain.  With confidence you should see speed.  Also, if you get a good recall stop, you don't need to do it over and over again.  Later on if you need to motivate speed, you can call and when he starts to come slowly to you turn and run, or toss a favorite toy through your legs.  Let him chase you or get the toy or race him to the toy, and praise.  Mix that in and he will always be unsure about what is coming and you should see an improvement in his alertness and drive.  The recall is made up of 4 parts the sit/stay, the come, the sit in front, and the finish.  I teach the sit/stay and the come, later I add the sit in front, and eventually I add the finish.  I do not do many finishes with the recall though as they start to anticipate and that is another problem.  Once they are 100% solid everywhere with the recall, then I start working off leash.  Latter I proof after my dog is confident in the exercise.

Also be leary of harsh correction.  If he starts toward you in a recall and isn't fast enough, don't say no or get upset as that could turn him off of responding to you at all so he sits. Better to just stay put than get a correction I don't understand.  Instead get all excited and run away and when he gets to you praise him.  I once made the mistake in telling my dog no when she went around a jump to get the dumb bell.  It took me a month to get her to go after the dumb bell again because she thought I didn't want her to get it. I had meant no you need to go over the jump and she thought no don't get the dumb bell.

As for fetch, make it fun.  Build his drive by racing him to the toy and playing keep away.  Or hold his collar and rev him up and then let him go.  I used to hold my girl's collar and get her excited about the toy, toss it and say 1, 2, 3, go.  For now don't worry about him bringing the toy back and handing it to you.  Just get him excited about going after it.  Don't chase him either or you will create a different problem.  Soon enough he will learn to continue the game he has to bring you the toy.  I like to sit in a chair and if they bring the toy back it gets thrown.  If they don't bring the toy I pick up my book and read and ignore the dog.  Soon enough you will find they bring the toy and drop it in your lap. 

In class I like to use a tug toy as a reward.  Tug is a great confidence builder too.  Just remember you start the game and end the game.  The neat thing about tug is you can teach them drop as part of the game.  One of the excercises I use to build drive is to play a little tug and get the dog excited, then have him drop the toy and sit.  I make him stay until I tell him take it (later I will use take it as the command for retrieve on flat in Open and drop is my command to release the dumb bell). Since I am still holding the tug toy I can let him get it or I can make him work to get it. 

Just remember in class there are lots of dogs and people and other things going on.  That puts pressure on the dog and when they are unsure they often will do nothing.  So, you have to help him understand what you want.  Right now I would keep him on leash for everything so that you still have control to correct.  Also, work on focus exercises so he is concentrating on watching you and not worrying about all the other things going on in class.  Remember too when you are not getting the response you expect, then back up in your training. You will have to try lots of things to see what works best with your dog.  Every dog is different and what works for one may not work with another.  Don't be afraid to experiment and get creative.  As I said in my previous post, Shorthairs challenge the trainer/handler more than most dogs, and remember these dogs are smart.

Also, when you are waiting around in class for your turn, play with your dog.  Tease him with a treat.  I will play the come front game where I sit the dog somewhere a short distance in front of me, get a treat, and call the dog to me luring him with the treat and bring him in front just like on the recal and lure him into the sit.  This only works the front and then later when you are working recall you will find that the front is much straighter right from the beginning.  I also play leave it games where I put food or a toy on in my hand and hold my hand out.  When the dog tries to get what is in my hand, I say leave it and shut my hand.  Eventually you get to where you can put food or a toy anywhere and tell the dog leave it and the will.  Later you can transfer that command to mean leave whatever I say to leave.  This keeps your dog busy, interested and engaged in between work in the class and it builds his focus on you.

If you are interested in a good obedience training book, I would recommend Diane Bauman's book, Beyond Basic Dog Training.  I like her methodology because she teaches her dogs to think and not just perform a pattern.  Teaching takes more time, but you will end up with a dog that can handle the unexpected when in the ring.  You never know when a fly will turn up and try to land on your dogs nose right in the middle of a heeling pattern (and yes I had that happen with me and my girl in Novice).  She never missed a step in the heeling pattern while at the same time trying to shake the fly off.  The judge was doubled over laughing and could barely call the pattern. My girl finished third in her class that day.

Finally, I am assuming you are working on Novice.  If so, focus on those Novice exercises.  He isn't certain enough in them yet, so hold off on go outs and retrieves.  You can play retrieve games, but don't start the formal training until he understands the basics.  I train ahead, but you have to be careful.  I don't start training the Open exercises until I am almost ready to compete in Novice and same with Utility, and if my dog starts having problems with Novice after I have added in Open, I back off of the Open exercises until I solve the Novice issues. I also never teach the drop on recall until I have my CD.

Hopefully this is helpful.  Let me know if you have other questions and I will give you my two cents.  Good luck and please post your progress.

Having fun has to be a big part of it.  It is alot of repetition for young dogs. My best obedience dog I did not start class til she was a yr old.  She took a Dogorld award in Novice and finished her UD with all 194's. She would have been my OTCH prospect if I had not gotten so much into the field at that point.

"This is a location issue."

This is a clue to the issue.  Training consists of more than just teaching the dog something in your house.  You have to also teach them to repeat the exercise wherever they are whether at home, in the store, in the training ring, or the competition ring, and regardless of what is going on around them.  Part of that is a trust or confidence issue and part is understanding what you are asking your dog to do. Some dogs transition easily from one location to another, but some do not.  When this happens go back to basics and work back up to where you want to be.  So, as I said in an earlier post take a few steps back in your training when at the training center and build him back up. 

Building confidence and team work is an interesting thing.  Activities like agility and flyball work well because the dogs get so excited about what they are doing they forget to be nervous or worried.  Those sports also build drive and focus and make the handler/dog bond that much stronger. They do help in training.  I use both flyball and agility with my obedience dogs and it does help.  Besides it is a fun break from obedience for both handler and dog.  Playing with a dog whether it is playing tug or tossing a favorite toy during obedience class can be used the same way. Use what excites your dog to your advantage.

Good 'ol Rip...Small world.  Rips dam was the obedience star I referred to. Hs Granddam was my first obedience experiment that I did finish the UD, but it was pulling teeth   I had to baby her all the way, thats why I did things differently the next dog. Some dogs can handle the puppy training, but safe side, IMO is wait til they are more grown up.