Training tug

[snowbunny]

Tug is something I've toyed with (sorry) on and off with Willow and Shadow. Neither of them has ever been massively enthused with tug. I tried using all sorts of different objects to entice them, to no avail. I tried shaping, and got a mouth on the toy, but never much more than that. Then I heard a podcast of Drinking From The Toilet about it a couple of days ago and it gave me a push to try it again. Hannah said how she has a food driven dog who she wanted to tug, and she had tried the same methods as I had, until someone suggested a small tweak: teach the dog the purpose is to pull the toy out of your hand. So rather than clicking for us both holding it together, and trying to shape a stronger hold, don't even try to hold it. Teach them to pick it up out of your hand, then gradually add a bit more resistance to that.

I've had two sessions on this so far, and have had far better success than I have had before. And the dogs are enjoying it, rather than just looking a bit befuddled.

It's a great technique that I can recommend to anyone who wants to teach their dog to play tug.

https://soundcloud.com/hannah-branigan%2F71-teaching-a-foodie-dog-to-tug

 

[Atemas]

Red will appear with a Kong Wubba) in her mouth. If I say drop and she doesn’t, I know she wants to play tug

 

[Boogie]

Tatze never wants to play tug. I will give it a go

All the pups love it, and we are encouraged to use it as you can bond well - and get your face safely close to the dog, which the dog loves.

We are taught to do it properly, of course, with a side to side movement and not just a pull - plus teaching the dog to let go when asked.
.

 

[snowbunny]

All the pups love it

It's funny, W&S never really liked playing tug. I know it must be something to do with how I was approaching it, because they would play tug with each other very occasionally. In hindsight, I was probably being too full-on with the toy and not matching their energy levels.
Compared to Squidge, though, they've never really been mouthy. She always wants something in her mouth. Shadow's never used his mouth properly, and always holds with his front teeth.

I'm using the same approach with Squidge, too, because, although she does enjoy playing tug, I want to have her understand the point of it, so that if it ever degrades as a behaviour later on, I can easily rebuild it again.

 

[Jen]

Stanley loves tug. He would rag me around all day if I let him.

My friends have whippets and I tried playing with them and I felt as though I was going to break them.

I said this to one of them and she was like they’re pretty robust. Then she tried to play with Stanley and he pulled her off the couch onto her bum and she was like oh yes.. I can see there’s quite a difference in strength

 

[Emily]

Ella was never interested in tug. She wasn't even interested in the rope toy we bought.

Every day, OH and I grabbed the rope, danced around, threw it to each other and played tug. Ella was sooooooo excited by our game that after a few games, she HAD to join in!

Her enthusiasm has grown every since. I absolutely love tug as a reward, especially when doing obedience work as I find it so good for releasing the energy in between the controlled work.

 

[snowbunny]

A little update on this. We’re still working on it with Willow; she’s doing really well with the frisbee, but is a little more reserved with the Chuckit tug.

Shadow, however, is going amazingly! The tugging is very fluent now and on cue. Through teaching this way, he’s also somehow learned to bring the toy to my hand, whereas he’d always drop it away from me before.
When practicing our rally round yesterday, I left the frisbee by the start point. As soon as we were done with the round, he looked over there, I released him and he shot off and brought it to me, so we had a lovely game of tug and chase.

From a dog who wasn’t interested in tugging, to now being able to use it as a reinforcer. Yay!

 

[Selina27]

That's great to read Fiona @snowbunny , about Shadow. I'm working on this with Cassie too. We've had a chequered history with tug, partly because I didn't really understand what I was doing. We veered from lack of interest at times (me picking the wrong environment) to complete frenzies in her wildchild days, which I didn't really like. Then I learnt very recently that I was using the wrong type of toy for her mouth shape. I had a flat rabbit skin one, which is for greyhound types, meaning that with her blocky Labrador jaw she couldn't really grip it enough. I now have a rabbit one ,more like a dummy, on a bungee handle. That has made a big difference.
It just remains for me now to get my head round what my objective is when we play the game. I'd love to have it as a reinforcer as opposed to food.

 

[snowbunny]

Then I learnt very recently that I was using the wrong type of toy for her mouth shape.

I think I know who told you that, as she told me the same thing

There is some truth to it, as Labradors have "C" shaped mouths for carrying things, compared to some other breeds who have "<" shaped mouths for biting things. Yet, here I am, using a flat fabric frisbee (try saying that ten times quickly) to tug with...

For us, it has certainly been more about shaping the behaviour. That's all it is, after all. It might be more natural feeling for a Labrador to have something big in its mouth, but the behaviour is the key.

It just remains for me now to get my head round what my objective is when we play the game.

My objectives are:
> Dog grabs toy on cue ("tug") and tries to pull it from my hand. If I hold it up, dog will jump up to grab it.
> Dog releases toy immediately on cue ("dead"); I can then reinitiate the tug with my "tug" cue, or I can throw the toy.
> Dog brings toy back to continue the game after I've thrown it or let him win it.

 

[Selina27]

I think I know who told you that, as she told me the same thing

Probably

Yet, here I am, using a flat fabric frisbee (try saying that ten times quickly) to tug with...

Yes, I thought of that when I was writing my post. But the toy I was using is very narrow as well as thin, at least the frisbee's are wider aren't they?
Cass really does seem to prefer the bigger toy.

> Dog grabs toy on cue ("tug") and tries to pull it from my hand. If I hold it up, dog will jump up to grab it.
> Dog releases toy immediately on cue ("dead"); I can then reinitiate the tug with my "tug" cue, or I can throw the toy.
> Dog brings toy back to continue the game after I've thrown it or let him win it.

Thanks, I'm not so far out then .

 

[Emily]

We’re still working on it with Willow; she’s doing really well with the frisbee, but is a little more reserved with the Chuckit tug.

Shadow, however, is going amazingly! The tugging is very fluent now and on cue. Through teaching this way, he’s also somehow learned to bring the toy to my hand, whereas he’d always drop it away from me before.

Wow, such great progress! I though Shadow would be the kind of dog to love tug, when he figured out how cool it was!

My objectives are:
> Dog grabs toy on cue ("tug") and tries to pull it from my hand. If I hold it up, dog will jump up to grab it.
> Dog releases toy immediately on cue ("dead"); I can then reinitiate the tug with my "tug" cue, or I can throw the toy.
> Dog brings toy back to continue the game after I've thrown it or let him win it.

I can hold the toy in front of Ella's nose and her whole body quivers in anticipation of the "take it" cue

We used the "leave" cue to let go of the tug and this is where we first invested our absolute favourtist game in the whole wide world..... Tuggy Catch!

"Take it"
Tuggy game
"Leave"
Sit stay while I walk away
Turn and face and say "Reeeeeaaaady, Steeeeeeeaaady, GO!"
"GO!" Is both the release for Ella and the cue for me to throw the toy.
Ella catches the toy and runs at me to start the next game of tug

Best. Game. Ever.

 

[snowbunny]

Yes, I thought of that when I was writing my post. But the toy I was using is very narrow as well as thin, at least the frisbee's are wider aren't they?
Cass really does seem to prefer the bigger toy.

Absolutely, use what Cassie prefers - anything to help! The twins just weren't interested whatever I tried, and I bought all sorts of things to tempt them. Shadow tends to hold things with his front teeth rather than the back of his mouth, so I don't think the width really makes much difference. This is a work in progress to get him to hold things properly - something that would have been far easier to address when he was a pupper!
Willow really doesn't like furry things in her mouth, but I will still train those, just later on. I want it to be as generalised a behaviour as it can be

 

[Selina27]

Willow really doesn't like furry things in her mouth

Amazing how they differ -- I tried a sheepskin one with Cassie, she was horrified and spat it out!! But furry ones, she loves.

 

[Stacia]

I am odd, I just hate seeing dogs do tuggy, maybe because I see it at Crufts (on TV) with very excited dogs at the end of a round of agility etc. I sure Rourke would like it as he is a great one for shaking toys.

 

[snowbunny]

I'm not encouraging violent shaking or over-arousal. I want to use it as a pressure release from something difficult. The rule is simply, try to take it from my hand by pulling backwards on it. When they win it, they can shake it as much as they like, run around like rocking horses or anything they want

 

[Emily]

I want to use it as a pressure release from something difficult.

This is exactly how we use it. I find that obedience work is quite hard for Ella and builds up energy. A quick break and a game of tug gives her a release and enables her to refocus and go again.

 

[snowbunny]

Willow jumped up, grabbed the frisbee, and pulled it out of my hand! WHEEEEEE!!!!

Still a way to go to get it completely fluent, but this is a big step. Lots of wags, a good tug to pull it from me - hurrah!