tug training

[stormyboy 1,352]

Good explanation skycat-teaching the 'give' before the tugging exercise. Now it makes sense.

[NEWKID 26,094]

I'm gonna try this with my pup, her retrieve is not good enough and I can see the sense in this. I've done the conventional thing with balls and dummy and she's fine, but she's not so good with live rabbits. She's a nervy type and I think this could help this too, she will let go of anything on command so I don't think this will be a problem.

I'll let you know how we get on

[brecon3 13]

Does playing tug with the Lurchers encorage them to be hard mouthed?

Iv just been trying to build a bond with my pup, by playing tug, but Because she has 1/4 beddy she really goes hard on the rag.

 

wondering if this is teaching her to grip everything that goes in her mouth for grim death?

she is only 12 weeks old, but I don't really want to be doing something now that could mess her up

or give me issues to deal with later on in her life if she is hard mouthed.

 

any advice welcome lads... (shes my first pup so go easy )

[Joe_1987 12]

Does playing tug with the Lurchers encorage them to be hard mouthed?

Iv just been trying to build a bond with my pup, by playing tug, but Because she has 1/4 beddy she really goes hard on the rag.

 

wondering if this is teaching her to grip everything that goes in her mouth for grim death?

she is only 12 weeks old, but I don't really want to be doing something now that could mess her up

or give me issues to deal with later on in her life if she is hard mouthed.

 

any advice welcome lads... (shes my first pup so go easy )

As long as you get them to let go on command then you'll be fine just make sure you have that down to T.

I have a young staff bull bitch who go crazy in a tug of war, growling and whining and shaking the tug like mad but when I say leave it she will instantly stop! That's the way you want it, for them to stop with no hesitation.

[Caravan Monster 323]

Used tug training with mine. She's a saluki type that retrieves well and very soft mouthed. She doesn't get as carried away with tugging as one with plenty of terrier blood might, but enjoys it and at two years of age, still brings me bits of carpet when she wants to play. As above, teach 'give' first and would add to hold the tug toy low if you don't want the dog to jump up at people when excited.

[Casso 1,256]

I would be reluctant to just start into a tug item without first practising Impulse Control ,

 

One is stimulating a dog into action , a reactive response to movement / stimulation,

 

the other is a feeling that the best response to a stimulus is to do f**k all and still receive whatever stimulates food / play item/ treat ,

 

 

In the long run stock breaking can become difficult if a pup is overly stimulated thorough a tug item too young before it has learnt to control its own impulses ,

Proper drive don't kick in until sexuality, it gives focus and control, I don't mess around much with stimulation until I have a level of control already on board

If you approach stock breaking without addressing how a dog is feeling , you can have issues

I rather not stimulate too early but if you do, use the item to redirect a pups attention away from stock and onto you , energy got to move

Edited September 5, 2017 by Casso

[leegreen 2,099]

I always use "tug" training, if that's what its called. Through play you make your dog keen to please and your tug works as a good reward system. Works especially well with high drive dogs.

Apparently it can make your dog hard mouthed, but I think that's in them.

[PJCaswell 114]

Tug training is vital for any big x terrier cross; but you have to be careful and brave. I would start them early gently but adult dogs seem to love it, especially if it is a real contest.

Dogs know it is a game but I agree absolutely agree you have to be in control. You have to initiate and you have to stop. This does not mean you have to ‘win’. The idea that a dog wants to be top of the pack by successfully tugging a rope out of your hand is nonsense. Dogs want to play and tug training is a regressive play behaviour that imitates natural puppy behaviour. For this reason it shouldn’t also cause a ‘hard mouth’.

I use a thick rope but the toy can be anything strong. A rabbit skin would last 30 seconds with my Beddie x. When we play, she goes absolutely ape, growling, snarling, fangs showing like a Satan dog. It freaks out some people because they don’t understand it is a game, and they see a snarling dog fighting a human over a rope. And it’s a proper tussle, she wants to win, I want to win. That’s the fun bit.

However, I am in control. If give her the command she releases her grip, and sits wagging her tail. If I want another go then throw the toy and she brings it back to me for another go. If I ‘lose’ which occasionally happens she runs around in a circle and then try to give me back the rope.

I’ve also trained my dog so my hand is next to her mouth. The game is only about pulling not biting. To drop I also use a physical command. I touch her side. I did this because someone told me that working Terrier when absolutely going for it sometimes become selectively deaf in the field. This really works for me but I am not sure how true it is.

The only thing to add is when playing with terriers no matter how big is don’t yank upwards as you can damage the dog’s neck and teeth so.

[billhardy 2,341]

I believe depending on the animal ,there be some with poor mouth others like crocks ,it's the trainer handlers nouse knowing how ta treat the individual I seen some well publicised Lurcher men struggling with types that should be in reality easy to work with .i will say this handling certain types some just ain't got it and by that I mean the handlers where there be others that find things has simple retrieve and hold simple fare adapting to the animal his the key ,and there be no right or wrong way has long has the results are achieved ,the tug his a good means to an end always used it with tacky mouthed animals lots of collie types can be tacky , and some springers likes been said advice his just that what will work some won't with others thus his the skil of the handler comes to the for .in a short note some handlers just ain't got it where others seem to be blessed with ability in any circumstances conditions . Atb bunnys.

[littlefish 549]

 

Tug training is vital for any big x terrier cross; but you have to be careful and brave. I would start them early gently but adult dogs seem to love it, especially if it is a real contest.

Dogs know it is a game but I agree absolutely agree you have to be in control. You have to initiate and you have to stop. This does not mean you have to ‘win’. The idea that a dog wants to be top of the pack by successfully tugging a rope out of your hand is nonsense. Dogs want to play and tug training is a regressive play behaviour that imitates natural puppy behaviour. For this reason it shouldn’t also cause a ‘hard mouth’.

I use a thick rope but the toy can be anything strong. A rabbit skin would last 30 seconds with my Beddie x. When we play, she goes absolutely ape, growling, snarling, fangs showing like a Satan dog. It freaks out some people because they don’t understand it is a game, and they see a snarling dog fighting a human over a rope. And it’s a proper tussle, she wants to win, I want to win. That’s the fun bit.

However, I am in control. If give her the command she releases her grip, and sits wagging her tail. If I want another go then throw the toy and she brings it back to me for another go. If I ‘lose’ which occasionally happens she runs around in a circle and then try to give me back the rope.

I’ve also trained my dog so my hand is next to her mouth. The game is only about pulling not biting. To drop I also use a physical command. I touch her side. I did this because someone told me that working Terrier when absolutely going for it sometimes become selectively deaf in the field. This really works for me but I am not sure how true it is.

The only thing to add is when playing with terriers no matter how big is don’t yank upwards as you can damage the dog’s neck and teeth so.

 

Some good ideas there.....initiating and ending the tugging behaviour is all part of 'the game' and has to be trained and rewarded. Regarding your last sentence - I had to stop swinging my 15 year old Jack Russell on the tug at shoulder height when I realised most of his teeth were loose.....

[Casso 1,256]

Fundamentally all that is happening in training with a bite item is activating an emotional feeling, a highly charged response to a stimulus

 

When a dog is highly aroused, he has a number of physical responses , he can grab it in his mouth , he can try to hump it , he can press his body into it e.g. when aroused by fox shite or similar

 

Whatever it is , he has to move , that's the bottom line so when we expose the dog to any stimulus , he has to deal with the physical effects caused by the object , it's not a thought process the dog goes through , it's an attraction based on a predator/ prey state of mind

 

The ability of the tug item to induce a magnetic feeling has been used by the protection world for decades and all that is happening is that the dog has twigged ithat the tug item can induce and resolve tension in its body,

 

That's the core of how a dog functions,

Tension and release of tension , probably not the first thing that comes to mind , excuse the pun but sexuality in humans is the nearest thing to high drive in dogs we can understand

Edited September 6, 2017 by Casso