puppy drive - Page 1

I have a 10 month old puppy and I have to admit that I havent been using the tug in a long time because I was really busy with school and all. Now he wont really bite the tug and I hope this wont become an issue and he keeps on rebitng the tug sometimes. How do I get him back on the tug. Usally he never bites when he is really tired because he always likes doing ball drive as opposed to prey drive. So he gets tired and when I try to work the tug he doesnt really want to bite. What is a good brand for pup tugs. What else can I do to increase his drive.

If I understand you he has good ball drive? Start off training with a small tug by throwing it. ( a jute tug that is about six inches long and 1" dia.) see if he will chase it. Try to get him to fight for the tug after a throw or two. Don't worry about his release for awhile....

Research a good working dog trainer in your area so you can visually see what to do. What State are you in?

DesertRangers idea of throwing a small tug is great. If you do that you should probably completely substitute the ball with the tug so that your pup won't have a preference for the ball that it has grown to love. Most importantly... always do it when your dog is not tired and end the game with him wanting more. Make small progress at a time... your goal at first is to just get him retrieving... then get him tugging for it, etc. When he gets really into the tug, it helps if there is someone that can help you by holding him on a leash and harness... if you tease him a bit with it when he can't reach it it will just intensify his desire for it. But always remember to let him have it... frustration is no fun without a release. Best of luck. I have a 9 month old and she prefers the tug to the ball... lucky me!

try a nice soft tug toy or soft peice of faberic on a two foot string. here is a suggestion on how to work this toy on a string. leave the toy on the ground and you hold the end of the string. make the toy mimic the movements of a rabbit or any prey animal. these movements are fast make sudden changes in direction. make the work very exciting with lots of praise and keep it short. keep ahold of the string when he catches it so yu can do a little tugging. if he isn't holding it tightly give a little tug and if it pops out go right back into making the chase game. at the end let him have the toy for as long as he wants. i personaly like this type of work better then the retrieving games because the handler is more involed in the game. this has worked great for my dogs.

I would suggest to put the ball away for the time being. Get a buggy whip at a Farm Supply Store and tie burlap or a chamios onto it. Use that for play.. do the rabbit or the bird thing with it.. after he gets used to that then you can attach a tug onto the end of it. With the buggy whip you can keep it alive after he catches it and let him run around with it for a while. The buggy whip is handy when there is only one person to work the dog... and always quit before they want to... take your toy and put it up. Good Luck As always.. take what you like and leave the rest

you can take a gunnysack and cut in half, roll and duct tape end one inch from end around and around, take around and around in the middle and on the other end same...inch from end...u make two out of one bag...these make great tugs,,,put one on a long ski rope so u cn move like workingdawg said...quick and short, but let win after a few....short times if he takes it, and wins put up tug , praise real big, and run away,,,next day same, but run back and forth in front of him ,,side to side, never at him and then see if he will chase it and if ur rope is long enough stand in one place and just swing around in a circle slowly over ur head and let him win...in a short...increase each day longer and praise and see if u can tug him closer to u and pat him gently, at first, with the praise pats on side and get harder each day , as long as he holds it while u pat thats the beginning....he should take to it and get stronger with hold as long as he is not cutting teeth.....

Very well put Yellowrose.. excellent instructions.. gives clarity and visualization... hahahaha My little GSD puppy is just now 10 weeks old and I am enjoying him and all that drive.

I always play tug with the pup and then use a string tied to a burlap sack , then go to a tease pole (golf club with head removed and a snap hook soldered into the end ot it.) small rope w/ burlap on the end....then as the pup ages tie him to a pole and use to tease/frustrate ....

I just purchased a tug out of Jefferspet.com made out of fire hose material for my little girl, and she LOVES it! It's soft, has nice soft stuffing, and its a bright color so she can see it really well. A few people suggested a Jute sleeve, which if bought from Leerburg can be expencive. I know, I know, I'm a cheapo, but I do what I can afford, and $15 for a nice tug, made out of fire hose material, works perfectly...For ME. If money is no issue, feel free to go with Leerburg, or another place that actually has toys specifically made for SchH or PP training, or drive building, but I was lucky enough to come across this tug, and it works just as well as a tug from Leerburg, I should know, I shelled out the "big money" on a nice one from leerburg, and this one is just as nice. If anyone's wondering, I bought the firehose tug at www.jefferspet.com and it is called HARD CORE FIREHOSE in "Stretch 'N Fetch" Large. If anyone wants any more details check out the website or email me personally.