Tug toys, yes or no?

[Liesje]

Originally Posted by LibertyBelle

Liberty LOVES playing tug. I've read that the owner should always initiate the game of tug and not the dog. (However I find it quite hard to turn her down when she brings me her tug toy for a game or 2 or 8). You should also teach them the command "drop it". This is important because lots of dogs will think they have "won" when you give up pulling and walk away. This will make them feel "in charge" per say. Liberty understands "drop it" but sometimes she tests us. Eye contact and a firm command usually works.

This kind of stuff to me is just hot air. If a dog is treating its owner like a doormat, a tug toy is not going to change that one way or the other.

[Syaoransbear]

In the beginning I have to put on some major theatrics to get him to tug enthusiastically, although once I've made the tug very rewarding he's pretty into it. But he's more into chasing balls, so we don't tug very often because tugging tires me out way more than throwing a ball does.

[KentuckyGSDLover]

Well, Reyka is hyper, gets bored and she needs to gradually be trained better house manners before I can let her sit in my office when I'm working (even on-leash she grabs, nips and chews EVERYTHING, pulling papers down, shaking doggie floor pillows, etc.). She plays rough and I'm trying to train her what's appropriate to chomp on and what's not. I'm spending about 3-4 hours, in intervals, walking, directing and playing with this dog daily. We played with the tug toy for about 15 min. yesterday and today, and she loves it. She often spontaneously brings it to me when I let her "win," then sometimes it takes more than once to get her "come" and to "drop it," but she's overall getting the gist. Her Kong arrived today and she's rocking the crate with it right now while I work. Happy that she enjoys it so much. My tasmanian devil dog has really come a long way in the short 12 days she's been here. So tug is going to be one of her games. She can interact, chomp and chew without chewing me, my things or my other dog!

[spidermilk]

I love tugging, Dax loves tugging. I also love to use tugging as a reward during training or as a way to tire him out indoors.

I decided to take a class at a new training facility some time ago and at the first class at the new place they said you should NEVER tug with a German Shepherd because they would think they were in charge. To make things worse these were trainers who also bred GSDs and trained them in obedience. I have no idea why- to them it was fine to tug with your BC, but if you tug with the GSD they will forget all boundaries you taught them and walk right over you. (I have gone back to my original training place!)

I think just like everything else, there should be two parts of the game- the part where your dog has to do something for you and the part where your dog has lots of fun. Even if all my dog has to do is drop it for 1 second and then I say OK and he can tug again- as long he is following the rules and having fun it is a good experience. For tug, Dax doesn't care about the toy- if we aren't playing tug he just ignores the toy.

[Lilie]

I tend not to over think simple games. My Golden does not play tug - he wants to fetch.

My GSD will tug, but he never applies enough force to jerk it out of my hands. I have to watch myself when playing with him. He likes the tug to squeak and he'd rather chomp on it while I'm tugging.

My doxie will tug for a moment...turn and run barking madly with her eyes on the ceiling waiting for the toy to fly over her head.

[mssandslinger]

Originally Posted by Kittilicious

I would... if Knuckles would let me He lets go of his end everytime I pick up my end.

same with my zero haha