How to REALLY get her to like this tug?

[Tbarrios333]

Buzz's toy drive has really started to show lately. I think slowly but surely it will start to replace her food drive. She's still VERY motivated by the food, but not quite as much as before.
I stopped playing with her two favorite toys for about a week and she seems to have really missed them. She's much more enthusiastic.
I have this one Kong tug that is fluffy with a squeaker and a rope running through it and she really seems to enjoy tugging and biting it. She only gets it to play with me; I never let her just chew it around the house. Today, she was even driven enough to CHASE it a few times and bring it back (not to me but a shady spot near me lol). She's never really wanted to chase anything for more than a few tosses, but she was really into this toy.
She also has a rubber ducky tied to a long lace that she loves to chase, but she ignored it in favor of the tug.

Aside from depriving her of the tug, and only letting her play with it when I allow her to, how else can I make sure she is REALLY into the tug in the future? What kind of things can I do to build that toy drive?

[David Wright]

what I did to build up drive in my girl is not play tug with her everyday...

For example...

Monday: right after we get back from a walk, I start acting all crazy jumping around all excited and enthused and run to the tug. let her see it but don't play with it with her. just play with it myself... let her get close, but no bite. play with it for like 30 seconds and when she's all amped up and jumping at me to try and get it i put it up and act like nothing happend.

Tuesday: No tug. I might hand it someplace she can see it, but not tugging with her...

Wednesday: I do the crazy routine either after her evening walk and this time i let her play with me... let her tug at it>>have it and wait for her to bring it back and mark it when she brings it back with a "yes!" then tug with her for a little while outting her and letting her jump right back on it. tug hard tug soft, then put it up.

Thursday: No Tug

Friday: Tie her out... pull out the tug and attach it to a leash. taunt her with the tug on the leash, but don't let her get it... this can be done for a little while, but when you see the slightest indication of her loosing interest then get her as excited about the tug as you can, then put it up.

Saturday: Crazy routine, but no bite.

Sunday: Light Tug session

Do that for like 3 weeks and her drive should pick up a lot. try not correcting her for too much of anything for those weeks either. you want her to feel like it's ok to act crazy and be a dog. this will help build your relationship and make her think the tug is no fun without you. I did this and my girl is super driver for her tug. BTW, pick one tug or toy to do this with... put all the value in that one. when you use other toys their individual value diminishes.