Then drop the second rag, and pick up the first rag. All the fun that was in the first rag has found its way into the second rag and is calling the pup to come and party!Īt the instant that your dog drops the first rag, click and let him bite the second rag and play the tug game for a few moments. The first rag goes dead-all the fun evaporates out of the first rag. Then drop the rag and pull the second rag out of your pocket. You don't want to yank the rag out of pup's mouth, you just want enough pressure to make pup fight to keep hold of the rag for a few moments. Of course, your domestic predator needs to actually win this game and catch the prey to play tug-so make your prey act a little wounded and slow down just enough for puppy to pounce and take the rag in his mouth.Īt this point you can click to mark the biting behavior, then pull the rag gently to encourage holding on. We can't do ALL our clicker training from the recliner during ad breaks on television! Some dogs will play this game with just the slightest wiggle of the rag, others demand you put a bit of energy and enthusiasm into it-so be prepared to work up a sweat. To do this, prey changes direction often-but always away from your domestic predator. Prey also likes to keep the predator guessing, so that the predator is unsure of when to go in for the kill. If prey started moving towards the predator, the predator might get a little intimidated and defensive, and we want to avoid that because it will end the game faster than anything. Your puppy is the predator, so make that rag move away from puppy and never towards. Would prey move towards a predator? No way! Prey always moves away from a predator. How do we do this? We make our rag act like prey would act. With an uninitiated tugger, we need to incite a bit of prey drive. Actually, we'll use two rags you'll find out why in just a moment. When you learn how to teach and play tug games, you learn how to combine aspects of canine ethology and behaviorism in a practical and fun way! Getting startedĬhoose a suitable tug toy. Apart from being a powerful reinforcer, controlled tug games also exercise your dog's body and mind, teach some important foundation behaviors (self-control, holding, and letting go of objects in the mouth), and provide a fantastic outlet for the innate drives within your dog.
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