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Rule
#1 - The Tug belongs to you, not your dog. You say when it's time
to play and when the game is over.
Rule
#2: Your dog must give up the tug on command. Your command might be
"drop" or "give".
Rule
#3: If the dog grabs the tug without invitation (his "Take it"
command"), have a time-out penalty or end the
game.
Rule #4: Your dog must
never touch you with his teeth. That should be an immediate
game-ender.
Teaching
“Drop” and “Take it”
Say
the word "Drop" and offer your dog a treat. As he drops the
toy to get the treat, remove the toy. To teach “Take it”,
offer the toy back to your dog along with the command "Take
it".
After several
repetitions, you and your dog will be ready to share one of
his favorite instinctual activities in a safe and
responsible way.
Other Games
Hide &
Seek:
While playing with a toy
with your dog, move the toy behind your back and encourage him
to "find the toy." Help him out if needed. When the dog finds
it, make a big deal of it and say the name of the toy. Repeat
this until your dog gets the idea. The next step is to hide
the toy by a chair or table and say "find your (name of toy)."
By teaching the name of each toy, he's learning to
differentiate between toys. Once this is established, you can
ask him to go find a specific toy to redirect the dog from
doing something mischievous. As the dog progresses, you can
eventually place him in another room and close the door while
you hide the toy. Open the door, ask for a sit and once your
dog sits, say "Find your (name of toy)." You can also hide and
then call your dog to come and when he finds you, cheer "what
a smart dog!" The interaction with you is the reward. When you
establish boundaries, your dog learns that he gets attention
by playing by your rules.
Courtesy of the Michigan Humane Society Pet
Education Center (This does not represent the
Michigan Humane Society's endorsement of our
product)
Fetch:
Place your dog on a leash.
Toss a toy or ball and encourage him to get it. Call the dog
back to you, show a good deal of enthusiasm when the dog shows
interest in the toy. Clap your hands or make kiss noises
to encourage coming to you. If he won't drop the ball,
have another one in your hand. Make the ball in your hand more
interesting by paying attention to it. As your dog drops the
ball in his mouth, say the word "drop" and immediately toss
the one in your hand. Repeat this several times until your dog
is fetching and dropping. Then let the dog off the leash and
try throwing the ball farther away. If the dog refuses to come
back or drop, simply turn around, fold your arms and act
uninterested. If the dog brings the toy to you, you are back
in the game. Remember that you should always begin and end the
game. It's a good idea to end the game before the dog grows
tired of it.
Courtesy of the Michigan Humane Society Pet
Education Center (This does not represent the
Michigan Humane Society's endorsement of our
product)
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