| Introduction to the Course | + |
| Lesson 1 |
Course Information |
| Lesson 2 |
Changing Your Password |
| Lesson 3 |
Asking Questions/Getting Feedback |
| Lesson 4 |
How to Use This Course |
| Introduction to Tugging | + |
| Lesson 1 |
Why do I tug with my dog? |
| Lesson 2 |
The Most Important Thing |
| Lesson 3 |
Tugging Demonstration |
| Lesson 4 |
Choosing a Tug Toy |
| Lesson 5 |
What About Food Toys? |
| Lesson 6 |
At What Age Should You Start Tug Training? |
| Lesson 7 |
Teething and Tugging |
| Lesson 8 |
Tugging and Other Dog Sports |
| The Chase | + |
| Lesson 1 |
How to Entice Your Dog to Chase the Toy |
| Lesson 2 |
Demonstration of Good Chasing |
| Lesson 3 |
Restrained Recall to Toy on a Line (Beginner) |
| Lesson 4 |
Restrained Recall to Toy in Hand (Advanced) |
| The Bite | + |
| Lesson 1 |
How to Present Toys and Avoid Getting Bitten |
| Lesson 2 |
How to Tug with Toys on a Line |
| Lesson 3 |
How to Tug with Medium Length Fleece Toys |
| Lesson 4 |
How to Tug with Dog on Leash |
| Lesson 5 |
How to Present the Hol-ee Roller |
| Lesson 6 |
How to Avoid Further Injury if Your Dog Accidentally Bites You |
| The Fight | - |
| Lesson 1 |
Watch for the Weight Shift |
| Lesson 2 |
Protect Your Back |
| Lesson 3 |
Additional Resource: How to Lift Heavy Weight Safely |
| Lesson 4 |
Protect Your Neck |
| Lesson 5 |
Tugging With a Toy While on a Leash |
| The Release | + |
| Lesson 1 |
When to Add the Release |
| Lesson 2 |
How to Get the Toy Back Before You Add a Release Cue |
| Lesson 3 |
Teaching the Release |
| Lesson 4 |
Building Duration into the Release |
| The Retrieve | + |
| Lesson 1 |
Demonstration of the Retrieve |
| Lesson 2 |
Try This Quick Fix First |
| Lesson 3 |
How to Mark When Teaching the Retrieve |
| Lesson 4 |
Example of Traditional Retrieve Training |
| Lesson 5 |
Case Study: Problem Golden Retriever |
| Lesson 6 |
Case Study: Using Opposition Reflex |
| Lesson 7 |
Case Study: Success with the Dog |
| Lesson 8 |
Case Study: Transitioning to Thrown Toy |
| Lesson 9 |
Case Study: Adding an Obstacle to the Retrieve |
| Lesson 10 |
Retrieve to Hand or Drop at Feet |
| Lesson 11 |
Transitioning to a "Dead" Toy |
| Lesson 12 |
Ellie's First Retrieve |
| Lesson 13 |
Retrieving with the Holee Roller |
| Tugging and Retrieve Games | + |
| Lesson 1 |
Games Introduction |
| Lesson 2 |
Enticement |
| Lesson 3 |
Front Wheel Drive |
| Lesson 4 |
Muzzle Grab (Improving Grip) |
| Lesson 5 |
Mommy (or Daddy) Jungle Gym |
| Lesson 6 |
You're So Strong |
| Lesson 7 |
Push-Pull |
| Lesson 8 |
Multi Toy Game |
| Using Food to Teach Tugging | + |
| Lesson 1 |
Dinner Bowl Protocol for Food-Only Dogs |
| Lesson 2 |
Tugging as a Trick |
| Lesson 3 |
Tugging as Part of a Behavior Chain |
| Special Topics | + |
| Lesson 1 |
Tugging with sensitive dogs |
| Lesson 2 |
Transitioning from Fun Toys to Functional Toys (or Leash Tugging) |
| Lesson 3 |
Leash Tugging Demo with a Small Dog |
| Lesson 4 |
Establishing a default behavior (eye contact) |
| Lesson 5 |
Tugging for Competition |
| Lesson 6 |
Tugging for Training |
| Lesson 7 |
Should I Hide the Toy? |
| Lesson 8 |
How to Transport Your Dog Between Sequences |
| Lesson 9 |
Adding distractions |
| Lesson 10 |
If Your Dog Tugs at Home But Not at Trials |
| Lesson 11 |
Tugging on Both Sides of the Ring Gate |
| Lesson 12 |
How to Tug in Small Spaces at Trials |
| Lesson 13 |
Use Your Voice: Praise vs Mark on Long Line |
| Lesson 14 |
Distractions and Toy Selection in New Locations |
| Lesson 15 |
Helping Your Novice Dog with Your Veteran Dog |
| Q & A Sessions | + |
| Lesson 1 |
May 2020 Q & A |
| Lesson 2 |
July 2020 Q&A |
| Lesson 3 |
October 2020 Q&A |
| Lesson 4 |
February 2021 Q&A |
| Lesson 5 |
April 2021 Q&A |
| Resources and Feedback | + |
| Lesson 1 |
Make a Suggestion |
| Lesson 2 |
Testimonial |
I have similar issues. I get her to chase and bite bit all I get is vigorous head shaking but no pull on her own. She is just surprised when I let her have the toy when she is shaking. Been watching for weight shift but hasn’t seen any yet.
Try adding the push-pull game to your sessions. The “step” before the weight shift is when the dog holds the toy but doesn’t move. This is the moment to try the push-pull game. Try to watch for the movement of the back feet. When you pull the dog toward you, they often dig in to stop moving forward and at that moment you can give a little bit and they should move backward.
My dog pulls really hard when I pull hard. As soon as I give it some slack or let him pull me he lays down instead of pulling back. Any advice?
Start with both of you pulling against each other, then give in by just a few inches, or maybe a foot, then IMMEDIATELY pull back again. When you give in, he’s likely to back up a bit just to keep his balance. Praise him but then start pulling back toward you before he can lay down.
Do this occasionally, then try and get him to take 2 steps backward before you pull again.
Also, when you’re giving slack give the smallest amount. Don’t suddenly go slack, keep the tension, but let him pull you toward him an inch or two.
You can try some body play, patting his sides, stoking his head, which may also keep him from laying down.
Thank you for a thorough, thoughtful answer, Sarah!
Thank you for asking about this, Rudy. My dog does exactly the same thing!!
My dog really likes the fur toys but when I let her win she wants to take the toy and try to eat it or rip it up.
All four of our dogs do the same. You can teach attach it to a long line so you let her win by letting go but she can’t go far and after she starts to chew, you can reel her back in like a fish and go again. I don’t yell at them for chewing though.
Another strategy is to let them win by dragging you around, but not letting them win by letting go. Especially for dogs that zoom around the yard and won’t come back, it’s generally a bad idea to let them win that way. I’ll give several re-bites instead and simply keep the toy after the last one.