Clean Run - May 2012 - 13

The Rules of Engagement for Inner Naughty Items and Activities
After you have identified your dog’s favorite inner naughty (IN) playthings, here are the steps to turning them into great tug toys. Be goofy and have fun with this process—tugging is a game, and these IN toys might be particularly silly. If you are too serious, your dog is likely to decline the opportunity to play. Ideally, each dog will have several IN items so you can develop tug with multiple toys.

horse whip for added distance! This also allows you to move the IN item like prey while keeping your hands away from the dog’s face (for the especially reserved tuggers). 3. Tempt the dog with the IN item in a context similar to how he would most be excited by it. You can wiggle the duster or hand broom across the floor, pull it from the laundry basket, pick it up off the ground, place it on the counter in your kitchen, drop it, throw it, roll it, blow in it, etc. Be creative! 4. When the dog interacts with the IN item, continue to tempt and tantalize him, allowing him to get his mouth on it and try to tug it away from you. Remember to use good tug mechanics to get him interested in grabbing the item. 5. Leave him wanting more! End the game long before the dog wants to stop by prying the IN item out of his mouth and putting it away. It is absolutely critical that you only tug for a few seconds then take the IN away, dance around with it, and put it away. 6. Gradually extend the duration and intensity of the tug game. The duration really never has to go beyond a few seconds, but we do want the intensity to be quite strong. 7. Transfer the fun to other toys, especially actual dog toys. In step 2, we began incorporating a real toy or leash into the IN item. In this step, add even more toys while beginning to fade out the IN item. The dog will be happy to tug on the new toys as well as the IN item. For most dogs, though, the IN item should stay in the toy bag as a high-value reward throughout their training. 8. Take it on the road. It is important that the dog will still play with his IN items in as many situations as possible, not just at home. When you bring the new toy to a different environment, it is possible the dog will be surprised and may not engage instantly. However, you will be able to get the dog to engage if you get the IN moving like prey or use it in a similar context as at home (such as sweeping the floor with a broom).

How to Play with Your Inner Naughty Dog
How you use your hands to play will make a huge difference in your dog’s tugging. Good tug mechanics will bring out the best in your dog’s tug drive!

Let the dog do the pulling. Don’t shake him up and down when the toy is in his mouth. You can use a bit of resistance to get him to pull against it, but be gentle at first. Toys should be long. Many dogs don’t like hands in their face at first or humans leaning over them. If your inner naughty item is short or small, tie it to a long, fuzzy leash or long, fun tug toy. Sessions should be short. Move objects away from dog (like prey) not toward the dog—the squirrel runs away from the dog to start the fun chase, the squirrel doesn’t shove itself in the dog’s mouth. Most dogs lose interest in tugging if the handler keeps moving the toy toward their faces. Don’t teach an Out (to release the toy) until the tugging is so strong that you can’t get the toy out of the dog’s mouth. Some dogs may never need an Out cue! For many dogs, it builds even more drive for the toy if the handler pries it out of the dog’s mouth.

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1. Deny the dog access to the IN item or activity unless you are there to play with him. This could mean restricting your dog’s freedom for a while, supervising him more, asking family members to help by putting items away (such as laundry), sweeping or dusting while the dog is in his crate, picking up and putting away all of his chew toys, etc. Creatively denying your dog the right to fulfill his IN will actually bring out more passion in his tug drive! 2. Incorporate the IN item into a long tug toy, string, rope, or a fuzzy leash. You can tie the IN to the toy, duct tape it, braid it in, etc. Or you can attach it to the end of a long
May 12 | Clean Run

Don’t reward tugging with a cookie. We are building tugging into a rewarding, interactive game. Giving the dog a cookie afterward actually makes it more of a retrieve game (the dog gets rewarded for putting the object in his mouth, bringing it back, then spitting it out).

Clean Run - May 2012

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