I'm having a lot of fun training tug with both pups, though I can't help feeling a little foolish. After all, dogs are supposed to love to tug, right? That was the perception I grew up with: tug and fetch were automatic, for all dogs, at all times.
Maxwell certainly enjoys the game. He actually snatched the rope toy out of the closet while I was measuring out their kibble. I asked him to release it, then allowed some light tug (mouthing, really) as a reward before starting work on the Protocol for Relaxation.
Once the tug-work began in earnest, it was very easy to get him to chase the toy... but less so to really tug. Even the tiniest bit of counter-force earns a click, but I wasn't seeing any increase in pull frequency. I've wondered in the past if he has a sensitive mouth, so I changed to a wool loop. Success!
Once he had a softer object, Maxwell was much happier to bite and hold. And once he realized what the clicks were for, he intensified his grip. I got a few really good tugs out of him.
Sadie seemed to like the wool toy better as well. I got her chasing it down the hall as I ran, diving after it on the floor, and leaping to snatch it in the air. I was thrilled that her attention kept going back to the toy, instead of obsessing over the kibble. She still isn't offering real tugs, but just showing interest in the toy is a huge step forwards.
It really is interesting, using one reinforcer (food) to create another (tug game). My goal is to eventually have the tug game be the dogs' reinforcement for other behaviors, like agility work. In the meantime it's a bit like learning a new language. Perro = dog / tug = food.
Now, how does one clean a slobbery wool tug toy?
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