Tug-E-Nuff
These high quality, England made, tug toys allow your dog to channel their natural urge to grab and pull with their mouth in a healthy and positive way! Tug comes baked in with many dogs, but some need some help to learn how to tug safely and confidently. Tug can be used as an engaging way of play indoors and outdoors. Made with faux and real fur, these toys give your dog a next to real tug experience. For many dogs, this serves as an effective reward method when training instead of treats! Training takes time and reinforcement, but your dog will pick it up in no time. Below are some training tips from Tug-e-Nuff to get your dog tugging their hearts out.
Think like prey - Start introducing your dog to your Tug-E-Nuff toy in an envronment with little to no distractions. Move the toy on the floor using a variation of movements and speeds that mimic prey.
Praise and encourage - When your dog grabs the toy, offer lots of praise so they know they are doing the right thing. Encourage your dog to grab the entire ‘bite’ area.
Get the tension right - Once your dog has hold of the bite area, only use slight tension on the toy. The tension should be enough that the toy falls away from your dog if they let go (so they can’t ‘re-grip’ it). build confidence before tugging more firmly.
Match your dog’s effort and enthusiasm - it’s no fun losing all the time and, likewise, neither is being able to win without a challenge. Let your dog ‘win’ the game of tug every now and again, especially at the start.
Up the resistance - As your dog gets the hang of tugging, you can pull back on the tug toy more. Their toys with bungee handles are great for this as they reduce any jarring.
Use correct motion - Use a back and forth or side to side motion, rather than up and down. This avoids straining your dog’s neck - or your shoulder
Teach start and stop cues - Tug-e-Nuff recommends ‘get it’ as a verbal cue to kick off playtime. To end a game, put one hand on the toy (without pulling it) and another on your dog’s collar. Ask them to ‘leave'. Wait until they do - then reward with treats or another game of tug!
