# He wont bring it back...why?



## Brian Anderson (Dec 2, 2010)

" I want to play tug and train with my boy but he wont bring it back and it aint happening.. why wont he bring it back?" How many times must this be asked by nice people? 

FUNDAMENTAL FAIRNESS !! LET HIM WIN OVER AND OVER AGAIN ITS NOT ABOUT YOU!! ITS ABOUT TEACHING THE DAMN DOG! EVERY TIME HE BITES DEEP AND DIGS GIVE IT TO HIM LET HIM WIN IT ! THE GAME IS WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT TO THE DOG!! 

please continue with your regularly scheduled program my rant is complete. I apologize in advance if anyone is startled lol


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## leslie cassian (Jun 3, 2007)

For my Mal, it's all about the game with me. I can use any toy or tug, he doesn't care, he'll shove it back at me. I sure didn't teach that on purpose because he was "just a pet" for the first year and a half. Engagement vs possessiveness - wonder how much of a genetic component there is?


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## Patty Beck (Mar 9, 2011)

It is the same with my Dutch. He loves the games with me, also. Its not fun without me tugging with him.


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

i think a lot depends on your end game

tugging can be used a lotta different ways

one dog a few years ago brings this to mind
a mix dog that had a LOT of excess energy that was driving the owners crazy cause they didn't know how to deal with it. otoh it was kinda a velcro case and didn't wanna stray too far from them. no interest in retrieving and didn't even wanna chase frisbies
- had never seen a tug but for some reason it really lit up the dog, who LOVED to chase it on a drag line. but liked to jump and lunge for it much more
- after a week or so of goofing around they found the dog had a great knack for jumping at a raised tug to snatch it. for the dog it was only about how high it could jump to grab it. also taught the owners how to present one without getting nailed in the process 
- in a couple weeks they were looking like the michael ellis tug video working with his dog //lol//
- the dog would grip fairly deep and pull for about 30 secs, but would then spit it out, back off and wait for another presentation. for the dog it was all about 'air time' 
- the owners came up with some cool ways to present it. even had the dog clear a hurdle with them holding the tug on the other side

-- maybe not a big "tugging" accomplishment, but it really helped chill the dog out and owners were happy campers


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

That game of tug, for ME is the reward for performance even if it's a simple sit.

As mentioned above that doesn't have to mean your going to out the dog every time and ask for more compliance.

If the training in the beginning is a game it will go so much easier.

My outs may come every 8-10 returns and that still applies with any thing I do with my dogs today in just basic obedience. 

"IT'S A GAME"! 

There are dogs out there that may be so serious that they may have no desire to "play" but I'll bet that rewarding compliance with a tug of war will still be up that dogs alley. 

I've seen serious dogs figure that out quickly.

I look at today's motivational training being more about imprinting then actually "training". 

Imprint that dog to KNOW that compliance is all about reward and that reward can be anything from a scratch behind the ear, a treat, a game of tug or even that best of rewards to a working dog, the bite.

"Imprinting" is like hard wiring something in a dogs brain.

Keep it a game and the dog with keep with you.


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