# Pup prefers the handles



## Benjamin Richeson (Mar 19, 2014)

I've got a synthetic jute tug that I let Reese and River play with together. She loves the tug and holds it properly, he always goes for the handles because they're a slick nylon and he prefers slick surfaces in his mouth.

At this point I've been trying to discourage him from the handles when I engage him with it but he refuses to bite onto the tug itself. If he bites the handles I distract him with another toy and remove the tug. When the two are playing together I leave it alone and just supervise, which I realize is counter productive but she definitely helps wear him out for me. He's 90-to-nothing all day, every day. 

Should I remove the tug all together and give it to him when he's a bit older and starts learning targeting? He loves fake fur and real sheepskin with the wool on, and those are his main toys so it's not as if he'll be missing out on a game of tug. 

Reese is 12 weeks this Friday. When I do play tug with him I give a small fight and then let him win every time and calmly praise and stroke his sides and chin/chest while he's holding it. He does not know an out yet although he's picking up on 'yuck!' really fast for trash!


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## Christopher Smith (Jun 20, 2008)

Cut the handles off the tug and throw them away. Or find something else the dog likes to play with and put the tug away for a while. 

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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

This is very common with young dogs and green handlers. Buy a tug with no handles. A few reasons is the tug itself maybe a bit big and having the smaller item in the mouth (the handles) are more comfortable for the dog. Every time the pup gets the handles it reinforces to the pup that it has done the correct thing. So from a handling point of view it is your job to not allow that to happen without saying 'no'. As you don't want to put undue pressure on a fun game. 

Also did I read correctly that you are letting 2 dogs play with one tug? If so why are you doing that?


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## Benjamin Richeson (Mar 19, 2014)

I worded that so it's confusing. I taught River to not play tug with other dogs, since I wanted it to be a game only she and I play. This particular tug is out with other toys that I rotate occasionally because it's not quality and it's beat up enough that it's not safe for a reward. They don't actively play tug together with any kind of toy. If she has it and he wants it, he'll grab the handles and then she'll spit it out and come to me. If he has it, she completely ignores him or instigates wrestling. 

I'll buy some different tugs without handles and just throw this one away.


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

You don't need to throw the tug away. Just buy a different tug for now or have someone show you some tugging technique so you can minimize the pups exposure to the handles. With my dog when he was a pup I bought those reinforced mechanix gloves as cinching up the handles so the dog targets the tug, always got my hands bit.  It takes just a bit of time with some thought and using marker training you can get the pup onto the tug in no time.


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

Benjamin Richeson said:


> I've got a synthetic jute tug that I let Reese and River play with together. She loves the tug and holds it properly, he always goes for the handles because they're a slick nylon and he prefers slick surfaces in his mouth.
> 
> At this point I've been trying to discourage him from the handles when I engage him with it but he refuses to bite onto the tug itself. If he bites the handles I distract him with another toy and remove the tug. When the two are playing together I leave it alone and just supervise, which I realize is counter productive but she definitely helps wear him out for me. He's 90-to-nothing all day, every day.
> 
> ...


Cut the handles off and present it to him without but watch your fingers!!


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## Matt Vandart (Nov 28, 2012)

Geoff Empey said:


> This is very common with young dogs and green handlers. Buy a tug with no handles. A few reasons is the tug itself maybe a bit big and having the smaller item in the mouth (the handles) are more comfortable for the dog. Every time the pup gets the handles it reinforces to the pup that it has done the correct thing. So from a handling point of view it is your job to not allow that to happen without saying 'no'. As you don't want to put undue pressure on a fun game.
> 
> *Also did I read correctly that you are letting 2 dogs play with one tug? If so why are you doing that?*


I did this to rectum-fy a bite problem I was having with a dobe, I got my EBT to play tug with her, problem was solved


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

puppy is biting handles because they are smaller and easier to bite, no becuase he prefers slick things in his mouth, this I am pretty sure of.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Ditto with Joby!

I would guess it's habit by now. I don't feel you need to cut the handles off. Just hold the handles right against where they come out of the tug.

It's now re training the dog to target the proper part of the tug.

Start close in order to present only what you want him to grip.


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## jack van strien (Apr 9, 2009)

Leave him alone!You will create bad habbits !
Let him grow up and let expereinced people handle it,if he has what it takes it will still be there later!
Just play with the other pup if you want to do something.
There is no real need to play with a tug for future bitework and some dogs are better of without it.
Lots of other things you can do.


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## Christopher Smith (Jun 20, 2008)

Bob Scott said:


> I don't feel you need to cut the handles off.



I think this is a situation where you are totally right and wrong at the same time. You are right that the handles don't need to be cut off. But your wrong because we are dealing with a new handler. And whats going to happen if the handles are left on is the following. The handler keeps the handles hidden for the first part of the training session. And inevitably he will test at the end of the session to see if the dog will bite the handle. The dog will bite the handle and the work done will be gone. This is stuff that evey new handler does.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Good point! 
No different then the new trainer that has two good recalls in a row and takes the leash off to see how good it works.


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

jack van strien said:


> Leave him alone!You will create bad habbits !
> Let him grow up and let expereinced people handle it,if he has what it takes it will still be there later!
> Just play with the other pup if you want to do something.
> There is no real need to play with a tug for future bitework and some dogs are better of without it.
> Lots of other things you can do.


I agree with this. My older GSD was never fond of biting a tug when I held it so I left it. Come first bite with the helper, he lunged forward and made a full bite on the young dog sleeve so that the helper was forced to swap it for a normal sleeve and he's no "Nancy". He was 9 months (the dog) and I had actually despaired of him.

Some pups are best left alone - if they have it in them to bite seriously without any holding back, they will do so however late you start.

My Briard was a dog that it wasn't advisable to tug with in the daytime but never at night. He just lunged and bit what he found - I have the scars!!


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

note** 
i am writing based on what you wrote in your original post. don't know if you have further clarified what you are training for and haven't read the rest of this thread, so if it's been covered or gone in another direction, just trash this 

"I've got a synthetic jute tug that I let Reese and River play with together."
--- that seems like a bad way to start

"She loves the tug and holds it properly, he always goes for the handles because they're a slick nylon and he prefers slick surfaces in his mouth."
-- what is "proper" or not depends on what you are using a tug for
-- you are making an assumption as to why he prefers the nylon; imo, it's probably not an accurate assumption 

"At this point I've been trying to discourage him from the handles when I engage him with it but he refuses to bite onto the tug itself."
-- that means u are probably doing it wrong 

"If he bites the handles I distract him with another toy and remove the tug." 
-- see above 

"When the two are playing together I leave it alone and just supervise, which I realize is counter productive but she definitely helps wear him out for me. He's 90-to-nothing all day, every day." 
-- might be a bad assumption, but indicates u might be a bit lazy //lol//

"Should I remove the tug all together and give it to him when he's a bit older and starts learning targeting?"
-- 1. who will teach him "targeting" ? you have already indicated you haven't been able to teach him
-- 2. is the tug being used as a reward or as the foundation for bite work ? to me, there is a big difference

"He loves fake fur and real sheepskin with the wool on, and those are his main toys so it's not as if he'll be missing out on a game of tug." 
-- basically irrelevant, but again it depends on what you are trying to teach the dog, foundation wise, and it really depends on how you use the "toys" and how it is presented. neither of which you have described
-- i don't happen to think tugging is a game that a dogs needs. to me it is just a method of teaching something else

"Reese is 12 weeks this Friday". 
-- nice to include the age of one of the dogs. how about the breeds ??

"When I do play tug with him I give a small fight and then let him win every time and calmly praise and stroke his sides and chin/chest while he's holding it." 
-- is this a technique you have used with other dogs for a reason, or something u have seen on a youtube vid ?
-- to me it reads like you are combining a lot of things together

"He does not know an out yet although he's picking up on 'yuck!' really fast for trash!"
-- sorry, but i don't know how yuck relates to an out, or when you are planning to teach it ??

comments and suggestions :
- overall, based on what you have written here, i don't have a clue what you are doing with either dog and the problems you are describing are also not clear, so i would hesitate to answer with a direct "yes" or "no" as to removing the tug, etc
1. make a video so u can get suggestions based on what you and the dog are actually showing rather than get educated opinions based on assumptions
2. make a TRAINING plan for how and if you will use tugs with your dogs and stop referring to them as "toys" ... that is pet talk and we are not supposed to be a pet forum
*fwiw, i get MANY owners with similar problems like you are describing and in every case the owners did not have a training plan. but all had problems of one sort or another because the dogs were driving the issues and developing bad habits the owners did not like. some are pet owners and some think they are working dog owners.

good luck with whatever you decide


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