-
TUG as a Training Reward – Do you TUG?
My friends recently got a new puppy and his favorite game is playing Tug! Tug comes with a lot of misconceptions by the public, but knowledgeable trainers have been successfully using it (with rules) for years!
Check out▶ this post ◀from a while back where @David is showcasing using play with his dog, Lido.
How about you? Do you use Tug as a reward? Do you have “rules” in mind while playing?
Share your success or questions!
-
6 Replies
-
Tug is can be an excellent reward and motivator depending on the dog. Using toys to train can make training more fun and upbeat!
Examples:
For my young dog, Dallas, I only use tug or fetch as a reward for behaviors that I want a high level of energy . Because of her extremely high energy level and drive, it is difficult to use such an exciting reward for more sedentary behaviors or those that require duration. We are working on impulse control and hope to get to a point where we can have an obedience type training session using tug as a reward soon.
For my older dog, Lucy, tug is an excellent reward for any type of behavior. Although, I primarily use it for high energy training.
I posted a training video below of Lucy. I am using tug and catching the frisbee as rewards!
-
@Anna What a superb example of using tug and play as reinforcement for rapid-fire behaviors! The energy and alacrity Lucy has is evidence of your excellent timing and training. Thank you for sharing this video.
With Dallas, we’d love to see your “work in progress”… feel free to post some of your impulse control work and/or ask questions about moving forward. I’m sure you’ll find a lot of support here.
-
Thanks! Lucy definitely loves her frisbee!!
I will try to get a video of working with Dallas!
-
-
Well done @Anna! And thank you for calling the video to our attention with the Dynamic Demo Award @nicole!
There is so much to read here on Digging Dogs; I’m thankful for highlights like these that call attention to particularly nifty content!
I found it interesting to watch Lucy in action, being reinforced with her enthusiastic Tug; then reflect back at Lido’s video, with his pleasure of a relaxed Tug interspersed with responding to @David cues to restart the Tug, showing a different sort of play in a similar scenario.
@David – I really like the idea of teaching a tugger to drop the toy when the toy goes out of the plane of play. How do you teach this skill?
-
I teach it by freezing myself and the action until the dog releases, then I reward by installing reengaging in the game.
-
-
-
@Anna , you rock! ????⚡️
Log in to reply.