Clean Run - October 2011 - 15

Commonsense Tug Training
By Kay Laurence, photos by Clean Run except where noted

Tug play is a wonderful form of training when used safely and in balance with your dog. For both you and the dog it improves tness, is very reinforcing, and gives a wonderful structure to the dog’s learning. The game is about balance, mirroring movement, and learning together, all wrapped in a very e ective workout.
If you watch dogs play tug together you can observe an amazing number of protocols that can be adopted to our games with our dogs. These techniques are very useful for us to employ: the shared and equal partnership, and the teaching role. We can also benefit from the skills seen here, developing physical movements with great fluency, building muscle strength, and building a strong bond through mutual enjoyment. As a side benefit we also have extremely good focus, concentration, commitment, and a perfect tool for motivation. Notice that at no time does either “partnership” involve excessive yanking, pinching, or knocking to cause more arousal, and the vocalization is minimal. To be able to play effectively, while keeping it safe and enjoyable, there are several elements that need to be in place right from the moment you pick up the toy. Although it would be fun to spontaneously “go play,” in this extremely fast learning format, a moment of negligence or inattention can lead to many months of work to correct inappropriate learning. And, if you are unlucky, it will hurt! Even though anticipation of pain is an excellent reminder to stay alert, because this is so highly reinforcing for your dog, anything the dogs learn during the games can become fixed extremely quickly—quick enough that if it happens only once, it becomes fixed.

Choosing a Good Tug Toy
Your tug is one of the most important tools you will use. Choose it carefully and with consideration. These are the basic elements you must look for. Elasticity and Give This is non-negotiable. Without some “give” you will stress your joints, from your neck to your fingers. After a 10-minute session, this will begin to tell you the activity is abnormal; and after a few years, you can begin to enjoy arthritis in your back, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and fingers. Take this knowledge from personal experience and some years of playing with rope and
15

Our tug toy acts as the link between a non-furred, weakmouthed player and a non-handed, four-legged player. It is astonishing that we can actually find mutual ground to enjoy playing without harm or injury to either player from the species disparity.
October 11 | Clean Run



Clean Run - October 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - October 2011

Clean Run - October 2011
Contents
Editorializing: Considering the Triple Jump
Tip of the Month
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Agility…
Backyard Dogs
But... He’s Perfect in Training! Using the Power of Premack in Agility Training
Commonsense Tug Training
Improving Your Sports Vision, Part 2
Fit to Be Tricked: Bowling
Six Ways to Handle a 270
Agility in Japan from an American Perspective
Agility Bloopers
Challenges at CR Central
Teaching FOCUS and Impulse-control Classes: Week 6
Correctly Using Foodstuffable Toys to Create Toy Drive
Ready, Set, Trial! Trial Etiquette
Challenges for Rising Stars
Treats Over Toys
Clean Run - October 2011 - Clean Run - October 2011
Clean Run - October 2011 - 2
Clean Run - October 2011 - Contents
Clean Run - October 2011 - 4
Clean Run - October 2011 - Editorializing: Considering the Triple Jump
Clean Run - October 2011 - Tip of the Month
Clean Run - October 2011 - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Agility…
Clean Run - October 2011 - Backyard Dogs
Clean Run - October 2011 - 9
Clean Run - October 2011 - 10
Clean Run - October 2011 - But... He’s Perfect in Training! Using the Power of Premack in Agility Training
Clean Run - October 2011 - 12
Clean Run - October 2011 - 13
Clean Run - October 2011 - 14
Clean Run - October 2011 - Commonsense Tug Training
Clean Run - October 2011 - 16
Clean Run - October 2011 - 17
Clean Run - October 2011 - 18
Clean Run - October 2011 - 19
Clean Run - October 2011 - 20
Clean Run - October 2011 - 21
Clean Run - October 2011 - Improving Your Sports Vision, Part 2
Clean Run - October 2011 - 23
Clean Run - October 2011 - 24
Clean Run - October 2011 - 25
Clean Run - October 2011 - 26
Clean Run - October 2011 - 27
Clean Run - October 2011 - Fit to Be Tricked: Bowling
Clean Run - October 2011 - 29
Clean Run - October 2011 - 30
Clean Run - October 2011 - 31
Clean Run - October 2011 - 32
Clean Run - October 2011 - 33
Clean Run - October 2011 - Six Ways to Handle a 270
Clean Run - October 2011 - 35
Clean Run - October 2011 - 36
Clean Run - October 2011 - 37
Clean Run - October 2011 - Agility in Japan from an American Perspective
Clean Run - October 2011 - 39
Clean Run - October 2011 - 40
Clean Run - October 2011 - Agility Bloopers
Clean Run - October 2011 - 42
Clean Run - October 2011 - 43
Clean Run - October 2011 - Challenges at CR Central
Clean Run - October 2011 - 45
Clean Run - October 2011 - 46
Clean Run - October 2011 - 47
Clean Run - October 2011 - 48
Clean Run - October 2011 - Teaching FOCUS and Impulse-control Classes: Week 6
Clean Run - October 2011 - 50
Clean Run - October 2011 - 51
Clean Run - October 2011 - Correctly Using Foodstuffable Toys to Create Toy Drive
Clean Run - October 2011 - 53
Clean Run - October 2011 - 54
Clean Run - October 2011 - Ready, Set, Trial! Trial Etiquette
Clean Run - October 2011 - 56
Clean Run - October 2011 - 57
Clean Run - October 2011 - Challenges for Rising Stars
Clean Run - October 2011 - 59
Clean Run - October 2011 - 60
Clean Run - October 2011 - 61
Clean Run - October 2011 - 62
Clean Run - October 2011 - 63
Clean Run - October 2011 - Treats Over Toys
Clean Run - October 2011 - 65
Clean Run - October 2011 - 66
Clean Run - October 2011 - 67
Clean Run - October 2011 - 68
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