HOW TO CREATE

A MOTIVATING TOY

2© Not to be re-printed without the written permission of Susan Garrett and Say Yes Dog Training Inc. Copyright 2015.

I hope you find this eBook to be a great resource to your dog training.But I do need to remind you that this document is intended just for you.

It is strictly for your personal use. No part of this ebook can be legallyor ethically shared in whole or in part either through digital or printedcopy. Thank you for respecting the hard work we put into these books for you our students.

Here’s to your future success;

SusanSusan GarrettSay Yes Dog Training Inc.

3© Not to be re-printed without the written permission of Susan Garrett and Say Yes Dog Training Inc. Copyright 2015.

HOW TO CREATE A MOTIVATING TOYMany times in our dog training the need will arise to use a toy to motivate your dog.

People will often share with us that their dog is not “into” toys. Some dogs will not innately want to play with toys but you can create the desire within them with a little work on your part.

None of us can know with certainty exactly what is going to be the “magic” toy, the one that suddenly turns on your dog’s “tugaciousness” gene. The truth is it isn’t the toy but the path you take to get there. Having said that there are some toys that appeal to some dogs more than others. Let’s find out together what those are!

The key to training your dog to play with you and your toy is that you are SINCERELY interested in playing along as well! If you are truly not having fun, your dog will quickly realize this and will be even more reluctant to join in. So be sure that you are both enjoying yourselves. Now let’s begin!

Toy OptionsCreating tug drive often involves coming up with unique toys for your dog to tug on. Your toy options are endless! Think about what your dog LOVES to have in his mouth… a study of your dog and his desires. Let’s start there! Dogs LOVE to put things in their mouths…our job is to find safe and fun interactive items to “jump start” their love of learning to tug. Here are a few ideas outside of the tug toys you may buy online, maybe one or two of them maybe an “Ah Ha” for you!

4© Not to be re-printed without the written permission of Susan Garrett and Say Yes Dog Training Inc. Copyright 2015.

Tuggers iPlay Assignment #1 You will be a student of your dog’s behaviour! You will study your dog for one full day keeping notes of all the things he LOVES to put into his mouth. These can be things that are appropriate or inappropriate! This master list will allow you to create future toys that already are of interest to your dog.

The clues these two examples give are: for the sock - small, fabric - used and for the pine cone cylinder - easy to grab, likes it tossed.

Make a list of at least 10 things over the next day or two that your dog voluntarily puts into their mouth. It may be to chew or to carry around.

TUGGERS: Study of My Dog!

ITEM DETAILS

TUGGERS: Study of My Dog!

ITEM DETAILS

• e.g. sock Stolen from the laundry basket

• e.g. pine cone Picked it up tossed it in the air

5© Not to be re-printed without the written permission of Susan Garrett and Say Yes Dog Training Inc. Copyright 2015.

A Few Ideas for the UNEXPECTED Toy! You will be a student of your dogs behaviour! You will study your dog for one full day keeping notes of all the things he LOVEs to put into his mouth.

These can be things that are appropriate or inappropriate! This master list will allow you to create future toys that already are of interest to your dog.

Commercial Tug Toys

We want your tug toys to be interactive between the two of you and why we suggest soft or toys on a rope. You may choose to tie a light line to any of the above toys to help make it move and squiggle along the ground to make it “enticing” as prey to your dog.

• Hollee Roller (with something inside)

• Soft Frisbee

• Bungee Tug Toys

• Braided Tug Toys

• Food Pouch Tug Toys

• Balls on a Rope

• Cow Milker Tug Toys

• Sheep Fleece Tug Toys

• Your Ball Cap

• Pine Cone

• Shower Puff Scrubber

• Crumpled Paper Ball

• Tea Towel (Face Cloth)

• Feather Duster

• Fly Swatter

• Empty Paper Towel Roll

• Dusting Mitt

• Hair Scrunchie

• Old Sock

• Paper Plate/cups

• Bird Feather

• Empty Water Bottle

• Panty Hose

• Sport Sock with Toy/Food in it

• Soft braided T-shirt

• Thick Piece of Human Grade Beef Jerky

• Rabbit Pelt / Sheep Skin

• Old Leather Reins

Use your imagination! You never know what might excite your dog!

6© Not to be re-printed without the written permission of Susan Garrett and Say Yes Dog Training Inc. Copyright 2015.

Creating a Crazy TOY Trigger! Creating a trigger before you present your toy will also create an “interest”, and “curiosity” to the toy well before you present the toy to your dog.

• Put the toy in a drawer in the midst of your living area--example, in the kitchen or somewhere else that is easily accessible at all times.

• Before each meal start to act a bit loony. While saying really fun things to your dog (like “oh no”, “what is it”, “do you want this”, “where’s your toy”, etc.) walk, dance, skip...basically act goofy while you make your way over to the special drawer.

• S-l-o-w-l-y open up the drawer while continuing to say nutty things to your dog.

• Stop talking momentarily (a pause for effect) and then pull the toy out of the drawer, like you just unexpectedly came across a $50 bill, and run with it into the next room.

• Swing the toy above the ground while acting nutty to show the dog what a great time you are having with this fun toy.

• Dance around for a few more seconds and then toss the toy out like a lure on the end of a fishing pole.

• Drag it around but BE SURE THE DOG DOES NOT GET HIS MOUTH ON IT.

• This whole process should only take 1-2 minutes the first time you do it.

• End your fun game, which did not include your dog, by running back to the drawer, with your toy in tow snatching it up and quickly putting it back in the drawer with a phrase like “oh no, it’s gone”.

• You may then proceed about your regular routine as if nothing out of the ordinary just happened.

• Re-enact this bizarre performance 2-3 times a day. After the second day, allow the dog to get his mouth on the toy if he is really keen--but only for a few seconds. Pull on the line to try and steal it from him. Once you get it away (be sure you are taking it from him in a very informal, fun way), play with it a little more by yourself before quickly putting the toy away back into “its” special home!

7© Not to be re-printed without the written permission of Susan Garrett and Say Yes Dog Training Inc. Copyright 2015.

• Gradually progress, letting him play with you and the toy (tug of war style) a little more each time until you have a dog who loves to see the toy come out.

• Do not allow him to play with this toy at any other time except during this routine. We will eventually bring this toy into your dog sport training environment but not just yet! BUILD THE TRIGGER! BUILD THE ENTHUSIASM! BUILD THE VALUE!

• Ideally, you should remove any other toys that are lying around the house during this time. Leave out only things your dog can lie down and chew on by himself, such as his chew bones.

• Be sure during this training/play session that you never give your dog any sort of verbal for anything he might do.

• Before you know it you will have a dog that is as NUTTY about this toy as you apparently have been!

• This method works particularly well on new puppies.

8© Not to be re-printed without the written permission of Susan Garrett and Say Yes Dog Training Inc. Copyright 2015.

Playful Mechanics: You’ve CREATED Nutty for the TUG!You created NUTTY! Now, try to mimic a dog when you tug . . . your mechanics are important to building that great playful tug relationship. Start by getting low and squiggling your toy on the ground. Allow the dog to grab and hold. Let him create the resistance versus you pulling it away from him. This is good for many reasons but mainly while the dog learns to trust that the play is genuine.

Our primary interaction during tug comes from a little bit of chattering when we like what the dog is doing and using your free hand to engage with the dog through touch.

We play a game called “Smack da baby.” The game starts with gentle strokes all over the dog’s body gradually growing that into gently and playfully smacking the dog. Another way to make tugging safer is to use toys that are attached to a bungee. Bungee tug toys give and take with every tug and they are friendly to your joints and your dog’s neck.

There is no need for you to spin, stir, shake, whip or bounce the dog around on the end of your toy when you are tugging. When dogs tug with other dogs you will never see one bounce the other up and down! Doing so just adds an unnecessary risk of injury. For example if you shake a dog up and down on a toy you are hyper-extending that dog’s neck a little with each shake. Our dog’s necks are built to have tremendous power from side to side, but not up and down. If you are going to move the tug during your tug sessions with your dogs do it gently from side to side rather than “snapping” or jerking the dog abruptly.

Lastly, there needs to be pure joy between the two of you while you approach your tug training lessons…choose times in your day when you have time and can be relaxed and playful with your dog. There is no rush to this process there is just learning on both your parts! Learning to observe what your dog loves best at the same time as teaching the behaviour of TUG! Tugging is an amazing tool Toy Options that everyone should have available when training their dog. If you can remember to “play like a dog” you will always get it right!

Your journey to “tugaciousness” with your dog has just started!

© Not to be re-printed without the written permission of Susan Garrett and Say Yes Dog Training Inc. Copyright 2015.

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