Tug Toys?!

mewzard

Experienced Member
right so i think i've decided to start over again with recall and Oka. She's too bloomin smart and changes her mind about what she loves the most atleast once a day!
So the one thing i have noticed is a tug toy makes her go "eye-popping" crazy...so i figure i've been going totally wrong with rewards!
Only trouble is I had a operation on my wrist a yr again that is ok but seriuos tuggin causes it to ache, which means i ahve to go easy the next day - not great of consistant training.
Anyone have any kind-to-me tug toy recommendations that don't cost the earth??
 

mewzard

Experienced Member
one hand is fine - she's just stronger than i am!! I can play with 2 hands but i'm finding that as she pulls so hard i ache. If i play one handed she just pulls the toy out of my grip.
mmm i wondering if theres one with a bungee/elastic thing in that would take the pressure off...
 

IceGirl

Well-Known Member
Well, if you can't find the elastic one, you can try creating one from that elastic leash people use for jogging. You know, something like this. Maybe tie some knots and voila!:)
I don't know how elastic this one is, and what kind you already have, but it might be worth to take a look.
 

mewzard

Experienced Member
Thanks for your help! I did a search and found. So i bought one, Oka loves fluffy things :rolleyes:. If they work out i'll see about making some .... usually works out cheaper!
 

mewzard

Experienced Member
Yeah i'd seen cleanrun but it's a USA site and i'm in the UK - not that I'm bothered just it's a bit easier/quicker buying it over here.
We don't get alot of good tug toys in shops here i've noticed...I play tug in the park with her and have noticed people eyeing me strangely before!
 

Raider_25

Member
im looking for durable tug toys are just duranble ones at that! my toys dont even last a day lol and u spend hundreds on them.. especially those tennis balls!
 

mewzard

Experienced Member
Well the two i bought on that site "tug-e-nuff" are still in good working order, the bungee is fine....the fluffy bits are quite slobbered and may need a quick rinse but they have survived; a 30KG Oka and several FosterDogs using them. Thats 3 months use and there has been very little damage - maybe a few bits of fluffy have come off.

I never leave toys out for the dogs to play with, either they play with me or not at all. Saves me money!!

Other tug toy Oka really likes is one made from bath towels which were about £4 in the shop, cut into strips and knotted to make a toy... I still have enough to make another toy...but the first is still in working order.
 

TiflovesBCs

Experienced Member
Bella and Jenny are more interested in fetch than tug lol as soon as they have it in their mouth its nudged my way to be thrown again.
Zara likes tug but we struggle with getting her to give the toy so we dont actually play tug. Can't leave zara any toys as she destroys them (destroying my ones that i got for bella as she was teething that cost me £10 - £15 a toy I was not happy lol) but Bella and Jenny are fine with them. Infact I have two dog toys that shes had since she was 8 weeks old so for nearly 2 years and they are still intact if a bit ruff around the edges lol and they are soft toys - a bone shaped one and a dog.
 

mewzard

Experienced Member
Zara likes tug but we struggle with getting her to give the toy so we dont actually play tug.
Use 2 and trade them.... entice her with one, then let her bite it, tug, then let her win. When she makes off with the toy (wayhoo! i killed it!). Get the second one out and tease her with it...she should, in the end, drop the first and bite the second. Then get the first and start over. If she won't drop the 1st toy, run away from her with the 2nd, this almost always works.

I swing with the school of thought that dog should ALWAYS win a tug game....where is the fun (for the dog) if the human always wins? Trade on 2 toys, and the dog will bring the tug for you to play after a while. The reason dogs like fetch is they always get the toy at the end, and the dog that destroy the ball are the ones completing thier "prey cycle" - eg see prey, chase, kill.... much more satisfying than chase, chase, chase.

You need to end the game before the dog gets bored and trade the last tug-toy for something of higher value - treats
 

TiflovesBCs

Experienced Member
Bella and Jenny who play fetch can't bring me the toy fast enough lol. I think for them its more the chase than actually getting the toy that they like lol as they bring it straight back.

Zara doent play fetch really shes not interested like the other two. She just wants the toy to keep and chew on.
 

Dogster

Honored Member
Shivon LOVES to play both tug and fetch. First, she fetches it, brings it back, and won't let go of it unless I play tug with her. After a while, she gets bored and starts provoking me to play chase with her.:D Let me tell you, with her, there is NEVER a dull moment with her around!!!!:LOL:
 

Dogster

Honored Member
Shivon also has all of the toys from when she was a baby. She doesn't know how to ruin toys......
 

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
I tug with Buddy with his giant teddy bear, it seems it might be safer to safely position your wrist for that, if you use a giant stuffed bear. It's more distributed around...

But the bungy cord idea is great!

buddy does have free access to 1/3 of his toys at all times, but only "kills" them if he has more than one or two boring days in a row,
or if he is home alone for wayyyy too long.
 

Dogster

Honored Member
Does Buddy rip his teddy bear apart??? If Shivon finds a toy with a hole in it and stuffing coming out, she will take out all of the stuffing and try to eat it. That's why she has minimal or no stuffing toys.:)
 

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
Ah, Buddy's giant bear, that he has had for years now, every day since day #1, the bear does fall apart, as we do tug it with him. I have trained him to NOT eat stuffing, same way i trained him to stop eating poop. I have re-stuffed and resewn that bear many a time. I use "horse thread" on the bear now, (really thick, strong thread).

My dog rarely tears up a toy on purpose.

Only time Buddy "kills" a toy, is if he is upset. If he has had too many boring days in a row, or if he was home along for wayyyyyyyyy too long, he vry well might "kill" a toy. He does this so rarely, if i do see Buddy "killing" a toy, or spot a "dead" toy (one that has been ripped open on purpose) that is my cue, my dog is or was upset.

Once Buddy was home along allllllll evening long, during a storm, and he had killed a toy during that time. I'm just really glad he only kills HIS stuff, and never MY stuff!!!:ROFLMAO:


(border collies are not known for being able to tolerate boredom well.......some breeds can and DO tolerate boredom better than many border collies can.:rolleyes: Many border collies can go a lil "nutty" or even destructive, if they get bored. Many breeds can tolerate boredom with more grace than many BCs can....)

so if i DO see a "dead" toy, or see Buddy ripping up a toy, i have to stop and think, "is my dog bored? Has he not had enough action and fun lately?".

of course i TRY to keep that dog busy busy busy,
and most days, he IS busy busy busy.
but it is harder in the wintertime to keep Buddy as active as he'd like to be. We tend to get more "dead toys" in the winter months...:rolleyes: I've never said a word about it, come to think of it, i have never corrected it,
nor scolded it,
nor attempted to get Buddy to stop killing toys if he is upset.

maybe i'm worried, if Buddy is not allowed to kill HIS toys, then he'd start on killing the sofa then!!:ROFLMAO: and often, i can see MY error in not keeping him busy enough to have prevented the "dead" toy.
 

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
Like if Buddy gets his full speed run, and some tricks training, and several play sessions, some good long walks and gets to go somewhere cool,
there is NO way he will kill any toy that day, or the next day, either.

for *my* dog, he seems to be acting out when he "kills" a toy, he is waving the white flag, "HELP! I'M LOSING MY LIL DOGGIE MIND, I'M GOING NUTTY FROM BOREDOM!! HELP!"
 

Dogster

Honored Member
Shivon usually goes on the couch when she's bored (come to think of it, she sleeps almost all day). Then I know I have to keep her engaged in a game. I uesd to be afraid of leaving her home alone, but now, she doesn't ruin anything when I'm gone-she just sleeps (on the couch).:sleep:
 
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