[Bill]

Hi Alfred, The ball as a tug may likely be the issue. Use the ball as a reward or lure and not as a tug. Use a tug, or rolled towel as the tug. These are 2 distinct types of interaction with your dog. Sure, you can tug a little on the ball when the dog brings it back to you for fun but not as your biting training tool.

1.) Focus the bite: Holding the ends of the tug you are able to maneuver the tug to get the dog to center on the tug and bite. You are looking for a solid bite – no nibbling, bite and hold. Once on the bite, play a little and then release. Caution; if still teething, a towel is not a good choice as it more easily can snag a tooth – a tug is best to avoid this. As the bite strengthens and the nibbling disappears, you can then move your hands closer together on the tug to make the target area smaller. If you get incidentally bit, your hands are too close together (you may want to wear gloves at first but once you have the bite developed, you won’t need them). Adjust and continue. Your arms will no longer be of interest.

2.) Once you have a solid bite and tug, you increase the dog’s drive and ultimately the intensity and hold on the bite by interjecting misses. (Robert’s videos on this are excellent and demonstrative of what you do to assist the dog especially in the beginning). Your goal is that with time and practice there will be one bite and it will be a good one so there is no redirecting to the arm.

3.) The tug is never left with the dog to “play with.” This contributes to the value of the tug in that the only way the dog interacts with the tug is with you. It is a good idea to intersperse letting the dog trot around with the tug as a reward, but it must be brought back to you ultimately. You will know what I mean when you see it – your dog will be so proud and literally trot around and show off what he got/has/did/accomplished. While on parade – verbal praise will make it a grand slam event!

4.) Use the balls as rewards and lures as needed. They work great but because of the pendular motion of the ball its harder to get a bite developed. Once you have developed the bite, you will see a transfer of that skill to the ball, but not in the beginning.

Hope something here helps you get a focused bite – if you haven’t yet, you will find Robert’s videos terrific on the tug as an interactive tool and shows you how to use body positioning to help the dog through the actual bite when in motion. Happy Training!

[alfred]

Hi Bill, thank you so much for the help. Very well explained! Follow up question: would holding her back with a harness while playing tug going to help develop a better bite?

[Bill]

Hey Alfred – Holding back will increase frustration and ultimately drive for an object, providing the object is a desired one and success is achieved in the dog’s mind/experience. Using a harness for holding back is optimal as it does not focus resistance at the dog’s neck. I too prefer to use the harness during training on bite work once the bite has been established. I think your question may be best attacked in two part so let me try clarifying this way. If I have missed the point, please let me know – I will try again.

First, you want to develop the actual bite itself both in intensity and accuracy. No harness needed because you want a bite and the drive/motivation/desire is already there. You can do this in casual settings and just goofing around with the dog. Once you have proper targeting of the bite and it is a bite and “hold on”, you are ready to develop further.

Once your actual “bite” is developed, you add motion and movement (a harness is great during this part). The dog’s desire to bite the tug will be established so its really fast, quick and easy to bring motion in to the picture. You will actually harness the frustration, thus developing the drive further, when you bring the “missed tugs” in to the picture. Now instead of holding the tug in front of your body and the dog targeting it successfully every time, you will now hold the tug out to the side of your body so the dog can address it head on – in full force as your body is not behind the tug. (They don’t run full force if they are going to crash in to you (that’s another skill.)) You could also use the harness and a helper to hold the dog back and then release so he can get the tug. This allows you to take a sidestep and the dog misses the tug – stay alert because he will be coming right back at it! This also allows the dog to not slow down (run through) on approach so as not to bump in to you. Hope this is somewhat clarifying!! This will likely be a very fast progression for you as high drive, working dogs learn this very quickly and then you are set for years of great, satisfying interactions!!

Happy Training!

[alfred]

This is probably one of the most important key points i have learned. Thank you so much for this and i cant wait to try it later 🙂

I will give you an update.

[Bill]

I look forward to it!😀

[Amy]

I liked Bill’s recommendations but warn you that, when trying to copy Robert’s demonstration on interjecting misses, do not try to pull your hand away if or😉 when the dog gets it instead of missing the tug altogether. Thankfully my 6 month old large mutt, 40 lb. at the time, recognized that my hand was not supposed to be impaled on one of her canines. It also helped that I moved with her momentum so it pulled but didn’t tare any flesh. I just may not be coordinated who knows. I am not teaching bight work but just tug.

A consequence of her chomping into my hand, though I didn’t make a big deal of it other than stopping the play to doctor the hand, was that now she is very cautious when she goes for the tug.

It hasn’t stopped her from mouthing me when I physically go to move her when she doesn’t want to go where I have told her to go.