Whip and bungee tug toys have all arrived (as well as a few other bits which fell into my basket ) Had a quick play at lunchtime in the sun between snow showers DH managed to trump me by appearing with a tennis ball Wish I had got a bungee with ball attachment now : I do have a hol-ee roller ball which I can attach to the bungee if I need to up the desirability.
Re: Whipit has landed [quote author=Kirriegirl link=topic=10407.msg153236#msg153236 date=1427809810] I do have a hol-ee roller ball which I can attach to the bungee if I need to up the desirability. [/quote] I think games, just like retrieving (which is a game to a dog), need to be built up. I struggled to get Charlie interested in tug, and whipit on the Common (but not at training), and we had to work on it. It's like the dog has to find out, and then remember, just how much fun it is. Like anything, really....
Re: Whipit has landed Had another go without the man with the tennis ball around : She is enjoying it, but I need to encourage her to run in a wider circle. She is running round quite close to me, about halfway between me and the rabbit tug : I have been pulling it in a bit closer to lure her out with it, but she gradually gravitates in towards me again. We'll get there though.
Re: Whipit has landed [quote author=JulieT link=topic=10407.msg153331#msg153331 date=1427845303] I struggled to get Charlie interested in tug [/quote] Our of interest, Julie, how did you achieve this? Mine tug with each other, and Willow often grabs a piece of cardboard, drops it in my lap and asks me to play with her with it, which is a VERY gentle game of tug, but in general, they're not interested in grabbing a toy with me and tugging it. I've tried waving it around and having them chase me to get it, but once they catch me (and it), they give up with the toy. When playing Whipit, on the other hand, they want to hold onto it as long as they can. So it's something about tugging with me. I've read that some dogs are a bit intimidated to play tug with humans, and need to learn that it's OK (and fun), so that could be it, I suppose. I just don't have a strategy at the moment for getting their heads around it.
Re: Whipit has landed I played a very, very, gentle game of tug in the house with Charlie, it was more holding things together. I had read that playing tug with dogs gave them a hard mouth - and although I never thought Charlie would work, wanted to do everything "properly", if you know what I mean. Anyway, I went on a course and we played tug, Charlie sort of got into it, but wasn't wild about it (it's still quite a gentle game, not dental work by tug....). When I got home, he wasn't that enthusiastic. I went back to the trainer, and said "he doesn't want to play tug". She rolled her eyes picked up the tug toy, and played with Charlie - properly. "Which way is it going to go, Charlie? This way? That way? Are you going to get it? Yay!" etc etc and I realised the problem was that I still didn't want to play tug. It was the start of me learning to play properly with my dog. I've invented half a dozen tug games now - his favourite in the whole world is for him to hold his reward ball in his mouth, and me to pick up the bit of rope it's attached to, and we run together. He prances round like a mad rocking horse. He loves it... Tuggy, Charlie... P8080907 by julieandcharlie, on Flickr
Re: Whipit has landed Ah, interesting. I've been thinking just attaching a length of cord to it, to make it a mini-whipit would be a good start. I did buy a pocket whipit from Tug-e-Nuff, but I didn't pay attention to how Willow was holding it and she bit through the cord the very first time we used it. I asked if they could repair it and they said it wasn't cost-effective, but they'll replace it with their souped-up new version free of charge when I put my next order in in a couple of weeks. I've tried jumping around and being squeaky with it, running it along the ground, changing direction etc, but I don't think it's "alive" enough with the toy I've been trying to use. One other thing - do some dogs have an aversion to fluffy stuff in their mouths? Willow goes mad for the rabbit skin dummy and ball I have (so I've put them away for now), but doesn't seem to want to hold the rabbit skin tuggers I have in her mouth, preferring the handles every time. Maybe I should try with a sheepskin one instead, or just a cuddly toy....
Re: Whipit has landed Yes, whatever makes it desirable, and gets the game going so they find out it's fun. I think there is a difference between the dog not wanting to hold fluffy stuff, and the dog wanting to grab the handle in tug. Lots of dogs want to grab the handle in tug - I think it's just because that's the end you have and it's a game about getting the toy off the person. We spent a fair while establishing that the game only goes ahead if the "my end, your end" rule is observed. Generally, Charlie is least keen on synthetic fluffy stiff - he hates fake fur type stuff (that toy he is playing with in the picture is his least favourite thing). But he will pick up anything on a retrieve, he stops caring if he's excited.
Re: Whipit has landed Hmm, Even when playing whipit, where the toy is on a line, Willow will go for the handle and not the toy. She also sometimes gets a faint look of disgust and spits out when she gets one of the rabbit things I have. All are from Tug-e-Nuff except the dummy and ball, so maybe they're treated with something different that she doesn't like. I might try her with some sheepskin. I was avoiding it because we have a lot of sheep around here and didn't want to cause a problem, but I'm probably being a bit melodramatic thinking she'll suddenly go for sheep after playing with a sheepskin tug toy, right?
Re: Whipit has landed If you give her a toy to play with on her own, will she pick it up? [quote author=snowbunny link=topic=10407.msg153671#msg153671 date=1427927475] I'm probably being a bit melodramatic thinking she'll suddenly go for sheep after playing with a sheepskin tug toy, right? [/quote] I reckon. ;D
Re: Whipit has landed She'll pick up certain things - she has a toy meerkat she claimed the minute she walked into the living room the first time (it used to be John's!), and if I mistakenly leave a canvas dummy out, she'll chew on that, but she won't pick up rubber toys, except kongs. I haven't left the rabbit skin things out because I know how destructive she can be, having seen the evidence of the first one! I imagine she'd try to make sure Shadow didn't get it, but not sure if she was alone. I'll try tomorrow and see her reaction.
