In this video we cover how to increase your dog's play drive and motivation through the proper use of tug and targeting your toy correctly.

Any sport that we play or watch comes with rules, boundaries, penalties and ways to win the same should go when you are playing with your dog. Playing with your dog should be a way to strengthen your relationship, build their confidence, endurance and engagement with you; while also teaching impulse control, listening skills, how to flow through different states of arousal and how to come back from a penalty without any conflict.

The way in which you present your tug goes a long way for this.

Present your toy horizontally vs vertically. This is a much more natural way for your dog to capture the toy as it is level with their mouth.
Present your toy to the side of you vs in front of you. This creates a window for your dog to smash through vs a wall like your body being behind the toy. It will also save you from getting taken out by your dog if they are strong with their toy drive, as they won’t be crashing into your body.
Think straight lines when building drive and motivation for your dog vs zig zags. Too often owners move a toy frantically across their body, this will only result in frustration of you getting bit due to poor targeting. If adding movement to the toy keep it in the same spot next to your body, just move in a straight line back so it is an easy target for your dog.
Choose a tug that compliments where your dog is at in their play development. Soft fleece tugs are great beginner toys for puppies and older dogs just learning to love play. Thicker toys made out of jute, thick nylon or bite wedges should be saved for dogs that are more advanced in their toy play.
Add in misses every once in a while to build further motivation. Once you have a dog committed to the game you can add in misses to build even more enthusiasm for the toy. As mentioned above it is important to keep those straight lines for misses so that it is still a predictable spot for your dog to win.


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