# Tug



## Botox (Feb 7, 2014)

I know this is really stupid lol, but my puppy Archon just doesn't really play tug at all. She just sits there and I feel like she is thinking, ok.....so you really want me to sit here with this in my mouth and goes for her tennis ball. It's kind of funny really. Though she really likes playing with me, wrestling and what not and playing fetch with her tennis ball. Tug doesn't appeal to her at all.


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## Charlie W (Feb 12, 2013)

I'm sure you'll get plenty of advice re: getting her to tug. I had a similar problem with my girl as a pup.. She has occasionally enjoyed a game of tug, but not in the way that previous dogs I have owned have. It may be an age thing, but you may have to face the possibility that your girl might never really take to it..


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

Dogs have their favourite toys and types of play just like humans. You can encourage her, she may learn to love it or may not


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

She's not teething or has mouth pain, right?
Have you used a flirtpole with her? That sometimes will get a pup to tug as you aren't as close to them which can inhibit them. Some pups have had so much 'control' put on them, they think challenging(tugging) is a no no. 
And many tug toys aren't as fun as others, so experiment with different textures/toys and see what works best. 
Two of my dogs never really like to tug, though with some work, I've gotten Kacie to do it. Onyx still defers and lets go, unless it is playing with one of the other dogs, then she'll try to win.


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## Botox (Feb 7, 2014)

Onyx i think she still has a few weeks of teething to go, the vet said she already some of her adults so maybe that's it I just thought it was a funny thing to ask, thought I'd see what other people said  it doesn't bother me it's just kind of one of those things any dog I have ever encountered has loved tug, though every other dog I have encountered has also been an adult. This is my first dog/puppy of my own


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## Sp00ks (Nov 8, 2013)

That resembles what I get when I throw the ball. "what did you throw it for? I was chewing on that. Let me know when you get it back"

Slowly we are getting a few chases before he watches you throw it and gives you that "Really?" look.


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## Botox (Feb 7, 2014)

She also loves her antler haha, she's helping me study for my exam.  But yea I know the "really" look.


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

Retrieving and tug can easily be two parts of the same game. For dogs that like retrieves but not tug i throw the tug to get them into it and usually they get possessive and you can use that to create some tugging and reward outs with retrieves. For dogs that like to tug but not retrieve reward retrieves with tug. Either way its not that big of a deal as long as your dog enjoys one of the two it can be used to reward.


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## Botox (Feb 7, 2014)

Bailiff, thanks! I never have really thought to throw the tug. I do train with the ball as a reward so she isn't so dependent on food treats. I'll try that though, thanks for the advice!


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## B&Cgetapup (Nov 7, 2013)

Sometimes we have to drag the tug rope along the ground like one would a cat toy to get more interest. Ours doesn't quite like fetch and doesn't quite like tug so we end up with some of both!

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## Nikkavy (Nov 25, 2012)

*Tug - thanks!*

I've been avoiding tug for a while because my Aria has a hard time giving things back (balls especially). She wants to play more but she will start trembling when she really *wants* to give up her toy but she just can't let go! Of course she does all that pushing the toy onto us because she wants it thrown, just has a hard time with OUT!
Last week I started having her "take it" and doing the "dead toy" against my leg just to see what happened. Well I guess she's old enough to figure it out now - as soon as I lock the toy down and say "out" she let's go pretty quick!
We've only done this in the house so far - I can't even get her to approach me when she has a ball at the park - but thanks to the posters here and in other related threads especially for reminding me to make the toy "dead" again now that she's a little older!


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Nikkavy said:


> I've been avoiding tug for a while because my Aria has a hard time giving things back (balls especially). She wants to play more but she will start trembling when she really *wants* to give up her toy but she just can't let go! Of course she does all that pushing the toy onto us because she wants it thrown, just has a hard time with OUT!
> Last week I started having her "take it" and doing the "dead toy" against my leg just to see what happened. Well I guess she's old enough to figure it out now - as soon as I lock the toy down and say "out" she let's go pretty quick!
> We've only done this in the house so far -* I can't even get her to approach me when she has a ball at the park* - but thanks to the posters here and in other related threads especially for reminding me to make the toy "dead" again now that she's a little older!


Because she is afraid you'll take it from her? Tug is fun, dogs push toys into you to get the game on, not always for throwing/fetching, but for the fight with a tug. To get her to come to you, I'd engage her in tug(ball on a string) and not make her out it, keep her on a line and let her prance around when she wins. Then offer her another ball while that one is still in her mouth. She'll start coming to you because you are her source of fun, not so much the ball.


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