# Ever soak a tug or other toy in some type of broth for a new pup?



## Mog (Aug 10, 2012)

Hi,

I have a 4 year old little girl and we're bringing home our landshark next month! So for me, my daughters safety and bite inhibition work are high on my list of priorities.

I want to have something that the pup will just go crazy for, something that my daughter can use from the day we bring him home, to redirect him when he starts biting. I have a bunch of toys, but was thinking of possibly soaking a soft tug in something so that it's not only a tug, but will smell great (to pup) and kick in his food drive as well. 

Has anyone ever tried to soak a tub in something like a beef broth? How well did it work for your new pup? 

Does anyone have any recommendations on something I could soak a tug in that will be tempting by smell alone to pup? 

Just trying to come up with ideas to help save my daughter's fingers from literally being finger food 

Alex


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

You could try one of these: Clean Run: Tug It Training Toy

you put hotdogs, or whatever, in them.


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## Mog (Aug 10, 2012)

Thanks Wildo. 

It looks like a good idea, but then I thought about having to clean it out all the time and food falling all over the place, especially my daugther  

I was thinking a rope tug because I have other rope toys for him and was hoping if it was soaked in some sort of flavored broth, that it wouldn't be too messy to be used in the house or have to be cleaned all the time.


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

True... it would be a mess. Then again, so would a tug soaked in soup. 

Really- having a young puppy of my own right now, I can tell you that getting him to chew things is NOT hard! LOL! I don't think you'll need to soak anything.


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

Put a few ice cubes in the toe of a sock and tie a knot in the sock. Our pup loves chewing on these when she isn't swinging the sock around and bonking herself in the head.


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## mego (Jan 27, 2013)

I would just be paranoid that the tug with the soup would get moldy or something lol. I think it would kind of be hard to clean. 

I really like that ice cube sock idea!


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## Mog (Aug 10, 2012)

Well, I was thinking once the tug was soaked in some sort of soup, letting it dry out. I definitely don't want him swinging it all over the place wet  Not sure if the broth would soak in enough to leave a flavoring... thinking maybe a soft cotton tug would be best.

Thanks Whiteshepherds, but I'm looking for something my daughter could hold while she's on the floor playing with pup, if he's on her lap, etc... while water dries, it would still be a mess and having hard wood floors, it would make things slippery


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## Mog (Aug 10, 2012)

*laughing* 

I just googled "soaking a dog tug" and my post was the 2nd hit... can't believe google picked it up that quick


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## volcano (Jan 14, 2013)

When they get sharkey it out of excitement. At that point for me its beyond redirection and into the cage, especially if I had a 4 year old. puppies simply cant be trusted, my girl hasnt bit me hard but she jumped into my face and her tooth caught my nose, and I bled a long time. That would be traumatic for a 4 year old, So id redirect via the cage and not a toy which continues the excitement.


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

volcano said:


> So id *redirect via the cage* and not a toy which continues the excitement.


That's an interesting thought. I'd think that redirection is really two separate applications of operant conditioning. First you stop the inappropriate behavior (biting) by removing the stimulus (like your hand or face). This is negative punishment. Then you provide an alternative stimulus (tug toy) in which the behavior can be reinforced (biting). This, I think, is positive reinforcement. So for me, redirection needs to be a combination of both -P and +R. Just putting the dog in the crate to stop the behavior is -P only. You're punishing the dog, not redirecting the dog. I don't think it's accurate in this case to say that you're "redirecting to the crate." You're simply giving a time out, or punishing the dog. If you want to redirect, then you need to end with a positive reinforcer.

Semantics, but an important clarification in my mind.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

I wouldn't soak in broth if just for the fact that most broths have a lot of salt. No need for the dog to be getting some of those extra nutrients that even us as people should be limiting.

Make sure the tug has a squeaker and the dog will love it. Play tug with the pup so that its a fun time and not just something to chew. The pup will realize that playing is much more interesting than biting you/your daughter and not getting anything out of it.


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