shoemonster Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Just got home from flyball, and for the first time I got Molly sucessfully coming back to a motivator the whole way through team training, so much so that I made an extremely late cross as I couldnt get the tug out of her mouth My miracle, the clean run tug it with chicken wings inside! :p Best of both worlds for Molls, she loves to tug but get her in the ring she just wants to do her run and get her food, but I've been wanting to speed up her return, and holding my hand out with a piece of food in it just wasnt doing the trick I think hers is the starter mesh, http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseacti...mp;ParentCat=29 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staff'n'Toller Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 I noticed her at the end when you were doing individual work! :p I was also thinking "I'm so slack I need to order one of those!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoemonster Posted May 16, 2009 Author Share Posted May 16, 2009 I thought I saw you there today! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smisch Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 I ordered one a little while ago but have been slack with the work behind it! They are great though.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staff'n'Toller Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 (edited) Yes that was me, stepping on my dog, assuming he is telepathic and generally giving out wrong signals. Poor Geordie...his mummy will get it together eventually. Mel. Edited May 16, 2009 by Staff'n'Toller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superminty Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 I have one of those starter tugs, has been a god-send for my un-toy-but-highly-food-motivated dog - I used turkey wings to start with, then moved to chicken necks chopped into pieces and am now phasing out having the food in the tug. Love them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoemonster Posted May 17, 2009 Author Share Posted May 17, 2009 It was great, it worked just how I hoped it would, and I'll be able to use it at comps which is great Found the ham that I tried at first was too squishy, and squeezed out the mesh which would be no good in the ring as it would drop and I'd get into trouble Mel, poor Geordie and poor ed and Mollmolls, their mum is shocking too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doglova Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 Hi, Wow this looks like just what i need. A few of you are using chicken wings etc dos the wing come out or is it just that they can see and smell it. Then i guess after the dog tugs it get to eat the wing? Excuse my ignornace i have never seen one unfortunatley i'm the only one to use food and clickers at my dog club they are still into rip your dogs head off with a chain i have converted a few but its hard work. Anything that can prove a point i'm happy to try. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LilBailey Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I have one I thought it might help Bailey Tug in the ring at Flyball as he will tug to play but prefers food to tug. I couldn't figure out how to work it. LOL at self. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoemonster Posted May 18, 2009 Author Share Posted May 18, 2009 Haha yeah lil bailey thats what Molls is like, she likes to tug but she prefers food She really likes this one though, I know they are desinged to teach them tug, but she already knows tug, so dont see the harm in just using this as a foodietug Doglova, I'm using wings cos they have skin on them it holds them together, unlike the ham which oozed out and fell on the floor The mesh is open enough that they get the taste of the food through it, and Molls wasnt really worried about eating the insides, but you can always give it to them after if you want, its nicely crushed up if they tug well lol I'm finding washing it is a bit icky, all mushed up food, but just been turning it inside out and washing in soapy water and hanging to dry, not too bad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milzi09 Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I am just about to get my new tug it starter in the post this week but in the mean time used a sock with a chicken neck in it once (my dog tried to eat the sock and chicken neck all in one so stopped using this). I've already used the tug it starter with one of my dogs and it was fantastic (until I lost it). With my other dog I think it would be a fantastic reward because for him NOTHING can top a chicken neck (obviously since he tried to eat the sock and neck together). But what I am worried about is creating a resource guarding issue. See with the sock he would grab it (like he was playing tug) but there was no way he would let go. Normally he is very good at 'give' but with such a powerful reward he wasn't prepared to give it up. Maybe I should use something less rewarding like sausage meat or something. What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoemonster Posted May 18, 2009 Author Share Posted May 18, 2009 What did you used to do when you wanted him to give it? Did you try to pull it away? Or just stop dead? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milzi09 Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I just cued 'give' and stopped dead. When training it I offered a piece of food as a high value alternative to tugging with the toy (that was 3 years ago and I haven't had a problem until now). Even with offering another chicken wing as an alternative to the tug it starter with the wing inside he won't let go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoemonster Posted May 18, 2009 Author Share Posted May 18, 2009 Was he chomping or just holding it still in his mouth, if it was still I would wait him out, but I'm not the most exp at this, hopefully someone who knows will help out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superminty Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Hi,Wow this looks like just what i need. A few of you are using chicken wings etc dos the wing come out or is it just that they can see and smell it. Then i guess after the dog tugs it get to eat the wing? Excuse my ignornace i have never seen one unfortunatley i'm the only one to use food and clickers at my dog club they are still into rip your dogs head off with a chain i have converted a few but its hard work. Anything that can prove a point i'm happy to try. Thanks This is my method for a dog that didn't already tug: Note - I didn't use soft food because I don't want my dog to self-reward i.e. soft food will ooze out through the mesh. Chicken wings/turkey wings etc hold their shape and give the dog a taste but won't ooze out. 1. Wing in tug, tease dog with it, when they make mouth contact, mark/praise and reward with the wing from the tug - do this a couple times then start asking for harder/more prolonged tugging before rewarding with the wing. 2. Then once the dog is reliably tugging to your satisfaction, reward intermittently i.e. every 2nd tug, then every 3rd, so on and so forth. 3. Then start to fade the food - I use chicken necks chopped into pieces in a bag in my pocket. I present the tug, dog tugs, I mark and reward with the food from my pocket. The aim is to build drive for the tug itself without having to have food in it. Hope this help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoemonster Posted May 30, 2009 Author Share Posted May 30, 2009 Just an update, been using this for 3 flyball sessions, now have a dog who is single striding on the way back as well as the way down, and who is flying through the air to grab her tug and reaching the end of the ring rather than slowing to sit and get her treat Have also done a order on clean run for more, just incase, cant lose my magic tug (and of course had to buy other stuff too Though 3 full on tug session and no sign of wear, which is excellent, and I wash it in detergant in between uses so it doesnt get too icky from the mushed up wings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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