Looking for a stuffable tug toy suggestion

[lmannix]

Greetings All. I am just getting into agility and am observing how many agility dogs are toy motivated. My dog Coda will do some tug toy play, but not consitantly and she is highly treat motivated. I would like to find a good, durable, stuffable, tuggable toy to work with her developing tug toy motivation when we are working in agility....any suggestions would be appreciated.

My little agility dog Coda

[adojrts]

Hi,
Clean Run has many different bait n tugs and so does Keith Lundy of Crash Test Toys here in Canada. Hope that helps.

Good luck
Lynn

[BostonBanker]

My dog Meg was strongly opposed to tugging despite my desire to teach her. She very clearly thought it rude. I must own at least 15 different tug toys of various types. The one and only that she will tug with is this one:

Clean Run: Dunkins Stuffer Toy

It's very soft, and seems to hold the treat smell fairly well. She is NOT a strong tugger even now, so I don't know how sturdy it would be for a dog who is intense about it.

I did buy both of the "teach them to tug" toys sold by Clean Run:

Clean Run: Tug It Training Toy

Meg is so food-motivated, I thought it would be a great idea. She grabbed it lightly to tug, a bit of food oozed out as it is supposed to, and she was completely weirded out by it. I suppose they are a great idea for less weird dogs.

[lmannix]

Thanks for the suggestions, I'm gonna order something today and will post down the line how it goes. I am leaning toward the Crash Test treat tug. I also found a leather tug, for when she is more into tugging. Check it out...Leather : Dog Training Equipment, dog agility, police dog, schutzhund, search and rescue, service dog

Loretta

[BostonBanker]

The leather ones look nice. I'd see how into tugging she gets first. I'm sure it varies from dog to dog, but I've found getting Meg to tug on anything that she can't really close her teeth around easily (I have nylon versions of that leather toy, and they are packed tight) is impossible. She just isn't the "hang on for dear life" type, so soft fleece and stuffed animals and such work best for her. Hopefully you'll have better luck dragging out the tug drive in Coda!

[AgilityPup]

I'm quite lucky, I guess... Psyche wasn't a crazy tugger when we started agility, so I got mom to make me a faux fur tug toy with a built in bait bag and Psyche loves it... I think it was the faux fur that drew her in, honestly...

Clean run has great options, and if when you've got her tugging you want a toy like the leather one you listed, Clean Run has a "wonder bar" tug toy that I like a lot.

[OutlineACDs]

Don't think your dog HAS to tug to be successful in agility. Don't put too much pressure on Coda to tug, make it fun and enjoyable. For my food motivated dog I clicker trained a retreive, then clicked her for pulling back on the toy when I would grab it. She tugs now, and quite enthusiastically, but usually not for sheer enjoyment. I will usually toss her a good treat or two for having a good game of tug with me.

We tug with her leash before going into the ring, but only because I think its a great way to stretch out her back legs and give her a good warm up. Treats are her main reward for agility.

[BostonBanker]

Very true. There are plenty of agility dogs who don't tug, and for a dog who isn't that toy motivated to begin with, it will probably never be as big a reward as treats.

I don't use it as a reward, I use it to pump her up and give her a confidence boost before going in the ring. I break all the rules of tugging, and let her win every single time. She get a bit wound up and growling - given that she is such a soft, quiet girl in general, it makes her run better. But I do train with treats as a reward almost exclusively.

[lmannix]

Thanks for all the input regarding toys/ food treat motivating agility experiences...lets me know not to push Coda too hard to tug if she isn't into it. We do have some great tug moments though and I would love to have more tricks in my bag to keep her intested and motivated, not knowing what reward she will get next. I know too that a tug, if the dog likes it, can provide speed motivation when thrown, and toys are less messy and expensive over the long run. I'll keep this thread posted as I work with her. I ordered one stuffable tug and two reg tug toys that I expect soon.

Cheers,
Loretta