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August 01, 2023

I have a 6 year old rescue Pit bull that I have had for 2 years. When I play tug with her, she shakes it aggressively and wants to run off with it. How do I teach her to play nicely?

Full Question:

My dog tugs/shakes aggressively and wants to run off with the tug and "kill" it. How do I get my dog to calm down a little around the tug and play nicely?

Cindy's Answer:

What kind of dog do you have and what age? What are your training goals with your dog?

User Response:

Hi,

She is a rescue pitbull that was used for breeding not fighting. She lived in a crate most of the time and was severely under nourished when I got her. She is terrified of most men. She is around 6 years old. I have had her for 2 years.

She did not know how to learn or even play when I first go her. I've worked with her a lot and she is doing really well however she is absolutely ball obsessed. She has a very high prey drive so anything I throw she will go after but if it's not the ball, she turns around and comes back leaving the toy where it lands.

The problem with the retrieve games is that it doesn't help her learn to check in with me. My goals with her are to get her to check in with me more and worry less about what else is going on in the outside world. When we walk or go outside she rarely checks in with me UNLESS I have a ball or she thinks I have a ball then nothing else matters.

I purchased the tug training because I thought it would help her engage more with ME and I could take it outside in new places to help her learn to focus there as well. The problem is, as with all her stuffed toys, she shakes them really hard and then tries to tear them apart. I have not let her do this with the tug but she gets more and more agitated when I don't let her "kill" the tug. If I tug for a short period and then move away calling her, she drops the tug and comes after me. She looses interest in this game pretty quickly even though I pick up the toy and start the game again. After just 5-6 tugs she looses interest in the tug altogether unless I hold onto the tug longer then she gets amped up.

Because she is trying to kill the tug, she shakes it hard enough that I can not hold it still. She will NOT let go when I try to hold it still. She does have an out for the ball but if I am holding the tug, she will NOT out.

She is very amped up if the ball is present and I think the same would eventually be true for the tug unless I can get her to settle down around them. When she is in this amped up state, she doesn't really listen to what I am asking her to do. Instead she will often run through the list of commands she nows...ie sit, then down, then return to heel position...etc. anything to get the ball. She has no patience when the ball is present.

Do you have any tips on how to get her to calm down when chasing or tugging so that I can have these fun tools for her reward and wean her off of treats?

I hope that's enough info to help you understand the issue. If you have further questions, please let me know.

Thanks

Cindy's Answer:

I'm not sure it is possible to teach dogs to calm down when they are genetically wired to become excited/overly amped up. Since she's a mature dog and not a puppy, it's likely that this is just "who she is" -for lack of a better way to explain it.

You might try attaching a line of some sort to the tug so that once she grips it you can let the line out and she can shake it without causing you to lose your grip on it but you can keep tension on the line. Since you aren't using this game for any competition or precision obedience this might be your best bet. You could then reel in the tug and let it out as she learns this new game. It may be that you'll have to create your own customized version of the tug game so that the two of you can enjoy it and not become frustrated. She sounds like a cool dog and I love that you're working on how to build a relationship with her through play, I wish all dogs were so lucky.

Keep in mind that you've only been working with the tug material a short time and for an adult dog it can take months to install play technique.

Another option could be to use a ball on a string or leather strap and use two of them, teach her to bring it back and tug quickly on the string and then ask her to let go and throw the other one in the opposite direction.

My young dog loves to tug with a ball on a string or tug but the Puller rings are his all-time favorite. It might be something she enjoys. You can use them for tug or for retrieving, my dog is obsessed with them. I've linked them below. The 2 smaller sizes come in a set of two so you can do a version of the 2 ball game I described above. I use these for play sessions with my dogs every day, sometimes multiple times. I would suggest the 11-inch standard size, they come in a set of 2 and that's what I use for my 80 lb dog.

User Response:

Thank you!!!

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