May 17, 2011

I have a 2 year old GSD that I started tugging with and she loves it. The only problem is that she wants to put her paws up on my arms while tugging. How can I correct this?

Full Question:
I just finished with the new Tug DVD, which by the way is terrific. I have a 2 year old GSD that I started tugging with and she loves it. The only problem is that she wants to put her paws up on my arms while she is tugging. She puts a lot of force behind it, so it can be quite painful, plus takes some of the fun away from it. How can I correct this?

Thanks,
Melissa
Cindy
Cindy Cindy's Answer:
Hi Melissa,

My friend had this issue with her dog and this is what we tried.
  1. You can keep a leash on the dog (on a flat collar) and step on the leash fairly short while the dog is tugging. This will block the dog from jumping up, and you can mark it with a NO when she tries to jump up and reinforce her with GOOD when she stays in proper position.

  2. You can tug lower with her, keeping all 4 of her feet on the floor.

  3. Make sure when you are playing with the dog that you are tugging from side to side instead of always centered directly in front of your body.

  4. Keep your tug sessions short between OUTS, so she doesn’t have time to get her feet up.

I hope this helps! Cindy

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Expert Dog Trainer Cindy Rhodes
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