April 12, 2011
My dog mugs me to get the toy when we do drive and focus work. How do I stop this?
Full Question:
I have used your DVDs, training in drive and focus. How do you get the dog to quit trying to mug you and take the toy? I can hold the toy in front of him and tell him to leave it and he will but when he knows it is in my vest, it is a different story! Do I start with baby steps and work up to it? I am, age 67, 5 feet tall, first dog, with a 95 lb male German Shep. He is a good obedience dog but this drive work presents a challenge! 
Ed's Answer:
You are ahead of yourself in training. Presentation of the tug is key to not getting dog bit. When a dog has a clear straight shot at the tug they will bite the tug and not the hand. We also recommend cutting the handles off the tugs for new dogs. This eliminates the dog trying to bite the handles. The fact is if you hold the handle of the tug a dog can jerk it around and self satisfy into the tug. If you hold just the ends of the tug you can immobilize it to train the dog to OUT.
This is all covered in my tug DVDs.
This is all covered in my tug DVDs.
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