I’m having trouble finding a good tug for my 8 month old whippet mix, which toys would you recommend?

Full Question:

Hi, I am having trouble finding a good tug toy for my 8 month old whippet terrier mix. I purchased the Nylon Tug with Handles which is too fat and hard for him and the Suede Leather Flat Tug which is better but he still doesn't bite well on it so we just use a kong toy... I'm wondering which toy you would recommend for him? I think it needs to be very thin.

Thanks!

Cindy's Answer:

I use softer toys with young dogs until they are really biting well, (even with my larger breeds). I'll link some of my favorite bite development tugs that I have uses with my cattle dog and my border terrier. It's better to use something very soft and satisfying for them in the foundational stages to develop good gripping behavior. I'm not sure if you are using the tug for an obedience reward, flyball or just for a fun interactive exercise but start with something they LOVE to bite and hang on to. Then introduce different textures, surfaces and hardness as they become more committed to the game.

Even with my Malinois and German Shepherds I use soft toys at first, I don't want the pup/young dog to feel defeated by using something too hard or large for them. Leather and firehose tend to be the hardest surfaces for most pups/young dogs/smaller breeds to grip.

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