August 27, 2018
My 12-week-old Lab Puppy Doesn't Like to Tug When it is in My Hands. Should I Be Doing Anything Different?
Full Question:
Hi Cindy,My 12-week-old puppy is a lab mix and is pretty mellow. I want to increase his drive to be able to train him with obedience and I want to teach him to retrieve. He likes to tug and chase flirt poles but not much if it is in my hands. I want to get closer to the action so he bonds more with me. Should I be more patient as he is still very young or do anything different? Thanks for your time.
Cindy's Answer:
Yes, he's still very young. I would keep building the drive for the items on the flirt pole for now. Eventually, you can take it off the flirt pole and put it on a string or leash where you can gradually decrease the distance between you and the toy, always being mindful of when he starts to be affected by spatial pressure. I like playing with young dogs like this because you can always give more distance as needed during each session. Some dogs feel pressure when we are too close so the string on the toy allows us to give space while building good play foundation.
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