I plan to do Schutzhund with my 13-week-old Malinois. I have been playing with a flirt pole and soft tugs. He will chase but doesn’t have a full grip and then let’s go. Do you have any suggestions?

The way a puppy chases and bites is largely genetic and he may just not be ready to play with the kind of intensity you are looking for at this point. If I have a puppy that isn't playing or doing food games or showing intensity I remind myself that they are babies and I take a break from whatever that activity is. If he's not holding on or showing possession for the item I'd take a break and work on food games with him for a while. He's likely to start teething very soon (most pups start losing baby teeth between 14 and 16 weeks) This can be an uncomfortable time for them and the last thing you want to do is to make biting games unpleasant.

If this was my puppy, I'd take a break from biting games and work on tracking and food games that can be used for obedience later. Restrained recalls, luring, etc.

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