Hi all!

Thanks to a referral I got on this awesome forum, I am the very, very happy owner of a working bred GSD pup who is about 13 wks old.

We stopped by a local Schutzhund club on Sunday and the club president advised me to always encourage Fiete to chew and play tug. I get how to do that, and with me it's fine. Lots of fun and straightforward enough.

I'm a little worried that he's going to catch someone elses fingers though. Should I not let them play tug with him if I'm worried about it or should I give them "directions?" lol My children are 13 and 15 and have been around dogs all their lives, first working jack russells and then working border collies. No comment on my dog delayed DH!

I also have a very brave and fun loving little poodle bitch. She's about 2 years old and likes to get in there and play tug with Fiete. I have taught him that he cannot run over and put his paws on her or nip her or my smallish border collie bitch either for that matter, but when the poodle plays tug with him I'm unsure what to do. Should I not let her play with him? I can do that but I feel like such a wet blanket. Think I'm setting things up for a disaster if I allow it?

Thanks for any info you might be able to give me about what is probably a very frivolous question!

Hmmm, now I'm worried that this is a really dumb question or there's a problem with where I posted it or something... Sorry if so...

How are the kids with dogs, besides being accustomed? First puppy?



Also, how many dogs are there? Three?

How long have you had the puppy?


Are you sure the club guy encouraged tug-play with another dog?

for a working prospect, I don't allow my pups to play tug with other dogs or even other people unless those people understand how to properly promote a good grip and biting behavior.

You want the puppy to rehearse the behaviors that he will be performing later in his working career. If your dog is just a pet then it's not such a big deal although I find that allowing dogs to play tug with each other can create some aggression issues between the dogs in the heat of the game. Unless you have excellent voice control over both dogs in the game, it's probably best to not allow that activity.

Ok, I'll stop the tug of war with the poodle. We have three dogs, a six year old working border collie bitch Nell who is retired who only plays chase on occasion, a two year old poodle (pet, house dog) Jasmine and the pup Fiete.

The advice was to encourage him to chew and play tug of war with me. It was my newbie mind that made the jump to letting him play with other dogs and other people.

Thanks Cindy and Connie for replying! I know you all are very busy. Much appreciated.
P.S. Cindy and Ed, I am REALLY enjoying the Michael Ellis streaming videos. Looking forward to getting the whole enchilada when you guys are done. THANKS SO MUCH for all the great information you provide. I'll be ordering some tugs and toys and the marker training video after I log off here.

Edited by Margaret Wheeler (07/08/2009 10:39 AM)
Edit reason: completeness

Hey Ed first of all I must tell you I have great respect for you and the knolwdge you have with dogs, I am a little concerned with your thinking that American show dogs can't do shutzhund work because of their bone structure, Have you seen the dammage the Germans have done to their dogs. I mean seriously with the roached backs they are producing can you honestly tell me that they are doing a good job with their breeding program? I own a German Shepherd female that is 1/2 American show and 1/2 east German, she has a wonderful personality and we love her alot, at 31/2 months old she was chasing down my 14 year old and pulling him to the ground, she was holding him in a courner and barking at him to keep him there, if he moved from the courner she would pull him down, she was doing instictively what you encourage with shutzhund training, so perhaps it is the straze in her background that alowes her this personality but either way I think American breeders need more credit than you are giving them, I know the breeder I bought my puppy from did not just get this result by chance. Her show line is from edan and goes through longworth, I cant believe they all got it wrong.

Jack

Jack, you're hijacking a thread about a Poodle, a GSD, and a Border Collie playing tug.

You need to start a new thread ("new topic"). Thanks.


Margaret, was there also a question in there about whether the dogs should be playing together all the time?

Hi Connie,

Thanks so much for checking on me.

I have pretty much stopped them playing together at this point because from what I hear from his breeder and you all it isn't very useful. We go for walks and he runs around with them a little and follows the border collie who is very well behaved, but he and I do a lot of one on one walking too.

Does that sound right? Claudia Romard is his breeder and she is very friendly and accessible and always ready to help, but sometimes I try to give her a break and ask other people my newbie questions

p.s. I've had him for almost 5 weeks now... time flies!

Edited by Margaret Wheeler (07/08/2009 09:05 PM)
Edit reason: litlle more info