Ok, Djenga is 7 months old. I have the "drive, focus, and grip" and "preparing your dog for the helper" DVDs. I just have a couple of questions.

When I started out, I used a ball, and then a small jute tug as she seems to prefer it, and it's easier for me to fight with her. She started to chew on it a bit, and I was getting frustrated. I have one of the large tugs from this site, and I tried that instead, and she doesn't chew at all. I'm continuing to use this for the moment to help her grips, but at this point, what size tug should I be using? I have 3...a small jute one (11" long 3" wide), a long firehose tug (22" long, 3" wide) and a large one off this site, 22" long and 6" wide. I also have a bite pillow.

Also, I try to get her to sit in front with the tug in her mouth, but she outs it. I've never outed her in front, and don't out her often at all period. She just drops the tug and sits. Is there a way to get her to hold onto it? For a while she didn't want to sit at all, she'd just keep fighting, and maybe start growling a bit, but now she'll sit but out.

While I can't say for sure without seeing what she is doing- I suspect the 'chewing' you see on the small tug is actually her trying to take it further back into her mouth. If this is the case- it should be pretty easy to see- they almost toss and rebite the tug trying to get tonsil contact. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> This may not be the case with her- but try to pay attention and see if that is what is going on. My young dog went through a spell where he would "chew" the ball (or thats what I thought it was) 2 steps before coming into my arms, but all he was doing was sucking it back. He never 'chewed' anywhere else and it stopped entirely when we switched to a tug that made him feel "full". <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

For ease of handling the short fat tugs are really the best.

To help with the sit and hold if you can find a second handler to hold the leash tight it should help. I found that I was saying "no-sit" and he was outing the toy because I said no, even though I never said no in conjunction with the out. Unfortunatly, having the dog as a housedog had taught him if I say no- cease whatever it is you are doing. This was correctable by jiggling the tug as I was asking for the sit- but you have to balance just how much you can jiggle to get the firm hold and how much is going to make the dog want to fight. AS soon as she sits and holds- release her and fight- run- etc. working on increasing the time and calming her. Then working up to taking your hands away and bringing them back, etc.

sometimes she'll chew to get it further back in her mouth, but usually when she was chewing before it was actual chewing. having the fat tug fixed that problem, so i'm happy about that. i'll look for a short tug, do they sell them at leerburg?

okay, about having the 2nd person hold the leash...tried that a couple of times, or i was standing on the leash. that was the only way to get her to sit at first.

should i be holding the tug as she sits or should i let go? if i'm holding it, even if i'm pulling on it a bit, she'll drop it. Maybe she thinks i'm telling her out, not sure. Maybe if I don't hold it she'll hold onto it, and then get the idea so i can hold it later?

anyway, i will take her out and try jiggling it a bit and see what happens,

She is young. You are probably putting the cart before the horse. I would work more on her grip than worrying about the sit right now if she is outing it even when you are tugging it.

I know how tempting it is to push forward into other things- but if you stick with the grip work it pays off so much later you will be glad you did.

Oh yeah, I forgot...

Mini tug