Rewards: dog toys
Yesterday, as part of the discussion on different things to use for rewards in dog training, I talked about our favorite food treats.
Now for toys. I haven’t had much success in the past using toys as either rewards or motivators. The human half of the team is supposed to control access to the toys. The canine half of my team is always a Rottweiler. If said Rottweiler is also male, he usually outweighs me. This makes toy selection pretty important if I expect to have any chance at all of getting the toy back.
This is a favorite toy of both dogs. It’s also very hard to retrieve from a dog that wants to keep it without dismembering the poor turtle.
This tennis ball has a handle, but it’s a little bit too short to grab easily.
This is a favorite tug item, with a nice substantial strap that a leash or rope can also be attached to. It’s a little too large to easily conceal, though, at about a foot long.
Here’s the next possibility. I, or rather, the dogs, love Kong toys in general. But I sense a rope burn coming on!
(NaBloPoMo | August ’10: 5 of 31)
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August 6th, 2010 at 1:50 am
I just bought one of those “indestructible” crazy critters that are supposed to be impossible for a dog of any breed to destroy.
It only took the chihuahuas two days to tear off the noisemaker!
Bev recently posted..Do the Right Thing
August 6th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
Those Crazy Critters seemed like a good idea in theory, or at least the dogs wouldn’t be consuming polyester fill when they did destroy them. But I heard the same thing that you report from several others… their dogs destroyed the squeakers in just a day or two.
August 6th, 2010 at 1:50 am
( ** mingle ** BTW)
Bev recently posted..Do the Right Thing
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August 7th, 2010 at 10:06 am
Hop, hop, hop…dont know of any pooch that doesnt love a Kong toy…but yikes watch out for that rope burn….
Moxie Paws recently posted..A Dog & His Lawnmower…
August 8th, 2010 at 11:07 pm
Oh, yes… all Kongs are well-liked here, with or without ropes!