Week 1 Play Training with Flirt or Tug

   NOTE:  ANY TOYS USED IN PLAY TRAINING ARE ALWAYS JUST USED FOR PLAY TRAINING.  YOUR DOG CAN HAVE OTHER TOYS, BUT THIS TOY ONLY COMES OUT FOR PLAY TRAINING SESSIONS.

If you want to know more about play training, check out this series on my business blog, play training series.  This is more of a series on why it is valuable and things to avoid.

STEP 1:  Typically, if your dog knows it, put your dog in a sit while you get the flirt pole.

STEP 2:  When you are ready, use your release word "yes" and wiggle the toy at the end of the bungee on the pole like play.   If your dog or puppy are not the most graceful, remember you want them to get the lure.   The object is NOT to keep the lure from them as long as you can.   Therefore, you need to modify your style to the dog you are working with.

STEP 3:  When your dog gets the toy in their mouth, praise them.  I usually say "Good Boy" or "Good Hunter".   Do not snatch the toy from their mouth.   Praise and pet them so they want to come back towards you each time.  If they are always "losing," they will not want to come towards you.

STEP 4:  The moment they let go of the toy, make it into a prey object again (by moving it around and wiggling it).

At this point, you may want to let your dog drop it on their own (using dead toy, meaning do not wiggle it around like play) if you need to increase their drive because they are shy and just beginning OR you are training for a sport where drive is important.  In pet dogs, drive is only as important in that they will continue to play the game.  You don't necessarily need to build uber drive for this.  If they know the game pretty well, then you can start adding on the following steps.

STEP 4:  There are three things I start training when they know the game.  I use sit (bum on the ground and front paws on the floor), out (drop it), and leave it (it's in my hand or on the floor and leave it alone).

STEP 4A:  If I want an "Out" command, there are many ways to do it.  A)  You say "Out" while you hold it (dead in that you are not pulling back) until they release it.  Then the reward is that you release it right away with the "yes" release command.  B)  If the dog plays while they also get food (they don't always), you can always trade for the toy.   C)  Less frequently, and probably not unless you have experience with it, you can put pressure on their lips against their teeth or pressure on the hinge part of their jaw until they drop it.  TYPICALLY I LIKE THE DEAD MAN'S HOLD, WHERE I GRIP THE TOY ON BOTH SIDES OF THE DOGS MOUTH (YES YOU CAN GET AN ACCIDENTAL BITE, BUT IT IS ALSO A GREAT WAY TO TEACH BITE INHIBITION), DO NOT TUG ON THE TOY BUT HOLD IT FIRM AND STILL.   I WAIT UNTIL THEY TRULY RELEASE (THEY CAN TRICK YOU), AND THEN I QUICKLY SAY "YES" AND START THE GAME AGAIN.

STEP 4B:  If I have the toy and I want the dog to leave it, I try not to pull it away.   I can always practice out again and then leave it once they drop it.   Otherwise, you tend to encourage leaping at you for the toy.  So I simply hold it and say "leave it".  Should they leave it, then I quickly say "yes" and return to the game.

STEP 4C:  If I want a sit, I have first trained a sit at some point and am fairly certain the dog knows what I am asking for.   Some very excitable dogs may, at first, not seem to know what you are asking for.  Remember that you have control of the game.  Wait them out until they give you a sit, if you have worked correctly on a sit beforehand.  The reward is the "yes" after a proper sit, and a return to the game.

YOU CAN DO STEPS 4A-4C SEPARATELY AT FIRST.  WHEN YOUR DOG GETS BETTER, YOU CAN STRING MORE THINGS TOGETHER.  ONE RULE I HAVE THOUGH, IS IF THE DOG NEEDED TO BE VERBALLY CORRECTED ("NO" MARKER) THEN HE NEEDS TO DO ANOTHER COMMAND FIRST TIME BEFORE PLAY BEGINS AGAIN.

SO FOR INSTANCE "OUT", DOES NOT DROP IT, "NO " AND WAIT, HE DROPS IT, COMMAND "SIT", SITS ON FIRST COMMAND, THEN COMMENCE PLAY.

YOU COULD ALSO ADD MORE INTEREST TO THE GAME BY PLAYING TUG, LETTING YOUR DOG WIN, AND THEN OUTING THE TOY AFTER THE YOUR DOG WINS AND COMES BACK.

STEP 5:  Repeat for about 5 minutes at first.  Then as the days go on, you want to extend the time, if you can each time.  If the dog starts getting tired while I am playing, I notate that and the next day I play for a little less time and then try to build up.  The reason for this is that you want the dog to want the game, so you leave them wanting it a little before ending the game.