[nagdu] Arbitrary restrictions on playing with future guide dogs

[GARY STEEVES]

Hi:

I was told to not play tug with my dog at my school too but he enjoys it so much I decided to do it. He has a toy that is a long cylinder with tenticles  at each end and it squeaks  of course.  We usually play best 2 out of 3 or 3 out of 5. I tellhim this and he seems to get how long the game will go for. When he wins he throws the toy in the air and then grabs it and squeaks it. Then he brings it back to me for round two. I make sure I do the same when I win, throw in the air, and squeak it before presenting for next round. :)

He went through his first toy like this rather quickly, with all the tenticles getting ripped off. This one he has had since 2011 and it is only missing a few. I bought a new one of these toys for when I took him to London in 2012 but besides being used on that trip, we havn'et needed to replace the older toy. Bogart is really good with his toys. He had a favourite where the squeaker broke, a small white polar bear that my girlfriend bought him, so she did a squeaker transplant and washed the fellow . Bogart was so happy to see it again after it had been gone for awhile. 

Bogart is the one who decides he wants to play. if it gets too  much and we just want to watch a movie or something then we get him a bone of some sort to chew on. He takes that to his bed, turns his back to us basically telling us to go about our business, he is good. :)

Gary


----- Original Message -----
From: Tracy Carcione via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users' <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Tracy Carcione <carcione at access.net>
Sent: Thu, 13 Aug 2015 08:25:23 -0600 (MDT)
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Arbitrary restrictions on playing with future guide dogs

I've never really bought the idea that winning at tug will create a monster.
I've played tug with all my dogs who were interested. Sometimes they win,
and sometimes I do. And I haven't noticed any affect on their behavior at
all. I do want a dog who is willing to stand up to me when I'm wrong, and
has plenty of self-confidence to deal with the stupidity of the big city.
If winning at tug helps strengthen that, great. But I'm not sure it really
does anything.
Tracy


-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Debby Phillips
via nagdu
Sent: Thursday, August 13, 2015 8:39 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users;
nagdu at nfbnet.org
Cc: Debby Phillips
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Arbitrary restrictions on playing with future guide
dogs

Hey Raven, when I first got dogs, we gave them tug toys to play with us.
The thing that I never did was allow my dog to win at tug of war. I never
wanted her to think that she could dominate me. I have played with balls
with my dogs, and Kongs, having them bring the toys to me. It has not
affected my work life with my dogs. I'm thinking about getting Nova a
stuffed animal which I will supervise her with to see how she does with it.
She has carried the cat's little mice toys in her mouth and not chewed them
or anything. (They are too small for me to feel comfortable to let her have
them, but she never did chew them). But each dog is different. Neena could
never have a stuffed toy. She destroyed anything that was soft. She also
chewed the top off of a Kong. Actually 2 Kongs. Lol. (I can laugh now).
Didn't at the time. So I really really think it depends on the individual 
dog. Debby and Nova

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