THE POWER OF PLAYING TUG WITH YOUR DOG

Description

DVD Outline

• 5 Hours, 25 Minutes
• Released Fall 2009
• Featuring Michael Ellis

The DVD covers the following topics.

1. A 46 minute opening lecture from Michael on his theory on playing tug with your dog.
2. The size and type of tugs to use, avoiding equipment bias
3. The proper way to get a dog engaged in tug play
4. How to teach a second handler to be a solid POST for your dog or puppy
5. Learning the correct way to create misses to build the intensity in your dog
6. Learning the mechanics of how to play tug once the dog has targeted the toy
7. There is an extensive section on teaching people how to present the tug while you play.
8. We show 10 different presentations: The frontal catch The catch to the right | The catch to the left | The stationary rear catch to the right | The stationary rear catch to the left | The rear spin catch to the right | The rear spin catch to the left | The presentation from the Place Postion (when do is between your legs) | The presentation with the right hand from the heel position | The presentation for the left hand from the heel position. | Adding distraction to the training.
9. A 1 hour and 28 minute segment on the correct way to introduce and teach the OUT to your dog.
10. A number of different dogs used in the OUT segment, each with their own issues addressed including a dog that has (had) a serious out problem. Every trainer in every biting dog sport should view this work (including police K9 handlers).
11. Managing the drive of your dog. You will learn why Michael intentionally takes many dogs through the learning phase at lower levels of drive and then once the task is learned – raps up the level drive. Part of this segment explains and shows what to do with dogs that don't have enough prey drive to use a toy reward in obedience.
12. Avoid getting bit when you play tug with your dog. Quite often people find that their dogs are constantly biting their hands when they play tug. We will teach you how to avoid this problem.
13. Michael talks about playing tug with puppies: what you can and cannot do. He explains what not to do when puppies are teething.

Ten years ago I produced a DVD that showed how to build drive with young dogs by using a ball on a string. I have since learned that there are much better ways to train dogs. The ball on a string work should be saved for adult dogs who are in advanced training (if it is used at all).

If your goal with your dog is to do competition obedience, agility work, or to get involved in one of the biting sports, playing tug the right way is an integral part for all those endeavors.

My tug DVD is not meant to be watched one time and stuck up on a shelf. It's impossible for anyone to watch this one time and absorb the information that's covered. Those who will get the most out of it will be people who study it by watching it again and again and again