Not interested in tugging

[rmr55]

I'm trying to teach my 2.5 yo Red Heeler to pull open the screen door to let herself inside. But she doesn't stay interested in tugging games in general when I try to prime her for the action of pulling a rope attached to the door. I've got her to mouth the tugging object for reward, but she won't stay on it very long; and she gets bored with the rope or tug toy pretty quickly when I just try to get her to play with it with me; so she just stops even mouthing it and lays down and looks at me.

Any suggestions? tia

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hello and welcome to the forums,

Dogs may not be interested in tugging for a variety of reasons. Although tug is a natural behavior, that has been played instinctively for many generations in dogs and a dog's ancestors, some dogs just won't play tug of war. Until dogs can talk, and tell us clearly what is going into their minds, we can only make some educated guesses as to why some dogs have little interest in tug.

 

Some dogs who have been"corrected" in the past for mouthing things may have inhibited the natural desire. Correction after correction, sensitive dogs may stop using their mouths and this may bring some considerable challenges that day we decide we want our dogs to fetch, play tug or pick up things we dropped with their mouths. Of course, this is just one possibility, but worthy of pointing out.

 

On the other hand, some dogs are just not attracted to the game, perhaps because they had nobody to play tug with when young or are simply interested in other forms of play. Many dog breeds were selectively bred to perform certain tasks and tugging may not be ingrained strongly in their genetic makeup. For instance, herding breeds, may be more interested in chasing and "rounding up" than tugging. Other dog breeds may be interested more in playing fetch. Every dog is unique and may have his own preferences for play.

 

Not all is lost though if your dog isn't interested in playing tug, there are several ways you can entice your dog to play tug. Tug of war is after all, a great game for dogs to play as it provides a great outlet for pent-up energy and it helps build motivation and even some teamwork skills among dogs. Tug may turn helpful as well in training dogs some complex tasks often used in service dogs such as opening a fridge, turning on a light or taking socks off, or as in your case, opening a door.

 

Following are therefore some tips to get your dog interested in tugging. If we can get the dog interested in playing tug, it may come as a bonus for using this behavior to train other tasks such as pulling a rope to accomplish something. However, dogs who don't play tug can still be trained to tug a rope if we do so systematically.

 

-Choose the right tug toy. Ideally,the tug to should be long enough so that there is good distance between one dog and another or between the owner's hands and the dog's mouth. On top of being long, the tug toy should be of a soft texture of it is pleasant to grasp and should obviously made of durable material.

 

-Try some irresistible tug toys. Many dogs may be bored tugging a towel or rope, but will go bonkers if you offer them a rabbit fur woven tug. The scent of the rabbit fur will often bring to life old instincts. Just wiggle it around, watch your dog's pupils dilate in excitement and your dog should be to grasping the other end in no time (but once again, consider dogs as individuals, all dogs are different and may have different play preferences)

 

-Enlist the help of a "tugging enthusiast." Sometimes, other dogs are the strongest teachers. If you have a friend who owns a friendly dog that is crazy for playing tug, invite him over. These dogs are good in wiggling and tossing around the tug toy and playing "keep away." A game of keep away, often ends up morphing into an enjoyable session of tug, enticing the other dog to grasp the other end of the toy and play.

 

-If you are planning on training your dog to tug to pull open the fridge or some other trick, you need to do baby steps. Wiggle the toy a lot, and click and reward for mouthing the rope, then for tugging it a bit when you pull on it a bit providing some resistance and then for tugging it with enough force.

 

-Start training this in a quiet area away from the door. The door may act as a "distraction" and interfere with the training. Once the dog tugs in a quiet area, we can always move closer and closer to the door until the rope is attached to it.

 

-You can also try to train your dog to first hold onto to the rope and then back up. Backing up,means just that, taking a few steps backwards. To train this, simply start with your dog standing in front of you. Next, move towards your dog (using a tight passage such as a hallway may turn helpful as your dog has no other choice than back up). When he takes a step backward, click/treat. When your dog backs up reliably, add the verbal cue. You can then use the cue word for 'Back' when he mouths the rope further along with his training.

 

-Be patient. Behaviors that are not typically part of a dog's behavior repertoire may take some time to develop.

[rmr55]

Thanks, Adrienne. I'll try these and let you all know how it works out.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

You're very welcome. I just re-read your post though and noticed you said it's to pull open the screen door to let herself inside. Is this a type of door that remains open once pulled or shuts on its own? If it's the latter type of door, then a more optimal option may be installing a doggy door to prevent the dog from startling/possibly getting injured (think tail getting stuck). Some dogs get frightened when these door close on them (even lightly) and this has an impact on them to the point of refusing coming in and out of such doors.

Edited July 28, 2019 by Adrienne Farricelli

[rmr55]

Good to be aware of, thanks. Yes, it's a screen door that closes slowly.