Ragging/Tug games with bull breeds...

I recently went to a behaviour course with a top behaviourist from another charity, where we were advised to rag all of our bull breed kennel dogs as a form of breed specific play...

I wondered what your views are on playing rag games with bull breeds.. opinions were divided at the course with some saying that they feel it's a bad idea to teach strong dogs to hold onto something and learn to enjoy it, where as others stating that they feel this is a natural behaviour in bull breeds and a good way to teach impulse and really tire them out. Some even felt that it should be used as you would scent work or retrieve games, even with dogs of unknown temperament.


Views?

We pretty much constantly do it with the boys, it's also helpful to teach them a good leave it/or enough command. So yep i do it, but i would do regardless of breed

a good ol game of tuggy is wholly encouraged at flyball as a reward for the dogs for Ledger its the interaction that he likes and the kids who watch love to see the flying dog when i hold his ball on a rope up spring pole style

We play tug/raggy with Darcy, she loves it and has never mistakenly done it with anything else, just her toys

Oooo Ozzy loves a good game of tuggy but there are only specific toys he is allowed to do it with and amazingly he knows which ones

I've always played tug with Biscuit too, and as you've said find it really good for teaching leave/impulse etc. You'd think I was Satan the way the other girls looked at me though  > However, can't say that i'd rile up a stray of unknown temperament..   

I play tug with the girls but I have also played it with my sister's Labradoodle    

We used too a lot, now with her artritis we have had to stop as it pits to much pressure on her front joints, doesn't stop her pushing it against my hand and trying though!

sash has always had a game of tug with her daddy each night,she will keep nugging him till he plays with her,she loves it!

My OH gets nagged every night for a game of tug by Katy & no is not an answer   

Found a video of bug on my phone

Great video Rachel, just how Katy likes to play but rope doesn't last 5mins with her. Hers resembles dreadlocks now   

Haha that's her special raggy rope, only gets it during play times

Its daisy's favorite game so we play it a lot! Wouldn't do it in a public place though as the noises she makes sound terrifying!

[quote="Sazzle"]Its daisy's favorite game so we play it a lot! Wouldn't do it in a public place though as the noises she makes sound terrifying![/quote
No we don't do it in public either as Katy sounds really aggressive   

Doug likes a tug.

It's our Skye's favourite game (and was also the favourite of our previous weimaraner) - she absolutely loves it and will immediately drop the rope on the "leave" command. Wish she would do the same when she steals other dogs' tennis balls though!

Its Pixees fav game too, except we have to not over do it with her shoulder. We use the leave command too. I think its great fun for our dogs.

I play tug with my 2! Sierra doesn't really bother about it but Bailey loves it not good when you're enjoying a nice stroll and he decides to grab his lead and yank it almost out your hand though   I play fight with Bails aswell

Sazzle wrote:Its daisy's favorite game so we play it a lot! Wouldn't do it in a public place though as the noises she makes sound terrifying!

Bailey grabs his lead on a daily basis when we're out which starts a game of tug and involves him getting swung about I'll try get a video of the sounds he makes   

Yep ... absolutely the right thing to do with bullies IMO as long as you have control obviously, Max will latch onto anything as long as you are up for hangin on to the other end   

i always play tug with mine, its a natural instinct with some breeds of dogs so your not teaching them some thing they dont already know. I also find it funny when they shake whatever they have in there mouth and batter each side of there head with it    

Nathan wrote:i always play tug with mine, its a natural instinct with some breeds of dogs so your not teaching them some thing they dont already know. I also find it funny when they shake whatever they have in there mouth and batter each side of there head with it    

+1    ... its so fast aswell aint it    .. bl00dy fools   

I hear that always baffles me why when Ledger does this he hangs onto the rope end and beats himself about the head with the ball end