Bite Stick Tug — Two Handles, Firm Core

For dogs who care more about a game than about food. Not every dog works for cheese, and if yours would rather chase and grip than eat, a tug is the reward that actually pays them.

Firm-cored bite stick with a handle at each end, two sizes. The double handle lets you hold it away from your body and lets a second person take the other end.

Using a tug as a reward

The rule that makes it work is that the tug lives with you, not in the toy box. It appears when the dog does the thing, and it disappears afterwards. A tug always available is just a toy. A tug that only comes out for good recalls becomes worth coming back for.

Teach an out before you teach much else, so the game ends when you say. Trade for food the first few times rather than pulling it from their mouth.

Two cautions

Keep the tug low and let the dog get all four feet under them. Do not lift a dog off the ground by a tug, and stop tug games entirely with puppies still losing teeth.

Pairs with the Recall Kit for dogs that are not food-motivated.