When playing with your dog it is helpful to remember that play derives from our dog’s desire to chase and hunt things. This means when you are playing with your dog with a toy you want to move the toy so it behaves like it’s trying to get away from the dog. That is more fun for your dog than a toy going towards them.
How to teach:
- Choose a toy that is big enough for you to hold while still having plenty of toy available for your dog to grab without getting your hand.
- Hold the toy on one end so dog doesn’t get your hand when she grabs for it.
- Move the toy away from your dog so the toy becomes something fun to chase.
- Once your dog has grabbed onto the toy gently tug on it adding just enough pressure so your dog wants to hold on, but not so much that you are yanking on her.
- Make sure to match your dog’s level of pressure on the toy.
- Tug away from her, if she let’s go of the toy, move it away from her like you did in step 3 to entice her to engage with the toy again.