Soft mouth

[seaangler]

How Meany still keep this practis...with there cockers...I have never pulled  tugged  or ragged any thing from my two dogs mouths...(and to let go on command) i know gun dogs are suppose to have soft mouths as to retrieve game....Un like terriers ware they are ragged.....Haveing nine grandchildren that love to play with are dogs when they come to visit would hate the thought on any of them being bitten....Acidently..

I know most cocker owners on C.O.L use there cocker's as pets and play games..but was concerned to one post i read ware the vet told one person to play tugging games with there cocker...Would this not have a reverse affect to a cocker having a soft mouth...Both my dogs have there toys to play with and to keep there teeth clean with nylon bones  rope knots and there tennis balls ect....What are your thoughts on this matter....

[Helen]

as a puppy if you plan to have a working dog then no, I would never play tug games with my dog - but as an adult he knows the difference between game and a toy and we do play tug now   

He's only ever tried to initiate a pulling game once with a dummy and a quick ah ah and a leave sorted that out so he knows the difference between dummies and toys too 

[seaangler]

Thanks Helen My thoughs to....

[Black Red + Yellow]

and mine - I think with any dog it's good to teach them when you said it's the end of the game, it is the end.....it's good for all situations in their life.

[riotous_uk]

I play tug with mine as it is great for teaching self control and well as maintainng bite inhibition (it is also great fun). He is still very soft mouthed on all sort of objects included dummies and what little game he has picked up. He cna differenentiate between the cue to fetch and the one to tug.

[Karma]

Tug is one of Honey's favourite games... but we've always played it with rules... when she's given the ok to tuggie, she'll give it her all, but we can ask her to stop, and she will.  She also knows that if teeth accidentally touch skin, play stops immediately.
She will also do formal retrieves with her tug toys - it all depends what we ask her to do! 

I don't think playing tug destroys a "soft mouth" - though fully understand it's not the game to play with a pup who is going to work...

[supergirl]

I read somewhere (think it was the Perfect Puppy) that it isn't a good idea to play tug games with puppies as it encourages them to bite down harder in order to hold onto the toy (which makes sense), which in turn if a dog had grabbed hold of you and you tried to pull away the dog would just bite down harder. 

I never played tug with Roly and Misha as puppies and they will always give up toys almost without even asking - half my problem with Roly is getting him to hold onto a dummy so that I can take it from his mouth - tends to just drop it if he thinks that you want it.   Misha won't play tug at all and just lets you have the toy. However Lexi and Ellie  are a nightmare and refuse to give up things (I've tried the swapping for a food reward or another toy), but Ellie is especially focussed and is rarely interested in treats - she will just clamp down.  I can only put this down to lots of games of tug when they were puppies.

[black taz]

Taz isnt much for tuggy anyway, but my 11 month old lab likes to play (she is rubbish in comparison to my old collie cross) although i only started playing it once she had learned the "leave" command and she always gives up when i say "leave" or "mummies".  I am not going to work her though so cannot comment on that aspect.

[Cath]

My OH is really strict on never playing tug with the dogs and will quickly tell other people visiting to stop and explain why; for the reason of working them. No point in making any difficulties for ourselves for training the dogs to work. When they are older and experienced in working it's a different matter.

The dogs play tug between themselves with their toys in the house and that seems to be o.k, they love it 

[Nicola]

My OH is really strict on never playing tug with the dogs and will quickly tell other people visiting to stop and explain why; for the reason of working them. No point in making any difficulties for ourselves for training the dogs to work. When they are older and experienced in working it's a different matter.

The dogs play tug between themselves with their toys in the house and that seems to be o.k, they love it 

Same here, I never play tug with a pup or a young dog while it's still in training but as adults once they're more experienced workers they know the difference so I do play tug with Tilly and Rodaidh sometimes although I use specific toys and never dummies etc. and they must let go instantly if asked. The dogs play tug with each other all the time and that's fine, they really enjoy it. It's never affected their game retrieving or handling ability, they're all very soft mouthed.