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| © Carrie Boyko Yup! She Had to Wave the White Flag |
Here's my tips for winning Tug of War to all you dogs out there. Please make sure this article stays safely in dogdom. We don't need the humans knowing our tricks of the trade.
- Invite your house guest to play by laying the toy in their lap. Rarely do they not understand this kickoff maneuver.
- Start out pulling gently to give the impression you'll be a pushover. This will tease your opponent into believing this will be an easy win.
- Let them think they are winning for while.
- Make sure to start out with a really good grip. Grasp the toy with your back teeth to assure the strongest part of your jaw is doing the work.
- Next, put your body weight into the game and start to back up.
- To get the game cranking, offer a good shake.
- Change directions. Pull up. Pull down. Pull back and occasionally lunge forward and then surprise your opponent with an unsuspected move in any direction.
- Sound tough. Let out a guttural growl.
- If you're up against a worthy competitor, try this tactic: Pretend to give up. Stop pulling, while keeping the toy in your mouth, and walk toward your opponent. Suddenly jerk the toy as you back up quickly. This usually does the trick for me.
- Conditioning will be your friend. If you're out of shape, you're sure to lose. Drop on over to K9 Kamp at Peggy's Pet Place and Kol's Notes to get some more tips on shaping up for games like Tug.
Be sure to stop over at All Things Dog Blog where my mom is sharing our weekly report on K9 Kamp training. I definitely have more points than she does this week. Does that mean I win a prize?
