Alright, it’s been months since Tugs By Tena offered a contest. Last time it was on Facebook, but this time around it’s going to be focused on the blog.
I think tug toys are amazing and so much fun. They are crazy versatile items if you have a dog who is interested in play and tugging. I honestly think every dog should have a tug or two to use during their training (if the dog has some play/tug drive).
I use tug to build confidence, build impulse control, teach a retrieve, teach a hold, to work on frisbee skills, to build drive, to teach a dog to relax after building arousal, to teach a drop/take, and to practice trading objects–oh, and it’s a great form of exercise.
So, to facilitate this “every dog should get to tug” mentality, I will be giving away a custom tug to two readers. Winners can customize their tug pattern/colors and may choose either the regular, mini, or twin-tail variety.
Last time around, on Facebook, I had people reply to a specific thread… THIS time around I wanted folks to have more opportunities to win and share (but didn’t want to be comment bombed a million times). So, for this contest, it will be based on comments on my posts over the course of this week and into next (through Tuesday’s post). Readers can comment on multiple posts to have more chances to win. Each comment will be given a number (in numerical order)–starting with today’s post (one number per post per person). Next Wednesday I will use a random number generator (random.org) to select the two winners and they will be announced and emailed (so make sure your email is valid when commenting).
You are welcome to share and cross post to friends who may be interested!
I do have some new fleece that is not listed on the website… so if you would like to know more of the patterns, let me know!
The rules.
1. Contest is only open to USA and CANADA residents (if you are international and have friends or a rescue in the contest area that you’d like to ship your prize to, that’s okay).
2. Readers may comment on more than one post to have more chances to win. Only the first comment on each post from a user will be given a number into the drawing. (You cannot comment a lot on each post to try and get more chances to win).
3. Readers can comment on new posts between today and Tuesday the 21st (including this post). At midnight E.S.T. on Tuesday, the contest will close and winners will be announced on Wednesday in a post.
4. Readers may or may not be reminded to enter with comments on the daily posts.
I may request either a photo or a short review of the tug once you get it and have a chance to use it.
Again, you are absolutely welcome to share the contest with friends! I’m not sure how the contest will go on the blog.. if it doesn’t work so hot, We’ll go back to facebook for the next one (which will be for treat pouches and it will be soon).
Good Luck to Everyone!!
(412) 849-7788
successjustclicks@gmail.com
I’m going to comment even though we’ve already got some awesome tugs from you. 😉 If I win, I might give it to a friend of mine.
You are welcome to donate your prize if you win!!
Cool. We are not on FB so this is a great chance to enter.
-Bailey & Katy
That’s exactly why i wanted to have this contest focused on the blog… not everyone is on FB! good luck!
Great conest Tena! The hairy beasts would be thrilled if they win a Tena tug!
I am such a fan of Party… Traffic is pretty cute … but i reallyhave a soft spot for party (and he’s NOT the type of dog i’m typically drawn to!)
Oh treat pouch! lol
That will be the contest in two-weeks or so… so keep an eye out for that one too!
Love contests!
Yayyy! Remember you can comment on each post this week for more chances to win!
Yay, a contest open to Canada as well as the States:) I’m feeling the cross-border love 😀
I am kind of curious about how you use a tug for training… is it the reward/break for doing a bit of training? Gwynn likes tugging on ropes and things, but tends to try to work his way up the rope in a way that is clearly saying, “i’m not going to pull on this much longer, i’m just giong to take it out of your hand”
I’ve got so many pals up north that I do open it to Canadians (though with the cost of shipping i hope both don’t go to canada LOL!).
The tug can be used as the reward but it can also be used as a tool in the training. I want to teach my dog how to hold things… i want to teach them using something they already LIKE holding… so I use a tug toy and reward the hold with a game of tug (I wouldn’t use this method if you have a working hunting dog that you’d like to keep a soft mouth with… sometimes a by product of this method is a little bit more grip on the object).
here’s a video of using tug to teach a retrieve with a dog who doesn’t like to bring things back http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu9ShAupEqM
I love teaching all of my clients how to tug with their dogs!! Tugging is a wonderful thing!!
Mary
Agreed! I love tugging! It’s such a great activity!
My setter is just learning to enjoy tugging – he was very worried about both of us wanting something & used to always drop things instantly – good bird dog 🙂
I’m adding various tugs to our collection to see what will interest him. Yours look fun!
Yeah… bird dogs, if they are working, probably aren’t the best candidates for tugging LOL! Trying lots of new things to interest him is probably a good way to go!
One of my setters (I have three English and an Irish, all rescues!) really likes to tug now but it has taken a bit of work to help him learn it’s okay. The big thing that helped was the use of a flirt pole.
Dexter LOVED the flirt pole and it really did bring his play drive to a new level…
Yay! Yay! Yay! I am guessing there is no guarantee if the dog destroys the tug toy within five minutes of receving it? 😉
Thanks for holding this great contest! Even if I don’t win, it’s high past time I just bought one anyway.
Honestly… The tugs aren’t chew toys…if left on the ground to gnaw on, they do get torn up with some work… BUT if you just use them as an interactive tug toy, they are pretty durable. The “tail” at the end can get shredded up a bit, but the integrity of the tug itself is pretty impressive. Shayne and Rio destroy toys left and right but i JUST recently had to retire a tug i made last year. But again, that tug was a training tool and supervised play item.
THANKS for the contest; still working on getting my youngest dog to tug (with only some success) 🙂
It can be a slow process for some dogs. You can clicker train them to tug but you can also use a “jackpot” tug toy sold at agility retailers like cleanrun.com these are tugs that also have pouches to put food in so you can build more drive for the toy …
We just heard about this and are SO excited! Charlie just lives to tug, and Emma is slowly discovering her inner tugging-demon! She’s so picky about what toys she’ll deign to put in her mouth – even if we don’t win I may need to order a few.
I haven’t had any dogs really refuse to tug on these… they are soft but not too soft. Well you are welcome to visit the Etsy store to see what all I have available
Horray!! Skye loves to tug, we’ve been using it to help her when we do agility. I’d love to get a second to keep at work when I need an energy buster that minimizes noise (aka not fetch!). Thanks for the contest!
http://parkerskye.blogspot.com/
Thanks for joining! Remember, all the comments for this week will be entered into the contest. Tug is sort of quieter if you have a quiet tugger… mine are LOUD and growl-ly!
How awesome! Thanks for the contest! My lab and mixed breed are always playing tug and I have been looking for more tug toys for them. Thanks again!
Quality tugs are not always super easy to find that’s for sure, that was the whole inspiration behind my tugs. The dogs destroyed the commercially available ones in seconds flat so i found made better ones LOL!
YAY! I love contests! I also love to play tug! Mom tied a fleece tug to the refrigerator door so I can learn how to open it for her. I’m only 11months old so she said it’ll be a few more months before we focus on it each day. (I think she’s worried I might take her Diet Pepsi!). 🙂
That’s excellent! With foodie dogs I cant trust them learning how to open the fridge… i’m sure bad things would happen! LOL! Very cool things!
Thanks so much for having a contest for all us non-facebookers. 🙂
I agree, tug toys are great tools with lots of uses besides play, and my Lab especially can’t get enough of them.
I try! I feel awkward self-promoting BUT i couldn’t think of another way besides this unless it was on FB and i figured i used that social media last time!
Does anyone have any good websites or tips on getting a reluctant tugger to tug?
I love contests! Though I rarely actually win… guess fate is not on my side when it comes to adding more toys to the house. My pups get into tugging fits, especially with items such as this so they would love these. And despite everyone warning against playing tug with hunting dogs, we allow each of ours to tug with eachother, and my husband will tug with each of them (I don’t as much as I was originally the Hunt handler of Luna). But we have not had problems with them fighting us over things or creating a hard mouth. Both of them are very good at the “give” command and will even listen to children.. and so far they have not really chomped any birds either. I think it all depends on the dog, and we do make a point to let them tug mostly between themselves not us so much. But it all comes down to the relationship you have with your dog, and knowing your dog.
Anna
http://www.akginspiration.com
Woo hoo, I started reading your blog this last week and it looks like I found it just in time!! I am in LOVE with the benefits of tugging. I think I use it for everything you listed above!
Love that it’s open to Canadians!
Also, both Archie and West will play with tugs now! West still tends to ‘miss’ the toy and grab a mouthful of my arm more often than I’d like, though! Sigh.
Thanks for the opportunity to win a tug-by-Tena! Contests are so fun 🙂 I wish my own dogs were more driven to tug, I’ve only got one willing to use his mouth that way since the rest are soft-mouthed by nature/breeding (setters, and one wimpy mixed breed.) Still, I have had a TON of fosters that were big fans of tugging! 😀
The first toy Dex picked up at the house was one of the tugs… it was very cute! he wasn’t sure what to do with it at first but figured it out eventually!
OOOOOOH! I am soooo glad you are having this contest! My dog Remus is a champion-class tugger, so I know the toy would be put to good use. 🙂 Thanks so much!
Ophilia loves, loves to tug! She will try to tug anything and eveything, from furrry toys to rawhide chews. She will bring one and set it beside me to throw for fetch, but when she brings it back, she wants to tug. I am very excited to learn how to use a tug as a training device.