Poor Jasper & Sidney were tortured with aromas of turkey and the trimmings simmering all day. In between preparing dishes, I would plop down on the sofa and snuggle with my boys. Jasper would just melt into me. But little Sidney, he was not content to snuggle. He would crawl up on the back of the sofa and pounce on my head. The little devil would tap my head with his front paw just like a drummer in a band. Then he would grab my hair and give it a tug desperately trying to convince me to play with him. To his dismay, it's been wet outside for the past week. We haven't been able to go for walks or train much. His energy is pent up just like the energizer bunny. Sidney just loves to tug and he's really good at it. I ended up switching from snuggling with Jasper to tugging vivaciously with Sidney. If he keeps this up, he's definitely going to work a few pounds off me.
Jasper just got a new toy from Clean Run. I'm trying to turn him into a tugger. It's the size of a small wallet. One side is covered with rabbit fur. I've never bought rabbit fur in the past because I didn't want Jasper to think he could play with my pet bunnies in an inappropriate way that could harm them. Last March and April my bunnies past away from old age. One was nine year old; the other was ten. House rabbits can live up to ten years of age. I miss them dearly. Jasper & Bailey got along great with them. They were buddies. Anyhow, this toy has velcro and opens up like a purse. You can put a squeaker or food inside it. On one side, there is a handle for me to hold on to. Jasper loves this thing. At home, he really gets into it. Next week at class, I'll try to get him to tug around other dogs. Tugging is a great tool to relax, motivate, and get a dog focus into working with you. I hope the tugging will transfer from home to other places like dog shows, training facilities, and show-n-go's. Below is the website link to the tug toy.
http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=494&ParentCat=22
