So in previous post I broke down different kinds of winning/fighting behaviours - Pull - Head shake - Drop weight - Push I also created a poll asking you to vote on how your dog is winning the game. Head shake is winning — no pun intended. 😄 I have to admit, head shaking is probably my favourite way of fighting for the toy. Maybe I even unconsciously encourage dogs to use it. Why? Because, unlike some of the other winning strategies, a strong head shake usually gives me a very clear picture of the dog’s emotional state. The dog looks confident, feels good in the game, and is actively fighting to win the toy. Hard to get it wrong. But what about the other strategies? This is where it gets interesting, because the same behaviour can come from very different emotions. Let’s start with pulling. A dog may pull simply because this is their natural fighting style — something strongly influenced by genetics. But pulling does not always mean confidence. Some dogs pull because they are unsure or sensitive to pressure of handler/decoy. They do not want to give up the toy, but they also do not feel completely comfortable in the interaction. They are almost trying to take their “piece of meat” and create distance. Sometimes you can clearly see that the dog is pulling from insecurity rather than confidence. Look at the whole picture: body language, eyes and, especially, the grip. If the dog is pulling away while maintaining a shallow grip on the toy or sleeve, it can suggest that they do not feel comfortable close to the handler or decoy. With these dogs, the goal is to develop confident pulling rather than simply rewarding the pulling itself. That is where the Play with Purpose framework comes in. Then we have dropping weight. Dropping weight is a more passive way of fighting. Some dogs use it with huge confidence. They simply plant themselves, stop the handler/helper and make it very difficult to move them. But other dogs drop their weight because they are not yet confident enough to fight for the object in a more active way.

What EXACTLY does your dog have to do to win the toy? As I’m packing for the weekend training camp I thought about the most asked by me question at my play workshops — that even experienced handlers and dog trainers more than often don’t have a clear answer to. That usually means the win is random. The handler pulls the dog left and right, does most of the work… and eventually lets go. That’s not really winning. Think about human tug-of-war. It’s very clear which team is winning: they’re pulling the other team across the line. Now imagine that team dominates the game, pulls everyone onto their side… and then randomly drops the rope. Did the other team really win? No. They were handed the win. Do this exercise next time you play with your dog: Imagine a line between you and your dog. WHO IS PULLING WHOM ACROSS IT? If your dog is pulling YOU onto their side — brilliant. If you’re constantly pulling the dog onto YOUR side, you’re dominating the game. Your dog should actively fight for the toy through: • pulling • head shaking • dropping their weight • push-bite When you feel real effort — Give the WIN. The win should reinforce effort, not participation. That’s how you create the feeling: “I did that.” “I was strong enough.” “I won.” And how do you know the game felt good? Your dog doesn’t just actively fight for the toy. They happily BRING IT BACK FOR MORE. The retrieve is one of the best indicators that your dog enjoyed the interaction and feels confident playing with you. That’s the game I want: Fight for it. Win it. Bring it back. Do it again. Every Training starts with building motivation, engagement, relationship, impulse control and confidence. And PLAY is absolutely the best tool for it. But you have to stop playing to exercise your dog and start playing with purpose! That’s why I created Play With Purpose — a step-by-step formula that removes the guesswork from play. So how your dog is winning play?

details coming very soon!

Thanks for jumping in here early – you’re basically the founding members of this community. This space is for all of you who already follow my work and want a place to go a bit deeper together. Please say hi in the comments and share: - Who are you and what dog/dogs you have? - What are you mainly working on right now? - What’s the first thing you’d like to learn here – one topic or problem you want me to cover as soon as possible? Many thanks, Alex

hey guys - there is still free access to this group (subject to my approval) but I'm not sure for how long I will keep it this way. I want this place to be a community of likeminded people that want to improve their skillset and support each other, not crowded facebook group. So if you have a friend that would enjoy and benefit from being part of this space don't hesitate to invite them! thank you 🙏