The Differences Between Different Tugs, Rolls, and Bite Sleeves Made Simple
Today, we're going to get into rewards-based training, bite work, the tools you'll need, and the differences between them. Keep in mind that you don't need a sleeve for rewards-based training, but you could use one for it. But for bite work, you'll still need bite rolls, wedges, etc.
Let's start with the topic that will be more applicable to everyone: rewards-based training with toys. If you don't use toys in your training, you're missing out! Food is a great motivator and is the best for teaching new behaviors, in my opinion. But, if your dog has even medium levels of prey drive, using a toy such as a ball on a rope, bite roll, bite tug, etc., is a major game changer.
Dogs are living, sentient beings ... and as such, they get bored just like we do. Using the same treats gets boring, and that's why I have always recommended using a variety of treats when training. One reward might be a store-bought treat, the next, a piece of string cheese, the next, a piece of cooked steak, etc. But even that can get boring after a while, a game of tug as a reward is very stress-relieving in training, and fun for the dog.
So, let's start with the 2 most common toys used in motivational dog training: a ball on a rope and a bite tug. The ball is most dog's favorite of all the toys, so I consider it a necessary tool in any dog trainer's arsenal. You can play a quick game of tug using the rope, you can throw it to the dog, you can throw it and have the dog retrieve it, it can fit in a pocket or a pouch on a training vest. It's very versatile.
The tug is another tool that I consider a necessary tool, especially for young dogs and dogs new to playing with toys as a reward. It gives you, the handler/trainer, more control. If your dog won't out, you can grab both ends and hold it still. A 1-sided game of tug isn't very fun and can help teach the dog that if it doesn't obey an out command, the game is over. They quickly realize that the faster they out, the faster the game can continue. Long double-ended tugs are to simulate leg bites, long, shorter, double-ended tugs are for working with puppies and new dogs because they offer more control. Shorter, 1-handled tugs are for dogs well along their way in training with toys, and bite rolls are for the more advanced dogs.
The bite roll is used identically to the tug but is mostly reserved for more experienced adult dogs who don't mind biting into something harder. The ball, roll, and the tug are used in the same manner, all things considered. You just use a quick game of tug as a reward instead of a treat. It's simple enough.
The next topic will be bite pillows and wedges. These tools can be used as a reward for obedience, but they're also the intermediary between a reward for obedience and the basic building blocks of bite work. The pillow is better suited for puppies and dogs new to training. The wedge is more advanced and suited to dogs who are old enough or have already been working for some time on a bite pillow. It's like the tug vs. the bite roll. The softer one is used for puppies and new dogs. The harder material is used for older puppies and dogs with some training under their belt (tug before roll, pillow before wedge).
The purpose of the pillow and wedge is to teach and promote a full mouth grip on the bite. This is very important in canine protection sports, personal protection, police work, etc. A dog with a shallow grip isn't much help in the winter when people are wearing multiple layers and a thick coat. A calm, deep, full mouth grip is essential in such circumstances. And don't forget, even if you have no intentions of doing any protection sports or training your dog for personal protection, these tools are very fun for your dog. They still make excellent training devices.
This section will go into more detail about the different types of sleeves and what they're used for. If you don't have plans for sport or work, this probably won't pertain to you, unless you want to use a sleeve as a reward (which is a bit cumbersome) or just plain fun. There's nothing wrong with fun, and you and your dog will get plenty of exercise training with a sleeve. Despite what some people say, using a sleeve as a reward or just for fun will not encourage a dog to bite people randomly. Dogs aren't stupid. They know that a sleeve isn't an arm (except in the case of hidden sleeves, which we'll discuss near the end of this article).
The basic lineup of the types of sleeves is puppy sleeves, intermediate sleeves, soft sleeves for adults, intermediate sleeves for older puppies and young dogs, hard sleeves/competition sleeves, and hidden sleeves, in that order. Puppy sleeves are thin and soft, intermediate sleeves are a bit more padded for older puppies, and then you'd move on to an intermediate hard sleeve or a soft sleeve for adults. After some time training on those, you would go with a hard sleeve for adults.
In most protection sports, a hard sleeve is used, and that would be the end of the line when it comes to training. But if you wanted to do personal protection work, or if you're a police officer, etc., you'd move on to a hidden sleeve. As I stated earlier, dogs aren't dumb. They know that a big, bulky sleeve isn't an arm. Most sport trained dogs wouldn't bite a person if you told them to. They'd look for a sleeve and get confused because they had no intention of actually biting someone. They weren't trained to do that.
Therefore, additional training using civil agitation, an agitation muzzle, and hidden sleeves is necessary. The point of this article is to touch on the differences and similarities between these training tools. This isn't a tutorial of the process or training, so we won't be delving that deeply into the subject.
But if you would like to learn more, hit that like and share so we know how many people are interested in more detailed articles on these subjects. I thank you all for your time spent reading this, and I hope it answered some questions.
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