Genuine Dog Gear Training Toys Resources » dog toy

Rocket The Devil Dog

Linda Martuch — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:44:25 +0000

I don’t believe there is any such thing as a devil dog. I’ve always had good dogs, really good dogs. My dogs come when they’re called. They don’t get into the trash or onto the counters or the furniture. I can walk them without dog leashes with good control and recall. I believe in dog training, and I enjoy it. It’s no accident that I make dog training toys for a living. I think dog training is play and I do it for relaxation.

The Wild Side

I know dogs have untamed and natural instincts which lurk in all of them. It’s only a matter of perspective and circumstance to be able to see the devil in our furry ‘kids’.

It wasn’t a surprise that when I saw the devil in one of my dogs, it was Rocket. He’s my bad boy, lover dog.

Mr Tough Guy

Endlessly frustrated with his position in life, he maintains a sweet and compliant attitude towards me while holding a bit of a grudge against the rest of the world.

His grudges appear to be born of frustration and attitude miss-alignment. It seems to irritate him that he is not the top dog in this household. He constantly picks at Annie who is dominate by virtue of being the oldest and largest and female. As such, she is naturally top dog. But she’s so relaxed in her role, she doesn’t discipline Rocket. She leaves that to me.

Plenty For All

My floor looks like a kindergarten gone berserk; dog toys litter the floor like trash in a trailer park. When Rocket takes a toy another dog has, they just let him have it and a pick up new one. Mr Mean Streets is the only guy who thinks toys are a precious resource. He seems to delight in taking things away from the others. I know it’s all about climbing that social ladder.

Social Climber

Status matters to Rocket, and it always has. Ever since he joined us, rescued from the mean streets of a bad neighborhood, he has tussled over objects with our other dogs. Finally they gave up and now they just let him have his way. He’ll walk up to another dog and take a dog toy, just to take it. Then he goes to his bed and lies down on the toy. The other dogs just watch him, kind of quizzically, like they don’t get him. Then they go back to whatever they were doing before Mr Grumpy showed up.

Enough Love To Go Around

My other dogs don’t seem to care about status any more than they care about which dog toy they have. They work things out; they share resources and share space.

They all get treated equally in our house; they all get the same treats and walks. They all get the same food, and obey the same rules. I have my favorite of course, but I don’t let it show. I don’t treat them differently and I think that’s the important thing. And maybe someday that’ll be enough for Rocket too.

About Our Fleece Tug Toys

Linda Martuch — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:29:24 +0000

Genuine Dog Gear created a revolution in agility and flyball dog training toys and we did it with polyester fleece fabric. Fleece has a high tensile strength which is another way of saying that it’s strong, puncture and tear resistant. It’s ideal for dog training toys not only because it’s strong, but also because it’s abrasion resistant, it doesn’t fray, it’s safe if swallowed, it’s color fast, it’s lightweight and it’s crush resistant. Oh yea, and machine washable too (not that Fido cares!).

Perfection In Tatters

To make our fleece tug toys for dogs we start out with multiple bolts of colored fleece and slice and dice it into thick and thin, short and long strips. Then we braid them back together again into all sorts of shapes with bite zones for bite stimulation and tassels for sight stimulation. We sew real fur onto some strips so that we can incorporate smell stimulation into a fleece dog toy without having the fur pull out of the toy, and we braid in soft thick handles to ease the strain on your hands from tons of tugging.

Shock Absorbers For Dogs

The best feature of our fleece tug toys is the stretch that is built into the toy because of the thickness of the strips and the way we braid them. Whether you notice or not,

Every time you use your fleece tug toy it’s stretching under the strain of your dog gripping and pulling. This stretch cushions the tugging shock for both you and your dog.

A Toy For Every Dog

We have fleece tug toys for dogs is such a variety of sizes and shapes it can be hard to choose the right one for your dog, but this list may help. The Flyball toys are the largest and longest of the toys, especially the Super King Tug. The Rocket 8 is currently our smallest toy, however we are going to introduce a smaller toy with fur soon.

Here are some suggested dog toys by use:

Flyball

King Tug
Super King Tug
Tugmasters
Tuff E Nuff Large

Agility

Tugmasters
Tuff E Nuff Large and Small
Frenzy rings
Jitterbug Tug
Rocket Ring 8

Home Use

Frenzy rings
Jitterbug Tug
Tugmaster

What Do Interactive Dog Toys Do?

Linda Martuch — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:49:59 +0000

Remember when you were a kid and you wanted your Mom’s attention? Hey Mom! Look at me! Now you’re a dog owner and you’re still trying to get somebody’s attention.

Remember, you’ve got the advantage. Your secret weapon is a toy that you’ve got and your dog wants. When your dog tug toy is the only toy in the universe that’s worth having because you’ve got it, and they want it, the game is ON! And you’re in control.

Got To Have That

That’s what interactive dog toys do at their best. They’re designed to give you leverage. When you have the dog toy they want, the only question they’ll ask is “what do I do to get it”? Now they’ve got us right where we want to be, in the drivers seat.

Do It Again, Do It Again?

Dogs love to play “Chase me,” “Keep away,” and my personal favorite, “Tug of War.” They get way excited about pulling on something that we’re pulling back on. It’s a part of their naturally dogginess that they love these games and are able to keep their attention focused on them for a long time. When it’s natural and fun it’s easy to stay in the game.

Dont Stop

Time flies when you’re having fun. Our attention spans increase as our stress decreases. This is true for both you and your dog. The more fun you’re having, the more fun your dog will have. When you you are both having fun, there simply aren’t any losers. When nobody loses, your dog training sessions can increase and your dog will learn faster because he’s free from performance anxiety. Talk about win-win!

Whole Dog Journal

The Whole Dog Journal this month published two articles on positive dog training and having fun with dogs. Their focus wasn’t on motivation, but staying positive, having fun, and enjoying each other. I support that position 100% and they support interactive dog toys as a way to accomplish the goals of non-stress interaction and learning.

No Rotten Eggs

It’s simply impossible to play and not have fun, and that’s what interactive dog toys and dog tug toys are all about. Playing + Learning = Fun. Your dog thinks he’s playing a game while you’re training him. The added benefits are that his attention span will increase, stress will decrease for both of you and everybody wants the chance to come back and play again tomorrow. This is one game where everybody goes home a winner!

Short Brag

Linda Martuch — Tue, 27 May 2008 20:34:38 +0000

Genuine Dog Gear has been making interactive dog training toys for over 10 years. Our first toy, the one that started it all was a small braided webbing toy called the Tuff Tug and we still make that toy today.

I invented this toy because I’d heard about problems with dogs breaking their teeth on toys while training for competition sports. I thought I’d have a go at making a better training toy, and it worked out pretty good.

The Agility Toy Company

That toy spawned a product line which is now the largest in the world devoted exclusively to agility dog training toys. Eventually I designed and created a huge product line of dog toys and leashes because I like solving problems and creating new products.

My creative and nurturing personality combined with a love of dogs has steered me in this direction. I don’t think I really had a choice. Or perhaps, it’s just a good fit.

Dog Training is Natural

The natural off shoot of loving anything is spending time with it. I’m a born sucker for a puppy. If there’s a ‘puppy gene’, I’ve got one. Spending time with dogs is much about training. I think the term dog training is a misnomer.

What we’re really doing is communicating and we do it 24/7. We’re just not aware that we’re being studied that closely. In any case, what I have to offer you, is some really great dog training toys for competition dog sports. I’ve got them because I love dogs and I apparently don’t have anything more important to do. How true.