Play. Train. Bond. That’s the motto at Tug-E-Nuff dog toys, and there’s no doubt about it, these interactive tug toys have transformed our training in just a few weeks. But you may be surprised to learn how and why…..
As a young puppy, Winnie was perfect! We got her from an experienced breeder when she was just nine weeks old where she had spent the first few crucial weeks of her life being socialised with dogs of all shapes and sizes. Just like her namesake, (Winifred means happiness) she was our little bundle of joy.
Nothing seemed to phase her. Out and about on walks she would happily bound up to other dogs, gleefully wagging her tail, and being appropriately submissive if required. Her recall was excellent, in fact, she was walking off lead by the age of just three months. And she sailed through puppy classes, relishing every new canine encounter.
However, an unfortunate incident at the beach when Winnie was 16 months old, coupled with the onset of adolescence transformed my once confident puppy, into a nervous teenager.
The change wasn’t instant, it manifested itself gradually in the six months after being pinned to the sand by an overenthusiastic black spaniel. At the time, I thought nothing of it, blissfully unaware of the negative impact it would have on Winnie’s confidence in the coming months.
Crunch time
Things came to a crunch when out on a walk around Christmas time, Winnie went charging up to a big black labrador, barking incessantly in its face and chasing it relentlessly. The dog was incredibly tolerant and the owners were equally understanding. However, I knew we had struck lucky on this occasion and it could’ve been a very different story.
There’s one thing I cannot tolerate, and that is irresponsible dog parents who let their untrained pooch approach any Tom, Dick, or Harry. I wasn’t about to join that club under any circumstances!
It was time for some serious training and I knew I had my work cut out!
Time to get serious
My older dog Gertie had experienced severe anxiety as an (unintentional) lockdown puppy. It had taken months of perseverance and patience to convince her that the world was not as scary as she perceived it to be. These days her safe place is by my heels, and she has learned to how respectfully avoid interaction with other dogs, or humans for that matter!
However, Winnie is a totally different kettle of fish. By nature, she had already shown me that she enjoys socialising and has an innate desire to meet and greet every other dog and person on the planet!
But the other issue, which was becoming more apparent with age, was her incredibly high prey drive! Being a mix of four different terrier breeds, and coming from working stock, it came as little surprise that anything quick moving was proving irresistible!
Walk by walk, I was becoming less desirable and found myself competing with anything feathered or furry! Gradually Winnie’s impeccable recall skills were dwindling!
My perfect puppy was morphing into a teenage terror (albeit an incredibly adorable one) and through no fault of her own. I knew I needed to restore her confidence around other dogs and manage her distractions by making myself more ravishing than a rabbit!
Whilst treats worked to a certain extent, they weren’t proving reliable enough! It was time to up my game and find a way to strengthen our bond.
Training time
Eager to set Winnie back on the right track, I enrolled us in a six week training course aptly named Teenage Tinkers! The course provided us with some invaluable foundations, but I knew the real work had only just begun. I wasn’t bothered how long it took, I was just determined for Winnie to feel safe and secure around other dogs. And just as importantly, I needed her recall to be reliable if we were both going to enjoy off-lead walks again.
It’s an old cliche, but most of us know the way to a dog’s heart is through their stomach, and there’s no doubt about it, Winnie is a sucker for a sprat! However, even the most tasty morsels weren’t reliably distracting her from reacting to other dogs. (Even with a lot of distance between us).
It was time to try something different. Like us humans, no two dogs are the same. Whilst some may be all about biscuits and Bonios, for others it’s all about fun and games!
It was time to bring out the Tug-E-Nuff toys!
What are the benefits of using tug toys in dog training?
Using tug toys in your training can improve the bond between you and your dog. Tug toys are not just objects of fun, but are valuable aids used for boosting trust and understanding.
The desire for our dogs to explore their environment and interact through their mouths is an instinct deeply rooted in their ancestry. For their lupine counterparts, tugging and pulling plays a crucial role in hunting and play. Using tug toys in your training taps into this innate canine behaviour.
These invaluable training aids also improve your dog’s impulse control. They learn that they can only grab the toy when you say so, and they have to let go when asked. Teaching your dog permission-based interactions promotes a healthy balance of power.
Do tug toys promote dominance?
There is a somewhat antiquated school of thought that engaging in games of tug with your dog can cause dominance and aggression. However, several studies have presented patterns of behaviour that significantly challenge this perspective.
Tug toys don’t pave the way towards behavioural issues; instead, they can be a fun, healthy part of the bonding process. It’s shown that tug of war doesn’t cause aggression. Instead, when done right, it provides hours of fun for both dogs and their owners.
Using tug toys to boost your dog’s confidence
Not only do tug toys contribute to the development of the bond between dogs and their owners, but they can play a crucial role in boosting confidence too.
In the doggy world, confidence is key, and sadly due to Winnie’s unfortunate encounter, her confidence around fellow canines has really taken a beating.
By participating in a tug game, Winnie is required to partner up, collaborate, negotiate, and most importantly, trust. It’s not simply about pulling the other end of a toy; it’s about participating, engaging, trusting, and leading.
When your dog engages in a tug game, it’s put in a situation where social engagement is inescapable. Your dog has to interact with you, and day by day, tug by tug, these interactions slowly but surely encourage your dog to come out of their shell.
What makes Tug-E-Nuff dog toys so appealing to dogs?
Tug-E-Nuff toys are designed to be interactive. They increase and strengthen the bond between dogs and humans. They categorically state that their toys are not suitable for unsupervised play and that’s because to have to desired effect, you need to be engaging with your dog.
(Not to mention that if I left Winnie alone with these irresistible treasures, she would likely destroy them in minutes! Gertie on the other paw, would just snuggle up to them! She has no interest whatsoever in a game of tug!)
But not all tug toys are created equal. I’ve introduced tug toys in the past, and I have to be honest, they’ve had very little impact.
So what is so special about Tug-E-Nuff? Why do their toys stand out head and tails above the rest?
It all boils down to their ingenious design. With Tug-E-Nuff, it’s not one size fits all. They have designed a range of toys that appeal to different dog breeds and different personalities. The enticing array of colours and textures are primed to tickle our dog’s fancy, making these toys almost irresistible for them!
What’s more this dedicated family brand has spent hours developing not just a range of endorphin-inducing toys, but also creating a complete customer experience. They have produced a series of free online training videos entitled The Power of Play designed to help novices like me understand the psychology behind the importance of interactive play.
The videos take you through the basics and offer support, advice, and inspiration on how to maximise the impact of your Tug-E-Nuff toys. I cannot lie, I have found myself watching the content over and over again, and hanging onto every word expertly articulated by their trainer, Chelsea.
Which Tug-E-Nuff toy will be best for my dog?
When it comes to choosing the right Tug-E-Nuff toy for your pup, you are spoilt for choice!
You can choose from tantalising textures including faux fur, sheepskin, fleece, and rabbit skin. And, if you’re not sure what is going to float your dog’s boat, Tug-E-Nuff even has an online ‘pawsonality test‘ to help you choose.
Whether your dog is a ball-addict, has a penchant for all things furry, is obsessed with squeaky toys, or prefers to sniff about in the undergrowth, Tug-E-Nuff has you covered.
You can even choose which type of handle you prefer. So if your pup is a real tugger, you may want to opt for the shock-absorbing bungee handle which provides an extra level of safety and comfort for both dog and owner.

The Clam
In addition to their tug toys, Tug-E-Nuff has also designed ‘The Clam.’ And boy has this ingenious little invention provided hours of entertainment for Winnie and Gertie!
The treat-dispensing toy is a hidden gem! Small in size, it’s perfect for both foodies and playful pups. It’s a confidence booster and a boredom buster all rolled into one – a great training reward that can be used both up close and at a distance.
Versatile in its uses, you can throw it, hide it, let your dog find it, play fetch, or enjoy a game of tug – making it an excellent choice for creating diverse and engaging training sessions. Simply fill it with some tasty morsels and watch your dog have hours of fun extracting the treats.
Whilst both of mine got the hang of it very quickly, and were soon able to devour the treats at break-neck speed, it didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the game. Trying to get a photo of The Clam in action was quite a challenge for my amateur photographic skills!
The Proof is in the Playing
Being a terrier, I bet you can guess Winnie’s top pick from the Tug-E-Nuff range? The rabbit skin won paws down, of course. And, although it doesn’t sit easily with me (having bred rabbits in my youth), you cannot defy nature. Winnie is totally obsessed with this toy and in my mind, we’ve struck gold!
I only have to say the words ‘tuggy time,’ and Winnie’s eyes light up. Immediately I am the most fascinating thing in her world. She is attuned to my movements, watching for my cues, I have her undivided attention. That connection, that focus, that’s what you can achieve with a tug toy, and with Tug-E-Nuff toys, achieving it becomes a piece of cake.
The aim of the game was to manage Winnie’s environmental distractions, boost her confidence around fellow canines, and make myself more irresistible than even the sassiest squirrel!
Like all training, and reconditioning it takes time, patience, and repetition. There is no quick fix. But, even in just a few weeks, Winnie and I have made huge progress thanks to Tug-E-Nuff toys. Our mission is not quite accomplished, and we have still a long way to go, but the fact is I feel like we’re on the right track.
What has been interesting, is how Winnie regards her precious rabbit skin toy as a comfort ‘blanket.’ I’ve noticed that on walks where there are lots of dogs around us, she doesn’t react to their presence whatsoever, provided she is linked to me by her tug toy. She happily strides on past. I’m not going to lie, I can feel her grip tighten on the toy, so their presence hasn’t gone unnoticed. But, the point is she can cope so much better and ‘hold it together’ so that we avoid a bark-off!
The other thing I have noticed is the massive improvement in her loose lead walking, and again it is all thanks to the power of the bunny! By holding the toy in her mouth while we walk along she has to stay close to me, and in turn, this results in a nice ‘happy lead’ which we’ve been trying to achieve for months!
This rabbit skin chaser has been a game-changer in our training regime.
Join the Tug-E-Nuff Club – you won’t look back!
Tug-E-Nuff toys are recommended and used by over 2000 dog training professionals and are renowned globally for their quality and durability.
And, having put them through their paces, it’s easy to see why these tantalising toys have scored a whopping 16,000+ 5-star reviews on Trust Pilot.
Like all toys, it’s about finding something that floats your dog’s boat! No matter how much I tried, Winnie and Gertie were just not interested in the ball toys. However, our friend Barney went crazy for them, and that’s the beauty of this brand, there are plenty of options to appeal to different personalities.
Each Tug-E-Nuff tug toy is so much more than just a toy; it’s a bridge, a connector, that significantly intensifies the bond between you and your dog. The joint challenge in a tug-of-war game, the need for mutual concentration, and the inherent joy it brings to all parties contributes to a long-lasting bond between you and your dog.
If you’re looking for a new and engaging way to boost your dog’s confidence and obedience, Winnie and I cannot recommend Tug-E-Nuff toys highly enough.
If you’ve tried and tested Tug-E-Nuff products, we would love to know which toy was the dealer-breaker for you and your pup.
Woofs and Wags
Kate, Gertie and Winnie
xox
Tug-E-Nuff gifted us a selection of their toys in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I love this blog post, and I’m a big fan of Tug-E-Nuff too!
The clam is great for ‘find it’ games. We have the small bungee with the ball kept in a cupboard by the back door for when the appeal of woofing in the garden is more appealing to her than us telling her to come in quietly! One wave of the toy and she knows she will get a few minutes of play if she comes indoors quietly, which keeps everyone (including the neighbours!) happier. 🙂
Ahh thank you for taking the time to read it Helen, and I’m glad Sadie loves Tug-E-Nuff toys too.
The rabbit skin chaser has been a real game changer – in fact if they ever stop making them, I’m going to have to buy a job lot! Winnie can’t take her eyes off it! I can’t believe how one toy has revolutionised our training x