The Mikki Floral & Hardy Toys are made with dual single-piece hard wearing canvas. This design helps avoid stress points in the toy, making it last for longer! They are tough and durable – ideal for teaching your dog to fetch, playing interactive games and teaching dogs how to play without biting.

Training Guide

1. Play with your dog and the Mikki Floral & Hardy– getting him to mouth and chase the toy as you move it around in front of him.
2. Once you have gained his interest in the toy and he’s happy to pick it up, throw it a short distance away and tell him to “Fetch”.
3. When your dog reaches and picks up the toy, bend down low, open your arms and call him back to you enthusiastically – using his name to get his attention and then the command “Come” to encourage him to return.
4. Be very enthusiastic when giving this command so your dog comes to you and doesn’t run somewhere else to play with the toy.
5. As your dog returns towards you, keep calling and praising him so that he doesn’t run past you with excitement.
6. Once your dog has stopped in front of you, gently put your hand under the mouth and say “Drop”. You may need to use a treat to get your dog to drop the toy. The Mikki Deluxe Training Bag allows you to reach your treats easily with one hand whilst holding the toy with the other! Your dog will learn that treats come after good behaviour. When he drops the toy, give him lots of praise, then repeat the entire exercise.
7. If your dog does not want to come back to you with the toy, attach a Mikki Recall Training Lead to his collar. Once he has retrieved the toy and is heading off in the wrong direction, restrict his movements by gently guiding him towards you with the lead. Make sure you and your dog enjoy the game by praising and making a fuss of him when he gets it right.
8. As you practice, and your dog starts to learn the technique, you can increase the distance that you throw the toy.
9. If your dog play bites, use with the Mikki Clikka to help focus his attention and reward calm behaviour and gentle playing.  If your dog does nip – keep still and try not to respond, but keep the toy wriggling and respond with a click and a treat when your dog grabs the toy instead.

What treats should I use during training sessions?

It is important to choose an appropriate treat to reward your dog’s good behaviour. Different dogs will be motivated by different types of treat and it is important to determine what your dog loves the most.

Try a variety of dog treats or cooked meats. Dogs that are extremely keen on food may be happy to accept their normal kibble as rewards. However, most dogs will prefer a more special reward for harder tasks.

Always break the treats into suitable sized pieces for training before you begin your session.  Treats should be tiny so that they are easy to eat and swallow; pea-sized pieces are normally ideal.  Avoid treats that are large or which require much chewing as this will slow down your training.

Avoid giving your dog large amounts of new treats as this could cause a stomach upset.  If your dog has done a lot of training during the day, you may wish to reduce the amount of main meal you offer later on. This will help to balance out his calorie intake for the day. Of course, if your dog has been doing a lot of activity, he may have burned off the extra energy already.