Dugan the Dog Plays

Dugan catches up with his "prey".


The soccer balls meets its maker.


Dugan chomps his snake.


"Tastes just like chicken!"


Dugan has a "little" spring in his step.


Dugan steals the ball from Master.


Dugan and his red "ball".


Dugan relaxes after murdering his soccer ball.


Dugan and his red "ball".


Be sure to check out the videos at the end of this post!

Dugan really likes to play, and he has many toys to play with. I think his favorite toy is a red playground ball that is not even a ball anymore because Dugan has punctured it with his teeth and has ripped chunks off of it. All that is left of it is a floppy scrap of red rubber. Dugan likes to bring this ball remnant to me and play a little tug-of-war game, and when I finally get it away from his vise grip jaws he likes me to tease him with it so he can leap up and try to grab it away from me. Then I throw it out across the yard and he runs and snatches it up on the run and brings it back for more. Sometimes Dugan will let me know when he thinks it is playtime by bringing this toy into the house and poking it firmly against me until I notice him and go outside with him. He likes his soccer ball a whole bunch too. He likes me to dribble it around the patio while he tries to steal it from me. He also likes me to throw or kick it across the yard, where he catches up with it while it is still rolling, and instead of grabbing it, he trips it up by running over the top of it (like he was chasing a rabbit or other small critter on the run, tripping it up). Then he likes to hold it down on the ground between his front legs, chest, and mouth, growling all the while. Then he likes me to poke the ball with my foot while he is holding it down and he makes an extra fierce growling. He will then let me pull it out of his grip (he is growling all the more) so I can throw or kick it again. Dugan has a lot of fun with a large diameter rope that hangs from a tree. He enjoys doing battle with it by whipping it around with his mouth while he makes leaps this way and that. I think he imagines he is locked in mortal combat with a giant snake. Its one toy he will play with by himself, but he enjoys it if someone joins in the battle and tugs on it with him. It makes you feel “little” if you are standing by him when he leaps up with the rope in his mouth and see him towering over you. He like Frisbee type toys too, although he never has taken to trying to catch them before they land. It's too hard for him to catch up with one in flight. He can run fast once he gets going but he is not quick to get off the blocks. He likes to run and pick it up and bring it back. He will carry it off and chew on it when he has had enough. We cannot leave any Frisbee out in the yard or he will destroy it in a short time. Dugan likes to play tug-of-war with just about anything. An amazing thing about Dugan is that he will not accidentally (or on purpose) bite you. During our rough playing his teeth may collide with some part of you like your hand or arm, but he never bites down! He has some way of sensing that his teeth are in contact with a human and not a toy, and will not clamp his jaw shut. That’s real nice! During play time, Dugan will reach a peak of excitement and drop whatever he is playing with and start running for the joy of it. He will run big circles around the yard and make close passes by you so you can just barely touch him and growl at him as he speeds by! It’s something to see.