Tug of War: Is this GAME really an act of war? Tug has often been stigmatized (especially in years past) as being an adversarial-type COMPETITION between human and k-9, and a game that actually CAUSES aggression in dogs. This is how the game is often approached and “played”: Human has toy, dog takes toy and begins to tug back, human starts to worry that dog is “winning” and that if they do “win” the dog will rule the universe as they know it. The human quickly realizes that they have to get the dog to drop the toy, so they begin yelling “DROP IT” in the most intimidating and demanding voice that they can muster. The dog must understand that they mean business!
Please do not misunderstand me and think that I am poking fun at pet owners. Having a dog and knowing what and what not to do with it can be super confusing, and it has become even more confusing in the age of the Internet and fast (but not always accurate) information! Type in “Tug of War” in any internet search engine, and you will be flattened by the deluge of information from pet care professionals telling you that tug is bad and should be avoided. However, there has not been one study to show that tug is inherently bad, or that tug causes aggression! Tug is actually a COOPERATIVE game! If you are not on the other end of that toy, the toy is “dead” to the dog. Did you ever notice that if tug-type toys are left on the ground the dogs usually don’t play with them? Some dogs WILL dissect tug toys if left alone, which can be dangerous if they swallow the stuffing or squeaker. That toy shouldn’t be left on the ground in the first place. For one reason, we are devaluing the toy by allowing the dog to have immediate and continuous access to it, and two, you will probably find it’s dismembered “body” in the center of the living room. Pick up that tug toy and keep it safe and sacred.
Owners need to have rules in place when playing Tug so that it doesn’t become too arousing for the dog. Yes, dogs become aroused/excited during Tug, but is that a bad thing? Don’t you see a similar state of emotion in the dog when they are greeting you or someone they love? How about when they see a bunny on a walk? Wouldn’t it be great if you could communicate with them when they are in this heightened state of arousal? Tug is an awesome game that can help teach your dogs that their ears don’t have to shut off the minute they get excited. The rules of tug are: (1) Dog is invited to play, (2) If they start jumping up or nip your hand/clothes instead of toy, game over, and (3) They drop it when you say so (which should be frequent in order to keep dog’s brain on planet earth).
Why all this fuss about the game of Tug? Because not only is it a great way to teach your pup to control themselves when excited, but also it is a terrific energy burner (especially for young, mouthy dogs)! This is how I play a typical game of Tug with any dog: “Fido, take it [TUG], drop it [spit out], sit, down, take it [TUG], drop it [spit out], spin, twirl, take a bow, down/stay, ok-take it [ TUG], drop it [spit out], sit/stay, ok-take it [TUG]……..” You get the picture; there is a lot going on playing the game in this way. By the end of this game, your dog will be mentally and physically tired, and oh by the way, you were super sneaky and built in a whole training session while playing!
– Happy Tugging!!!!