I have had a number of people give me funny looks when I recommend they play Tug with their dogs. I have heard protests from “Won’t that make my dog act aggressively?” to “It gets my dog too excited.”So lets look at this critically. Does playing Tug make a dog more aggressive or more likely to try to “dominate” their owner?
If you are a leader that your dog trusts and respects then a simple game of Tug will not change your overall relationship with your dog. Dogs see their owners a lot like parents. Their first leader is in fact their own mother. A no nonsense dog who sets boundaries and sticks to them. If this is the kind of leader you are, then it is downright silly to think that winning a game of Tug would so alter your dog’s perception of you that he would then try to challenge your authority later on. If you are a leader that sets your boundaries and sticks to them then you probably already have rules for any game you play with your dog.
However if you are a a bit wishy-washy in your rules and you give in a lot when the boundaries are pushed, then while playing a game like Tug you probably haven’t set up any rules for the game to begin with. What I am describing here is a situation where the dog probably already feels like he is more responsible for you then you are for him, which would make it his job to decide on the rules. Therefore the game of Tug still would not make him more dominant acting than he already is!
My point is that any game in itself is NOT going to alter the relationship you have with your dog. Tug in fact is a really fantastic way for a dog to release a lot of energy in a short period of time. So if you just don’t have time to run your dog down to the park, then maybe a game of tug for 5 minutes will work out some of those beans!
I do recommend that you have rules for the game and stick to them! Your dog likes rules and yes, they will push boundaries in any situation (just like kids) but they push them to make sure they still exist, not to try to challenge your authority! A great rule to stick to with Tug, is always make sure you win the last game, that way you can put the toy away when you are done with it. A Tug toy should not be a toy your dog gets to play with all the time, it should be a special toy you play with together!
If you find your dog gets “too excited” when playing Tug, that’s great! It means you have a perfect opportunity to coach your dog on how to have an “off” switch. Practice playing tug then in the middle of a match (before the dog is out of control) ask for a sit and a drop-it. Then continue the Tug game as a reward for the performed cues! Repeat this process for 5 minutes, then finish the game with praise and a treat!
