Tug-of-war is good game for teaching the dog to switch between Crazy Dog mode and Thinking Dog mode (Limbic and Cerebral). Contrary to popular myths, tug does not cause aggression in dogs.
If you are afraid your dog will bite you, do not play tug – see a trainer, instead! But almost all dogs will growl during tug and don’t mean it as a threat. I do suggest rules for tug with dogs, though.Spend some time tugging with your dog, following the rules below, then do some sit/down/stay exercises, then back to tug. Tug is also a great game for teaching dogs to control their teeth.
Tug should be played with the dog controlling how much tugging is going on. Don’t break those little puppy teeth by lifting him up, and never tug up and down (only side to side). Don’t give your dog whiplash by moving the tug toy around too much! Let the dog do most of the tugging.Rules for Playing Tug-of-War with Dogs:
- The toy is yours. Not all toys, and certainly not socks, are tug toys. Have one or two special tug toys. They stay on a shelf or in a cupboard, not on the floor.
- Tug starts on cue. The dog should not dive at the toy whenever she sees it. The tug game doesn’t start until you say it starts. I use “Kill the Rope!”
- Dog gives on cue. When you say “Give,” the dog should drop the toy. Teach Give using positive reinforcement methods.
- Dog Teeth on human skin end the game. If there are any dog teeth on human skin, accident or no, end the game. Just drop the toy and walk away. This doesn’t work if your dog then spends 5 minutes tossing the toy about and gloating about his prize. But most dogs find the tug toy rather boring if you’re not attached to it.
Here’s an excellent video of a trainer tugging with her dog. She talks about some of her rules for tug, how to deal with over-excitement, and also demonstrates teaching the dog to let go.
