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Competitive Play: To Tug or Not to Tug?
To tug or not to tug? That is the question, and every large dog owner seems to have a strong opinion on it one way or another.
Ultimately, the decision whether or not to play "tug of war" is up to the individual dog owner and depends a lot on the personality
of the dog.
Dogs love this game. Whether it's played with another dog or a human, or even by itself, your pet will find that it is good doggy
fun and great exercise too. If you decide to play this game with your pet, there is, however, one rule that you must always
observe — you control the game, never the dog. You decide when to play and when to quit.
If your dog becomes too rambunctious while playing, give him the command "Drop it!" or something to that effect and take the
rope or pull-toy out of his mouth. Then tell your dog "game over," "enough," or any other short phrase that indicates that you are
done playing. Walk away with the toy and let the dog have a "time out" to calm down.
It is best to start playing this game when the dog is still a puppy. You want him to learn the rules before he's fully grown. When
your dog weighs over 100 pounds and is stronger than you, you want to make sure that he understands what is expected of him.
When you play tug of war with a puppy, never play too rough or the game could easily get out of control. Also, never pull the
puppy off the ground while playing or this could seriously damage his developing teeth or neck.
You should always stand upright when playing so that you can control the game. If you are down at his level, a strong dog could
be the "winner," knocking you off balance and taking off with the toy. Once he gets that taste of victory, it may be difficult to get
him to relinquish that newfound feeling of being in control.
Don't be alarmed if your puppy starts to make growling noises while tugging. Some dogs are great talkers and, eventually, you
should be able to distinguish between a play growl and an aggressive growl that would warrant a stop to the game. Also, a dog's
natural instincts are to grab, pull, and shake the toy; dogs would do this in the wild to immobilize their prey. So let him have fun
and just go with it.
Tug of war with a dog of any size is a game for adults only. Children, whether supervised or not, should never be allowed to play
since most dogs are usually stronger than children and could easily injure them. Children could also accidently hurt the dog,
causing the animal to retaliate by biting. Here's a simple formula to remember: Tug of war = No children.
For your own safety, you should never attempt to play tug of war with a strange dog or any dog who has shown aggressive
tendencies in the past. If you suspect that your own dog is aggressive, the sooner you consult an animal behavior, the better.
Nothing is more potentially dangerous than a very large and very mean animal.
In conclusion, if you feel that your dog has the right disposition to play competitively but not aggressively, and as long as you
always maintain control of the game, then tug of war can be a fun, exciting, and learning experience for your puppy or dog.
Happy pulling! Your dog will love you for it.
– Moe Schober |
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