'An awesome relationship game'
There are a lot of misconceptions about playing tug with dogs. Many people believe that playing tug will make their dog aggressive. This really isn’t true.
The whole goal of training is to teach dogs to be dogs in a human world. That means we don’t try to change their basic genetic makeup. Just that we try to teach them appropriate ways to apply it in everyday life.
Dogs are predators by nature, all of them. They enjoy chasing, tugging, biting, etc. because it mimics hunting. These are natural drives every dog is born with in order to maintain survival.
Denying our dogs outlets for these drives can be catastrophic in the long run. A better recipe is to find ways to engage these drives in a controlled setting, not only so our dogs are fulfilled but also so the people and other animals around us stay safe.
Tug is a great way to let our dogs express some of these natural drives, and it’s a great way to build a calm, fun, and respectful relationship with you.
Tug is one of the fastest and easiest ways to teach a dog to have an “off switch.” You probably weren’t expecting me to say that, but when taught right, playing tug can actually REDUCE aggression, fear, anxiety, and hyperactivity.
What do I mean by teaching it right? It’s not a free-for-all. I don’t allow a problem or pushy dog to become more pushy. I don’t allow the dog to be demanding or disrespectful. Instead, I teach the dog that by working with me, they get what they want. Through this, we can teach a dog to “turn off” on command and practice impulse control. (Impulse control helps with absolutely everything: jumping, barking, nipping, biting, fear, anxiety, aggression, etc.) They have to control their urge to race out and bite the tug again, and if you have a high-drive dog, you know how difficult that can be for them.
Tug is an awesome relationship game, and by fairly controlling the game, I become the source of something very enjoyable for the dog.
What are some general rules for tug?
1. You might hear that the dog can never start or end the game, and they can never win. That’s silly. They can absolutely win every now and then. That helps build confidence. The dog can do all of these things as long as it can be respectful and take direction when necessary.
2. Teach the recall and “out” command. Like I said in rule one, it’s fine for the dog to win and run off with the tug, but they must come when called to return it. (You might have to work on this prior to teaching tug.) They must also release it on command. (Again, you may have to work on this prior to play time.)
3. Always be fair with your dog.
Once you have these rules in place, you will have a fantastic way to create fun, engagement, trust, respect, and fulfillment in your dog.
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Stephanie Vichinsky is the owner/head trainer of United K9, LLC in Post Falls. 208-964-4806
unitedk9training.com