Somewhere, 30 years ago, someone got the idea that tug-of-war games created aggressive behaviors in dogs. Back then, trainers and other professionals didn't have the understanding of aggression that they do today.

In 2002, a study was done to determine whether or not playing tug increased the incidence of aggressive or "dominant" behaviors. The researchers concluded that tug games had no negative effects on the relationship between the dog and human.

As a matter of fact, tug of war is not only an excellent reward in dog training, but it is a valuable exercise in teaching dogs self-control. Tug games are used to reward canine competitors of many sports including agility, flyball and protection sports. That said, a game of tug should have clear rules set for the dog or the lesson in self-control will be lost. These rules include:

• The human always starts the game. The human always ends the game.
• The dog should only take the toy on a command of "Take it", "Tug," "Get it," or any other specific command ("Okay" is overused and should be avoided to prevent confusion).
• The dog must learn "Out," "Drop," "Release" or "Give" on command and must comply on the first command.
• The dog's teeth may not touch the human's skin while playing, even by accident.
• The human never chases the dog to get the toy back.

If the dog violates any of these rules, the game ends. No negotiations - the game is over. If the toy is in the human's possession at the time of the violation, the toy goes up and away, where the dog does not have access to it. If the toy is in possession of the dog, the owner drops the toy, turns their back on the dog and walks away.

Now you're probably saying, "WAIT!" If you drop the toy and walk away, the dog wins!" But, what does the dog win? By dropping the toy and walking away, you are depriving the dog of both your attention and the continued game of tug, which is much more fun than a limp toy that no one wants anymore. Most of the time, the dog will either follow you, presenting the toy for further play, or will quickly lose interest in the toy, at which point the human can resume the game, if desired.

Without your cooperation, the dog cannot tug alone.

We recommend the SFSPCA Guide to Tug Games to learn more about how to properly train your dog to play this excellent game.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Lowering Arousal: Teaching Impulse Control

Diamonds in the Ruff Guide to Tug of War

Tug of War Rules