Playing
Tug with your Dog
Candi
Moon
In
the past, and even today, playing tug with your dog can get a bad
rap. According to some, this will make your dog ‘dominant’. As
the latest research shows, wolf pack theory is not applicable to
dogs, and was based on faulty research to begin with. ‘Dominance’
and ‘being alpha’ are redundant in dog training. Dogs are
domesticated animals, not wild wolves, they are not hierarchical, nor
do they think that human beings are also dogs.
So
with the old wives tales out of the way, there’s no reason not to
enjoy a game of tug with your dog, and there are lots reasons to play
this game with him. Firstly tug uses up a lot of energy so is a good
supplement to your walks to give your dog exercise, and can also be
used on days when you don't have time to take your dog for a walk or
if the weather is bad.
Done
properly, tug is an excellent way to teach your dog to be polite with
his teeth around human hands. Its also a wonderful way to work on
your dog’s self-control and to teach him to give up items
willingly.
Firstly,
select a toy to play tug with, it should be sturdy enough to stand up
to your dog's pulling and also large enough for both of you to hold
on to it comfortably.
Your
tug toy should be special, it belongs to you, not your dog, and she
only sees it when you play a game of tug together, after that it
should be put away. This helps you to build drive for this particular
toy; over time it becomes a highly desirable reward for your dog and
you can begin giving access to this toy, and to tug games, as a
reward for other behaviours you want to encourage. Games of tug can
also be a great way to reward dogs who are not that interested in
food treats in training.
What
if your dog shows no interest in the tug toy? Some dogs just don't
seem to have a play drive, but teaching your dog to lighten up and
play can be of great psychological benefit to him. You can go about
building drive for your tug toy by interacting with it yourself and
not giving him access to it. Examples would be to toss the tug toy up
into the air and then catch it, all the while making happy noises and
letting your dog know playing with this toy is the greatest fun ever.
You and your partner or child could throw the toy between you and
make a great game of it. Do not, at this stage let your dog touch the
toy. After doing this for a bit, put the toy away in a spot where
your dog cannot reach it, but can see it, like on top of the fridge.
If you keep this up for a week or two your dog will begin thinking,
'What is it about this thing? I want it!'
Once
you've reached the stage where your dog is jumping up, showing
excitement and just begging to get at that toy when you take it out,
you are ready to begin playing tug with her.
First
hold the toy behind your back or out of your dog's reach and ask him
to sit politely for you to initiate the game. Once he has done this,
let him grab the toy and begin tugging.
Every
so often, stop the game and ask your dog to release the toy and sit,
then resume play. This teaches your dog to remain under control even
when excited and develops your dog's self-control. At first you can
train this by producing a food treat, dangling the treat under the
dog's nose, and saying 'give' when the dog releases the toy to take
the treat. After you have practised this five or six times ask the
dog to give, without first producing the treat. If the dog releases
the toy, reward with a food treat and resume the game. If the dog
does not release the toy, dangle a treat under her nose again and
repeat your 'give' command. Try this a few times and then ask the dog
to 'give' again without first offering the treat.
Over
time you will train a dog who will give up items on command. Getting
a treat and then getting to resume the tugging game is a pretty good
deal from your dog's perspective, so he learns that giving you things
is good. You can then also use your 'give' command when your dog has
picked up something you would rather he didn't have, like your shoe.
During
your tug game, its very important that the dog takes care not to bite
down on your delicate hands, and learns to respect this rule. If your
dog accidentally bites a finger during the game, even if it didn't
hurt, say 'ow' as if it was really painful, take the tug toy away and
end the game for that day. Your dog will very quickly learn to avoid
your hands with his teeth.
This
article may be freely distributed provided it is left intact and the source is credited.
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