Playing Tug

Most dogs treat tug as a cooperative game – it’s no fun unless both parties have hold of the toy. And you can use tug to teach your dog to be super careful with his teeth (game ends if teeth touch clothes or skin! Too bad!). To let go of something on cue. To wait till you give permission to grab the toy again. And to respond to your cues even when excited, excited, excited.  However, playing tug without set rules can crank up an excitable dog till he’s out of control. And it’s unwise to play tug with a dog who has certain behavioral problems – for example, possessiveness over toys.  Tug of War in and of itself, however, does not condition your dog to be aggressive.