Tug of war?

Question

I play tug of war with my dogs... one at the time....
One is 60lbs and the other is 50lbs... I am 110lbs...so we never play too rough as they seem to know that I am not that strong. I make sure I win (to be the alpha one, and I am anyway)...
they love playing it... and they do play with each other too. never had a bite, and when they play with each other, they never hurt each other either.

My brother in law does not let his dog playing it (I started to play with his dog and I had to stop)... because he says that it will make him agressive....the funny thing is that 4 months later (the other day) his dog growled at his kids and grabbed the kid's arm.

Could not letting a dog being a dog be more dangerous?
I mean if your dog knows who is the boss, then it's ok to play "dog games" (tug of war) with them, no?

My brother-in-law's dog is a golden retriever... supposely good with kids. They bought it as a puppy because they thought it would be safer for the kids (safer than my mutts as he told me!!!)

Answer 1

Oh, yay! Good question.

Yes, not letting your dog be a dog can be a larger problem. Some dogs adore playing tug. Some of these dogs actually need to play it in order to get adequate exercise, mental stimulation, and bonding time with their owners.

Tug itself is not going to make a dog aggressive. If not played properly, though, it can exacerbate issues in a dog that is genetically highly prone to aggression. The best way to play: the human starts and stops the game; move the toy up and down or side to side rather than pulling away and truly competing with the dog; be able to have the dog release the toy at any time.

Some dogs shouldn't play tug but, for the great majority of dogs, it's a great game.

Answer 2

It depends on the dog. I play tug of war with my dog but my roommate does not like playing it with hers (he's a pit mix) because she doesn't want him to think that it is ok.

It's ok to play it and it is ok not to.

The most important thing - more so than "winning" the game, is to teach the dog that the game is under your control. If you say drop it or leave it, the dog should. If you want him to stop pulling, he should, no matter what.

I would say that training is more important and his dog has training and behavioural issues. Your brother-in-law needs to work on that. No dog should be allowed to treat a child in that manner and he should have stepped in immediately - when the dog growled - before the dog grabbed the kids arm - and put the dog "in its place". That does not mean beating the dog, it means letting the dog know that the behviour - growling is ABSOLUTELY not accepted/tolerated.

Answer 3

My two dogs love this game and I play it with them and they play it with each other too. They think it is great fun and the tug toys are a favorite. They play fight all the time and never hurt one another, because that is what it is play fighting. The smaller one is a lab-pit mix that I "inherited" from someone. He couldn't keep her. She is my dog now. The other is a yellow lab 10 years old and about 85 lbs. still very strong and thinks she is still a puppy. Anyway, I think that is just someones theory that stuck, because she is just too strong for me and does win. She still knows who is boss and not at all aggressive. In fact we have a large yard and she is allowed to run free in the yard and knows the boundries, she has aquired many friends that walk by and if people see her out in the yard they will say Hi Suzie and come visit with her.

Answer 4

tug of war as a game is different than aggressive tug of war. if your dog's tail is wagging while he's playing, its just a game. You should keep beating them, though. some people believe that tug of war can make dogs more aggressive, and want to pull on people's arms and stuff, but i have never seen that really happen. I am in k9 search and rescue, and the tug toy is a common reward for dogs. I suppose it's just like a kid playing violent video games. If you teach the kid whats right/wrong to do in real life, then they wont feel like the game made them do something stupid. but if you hide them from violence, they could act out not knowing what theyre doing.

Answer 5

Wild dogs learn everything they need to live thru play....tug of war is play because it isn't real....most folks should be able to tell when a dog has shifted out of the play mode......as to who is alpha and does that fit in?.....well consider this: An Alpha dog rarely gets off his butt in the wild....rarely do they ever touch another dog....they rule by attitude....not by force....beta dogs do that job......so unless you got paws instead of feet you're fooling no one with this alpha crap....
And yes it is far better to let a dog be a dog....they are not furry kid......they can only think and act like a dog....

Answer 6

It can be great for proper training and has nothing to do with a dog becoming aggressive. DOg instictively have a prey drive and you are satisfing their where as a dog not playing tug may find other ways to release that drive. Possible by shaking a kid.

Answer 7

We have played tug of war with are Lab since she was a baby, she is not aggressive in any way. One thing we have taught her when we are playing is if she gets a little rough we tell her ouch and she always eases up and gets careful. I think it is not bad to play tug of war with them and besides they are getting your attention, lots of dogs never get played with.

Answer 8

I think it would be fine to play tug of war or any other game with them. At any time! My dog and i dont really have one of those "I'm your master, your my servant" type relationship. He likes to respond to words, yes, but he doesnt obey commands. (Unless its my dad) He walks on a leash because he's scared of cars. If he sees a person, he'll do all he can to go meet them. If i play tug of war with him, and he gets too rough, i just let go and walk away. If he starts to bit the leash, i'll say no in a growly voice. (When he says "no" he shows me one of his k-nines by putting it out of his lip) My dad is really his master, but i play with him all the time.( and he likes me more) :)

Answer 9

I dont know, I've read that playing tug of war with your dog teaches them to want to be more dominant despite if you win or not. I dont know though, Im no expert.

Answer 10

Hulk