Does playing chase with your dog...?

Question

cause him/her to become aggressive? I've heard games like tug-of-war does.

My 4 month old puppy LOVES games that allows her to around like crazy. Since she's a husky/malamute we don't trust her off-leash, especially during our walks. The only time gets to be "free" is in the house & yard. We usually play fetch & chase, but on our terms. She get's sassy when she wants to play but we don't (she'll bark or whine at us), but she's not aggressive. She'll just run around the house by herself for 5 min. or play with her toys. I just don't want to promote any games that can cause her to become aggressive.

My 4 month old puppy LOVES games that allows her to around like crazy. Since she's a husky/malamute we don't trust her off-leash, especially during our walks. The only time she gets to be "free" is in the house & yard. We usually play fetch & chase, but on our terms. She get's sassy when she wants to play but we don't (she'll bark or whine at us), but she's not aggressive. She'll just run around the house by herself for 5 min. or play with her toys. I just don't want to promote any games that can cause her to become aggressive.

Aw man it posted twice....

Answer 1

i disagree with the tug of war games being bad. so many people say they are, but i have never had a problem.

i have raised pit bulls for some time and always play tug. its a pits favorite game.

you just have to lay down rules. make sure they always take the rope on the end opposite your hand and train them to take it carefully. my dogs usually bring me the rope and ask me to take a hold(maybe they thing i am the one who likes it?)

nothing wrong with a good game of chase IMO. burn up a little pent up energy. just make sure they arent biting or sniping when they catch up.

Answer 2

no, not with most dogs. But there are always exceptions.

My dog is very aggressive towards people and other animals because of certain things that happened to him when he was a young puppy. Some other dogs attacked him from behind in his own yard so he is suspicious and territorial. He does not like strangers because his last owners beat him and the vet hurt him with needles and other unpleasant things. I played tug of war with him because it was his favorite game at the time. If it was going to cause him to become aggressive toward ME it would have

When I play tug of war with him now, he does not "attack" me or anything. He knows it's just a game. If he really wanted to bite me he would.

Maybe with extremely aggressive/dominant dogs it could be a bad game to play, but only if the dog sees it as a power struggle and NOT a game. You can tell if the dog is just playing or if he really wants to be dominant.

Answer 3

I can speak from personal experience with a specific breed only. We have a border collie puppy whose herding instinct is very strong. In order to keep her from trying to herd my boyfriend's young nephews and possibly frightening and/or hurting them, we turned her tendency to herd into a game of chase. We let her chase us, within reason, but we make a much bigger deal of it when she runs and we chase her.

We have not had a problem with her running away or refusing to come when called. When we chase her, she waits until we're close and then runs in a zigzag or tight circle, showing off how much faster and more agile she is. She's not quite five months old, but she does know the difference between when it's OK to run away in a game and when the game is over and it's time to come when called. We got her to do this by offering lots of hugs and special treats whenever she did come to us.

It might not be a very conventional way, and it might not work as well for non-herding breeds, but for us it has been extremely effective. We also play tug-of-war with her, letting her know where the limits are (game stops at once if she bites), and she has shown no signs of aggression. Her natural personality is gentle and curious, so again, it might be that with this kind of canine personality, we're not overstepping any bounds.

With a dog that's aggressive by nature, I would be more leery of playing tug-of-war. You might have to experiment a little with your dog, being aware of its individual nature and using your own common sense, to determine which games are right for it.

Answer 4

Well, i play tug and tag and "fetch" with my dog all the time and she is the best behaved dog i have ever seen. The only thing she is bad about is that the barks her little (well, she is small compared to other labs!) butt off! She is a black lab and people also say not to let them play with other dogs for the same reoson, and how cruel is that. Think about not being allowed to see any of your friends because you fight with them every once in a while, i dont get it.

Answer 5

My dog and I play tug and chase. He's aggressive towards strangers but it's got Nothing to do with the games we play. His aggression is because I failed to maintain good socialization. Mack and I actually play tag, which is chase but more fun. If you are going to play tug or chase you need to make sure the dog knows the rules. When Mack and I play tag he knows that when the whistle blows it's time for him to return to my side and sit. The same with Tug. I decide when we are done, he isn't allowed to bite the rope near my hands and he has to let me win sometimes. (He doesn't have to but he still lets me win most times)

Answer 6

No, these 'general rules' are just that, general. Tug of war (and allowing the dog to win) can increase a dog's belief in himself and increase his confidence. if you have a dog that is already in charge (and not the human) and you allow the dog to win at these games, it can cause problems for the average pet owner. If you have a dog with low self esteem, a tug of war and letting the dog win can help the dog. Same thing with chase. If you are in charge and you are the one starting the game and stopping it on your own terms there's nothing wrong with it. It's people who are clueless about their real relationship with their dogs and are not in charge that get into trouble with these games (and are the people these 'general rules' are aimed at).

Answer 7

no it doesnt make your dog aggresive if you play it right. play it wrong and it might. generally chasing your dog is a bad idea, it will be harder to get him/her to come to you later on. tug of war though, you have to play right. you win 90% or 80% of the time. winning means you end up with the toy and you keep it for a short while. you show him that you are the alpha dog. let him/her win 10% to 20% of the time because no one wants to lose all the time.... let him/her show how brave they are. they shouldn't become aggressive at all.

Answer 8

no game causes any dog to become aggressive. what matters is the dogs natural aggression level, for example pit bulls have naturally higher aggression levels. what also matters is how you act and respond during the game. always make sure that you speak to the dog in a lighthearted or playful tones then the dog should respond in a positive way.

Answer 9

Actually...I think I've heard my aunt (vet) tell me this before. As long as you keep the play under control. As soon as the puppy/dog starts biting, you need to stop him because this only tells him that it's okay.

Answer 10

Yes !
When you play "chasing" with him, he will never listen to your "come" command. he will learn to take everything and run and think its a game that you are going to chase him to get it back.
Tug-O-War does make the dog agressive. I used to do that with my lab and the trainer asked me to avoid it.
You should watch Cesar Milan on national Geographic to learn the best way to make dog your best friend :-)
I hope this helps.