We are going to learn how to use playing tug as a training aid with our dogs in our next OB class.  All four of us dog owners were surprised when our trainer said this last week.  All four of us have heard over and over that playing tug will make our dog aggressive, not respect us, overly excited, hard mouthed etc. etc.  Nope, she says, that's old thinking.  Who uses tug here?  Any good reports?  Or bad, might as well know the whole story.  We have been instructed that dogs must learn it is OUR tug toy and they are to give it up when we say so.

I've always played tug with mine.  My young Gordon loves a game of tug and likes nothing better than shredding a slobber cloth.  Now he is far from dog aggressive, in fact the complete opposite (ran away from a GSD bitch the other day, just didnt like her body launguage - the wimp!!)

Jill

I have always played tug with my dogs be it jack russel or GSD and never had a problem. But when I say stop they stop.

My kids to play with them and no problems I really dont think it does lead to agression any more than any other game. You always have to be in control. In fact my GSD was a lot more gentle when playing with the children than he was with me and hubby so he knew how far he could go.

Occasionally a finger will be nipped as the dog works its way up the tugger trying to get a better hold but it is a accident.

Wendy

I have a EBT and in the manuals I've read up on them they say not to play tug of war, but I do and have with my dog. He loves it- being a terrier gets really stuck in growling the lot but its all play. The only time for caution is when you have several dogs wanting to tug at the same time with 2 boys arguments can kick off with wanting your attention. When only one its good fun and harmless they see it as a play session nothing else. 

I have two goldens and have played tug with them from the day they come home. I've never had any problems nor do they have hard mouths. In fact my dog that's 3 now doesn't really tug at all anymore, he used to really go for it but prefers other games now that he's older. Our tuggy games are controlled so it stops when I say the game is over. They let go when I ask and yes (gasp) I even let them win sometimes! I make a huge deal when they do; they're so proud of themselves.

we do with ours to, but not in a very fierce way, its more tug for a min, make him give it up, tup for a min etc.. emphasises that its a fun toy but it's oyur fun toy that you let him play with.

> and yes (gasp) I even let them win sometimes!

Same here Lori. He will run around all head in the air proud, shaking his prize :) then come and put it back in our hand to play some more.

If yours is a puppy then let the pup do all the tugging, dont pull against it, that way the pup is only pulling its own weight and wont damage jaw etc.

Hi my dogue de bordeaux loves to play tug although as you may imagine if i dont stop at a certain point i would end up flat on my face!! I always make him stop, he will sit and give me the pull toy, he loves it but i think most dogs do!!! just make sure it stops when you want the game of tug to stop. xx

all the best x

I play tug for training.  As someone else said if a young pup that hasn't gone through teething, don't pull on it.  Before starting playing teach him the drop command, sometimes let the pup win the tug, sometimes give the drop command.  To get the drop when tugging release the tension on it and ask for a drop or leave.

Your trainer is right, tug games don't make dogs aggressive or not respect you. In fact they have the opposite effect (if done properly) and the dogs learn to play WITH you and respect and self control by letting go when you ask even if they're excited.

I play tug games with my dogs and my friends dogs and they love it as a reward for "working". One very sensitive dog is always allowed to win and we only play gently or she gets put off.

> We have been instructed that dogs must learn it is OUR tug toy and they are to give it up when we say so.

The only time its a problem to play tugging games is with a dog who is already aggressive over possessions and sees it as a fight.

Ditto above :-)

I used wild tuggy games to teach my dogs to stop what they're doing/drop what they've got despite being really excited ;)   I also used tuggy to teach them to have careful mouths.  If they feel a finger on a tooth they stop immediately :-D :-D

They have lovely soft mouths and excellent bite inhibition which is unusual for terriers :-D

Only downside I have seen is that giving Chicken Wings for the first few times was a bit difficult as they thought the Wings were our fingers LOL

I play tug with my SBT Sal who is 5 and have no trouble at all on the word "give" she stops immediately, regardless of how "much" she is enjoying the game. She can growl as much as she likes I growl back too.

On the word GIVE she releases immediately. I normaly throw the toy to start the game for her to retrieve (something she adores as much as tug) and use the word Give to stop the game.
She is has never been allowed to be rough although she does shake it a fair bit but she "tones" this down or up dependant on who she plays with if its my elderly parents she is much calmer with a tug toy, same with the children (nieces adn nephews from 3 to 15). Although she is quite forceful in her "tug play" with the men.....my OH, my brother and brother in law, oh and me. LOL even to the extent of being swung round if she has a good grip.

Even the children can get her to leave and and make her do so at their own choice. The game is never allowed to get rowdy that you cannot pause/stop it. She is a Staff and given to "giving it her all" but she knows the game will start again. And she is just as happy to be stroked as anything if you say "No" because you do not want to play she wil just potter off and chew the kong or something.

She also stops if her teeth come into any contact with skin even your finger touching her tooth by accident she drops the toy immedately.

To me playing tug is a great interactive play time.

I see you have a lab - and don't see any problem with playing tug as long as you are not going to do any gundog work - then it's a big no no.

In our clicker classes we have spent months TEACHING the dogs to tug (as some won't do it naturally), as a reward -and letting them win a LOT of the time to encourage them. :)

Great then.  Yes, our trainer was not sure about the hard mouth but the OH says he has given up hunting so it is not as much of a concern.  Though I'd still like to do the egg test sometime.  :)

I made my tug rope out of braided fleece and introduced PB to it.  After 8 months of no pulling whatsoever he was quite tentative with it and would not tug either.  As MarianneB says, I had to teach him. 

To be honest I've never heard the hard mouth reason before.

Is the egg test retrieving without breaking? One of my dogs can do this and he plays tuggy (but not at exactly the same time). :-)

Edit: my other dogs deliberate break the egg to eat it.

I've heard the tug/hard mouth thing, although when we give our Goldies a raw egg to eat we have to crack it for them, otherwise they just carry or roll it around! Oh and they love a game of tug.:-)

My dogs have all loved a game of tug. The working gundogs included ;-)

The thing is the training. They learnt the difference between playing tug with a toy, and giving things to hand that weren't (ie game or dummy) They were never hard mouthed either.

I do have to watch my fingers with my old girl though. She gets a bit too excited :-D

I don't think the problem is with a hard mouth, more that having learnt what a fun game tug is, they may just decide to do it with a bird :-o so it is not encouraged.

Well mine is a SBT and she can and will carry an egg without breaking it.

I think its fine providing that you get the toy at the end of the game and don't allow the dog to end up with it.