Did you ever play “Shake a rag,” with your dog. Or something similar like with a bone or doggie toy or something along those lines.
So you pull the rag and the dog (rag in teeth) pulls the rag and you have a “tug of war.” Then you let go of your end and the dog flies backward.
I had a collie/shepherd mix and no matter how many times I did this he always came back ready for more.
It’s a natural game that wild canines play. It’s practice, I’m sorry to say, for opening up a corpse. They have no hunting knives, you see, and wild animals have pretty tough skin. So once you’ve got your prey down you each grab a leg or a hunk of belly, and you shake, pull and rip until it finally comes open. Then you eat.
This is why all dogs love this game so much; it’s like smelling hamburgers on the grill. . .
I have heard that allowing the dog to “win” establishes them as being dominant over you. Therefore one is not supposed to let go, even if it does amuse to see the pooch go ass over teakettle.
True?
Sounds like you are training the dog to bite. As a former postal carrier, I disapprove.
I’ve heard that, too. I’ve heard that in general tug of war is a bad idea, too.
So do the really smart doggies let go first?
I’ve heard tht, but none of my dogs had aggression or dominance issues, and we all played tug-o-war. It can be bad for their teeth as they age, but they usually give it up around 5 or 6.
I’d like to see someone win this game with a huskie or an English bulldog. LOL!
I too have heard that but only really in reference to young puppies. My parents started playing tug-of-war with their furry friend once he was about a year old and was pretty solid on where he belonged in the social structure. It doesn’t seem to have caused any problems.
And that’s good because it’s hilarious, in large part because he’s apparently got very slick paw pads, and my parents have wood floors. You can play drag the dog! I’d say he loves it but he’s the type of dog who loves anything if it means a human is lavishing him with attention.
Training a dog to tug is a great basis for a game that the dog find rewarding, and can be played anywhere. Like with any activity your dog does, you need to set the rules. Dog can tug when given the command. Dog must release the object when told to do so. You end the game, not the dog. The dog needs to be able to ramp down after a session of tug.
Tugging and biting are very different activities. Go to any flyball or agility competiton - you will find hundreds of dogs tugging merrily away - and probably no biters. And no, not all dogs are “natural tuggers” - I’ve had several that I have actually had to teach to enjoy it.
Yes, I let go. If the dog never, ever wins, they might not like the game as much! I do try to make sure they are not going to get hurt if they fly backwards, though - and they tend to learn to brace themselves better as they get older.
Yep, I’d advise against letting the dog win tug-of-war. It tells him *he’s *the pack leader, not you.
Our border collie mix loved to do this with old socks…but she was bright enough to put a paw on the sock in the middle and pull it towards herself just enough to get some slack to bite on the sock farther up. Pretty soon her lips were next to your fingers. My mom’s shih-tzu/poodle cross will let himself be dragged all over the house by the kids, hanging onto a bone or toy. Neither our pug nor our Rottie/pit have any interest in tug of war. Of course, a pug…ya know…hardly any mouth, anyway.
My husband and I play tug-of-war with our dogs, but we didn’t until they were fairly well-trained, just to avoid any behavior issues. The result is that they don’t pull hard enough to fall over, which is less amusing but better than them getting weird about the toy.
They still seem to enjoy it, though.
When they’ve got a good grip you use your free hand to start grabbing for their front paws. They do the cutest little dance.
I’ve played tug with all my dogs and don’t believe I’ve ever had any serious “dominance issues” with any of them.
I’ll own up to doing this with the Wonder Beagle. He loved it, and it never failed to make me laugh my ass off.
I played tug of war with a 200 pound Great Dane. Of course I had to get a special rope from PetSmart that was very thick.
I never had any strength issues, I think the dog new he was bigger than me and only pulled on it enough to give him a challange.
I never really thought about the dominance thing, I was just thinking as a kid it was so much fun to let go and watch them fall backwards. And then of course, never seemed to learn as he’d bring the rag right back to you for more fun.
The only negative I saw with my dog was every so often he’d try to grab your pants leg. But I’d simply say “Oh you wanna play, go get a rag?” And he’d drop the pants leg, run to the rag bag and come back with a rag ready to play tug of war.
My nephew and his wife raise Jack Russell Terriers. One of the first commands that they teach the pups is to drop their whatever on command.
My Dad’s current bulldog holds on so tight that Dad can spin him in a circle (off the ground). It’s too funny, this huge 85 pound chunk of muscle and bone spinning splay-footed through the air like a toddler. LOL!
I’m sure we’ll pay for it in dental bills later, but he loves it more than food, so what’re you gonna do?
We’ve never done the “let go, let’em fly” part, but I suppose my brother probably did at some point. He was certainly a dedicated practitioner of the “fake throw”. :rolleyes:
Endless source of amusement! The look on the dog’s face as they pull up short and start looking around (and eventually back at you) is too good to pass up. Experienced devotees of the practice know that it can’t be done too often, otherwise the dog gets pissed and won’t play anymore.
I was going to post this as a separate question, but since this thread will be read by Dope doggy fans, this seems a good place to ask (I hope Markxxx doesn’t mind).
I don’t have pets (for practical reasons), but I like it when pet lovers explain to me aspects of animal behaviour or animal psychology. Here’s a simple one. When I go for a walk and I see someone throwing a stick or something for their dog, I get the impression that - at least as far as the dog is concerned - this is easily the greatest, best ever game in the entire world. The dog doesn’t just participate, he does so with (I’d best not say ‘rabid’) tremendous enthusiasm, or that’s how it looks. In terms of the dog’s own psychology, why is this so enjoyable or important or fun? Throw stick, fetch stick, bring it back, repeat. What is the dog getting out of it? How does this relate to behaviour in the wild?
I disagree with this as a generalization. A well-trained dog who knows commands does not get the idea that he’s pack leader from this type of game. I never took my dog to a training class and it’s quite clear he knows who the pack leader is (me). We play tug quite regularly and, on occasion, I let him win. When he’s being especially tenacious, I can carry him around by the rope as he swings back and forth, teeth firmly planted. When I tire of playing or want him to fetch instead, I drop the rope. He picks up on my disinterest pretty quickly. Oh yeah, he’s a six-year old Boston Terrier.
Using verbal and/or physical commands, I can make him go from bouncy, energetic, playful dog to quiet, resting, peaceful dog sitting and waiting for the next command indefinitely at my whim.
The theory is that it stimulates the prey drive. Chase moving object, catch object. Most dogs have to be taught that the game only repeats when they bring the object back - although many teach themselves, by figuring out that the game only happens when an object is near enough to the thrower.
My dogs, however, will tell you that the point is that they are DOING SOMETHING!