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Somewhere, 30 years ago, someone got the idea that tug-of-war games created aggressive behaviors in dogs. Since most behavior problems back then were attributed to "dominance," and professionals didn't have the understanding of aggression that they do today, it stands to reason that they believed any game in which the goal was to gain possession of a toy from a human would cause the dog to "become dominant". There was also a time when it was believed that birthmarks were the sign of witches.

Fortunately for dogs (and women with birthmarks), we are out of the dark ages. We now have a greater understanding of the causes of aggressive behaviors than ever before. And tug-of-war is not one of them.

In fact, tug of war is an excellent reward in dog training. Top canine competitors use tug as a reward in their training. If you watch closely, you will see many agility dogs get rewarded with a game of tug at the end of their run.

In 2002, a study was done to determine whether or not playing tug increased the incidence of aggressive or "dominant" behaviors. The researchers concluded that tug games had no negative effects on the relationship between the dog and human.

Tug-of-war is a fantabulous training exercise for teaching impulse control to your dog. Overarousal can turn into aggression (one example is leash-reactivity), so a dog that can learn self-control during times of high arousal, such as a game of tug-of-war, is a dog that is able to calm down quickly. It is important for all dogs, large and small, to learn proper impulse-control.

Tug of war rules include:

• Tug is not played with a dog that has exhibited possessive behaviors over toys (we shouldn't have to say it, but in an abundance of caution, we will). Talk to a 4Paws trainer if your dog has exhibited this behavior.
  
• Control the game, control the dog: The human always starts the game. The human always ends the game.
  
• The dog should only take the toy on a command of "Take it", "Tug it," "Get it," or other command other than "Okay"
  
• Dog must not take or re-take the toy without command.
  
• The dog must learn "Out", "Drop" or "Give" on command.
  
• If the human says "Out", "Drop" or "Give" and the dog does not comply, the human drops the toy and walks away from the dog.
  
• If the dog's teeth touch the human during the game, the human says "Ow!", drops the toy and walks away.
  
• The human never chases the dog to get the toy back.

"WAIT!" you're saying. "If you drop the toy and walk away, the dog wins!" What does the dog win? A toy that you no longer want.

Take this test: If your dog is minding his own business, chewing on one of his toys and you walk across the room, pick up another toy that he had no interest in and start making exciting sounds and playing with the toy. Your dog will probably run across the room, abandoning the old toy and start dancing with anticipation for the fun, exciting toy you have in your hand.

The dog wants what you want. If you don't want it anymore, it quickly loses value. By dropping the toy and walking away, you are depriving the dog of the continued game of tug, which is much more fun than a limp toy that no one wants anymore. Most of the time, the dog will either follow you, presenting the toy for futher play, or will quickly lose interest in the toy.

Remember, while dogs may concern themselves with hierarchies amongst themselves, those hierarchies are fluid and depend entirely upon the resources at hand. When it comes to your dog's relationship with you, all they are concerned with is that you control the food, front door, walkies and car rides. You also control the game of tug. Without your cooperation, the dog cannot tug alone.

We recommend the SFSPCA Guide to Tug Games to learn more about how to properly train your dog to play this excellent game.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Lowering Arousal: Teaching Impulse Control

Diamonds in the Ruff Guide to Tug of War

Tug of War Rules

RECOMMENDED TUG TOYS

Canine Mafioso Tug Toys - Locally handmade and available at 4Paws University