Fur The Love of Fostering

Oh my dog! This has got to be the most polite, softest game of tug of war in the history of tug of war.

Kali the fawn and white with the sonar ears, currently available for adoption through Town and Country Humane Society as of 1/28/22, is engaging in a fierce battle of who gets the squirrel with her very own daughter, Piper the black and white. Don’t let them fool you with their appearance of kindness and humility while engaging in this age old ritual, there can only be only one holder of squirrel and they both know it. Who will win? It’s all I can do to not be tempted to don a Peeky Blinders style flat cap, whip out my imaginary micro pencil behind my ear to write on a pocket notebook from my side jacket pocket while chain smoking the last cigarette known to this side of the Sarpy County borderline yelling updates to be thrown up in chalk on the black board for people to see and start opening their wallets to throw down bets.

Yeah, I guess I should just stick with the relative information of importance on the actual topic but I still think I would look stellar in one of those caps.

Watching that video might have given you some happy feels but how do you feel when you see a human playing tug-of-war with a dog? Does it make you nervous it might be encouraging the dog to become aggressive? Or that it is teaching bad manners when they might have something in their mouth not to give it to you? Or….are you already dealing with the negative side of this game as a non willing participant? Say goodbye to your beloved Burberry scarf you were given by your spouse for Christmas. Your neck will forever be cold!!! *Fido runs away with scarf with his tail wagging in victory!*

Just like all aspects of desired behavior, tug of war also has to be trained properly or it can indeed result in aggression, bad manners and/or the unfortunate loss of precious items. The game itself isn’t bad, it is the manner in which the game is engaged from the beginning that sets the experience to be constructive or destructive. It can be an amazing incentive and enrichment activity for Fido but like all behavior experiences, it has to be trained properly. Tug of war allows dogs to tap into their natural instincts of play, is a natural bonding experience through the behavior training, and expels physical and mental energy for both parties.

Ensuring the proper object for this game is essential and will assist in that they learn safely. Rope toys are my personal preference. The longer the better so I don’t get my hands grazed by their chompers by accident. There all all sorts of rope toy options allowing for a variety of mind engagement for the dog as well as comfort to my hand/arm, they are washable which is a must for me and when they are damaged it is easy to remove the fraying so it can be a longer lasting tool.

It is very important that YOU are the initiator of this game because YOU need to set the tone/boundaries/rules to facilitate constructive and pawsitive behavioral learning. Allowing the dog to initiate means you are giving them authority to establish the tone/boundaries/rules. This means that the tug toy is only out when YOU decide its time to play, otherwise it should always be put away. If they decide to be vocal with you trying to get you to engage, remember to wait until they stop and walk away before you get it out.

Establish your action words for this playtime. It is good to have one for the action of tugging itself (tug, send it), letting go of the item (drop, release) and even play growling (speak, growl). If the dog happens to make chomper contact with your skin on purpose or by accident, it is very important to have an action word (done, ouch) and then the game needs to end immediately.

When it is time to play, initiate by using your action word (tug, send it) and shake that rope for them to see its time to give it a good chomping. It is natural for a dog to be excited about playtime so they might try to go for the tool prior to the command. Try not to reward that behavior with play because it will eliminate the rules and boundaries you are trying to set for a pawsitive play time hence bye bye future Burberry scarf, pot holder, sock and the list goes on. If they do this, use the action word (drop, release) and no playing until they can approach it properly. You may even have to go with the action of “sit” and “wait” if they are too excited. And please, fur the love of dog biscuits, do not hold the rope near your face! Also let’s not forget that even the smallest of dogs can pack a tug, so maybe think twice before having a young small child participate. Although I have many fond memories of being dragged across the grass, use your discretion and remember always to supervise.

While engaging in the tugging, sometimes the pups will automatically play growl but others are absolutely silent. Play growling I consider to be OK but serious growling where it is accompanied with the absolute refusal to drop or release the rope is not. If there is snapping of any kind, I will disengage completely from the activity. There isn’t enough trust between us yet built in the basic areas or I failed to approach the game in a healthy safe manner and it isn’t right for me to allow or encourage the dog in any situation where they could cause harm to anyone.

After a good 5-10 seconds of tugging or when you feel your shoulder is going to give out after those first three tugs you sorely underestimated were coming your way, use your action word for the pup to let go of the item (drop, release). As a foodie, I feel it is my duty (hehe…doody!) to advocate right here for all pups in the world. This is an amazing moment to give Fido a treat when he performs as instructed. Don’t wait more than a handful of seconds or the length of time it takes Fido to eat that delish snack to offer the rope back with the action word (tug, send it) for him to give it a good chomping. Repeating the actions over and over will provide reassurance that it is OK to drop or release the object because it is going to be given back. If they struggle with letting go, it is important not to let them win because that is teaching them they are boss applesauce. Show them a treat and when they release say the command and then reward.

Not all pups like to play or have interest in tug of war but for those that do, it is imperative that it learned in a healthy manner and I have learned that the above approach is simple yet successful for me. I hope it helps!