Playing Tug with Your Dog!

Teach your dog to use their mouth in a way that works for both of you. Make sure to build up lots of cooperative games that you and your dog can play together.

Here is a nice sample video of getting a dog interested in a game of tug:

In the video above, James entices the puppy to chase the tug. Then he produces a second tug and makes is very lively! This is how we can teach a dog to drop objects. It also makes for a lot of fun tug games. Notice how James moves the tug toy side-to-side rather than up-and-down. An up-and-down motion can be harmful for a dog’s neck.

In the following video I demonstrate one of the ways I like to play tug with my dog, Halfway. I tug with him for 3-5 seconds, then I let go of the toy and move away from him. He runs back to me so I will continue playing. I find that if I let go frequently, he is more likely to come back to re-engage with me. This is a great relationship builder! I think this also helps with things like recall and fetch. Notice how I move the tug in a figure-8 pattern, this is more comfortable for the dog’s neck. Also notice that I trade the tug toy for food. I don’t want to take things away from my dog, so I always trade! Later I will use this trade to teach him a DROP behavior.

In the next video Halfway and I are doing some toy switching. I think this is a nice way to keep tug-style games lively and fun. When your dog is consistently letting go of their toy when the new one appears, then you are ready to add a verbal marker like “Switch”. The marker means a new toy will be presented. If you say the marker just before you produce the new toy, then the dog will start to anticipate the new toy and will let go of the one they have when they hear the marker. I add a sock as a distraction to test the strength of tug as a reinforcer for Halfway. I think playing games like these help our dogs learn to focus on us instead of on other distractions. I also think it teaches them to drop things (like stolen socks) more easily:

Once my dog understands that dropping his toy means I will throw an new toy, he offers the drop quickly. Standing with my hands down or behind my back becomes a physical cue for him to drop. (See video below):

Over time you can use tug play as a reinforcer for all kinds of behavior. Below is a Freestyle Heelwork session where I use tug play to reward my dog for doing some freestyle behavior chains:

Have fun playing tug with your dog! Keep the sessions short and enjoyable. Play with two identical toys as much as possible. This will make it much easier for your dog to learn to let go of the toy (and other items as well).