Do you play tug of war with your dog?

My little cocker spaniel loves this game. She growls and snarls so viciously but she is playing the whole time. Her tail is wagging a mile a minute and she will actually lay down or even roll on her back to play. When I tell her to drop it, she does and then has to sit before I'll throw it for her. If I let go of the rope, she stops and then trots up to me trying to get me to take the other end again. I only let her play tug with a rope toy - all other toys are for fetching so she has to drop it and sit for me to engage.



I've heard that tug can teach aggression or encourage dominance in dogs. I don't see that happening with mine but just wondering how many people out there believe that or have actually had that happen as a result of tug.Do you play tug of war with your dog?
All mine love it and it has never made them aggressive. I make sure they know the 'leave' and 'stop' command though or they would get a little rough with each other. Especially my shepherd and mastiff.



It's good healthy play but if your desire is to make them aggressive then that's what will happen.Do you play tug of war with your dog?
Tug of war is perfectly OK with dogs. The only problem that may arise with dominance issue is if the dog considers the game as a dominance challenge. You DON'T have to win all the time. As a matter of fact, most Schutzhund trainers recommend that you always let the dog win to build confidence and develop prey drive. However, boundaries must be set. It seems like you're doing just fine. I wouldn't worry about it
okay my dogs play tug of war with me all the time they love it he should not get aggresive excpecially with that type of a dog it very playful my expeirence with my dogs only makes them playfuler more social and the now play with each other when i cant they may show aggretion while playing while there playing but thats just because they are having funn maybe they are competitive
\It depends on how you play the game as to teaching aggression in dogs. You don't seem to be having any issues though, and it's great that she drops it, and that you have her sit!



My Springer doesn't quite get it! I use her as a gundog so when I place my hand on the object, she thinks she has to give the object up, as that what we do in gundog training.

Herbie, loves it! It's his favorite game :)
i don't see anything wrong with playing tug with your dog. it sounds like your dog plays very nicely and knows that you are in control of the game, so i wouldn't be worried. i would recommend that you try not to lose to the dog, because i've heard that this can cause the dog to think that they are stronger than you and therefore more dominant, but as long as you are the clear leader at all other times, i doubt that this would have a noticeable effect on your dog. have fun :)
It does. But you taught your dog the correct way.

My dog wasnt allowed to play when she was younger, because she had hyperactive problems and would play attack. Now that she's calmed down she is allowed to play tug, only with her tug toy.



Basically, dogs should only play tug-o-war if they are trained.
I play tug of war with my dog when she wants to play, which is rarely, her favorite game is when I tell her I'm going to get her and she barks and runs away then runs back and jumps at me and then runs away again and repeats the process until I get tired of doing it.
I play it with my Lab, he loves it. I would not play the game with a dog who had aggressions or dominance issues. Tug of war is not a game for a dog that is already aggressive and dominant. But since is a happy care free time and knows the rules he can play.
I play tug of war with my American Pit Bull Terrier. There are no aggression or dominance issues from it with her.



EDIT: Oh my. Now we are hearing a dog will associate a child's arm to a tug toy.........oh dear. If that happens, the dog is flat out untrained and aggressive. It has nothing to do with the game!!!
It's my dog's favorite game. She's still a pup but I see no signs of aggression popping up from it what so ever.

I've never seen a dog become aggressive from tug of war. Most aggressive dogs I know never had much human interaction at all, let alone playing games.
I try to play tug of war with my dogs but they'd rather play that with each other. If I try to play it, one will steal the rope from me. LOL



But in any case, nope, I don't think this leads to aggression - at all.
well i don't play tug of war for that very reason. i have a chihuahua and she sometimes gets very agressive so that's why i dont play with her. she loves playing fetch but to agressive when it comes to tug of war.
i play tug with my poms all of the time. I believe that if you have a good discipline structure than it doesn't matter how you are playing with the dog as long as they understand that you are playing.
I play tug of war with my scary Dobermann lol.



I don't believe that crap that it makes the dog aggressive or dominant if you ';let it win';. Everytime my dog pulls the toy out of my hand he comes right back and places it in my hand so I can play again. Sounds really aggressive or dominant, huh? lol



I believe it's not a good idea if the dog is already toy aggressive though.



ADD: Comparing tug of war to the dog turning around and doing it to a ';child's arm'; is pretty petty lol.

A dog that would make contact with a person's skin is one that is not trained or socialized and think that mouthing is an appropriate behaviour.
It doesn't.

I play with my Rottweiler all the time. she is strong and wins most of the time. But just because she stronger than me doesn't me she thinks shes dominate over me or anyone else in my house. Being stronger than others doesn't make them dominate theres more to it.

And with aggression that to is not true. During play time is her only aggressive time, she growls like she is the toughest thing on the planet, her barks during play sound like a darn Chihuahua.

My dog does the same thing if I drop my end. For some reason she also tries to get us to use our feet to play with her.
i would not play tug of war with my dog, i am a believer in tug of war teaching aggression. If it ever got off leash and started playing tug of war with a childs arm it wouldn't think its bad, its just a game huh?
tug is a normal game for dogs, and yes it does have to do with dominance as well so if you are playing DO NOT LOSE! losing can result in you not being top dog. if it gets to out of hand don't play anymore.