For dogs who are hard to tire out and love toys, playing tug is an excellent way to burn both physical and mental energy. This game is not so much about discipline and control, as a legal outlet for good plain fun. Just as it’s a basic need for humans to carouse from time to time, your dog also deserves to kick up their heels and paint the town from time to time!
Like all games, this one comes with a few simple rules that both sides agree to and understand. A nice side effect of teaching your dog how this works is that they will learn the valuable skill of being able to cool their jets on a dime. So we win two nice things with the price of one fun game – your dog gets to blow off a ton of steam, and also practices self-control. (Another side benefit: this is fun for the humans, too! Which means you’ll be motivated to practice with your dog!)
Dog’s Rules:
Your dog only grabs (starts the tug game) when invited. We recommend a cue like “Get it!” or “Take it!” or anything fun under the sun (“Banana!”). This cue will let the dog know it’s OK for them to grab the toy.
Your dog immediately lets go (stops the tug game) when asked to. Words that can be used to cue this include “Drop it!” or “Out!” or, again, anything fun you like (“Cease All Operations!”).
Your dog is accurate. Teeth never touch the human.
Human’s Rules:
End the game immediately if a rule is broken. Let the tug toy “die”: meaning you, the human, will say “Too Bad!” and drop the toy. Even if your dog romps away triumphantly, flaunting the toy in their mouth, the fun has an eventual stopping point. Your dog will definitely notice that you’re no longer engaged & after many consistent repetitions, will learn when they break one of the game’s rules, the game ends.
Play this game often so your dog loves tugging and gets lots of reinforcement for adhering to the dog rules. If your dog loves tug, simply starting the game is reinforcement in and of itself!
Take frequent breaks during tug sessions. Frequent breaks during tug sessions help your dog to learn the difference between “game is on and we’re having fun” and “game is off and I’m taking a break”.
(sorry, yes, the human has more rules than the dog does). Small children should not play this game with dogs. It is too physical and younger children are not always able to understand and enforce the rules. Dogs need consistency and we don’t want them to learn they might be able to grab things from the child whenever they want to, or to knock the child down in their enthusiasm.
How to Play:
Game Set-Up. Hold the tug toy high enough that your dog can’t reach it even if they jump up (if you have a large dog that could jump higher than you can reach, place the toy nearby, but out of the dog’s reach).
How to Play. Ask your dog to sit. When they do, quickly put the toy within easy reach, and say “Take it!”* Let your dog grab the toy, and tug vigorously for a few moments before saying “Drop it!”* Then start the game again.
Additional Tips:
What if my dog isn’t letting go of the toy when I ask? If your dog is really into the game and having trouble letting go of the toy, keep each “round” of tug super short so they don’t have as much time to dig their heels in and get super invested.
I’m keeping the tugging time super short, but my dog still isn’t letting go. If even a few seconds into the game your dog just does not want to let go, another way to help them learn is to plant a scrumptious treat right in front of your dog’s snoot. If they let go, cheer and let them eat the treat while you move the toy away. After they finish eating their treat, immediately cue the sit and start the game over! With multiple repetitions, your dog will quickly learn that giving up the tug means the game will start again soon! (see video below for example).
I’m pretty sure my dog won’t even look at the toy if food is involved. If your dog is more food-motivated than toy-motivated, and having trouble engaging with the toy, avoid using food and instead hold the toy very still when you say “Drop It,” and wait quietly for them to let go, even if it was to catch their breath—or due to an accidental distraction. Always cheer when they do let go, as if they just did the most fun thing ever, and then immediately re-cue the sit so they understand they get to resume the game again!
*Cues can be any word or phrase you want to use, provided you are consistent.