2 Games Your Dog Will Love: Tug-of-war & Keep-away

Tug-Of-War

Tug-of-war is one of those games that many dog trainers will caution you against playing with your dog. The reasoning is that it pits you against your dog and, at some point, you invariably allow the dog to win, giving him the idea he can best you in a battle of strength. For some dogs, this could create delusions of grandeur. Most dogs, however, already know you are helpless against them in any war of wills. They learned that when you gave them treats from the table or allowed them to push you to the little sliver of mattress on the side of the bed.

However, you can preserve the illusion that you're in control by adding a couple of elements to your game of tug-of-war. The way to do this is to first teach your dog to give you a toy when you ask. Ask nicely "may I?" and offer to exchange a treat for the toy. Repeat this until your dog learns to trade the toy for a treat whenever you ask. Now you have a way to end a tug-of-war game in a draw, simply by asking your dog to give you the toy. You also have a way to start the game by using a special tug toy that you bring out just for this game. Tell him "tug time!" and entice him to hold on by starting with gentle, quick small tugs.

And of course, use common sense when you play tug-of-war. Don't jerk your dog's head back and forth or up and down; neck problems are not uncommon in dogs. Don't allow your dog to hang from his teeth; at least his hind feet should always be on the ground. If he has dental problems, this may not be the best choice of games. And dog trainers are right when it comes to some dogs. Dogs who have a tendency to be aggressive or domineering with their people should find more cooperative games to play.

Keep-Away

Dogs love to play keep-away. You can practically hear them giggling as you lunge to grab their prize and they pull it just out of reach. True, you'd be foolish to teach this game to a dog you want to use as a reliable retriever (a dog playing keep-away with a bird would never be invited back for a day in the duck blind), but most of us don't have such aspirations. By using words that tell your dog when the game is beginning and ending, you can separate it from everyday life and make it clear its not up to him to decide to start playing.

You can also use a special toy that is dedicated only to playing keep-away. Give him that toy, say "Thief! Thief!" and give chase. At first he may think you're serious and stop in his tracks, so you may have to combine it with tug-of-war or other chasing games to build his confidence. When the game is over, say "you're under arrest" and ask that he bring you the toy. If he does, reward him. If he doesn't, simply turn and walk away. Game over. Letting him know that even keep-away has rules helps prevent him from playing keep-away with your car keys when you're late for work.

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