Should I play tug with my dog?

Tug is my favourite game to play with my dog (and her favourite game to play too). But unfortunately it’s kinda developed a bad reputation, with a lot of people worrying that playing tug will make their dog aggressive. If that’s you, don’t worry. There’s absolutely no association between playing tug and dogs developing aggressive behaviours.

‘But my dog bites me when we play tug, isn’t that aggression?’ Not always. If your dog puts their teeth on you during play without injuring you but doesn’t bite you any other time, they’re probably not aggressive. If you are getting injured playing tug, take a break from playing until you’ve spoken to a trainer or behaviourist - your safety should always be a priority. But if your dog’s teeth aren’t hurting you, there are some easy changes you can make to the way you play tug with your dog to reduce that mouthing so you and your dog can enjoy playing together.

Why you should play tug with your dog

Play is the best way to build your relationship with your dog. The best relationships are built on fun - and play is all about having fun together. Tug can be played in small spaces and should last a few minutes at most. Which makes it a great choice for entertaining your dog and getting out a bit of excess energy between walks or when the weather’s too bad for long walks. A game of tug is also an excellent reward for recall for dogs who aren’t super excited about treats.

Most dogs love playing tug because it taps into their prey drive. The tug toy acts like prey that your dog gets to chase, catch and ‘kill’. But don’t worry, playing tug won’t increase your dog’s desire to chase and kill wildlife. Instead you’re giving your dog an outlet to safely practise these behaviours without hurting other animals. Training recall with high prey drive dogs can be pretty difficult because treats often don’t compete with the chance to chase wildlife. But if your dogs know they’ll definitely get to catch and ‘kill’ the tug toy, they’ll choose that over chasing a squirrel or rabbit which they might not catch.

Why dogs bite when playing tug

Some dogs, especially puppies and teen dogs, can get very mouthy when they play tug. And that can get pretty scary. But for most dogs this is a sign they’re getting over-excited, not trying to hurt you. Tug is really fun and really energetic. Some dogs really struggle to control their emotions and their behaviours when they get hyper - and then they end up putting their teeth on you.

If your dog gets mouthy when playing tug, don’t worry. You don’t need to stop playing tug completely, you just need to be more careful about how you play. Your dog’s excitement will increase and increase the longer you play. And eventually they’ll get to a point they’ve lost the ability to calm themselves and they start to mouth. For puppies and teenage dogs this might only be a minute of play or less. Instead of waiting until your dog gets mouthy, try to stop playing BEFORE your dog gets hyper and puts their teeth on you.

After you finish playing tug, you’ve got to help your dog calm down. If you don’t, your dog’s going to be left full of energy and excitement with nowhere to put it. And they might put all that energy into mouthing you or destroying your stuff. Scatter treats for your dog to sniff and eat or give them a toy or a chew to gnaw on. This will help them relax after the excitement of playing tug. Eventually your dog will learn how to calm themselves down when they get excited. And once dogs become better at managing their emotions usually they can play games like tug for longer without getting hyper and mouthy.

Choosing the right tug toys

One of the biggest mistakes people make when playing tug with their dogs is super easy to fix. Most people choose toys that are far too small. If you’re playing with a tiny toy your dog won’t have much space to bite without accidentally biting your hand. They’re not meaning to put their teeth on you - they’re aiming for the toy, but the toy is right next to your hand and it’s easy to miss.

Toys this size are great for dogs to chew on alone - but they’re way too small for playing tug

But that problem disappears with bigger toys. Long snake-like toys are generally best for playing tug because there’s loads of space for your dog to bite away from your hand. Some dogs bite slightly higher up the toy each time but if your dog does this, just drop the toy once they get close to your hand. You can use big, round, stuffed toys to play tug too. But they need to be MASSIVE. Choose the biggest toys your dog can get their mouth round so they don’t need to bite near your hand.

Protecting your dog’s joints and teeth

Another worry you might have about playing tug is breaking your dog’s teeth or injuring their joints. That’s a risk you should be concerned about, especially if you’ve got a growing puppy. If your dog has any dental or joint issues you should speak to your vet about whether tug is safe for your dog. But most healthy dogs should be able to play tug safely as long as you play carefully.

When you play tug, let your dog control how hard you pull on the toy. With puppies they should be doing most of the pulling with you just holding the toy and providing resistance. This will also help puppies (and more nervous adult dogs) gain confidence when playing tug. Once your dog’s an adult you can pull back but no harder than your dog is pulling. With adult dogs you can also move the tug while you or your dog is pulling. But only pull side-to-side, not up-and-down to protect your dog’s neck. If you ever see any signs your dog might be uncomfortable when playing tug, stop and speak to your vet. Often dogs will continue playing if they’re having fun even if they’re in pain. So look at the way your dog behaves after you finish playing to check they’re not stiff, limping or have any other signs of pain.

Written by Juniper Indigo, dog trainer in Tiverton and Exeter