The Tug-o-War Myth Part 1

If you own a dog you have probably heard the popular idea that playing tug-o-war with your dog will turn him into a savage, blood thirsty beast that wants to control, dominate and even hurt you.  This idea stems from the thought that because tug-o-war is fundamentally a game of muscle versus muscle if the dog “wins” he will think he is stronger than you. Ideas of being the leader in your relationship will develop and possessiveness and aggression are close behind… it will only be a matter of time before Fluffy becomes Cujo.

I’m here to tell you that is untrue.

And really quite ridiculous.

In fact in my experience tug-o-war, when played properly, is one the best games you can play with your dog.  Over the next few blogs I will explain why.

Heather