Playing with Pull/Tug Toys

Playing tug with your dog can provide a wonderful outlet for their natural canine urges to grab & pull. You can also use this game to exercise your dog & teach important lessons. It’s also a great bonding exercise.

First get a good tug toy. All our Knotty Toys can be used for a game of tug but our Knotty Chaw Chaw’s were created specifically for tug games.

It’s important to set the rules & be firm. Dogs like to know the rules. While learning the game it’s a good idea to have some treats in your pocket to reward & encourage proper play. Keep each round of tug short, no more than ten to fifteen seconds. You can end the round by commanding your dog to release or you can let the toy go & let the dog toss it about.

Remember this is just a game, not a competition. If your dog is taking the game too serious & is showing signs of aggression, you need to stop immediately. Let go & step back.

It’s also important that grabbing onto anything but the tug toy (your hand for example) is not allowed. You want to be having fun not inadvertently encouraging what could become a bad & potentially dangerous habit.

If you want to read a more detailed article on playing tug, we found this article on the ASPCA web site.