Skills for Every Day

The old school of thought was that playing tug with your dog would teach him to be "dominant" and should be avoided at all costs. And it is not surprising that this viewpoint still exists. Poorly executed tug-o-war games often excite dogs with low thresholds for arousal, dogs that are fired up easily. They can also provoke dogs into becoming rough with their bodies and/or mouths, to the point of intense assault against the person at the other end of the tug toy.

Many dogs just love playing tug-of-war games. Of those who don't, most can be taught to play and end up loving it. If a dog loves doing something, what should a clicker trainer do with it? That's right, use it as a powerful reinforcer for other behaviors!