Tug toys and building confidenceLetting your dog win, why tug is not about dominance, and how play builds the engagement that nervous dogs need on a walk.

Tug has a bad reputation it does not deserve. The old advice was that letting a dog win makes them dominant. It does not. It makes them want to play with you again.

For a nervous dog, that is the entire point.

Why tug matters for a nervous dog

A dog who will play with you in a new place is a dog who feels safe enough to play. That makes tug one of the more useful measures of how a nervous dog is actually doing — better than whether they will take a treat, which many dogs will do on autopilot.

It also gives you something to be. On a walk where every other dog has a ball, being the person with the good tug toy is how you stop being the least interesting thing in the field.

How to play it properly

• Let them win. Often. A dog who never wins stops playing.
• Keep the toy low and moving away from the dog, like prey. Never up and over their head.
• Let go the moment teeth touch skin, every time, with no telling off.
• Two short games are better than one long one. Stop while they still want more.
• Put the toy away between sessions so it stays special.

Where it fits in the work

I use tug in confidence-building sessions, during recall work, and as a reward that does not require the dog to stand still and eat something while feeling watched.

It is also useful when a dog is holding onto something they should not have. A dog who has learned that giving things up leads to a better game is far easier to live with than one who has learned that hands take things away.

What to buy

Tug-E-Nuff make tug toys and motivational play gear designed for exactly this — building engagement, confidence and focus, particularly with nervous pups. Their gear stands up to being used properly, which cheap tug toys do not.

As a Flo4Paws friend you can get 10% off your first order through my link at tug-e-nuff.com/flo4paws. I only recommend things I use.