Tug of War

Is it OK to play tug of war or to rough house play with your dog?

Is it safe?

Will this type of play make your dog vicious or uncontrollable?

What is your opinion?

 

These are questions that have often posed to me or I get a statement like “You should never do that”

Here is what I think and why!

Every play time, whatever the game is an excellent opportunity to train your dog and as with all games there are rules.

1. Always have control of your dog
2. Never allow your dog to touch or accidentally nip or bite you with it’s teeth.
3. When the dog is given the stop command, the dog must STOP.
4. The dog should never be aloud to run off with the toy and chew it.
5. Take frequent breaks, have the dog sit, give a good pat, let the dog know he is playing in the correct manner.

 

As with all play there are rules, every game, and every child knows there are always rules. Your dog must learn this, what the rules are and the result of breaking the rules. When you are rough housing or playing Tug of War there must be rules. If the Dog touches with it’s teeth the game STOPS, you can even shout OUCH, just to let the dog know what it did wrong (even if it did not hurt). When the dog makes these mistakes it is usually in two situations first, the dog is  not  familiar with the game and does not know the rules yet, or the dog is over excited totally engulfed in the fun and oops. In ether situation the stop command is given (stop, out, sit, no whatever works for you and your dog) and play ceases.

Remember when you were a child and mom would say settle down or someone is going to get hurt, you wouldn’t and someone would soon have tears flowing, take a lesson from mom, if your dog is getting over excited playing a game, take a time out, it only need to be 30 seconds enough time to practice your stop command and have the dog sit and regain his composure. Frequent stops in play is important for a young dog or a dog that gets over enthused with the game, this is the best time to practice that stop command, the dog is happy to learn so he can get back to play, there is no stress so the dog will learn faster and retain the information much better and longer.

Never let your dog break the rules no matter how much fun you are having, allowing a transgression to pas once is enough to destroy a weeks worth of training, and leave an opening for an accident! My dog Teal’c plays Tug of War with children as young as 5 and he knows the rules, he will only pull as hard as they do and no teeth to skin contact. Another point I am always present and watching, dogs like children make lots of mistakes, you need to be there and have control, when you give the stop command the dog must obey even when playing with someone else.

 

The second stop command was not followed by Teal’c fast enough, so the scold finger went up and play stopped, dogs make mistakes, there is never a need to get angry if you apply the lessons and techniques shown here your dog will learn happily and quickly. If you can control your Dog when it is excited you will be able to control your dog in most situations, practice makes perfect. Practicing control of your dog during rough play in my opinion is a must and you will have a better dog for it.

 

Give a Dog what a Dog needs and the Dog will give You what You want!

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What a Dog Needs IV

A Dog needs a Guardian

This implies more than just an owner, dogs are living creatures with awareness, they have basic needs that must be met.

1. Food. Dogs require a diet that will sustain them in good health.
2. Water. Clean drinking water, and the guardian needs to ensure it is there when the dog requires it. Not many dogs will let you know when they are thirsty, and in the hot days of summer this could mean the difference between life and death.
3. Home. Dogs need a warm dry place to live, they are domesticated animals and are no longer accustomed to harsh weather. They are NOT a lawn ornament.
4. Socialization. Dogs are social animals and need our company, a family, to be what they are. The also need to be with other dogs, not all the time but on a regular basis.
5. Exercise. Dogs need exercise, this enables them to release stress, be healthy, and enjoy life.
6. Understanding. A guardian needs to know about dogs. You need to know the signs of stress, illness, happiness, and pain. Dogs often hide pain and illness, it is your duty to be able to recognize when your dog is sick or in pain.
7. Training. Dogs need to be trained, when trained they are a pleasure to have around. Educate yourself and ask questions, not many people understand dogs well enough to be adequate trainers, but with a little education you can do the job.
8. A Doctor. A dog needs to see a Vet, twice a year is the standard. They need vaccinations against Rabies, Parvenu, etc. But do not over vaccinate.
9. Guardian. This is more than an owner. Owner implies property and there are those who feel they can do whatever they want with their property.

Dogs are NOT Property, they are Friends and Companions

Please if your going to get or already have a dog , make the effort to educate yourself, the more you know the better relationship you will have with your dog. My dog Teal’c is one of the best things that has ever come into my life. I share this joy in this web page in hopes that you will also experience the joy and happiness having a dog has brought me.

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Our Vacation

Kingston Ontario Canada

A great place to live and visit, very welcoming to dogs, on the main drag in the downtown area there are many shops and restaurants that have water bowls out for dogs which makes a stroll around town comfortable for you and your dog.

Local restaurant with water bowl out welcoming you and your dog.

There are a lot of pet supply stores as well. most of them are small, but have knowledgeable staff who are always happy and willing to help. A big change from the big box stores where many of the staff have little or no knowledge!

Urban Paws has very knowledgeable staff

There are good dog parks better than any I have visited in Montreal, and I have found the dog owners to be responsible and always watching their dogs. According to the friendly by-law enforcement officer I spoke to all the dog parks are free to use by visitors.

One of Kingston’s Dog Parks.

There are many limestone buildings and the roads down town are wide with many benches to sit and relax. There are also many outside patios where you can enjoy a coffee or a snack with your dog.

Relaxing by a Fountain down town.

Kingston our favorite place to vacation.

We are having a Great Time.

 

Owning a Dog How it Improved Me – Part 3

Owning a dog improved me in ways that are not always readily evident, these changes in ourselves come slowly, and are not evident until we reflect on how we were in the past and are now. One of those changes is calmness! I find myself much calmer now, this change has come from forcing myself to be calm while training dogs, over the years the change has slowly appeared,  and I find myself more patient and calmer in stressful situations. For anyone who has read my posts knows how I stress being calm and the benefits for the dog, but the benefits are not only for your dog they are also for you. Being calm epically in stressful situations has made it easier for me to think clearer, not rush to rash judgments, and to be able to take in more information while observing and interacting with others. It certainly makes me a more pleasant person to be around than I was in the past.

Dogs improve our lives in ways that we often overlook. Stressful situations do not have the same effect on me now as they did in the past, the ability to stay calm is an improvement that I truly enjoy having and wish to improve further, join me in this great self improvement exercise – Adopt A Dog.

Kingston We are Back

We made it, back in Kingston Ontario.

We had a good trip, rain during the drive and it stopped raining five minutes before we arrived. Teal’c and I had to go to our favorite dog park, not many dogs we knew a lot of new faces and even some puppies, and children that Teal’c had a great time playing with. As usual this dog park is well groomed and all the people watch and show responsibility for their dogs. I am always so impressed when I come here, hats off to everyone, this dog park would not be what it is without responsible dog owners like yourselves.

This young gentleman had fun with all the dogs, he even took the following picture of Teal’c giving me a kiss, Great job, this was his first time ever using my camera, I am impressed.

Teal’c was a little depressed at the start of the day being away from home but this visit to the dog park and the children playing with him has really uplifted his spirits. “Thank You”

 

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