Things I wish I knew about playing tug with my dog

Featured photo credit to the very talented Saint Paisley Photography

Playing possession games (more commonly called tug of war) with my fearful cattle dog has done wonders for our relationship and her confidence. Here’s what I wish I knew about the game from the beginning!

Don’t force it on her

The way to get Scout into the game is not to shove the toy into her face. I used to think that I was being nice to her by making it easy to get another grip after she lost possession—but I was really just creating a confusing game. Things have improved so much since I’ve started to move and act like I’m having a blast with the toy on my own!

I need to teach her how to win

Letting her win is good for her confidence, but after she makes a genuine effort. I used to just let go of the toy at random moments, again thinking I was being nice… and again just creating an unclear game. Once I started being more intentional about teaching her that in order to win she needs to fight for it, her motivation (and …