Kimo The Dog
Saturday, July 13, 2024
The Right Way to Pet a Dog, According to Veterinarians
Sunday, March 24, 2024
The Dog Whisperer (Cesar Millan)
[8/22/18] Sling TV teams up with the Dog Whisperer
[7/4/18] Cesar Millan: Illegal Immigrant to American Dream
[7/3/18] Cesar broke the rule
[6/10/18] Audible for dogs
[12/23/16] Becoming a Pack Leader of Dogs and Donkeys
[9/30/16] I was checking out Cesar 911 and see that Amazon says it stars Cesar Millan and Jason Willinger. Who's Jason Willinger? He's the narrator.
Actually, I didn't like the narration of Cesar 911 as I preferred the narrator for Dog Whisperer. (Who is apparently Phil Terrence.) But now I've gotten use to Willinger. (Though I still prefer Terrence since he was the first.) Compare them here.
[8/27/16] Cesar's facebook post links to this 2002 Los Angeles Times article which might be the first article written about him. I previously had found a 2004 article (see 10/9/09 below). [OK, I'll finally update the date of this post. It was originally posted on 10/24/05 9:24 PM. It's now 7:17 AM]
[4/25/16] Cesar announces engagement to Jahira
[7/2/15] Calvin Millan gets his own show called Mutt & Stuff
[4/3/15] AOL Build: Cesar Millan
[4/2/15] Behind The Brand interview (full interview, see also 6/22/13 below)
[2/27/15] Cesar on WWHL
[2/26/15] How Dogs Taught Cesar Millan About Life
[2/24/15] Cesar Millan on the Steve Harvey Show
[8/5/14] Cesar sneaks up on Dr. Pol
[7/23/14] One of Cesar's client dogs bites neighbor
[4/6/14] Cesar tells his story to NPR
[2/16/14] Remembering Daddy
[2/12/14] Cesar Millan Foundation hits seven years
[11/6/13] Andrea Arden reads cesarsway.com
[9/27/13] Cesar greets fans at LAX
[9/25/13] Emery Sumner Productions and Melissa Jo Peltier sue MPH Entertainment. [Jim Milio in the good old days]
[9/17/13] Cesar filiming Love My Bully special
[8/31/13] Fergie and Josh Duhamel call on Cesar
[7/5/13] Cesar responds to criticisms from the Alan Titchmarsh show.
[7/5/13] Googling Dog Whisperer One Mean Tucker brings up this anti-Cesar thread at Shiba Inu forum. Lots of negative energy here. All I will say is that none (or very few) of the critics can do what Cesar can do. Actually a lot of his criticized techniques you see on TV require a high level of physical skill and timing. So it's probably less dangerous to do more conventional (positive-only) techniques.
[6/26/13] Junior's Tale
[6/22/13] Cesar Millan: Behind the Brand
[6/13/13] Cesar interview on Brian Williams Rock Center
[5/17/13] Tshss'ing Brian
[4/1/13] Leader of the Pachyderm
[3/15/13] Cesar on The View (Sherri Shepard's dog Ashley)
[2/9/13] Men's Journal article: Rescuing Cesar (long)
[1/29/13] Cesar and Shorty (photo)
[1/15/13] Cesar on omg! insider
[1/9/13] Cesar on Today Show (KL&Hoda)
[12/19/12] Cesar talks to The Big Issue
[11/24/12] Cesar gets his exercise
[11/19/12] You could do worse than Cesar
[11/18/12] Cesar hopes sharing struggles will help others
[11/16/12] Cesar bouncing back from suicide attempt
[11/16/12] Cesar Millan: The Real Story
[11/1/12] Cesar on Anderson Live
How Dogs See The World (CNN video, 11/19/10)
[10/31/12] Alan Titchmarsh interview with Cesar Millan
[10/17/12] Wall Street Journal interview: fear of dogs
[10/10/12] Cesar's new book: Short Guide to a Happy Dog
[10/9/12] Cesar on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NGW biopic to air November 25, trailer)
[10/1/12] Cesar on Today Show (10/6/09)
[9/27/12] Cesar revisits his first home when he came to America
[9/14/12] Cesar on KTLA
[8/10/12] Cesar at the Playboy Mansion
Nat Geo Wild orders biopic Cesar Millan: Pack Leader
Dogs Keep Celebrities Humble
Cesar talks with Kelsey Grammar about divorce
[7/29/12] Cesar Millan on dogs around the world
[7/7/12] More back and forth on Cesar
[7/7/12] Tales from the Set, Part 4 by Bob Aniello
[7/4/12] This site has some Dog Whisperer videos online (many of which are hosted by gorillavid). Probably illegally so they'll likely be taken down eventually.
[6/20/12] Tales from the Set by Todd Henderson
[6/11/12] Steve Dale wishes Cesar well
[6/10/12] Cesar and Mango (probably would have been a good Dog Whisperer episode -- depending on how he did it I guess)
[5/31/12] Cesar Millan in the movie Beethoven's Big Break (saved me from buying the DVD).
[5/26/12] Cesar talks with Indulge Magazine
[4/24/12] Who is Cesar Millan? (by Cesar Millan)
[3/6/12] Cesar on adopting the right dog
[1/16/12] The rise and fall of Cesar Millan (judging from the comments, what fall?)
[10/16/11] Cesar's aha moment
[8/1/11] Cesar on Michael Vick
[7/27/11] positive reinforcement techniques of Cesar Millan
[7/10/11] Cesar on his new book Cesar's Rules
[7/9/11] Zak George says Cesar Millan is yesterday's trainer
[6/7/11] Sessions with Cesar, the new online dog coaching course from Cesar Millan [via The Teachings of Cesar Millan]
[4/28/11] Cesar Millan on Jeopardy
[3/27/11] Cesar meets Mark Zuckerberg
[3/6/11] Cesar Millan, future governor of California?
[2/13/11] Found this old post (googling for Jennifer Ng) with Sophia Yin calling Cesar's methods "outdated" (compared to modern veterinary practice). (But the last six comments, including CJ Anderson's, make sense to me.)
[1/30/11] Good Dog, Bad Dog. Found via Kathy Sdao's twitter (found via dogbehavstudy found via PamelaDennison). She says the article did a lousy job (probably because it wasn't anti-Cesar enough).
[12/2/10] I was playing around with Digital TV for PC on Arlene's computer and saw there is a Cesar Channel. On the internet it's on livestream or use this shortcut.
[10/4/10] Cesar on CBS Sunday Morning [via Peggy and Willie]
[7/19/10] Ah here it is. Redeeming Rover, the 2002 article that started it all (according to The Ultimate Episode Guide).
[11/2/09] I was looking to reply to Sheri about how to avoid stress and thought about Cesar's 6 Steps For a Calm Walk. That was the episode with Tipper (Cesar's 6 Step Plan for Calm Walks). And came across this uk article. The six steps by the way are (1) Take A Deep Breath (2) Stay Calm (3) Set The Pace (4) Pick Up Speed (5) Face Your Obstacles (6) Get In The Zone
I also see a bunch of articles on Cesar's site (which are bound to be positive since they are on Cesar's site after all). They go back to 2006.
[10/9/09] I'm thinking of buying the Dog Whisperer Ultimate Episode Guide (especially since I recently bought Dog Whisperer Season 3 at Blockbuster) plus I see on ebay for 3.99 and I have .80 ebay bucks. I found this review on the web which said that a 2002 Los Angeles Times article helped lead to the series. So I did a search for Cesar Millan articles at latimes.com which came up with this 2004 feature article. It's not the same article but it is interesting looking back at the viewpoint of a 5-year old article. [7/19/10 - edited 2004 article link]
More latimes article: The sad story of Cotton who regressed after Cesar left. The owner turned to canine disarming. (Cotton kind of looks like Kimo.)
Cesar Millan: Saint or cult leader?
Marley and Me could have used Cesar
[5/5/07] Cesar has a myspace page
Cesar on youtube
Cesar on NPR
Nightline story
Boston Globe story
[7/14/10] Early videos with Cesar on Oprah's show
[8/12/10] videos from seasons 1-3 from The Teachings of Cesar Millan facebook page [via (oddly enough) the +R/-P Resource WebPage (rogue's gallery) relayed by terry pride on dogbehaviorscience 7/9/10] [2/2/12 - now here]
American Humane says Cesar's methods are inhumane.
Cesar responds to critics
[10/13/06] The Dog Whisperer comes to Hawaii
[1/30/07] Ian Dunbar vs. Cesar Millan
[6/14/10] Another article on Ian Dunbar
[9/16/10] Ian Dunbar on his contribution to Cesar's book [8/23/18 - I think I have this link elsewhere in my blog too]
[1/26/09] Another page of criticism of the Dog Whisperer
[5/28/10] Another critic of Cesar (and a lot of defenders)
[5/31/10] Here's a mostly positive article in a Modern Dog, evidently a magazine that backs Positive Training. Most of the comments are positive. Most.
[6/1/10] More criticisms of Cesar's by professionals. Followed up by a lot of his defenders.
[6/10/10] Beyond Cesar Millan (a whole website containing everything negative they can dig up on Cesar's techniques)
[8/3/10] Actually it's not just Cesar that the POs are campaigning against. It seems that they are against any training that's not PO and Cesar just happens to be the most visible. So that means virtually every single trainer of ten or twenty years ago. Take a look at the one-star comments of Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson's book (as opposed to the 135 five-star comments).
[6/11/10] Cesar discussed on Tracie Hochtner's Dog Talk show. Continued.
[7/1/10] Jean Donaldson against Cesar (or "force" training)
[7/14/10] Nicole Wilde compares/contrasts Dog Whisperer to Dog Town
[2/27/10] While googling Pat Miller [she has some books I might be interested in looking at], I came across her book review of Cesar's first book. That led to these articles at 4pawsuniversity, which is apparently anti-Cesar, glancing at a couple of the articles. I'm still a fan, but these articles seem to be written by "professionals" who seem to view Cesar as an an un-educated amateur.
[2/27/10] A partially broken link led to articles by Melissa Alexander who's a clicker trainer.
[1/30/07] Malcolm Gladwell's article
[6/9/10] Gladwell's article became the title of his newest book What The Dog Saw which are a collection of articles from the New Yorker. (Why why not just read them online for free?)
[12/17/12] What The Dog Saw available online from the Ukraine
[7/14/10] Mark Derr critique and some responses plus a long response by terrierman
[7/19/10] Terry Pride of dogbehaviorscience passes down this article quoting Stanley Coren, Jean Donaldson, Ian Dunbar all against Cesar. [Nothing new, just take a glance at beyondcesarmillan] For some reason, terry seems to have something personal against Cesar. I count 28 comments. Terry is the most recent. FWIW, counting up the comments I see 5 against Cesar and 17 for. (Put me in the for category. It's theory vs. common sense. Then again I believe in magic.)
Coincidentally terry's post was followed by this one "I just wanted to update those who when I was a member before said, "How's that going for you?" in how I handled my dog. Since I got physical with his punishment he hasn't bit anyone. Also, since then he went to bite my boyfriend while my boyfriend was disciplining him, and he stopped himself before he bit my boyfriend. So how is this working out for me? WONDERFULLY! He hasn't dared bite a person since."
[Obviously I'm not advocating punishment. And neither does Cesar for that matter.]
[10/24/05] Generations of children are familiar with "Lassie," but Cesar Millan, who grew up in Mexico, was particularly affected by reruns of the beloved TV series about the heroic collie and her human sidekick, Jeff. [Wasn't the boy named Timmy?]
[10/11/05 - article found 8/23/18] Dog Whisperer seminar at Hawaii Convention Center
[transplanted from my original blog 1/26/09]
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
The Art of Racing in the Rain
Saturday, June 3, 2023
pet's last wishes
Thursday, May 18, 2023
Humane Society to open second Oahu location
Monday, September 12, 2022
Ryan Stewart, dog walker
Thursday, April 7, 2022
puppy dog eyes explained
Tuesday, December 21, 2021
Brandon McMillan
Sunday, May 16, 2021
How to talk to your dog
Saturday, December 12, 2020
7 Things You Do That Your Dog Hates
Sunday, November 22, 2020
It's Me or the Dog
So far I see 21 episodes available. The first episode is Jimi & Duke. The last episode (when I checked) was Dylan.
Wait, now I see more episodes have been released. Zulu and Lotte. And I missed the Baily (Crufts) episode. So there's now a total of 24 episodes on the official full episode playlist.
The United States (aired on Animal Planet) episodes are available on Amazon Prime. The first three seasons are available on Prime Video, but not the fourth season for some reason. All four seasons are available on the Animal Planet app (apparently for free). Season 1 is available on Pluto TV.
***
[4/5/07] With the success of the Dog Whisperer, I now see that a couple of new shows about correcting dog behavior have appeared on Animal Planet:
Divine Canine. Besides being monks, they train dogs. They have a book called How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend: The Classic Training Manual for Dog Owners.
It's Me or The Dog. Instead of a guy from Mexico, it's a lady from England (Victoria Stilwell). Her book, naturally enough, is called It's Me or the Dog.
Here's one I haven't seen yet, Barking Mad, which deals not only with dogs but other animals as well.
I don't see that on this week, but I do see Good Dog U.
[transplanted from original blog, 1/26/09]
[3/17/10] I see Victoria (not just Cesar) gets less than positive reviews too.
[10/9/12] some training videos on youtube
Sunday, September 27, 2020
puppy socialization (wait?)
Wednesday, September 2, 2020
Tank Twitter
Twelve years ago I betrayed my husband. It was the best decision I ever made.
The betrayal came in the form of a 12-pound fluff ball named Tank. I got the dog in defiance of my husband’s declaration that our family was not getting a dog — not then, not ever. I adopted Tank behind my husband’s back, enlisting our daughters, then 11 and 13, as co-conspirators. Tank arrived, as I wrote at the time, as a pet accompli, too late for my husband to do anything about it.
“I can’t believe you did this,” he said, except for the expletive I have deleted, when he came home late from work to discover our newest family member. It took about 10 minutes, and as many face licks, for Jon to fall in love.
The rest of us already had, which was the point: Tank joined our family at a time when our lives were too chaotic to accommodate a dog but too stressed to be without one. None of us had ever had a dog before, but we understood, intuitively, that we needed the unconditional love that only a dog can provide.
Tank overperformed. At moments when our family was under stress, the one thing we could always agree on was that Tank was the best, the cutest dog ever. When we were in a better place, he remained at the center of our family unit, no matter how many shoes he destroyed. “Huggee!” we would yell, embracing, and Tank would come running to join. With him, we were a pack.
We lost Tank in the wee hours of Saturday morning — suddenly, unexpectedly, tragically. We stood outside the animal hospital, unable to enter because of COVID-19, holding one another and sobbing until we could say goodbye to our boy in the makeshift space in the parking garage. There is so much sadness in the world right now; there are so many worse and more consequential stories, and yet we are shattered. What we wouldn’t do to slip him one last morsel from the dinner table.
The reason I am writing is not Tank’s death but its aftermath. In the strain of the pandemic, in the heat of police shootings, the social fabric is fraying. You can hear it rip. If there was a communitarian, we’ll-getthrough- this-together ethos at the start of the lockdowns, it has been replaced by a my-way mentality. Thanks to President Donald Trump, mask-wearing has become political statement, not social responsibility.
We spent the summer in Wyoming, and driving home across the country (Tank was never happier than ensconced in the car for long stretches with his people), we encountered instance after instance — at the hotel in North Dakota, the restaurant in Minnesota where we stopped for takeout, the rest stop in Indiana — of behavior that was not only irresponsible but aggressively so.
When I asked a man at the rest stop — a rest stop whose doors proclaimed “Masks Required” — to wear a mask, he said I was free to do so for my health, but he chose not to. And when I pointed out that, actually, his mask-wearing protected me, and vice versa, it didn’t take long for him to start yelling about Joe Biden. I know: stupid, foolhardy me, to try to engage.
And when I tweeted about my experiences, the reaction was not exactly charitable. “Ruth apparently didn’t even end up testing positive after her trip,” wrote one person. “Too bad that she didn’t at least manage to add to the case count.” Nice. Sorry to disappoint.
I took to Twitter again, in the hours after Tank’s death, to share my grief. The platform that can be so ugly and so hate-filled responded this time with overwhelming love. From people I knew, from strangers, offering condolences and sharing their own sad experiences. It was an enormous, unexpected comfort. We looked at the pet pictures they posted and read the stories they shared of their own dog’s passing, and wept.
What does it say that an audience that can be so cruel and ugly can be so generous and compassionate? The more cynical interpretation is that we are a country that tends to care more about pets than people, and there is some unfortunate truth to that. I have a reporter friend who many years ago wrote a Christmas Day story about homeless people living under a bridge with their dogs. His voice mail was filled with offers of help — from people wanting to adopt the dogs.
But I think our capacity to love our pets speaks to a better side of human nature. Perhaps it takes a nonhuman to bring out the humanity in us, but that spark is still present. It requires careful kindling by leaders who summon our better angels; it can be snuffed out by those who fan the flames of hatred and discord.
We are Rest Stop Twitter, angry and vindictive, but we are also Tank Twitter, full of boundless affection, even for strangers. Tank didn’t see either — he saw humans to love, even if part of their attraction was that they might have treats.
If he could, Tank would lick all your faces. Every last one.
— Ruth Marcus writes for The Washington Post.
Monday, August 31, 2020
dogs with benefits
“This cottage would feel kind of bereft of life without Maisie padding around,” says Jan.
I’m sure Jan is not alone in feeling happy to have a dog. Many of us are relying more on our pets for comfort while we face the uncertainty of the pandemic—even those of us who have human roommates to keep us company, too. Research suggests that there’s something about our dogs that makes us feel less lonely and anxious, and can even keep us healthier.
What is that something? It’s hard to put a finger on, but hormones may play a role. Petting a dog has been shown to reduce cortisol (the stress hormone), for example, and caring for a dog releases oxytocin (the bonding hormone that calms us and increases our trust in others).
Here are some of the science-backed ways that our dogs can help us cope with difficult circumstances and stay well.
1. Dogs stave off loneliness
Many of us are feeling a bit lonelier than usual these days; sheltering-in-place and keeping our distance from others is hard for everyone, including introverts. Being without human touch is particularly difficult: People who are touch-deprived tend to feel more depressed, experience more pain, and even have poorer immunity. But having a pet around (including dogs or their cat rivals) can help prevent loneliness.
“I’m hugely grateful that I’ve had Maisie as my eight-pound, fluff-ball quarantine buddy,” says Jan. “She keeps me company whether I’m reading or gardening, and cracks me up regularly with her episodes of doggy silliness.”
Though the benefits of having a pet have been studied more among the elderly (who often have limited social contact), they likely apply to many more of us during COVID-19. After all, we all have less social contact than we’d normally have right now, and that’s got to be hard on our psyches.
Why do dogs help us with loneliness? It’s probably not an accident that dogs are often called “man’s best friend.” Many people feel that dogs are like family members (but without the baggage), providing unconditional love and easy companionship. Plus, many of us have the sense that our dog resonates with us emotionally—a notion that some science supports. We’re bound to feel less isolated with a soft, understanding, loving being around.
2. Dogs reduce stress and anxiety
Many of us have been super stressed and anxious during the pandemic. We don’t know when we will be able to move about freely again, our jobs may be compromised, and we’re worried about contracting the virus or passing it on to others. We also can’t do many of the things that usually help us manage stress better—like going to the gym or having dinner with a group of friends.
Luckily, dogs can help, as many studies have shown and experts attest. In one study, 48 participants were given a stress test where they had to do public speaking and then perform difficult calculations while unfriendly observers watched them. The participants were randomly assigned to have either a friend, a dog they didn’t know, or no one accompany them before and during the test. Their cortisol levels and heart rates were measured before, just after, and 30 minutes after the test, and they filled out questionnaires about their anxiety.
While everyone became more anxious during the test and showed higher heart rates and cortisol levels, those participants paired with a dog had lower levels of both than those with no support or even those with a friend. This suggests that being with a dog can help us recover from stressful situations—perhaps even the stress of a pandemic—even if it’s not our own dog (which may be why so many colleges bring canines onto campuses during finals week).
For those who can’t have a pet, there is some evidence that just seeing videos of dogs can reduce stress and anxiety. That probably explains why many of us turn to cute puppy (and cat) videos for relief.
3. Dogs help us get along with others
While many of us are seeing our friends on Zoom and in other physically distanced ways during the pandemic, it can be hard to feel truly connected. And, as the quarantine drags on, it may be harder to get along with the people we live with, too—like our partners and our children.
But there is evidence that having a dog around can improve our ability to connect with other people. For example, one study found that in the presence of a dog, people acted more trusting, friendly, and cooperative. Although this study was done in a work group, the same might be true for those of us working and living together in tight spaces, too.
Another study found that when someone is out and about with a dog, people consider them to be more approachable than someone without a dog. And, if people walking a dog “accidentally” drop some coins in the street, they are more likely to be helped by a stranger.
This is something Jan noticed during her quarantine outings. “Maisie prods me out of the house for walks around our neighborhood, where she invariably provokes friendly (socially distanced) interactions with friends and strangers alike.”
It’s nice to know dogs can act as a kind of social glue. In another study, researchers randomly surveyed people in the U.S. and Australia, asking them how much they interacted with their neighbors. The findings revealed that pet owners (in the U.S., at least) were significantly more likely to know people in their neighborhoods, while dog owners in particular were more likely to consider a neighbor a friend and to feel socially supported by their neighbors.
Given that so many of us are limited to our neighborhoods or, possibly, dependent on neighbors for help during the pandemic, dog ownership may give us a slight advantage when it comes to connecting with those around us.
4. Dogs keep us healthier
All of these advantages—being less lonely, less stressed and anxious, and more connected to others—also tend to make us healthier. And there is direct evidence that dog owners experience a variety of health benefits.
A review of multiple research studies found that pet owners had significantly lower heart rates, arterial pressure, and systolic blood pressure, suggesting better cardiovascular health. Some of this may have to do with the fact that most dogs need to be walked, and so people who own dogs tend to walk more. But there are probably other pieces to the puzzle.
It could be that adopting a needy animal confers its own benefits, as doing good deeds tends to make us happier and healthier. Interestingly, during COVID-19, there has been an increase in the number of people willing to foster a pet, in part because more people are working from home and can therefore accommodate a pet’s needs more easily.
It’s clear that what we receive from dogs in love and care comes back to us a hundredfold. Perhaps, if we want to get through the pandemic in better mental and physical health, it wouldn’t hurt to have a dog around.
By Jill Suttie | August 26, 2020
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
three tips for happier dogs
By Zazie Todd, PhD
When I was writing my book, Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy, I wanted to make it as practical as possible. So I included a set of tips at the end of every chapter (except chapter one).
Three of those tips are shown in these graphics.
Tip no. 73 is: If your dog has a behavior problem, don't use punishment. It does not teach your dog what to do instead of the problem behavior, and it interfere's with the dog's feeling of safety.
Thursday, August 13, 2020
Playing with your dog
Wrestle Play and Teasing: I do stand by the ban on rough-and-tumble wrestle play between dogs and humans and the teasing that often accompanies it. Though wrestle play betwen dogs and humans can be fun, the high emotional arousal that results often leads to a lack of inhibition, and that’s when trouble can happen, even to nice dogs and to nice people.
The play styles used in wrestle are also used in serious fights and predation. Rough play is typically okay for play between dogs but can create real danger with people. When you (or your nephew or the little girl who lives next door) are down on the ground with your face next to an excited predator with dangerous weapons in her mouth, bites can happen. Serious bites could happen, even if the dog has never bitten before. All too often, I’ve seen shocked and devastated families crying in my office, and I don’t want it to happen to anyone else.
Chasing Dogs: I’m also opposed to people chasing dogs, preferring to let dogs chase people instead. If you chase your dog, you risk teaching your dog that moving toward her means the game is afoot, making her more likely to run away even when you approach her for another reason. This can ruin your dog’s recall.
Chasing your dog can also lead to injury if your dog charges away from you into the street or other unsafe area. There’s no denying that letting a person chase a dog can be a great reinforcement for the dog, but I only approve this game for dogs who are so well-trained that the person can stop the game at any time and successfully call the dog to come.
Dog Play Myths
I disagree with the following advice on how to play with your dog:
Myth #1: Don’t mix Dog training and play.
Not true! It’s actually great to incorporate play into dog training sessions. The best dog training occurs when the dog views an activity as a game rather than a lesson. Using chase games to teach recalls, playing follow to build a base for heeling, using tug to practice “take it” and “drop it,” and practicing stays with “find it” games or hide-and-seek are all great ways to blend training and play. Additionally, play is reinforcing, so playing with your dog may be better than the best treat.
Myth #2: Only young dogs need to play.
Not true! A small percentage of animal species play at all, and even fewer play beyond childhood. Dogs and people remain playful into adulthood, which may partially explain why we’ve been best friends for thousands of years. Many older dogs stop playing only because they no longer have buddies to play with. Keep playing with your dog well into old age. It’s part of what makes them dogs and us human!
Myth #3: Don’t play tug with Your Dog.
Most importantly, I disagree with this prohibition (at least for most dogs). Many people advise against playing tug, which is a shame because so many dogs adore it. Tug is a great game, and dogs can learn a lot from playing it. Many trainers share this view and actually teach tug in puppy classes. The earlier dogs learn the lessons that tug has to offer such as impulse control, mouth control and cooperation as well as skills like “take it” and “drop it,” the safer and more fun the game becomes.
For a long time, experts advised against playing tug with dogs for fear that it would create or increase aggressiveness in dogs. Later, tug was considered fine for most dogs as long as they were not allowed to “win” by keeping the toy at the end. The concern was that it would have bad consequences for her to feel she had just triumphed over the person.
A scientific study by Rooney and Bradshaw addressed this issue. They found that “winning” the toy in a game of tug had no impact on the relationship of the human-dog pair. Based on their research, though, we should still be thoughtful about letting certain dogs keep the toy after a tug game. The most playful dogs in the study exhibited significantly higher amounts of playful attention-seeking behavior when they were allowed to “win.” Therefore, it may be better not to allow those dogs who become relentlessly pushy about seeking more play time to “win” at tug.
Of course, for a few dogs, tug is a bad idea. Dogs who are prone to aggression induced by high arousal are not good candidates for it. The same warning applies to dogs with poor bite inhibition or poor self-control as well as those who tend to creep up the toy with their mouths during tug. Additionally, it may exacerbate resource-guarding behavior in dogs who already exhibit it.
For most dogs though, tug has many benefits. It is interactive and requires cooperation between humans and dogs. It can give dogs exercise and help them stretch their bodies prior to other activities such as running or agility. Tug can effectively rev up an agility dog for maximum success on the course. It helps many dogs learn better mouth control in general.
With so many “Do nots” on how to play with dogs, the most important may be this: Do not spend so much time worrying about playing with your dog that you don’t have time to actually play with her.