Blissful Dog Owner – Sacramento Dog Training and Behavior Modification

Aggressive Play

Posted on 14. May, 2011 by Jaimie Scott in Blissful Dog Blog

Many dog books and trainers assert that playing aggressively with your dog encourages your dog to be aggressive. In my opinion, the opposite is true! For dogs with aggressive tendencies, rough play provides a healthy outlet so that aggressive behavior doesn’t come out in unacceptable ways.

Let’s look at a popular breed which is often bred for aggressive behavior: the Pit Bull. I work with more Pit Bulls than any other breed. They happen to be one of my favorite breeds as well. A Pit Bull that is not properly trained or is handled by an inept owner can be extremely dangerous. Pit Bulls often have a propensity for aggression; it’s part of their genetics. So do German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Doberman Pinchers, Akitas, and Mastiffs, among other breeds. If you own a dog that is of one of these breeds that doesn’t have an aggressive bone in his body, no need to post a comment. That’s not uncommon. I’m simply saying that somewhere along the line these breeds have protection among the characteristics that breeders were seeking as they developed the breed. Some of these breeds are more likely to be aggressive toward other animals, some toward people, and some simply don’t discriminate. Even when not bred specifically for aggression, Pit Bulls are part Terrier and more likely to be dog aggressive than other breeds if not properly trained. Despite their bad reputation, Pit Bulls are one of the most loyal, affectionate breeds out there.

Each week clients come to me with puppies saying, “I wish I could play tug of war with my puppy. He loves it, but all the books say not to because it will make him aggressive.” Those books are wrong. If your dog likes tug of war you should play with him every chance you get. Such aggressive play does make your dog respond in kind. However, once the play session is over, your dog will actually be less aggressive. Playing aggressively with your dog gives him a healthy and appropriate outlet for those aggressive tendencies that he might have inside of him. If you don’t provide your dog an outlet for that pent up aggression, it is highly likely that it will come out in other ways, such as aggression towards other dogs or people.

The nice thing about play is that it is a controlled activity where you can set limits. If you don’t want your dog to bite you while playing, you can let him know that behavior is not allowed. The same goes for growling or scratching or any other aspect of play. I personally don’t mind “play growling” and even encourage it. Now if the growl turns aggressive, then I don’t allow it. You can usually tell them apart. You can also (and should) stop play periodically to remind your dog that you are the one in charge, and to reinforce that he takes his direction from you.

For my pit bull clients I advise them to play very aggressively to really get the dog engaged. You want to push your dog around, grab his skin, grab his ears, etc. Your goal is to try to develop the same intensity that your dog would develop if he were attacking another dog! Then when he really starts getting into it, but before he loses control, stop, redirect his attention, and make him drop the toy. If your dog gets this out of his system during play he will be much less likely to direct it toward another dog or person. If you can’t make it to the off leash dog park on a particular day it’s also a good way to tire your dog out.

If your dog has as part of his makeup some aggressive tendencies, wouldn’t you rather choose when, where, and how that aggression comes out than to leave it up to your dog to decide? I much prefer to dictate my dog’s behavior rather than wait to see how my dog will react in any given situation and then respond to his behavior. Staying in charge has the additional benefit of making my dog feel happier and more secure as well. As I often say to clients, “We have dogs because we like to share affection with dogs. Dogs like affection, but first and foremost they need structure. They need to know who’s in control at any given time or they cannot be happy, well-adjusted dogs.”