Your dog wants nothing more than to play with you and many dogs love to play tug of war; it's a healthy display of their predatory nature. Tug of war provides great mental and physical exercise for your dog. It’s also a wonderful way for you to strengthen your bond with your fur baby, help them build confidence, and teach them self-control. As long as your dog is properly trained, you should have no qualms about playing this game together.

SodaPup has a wide selection of tug toys with tons of fun shapes, designs, colors and sizes for you to choose from; after all, variety is the spice of life for your dogs as well as yourself! All Sodapup toys are made in USA from the safest proprietary materials that are non-toxic, pet-safe, food-safe, and top rack dishwasher safe. Our products provide tremendous value because they’re built to last. Even though our tug toys are very durable, tug toys are not designed for heavy chewing, so don’t leave your dog alone with them.

While tug-of-war is fun, and there can be many benefits related to tug games, as with anything else, there are some situations in which tug-of-war may not be the best activity for a dog. Dogs that have a history of aggression (toward animals or humans) can often take tug games too seriously. In those cases, there are better options for games. High-arousal dogs that can’t settle down and tend to become over stimulated are also not the best candidates for tug games.

How to Play Tug-of-War in a Healthy, Safe Way

There are several steps to initiating tug-of-war with your dog in a safe way. To begin, the tug game should be initiated by you, and throughout the game, keep in mind that you are in control. This means if the dog appears to be over stimulated, obsessed, or is overly aggressive about grabbing the toy, you should take charge and end the game. In tug-of-war, the dog should always be well trained and under control enough that he will follow your command to release the toy. Keep in mind that some dogs, when happily playing tug-of-war, will begin to play-growl. As long as the dog’s tail is wagging, and it is clear that he is playing, the game can continue. If you sense that the dog is so intense that he won’t release the toy, it’s time for a break.

One of the most important things to know about tug-of-war is to always let the dog win. Also, if you are playing tug with a puppy, keep in mind that his jaws are not fully matured, and he still has baby teeth. You should only do very gentle pulling, if any at all, and keep the game short.

Keep in mind that when playing tug-of-war you want to protect the dog’s mouth and teeth. This means you should not use anything hard or with sharp edges (such as a big stick) when playing tug. Toys for tug games should be soft. Sodapup offers a wide array of all natural rubber tug toys as well as rubber toys with ropes attached for tugging. These are good, safe options that won’t hurt your dog.