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Their findings have been accepted for publication in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science. Most of the dogs played with anyone in sight, so the factor related to the familiarity of the play partner was crossed off the list. How much the dog played on a daily basis, however, did seem to affect how motivated or fearful the dog was during the study, so Toth advises owners to spend as much time with their dogs as possible. "The more (owners) play with their dogs, and we mean the more types of games as well, the better," she said. The dog's breed played a minor role, with breeds selected for fighting, such as terriers, occasionally tending to get more stimulated during the more competitive tug-of-war game. Gender was a slightly more important factor, with males tending to be somewhat less tentative than females, and more males than females preferring tug-of-war. "That doesn't surprise me," said Lisa Peterson, an American Kennel Club spokesperson, "since females rear the young and have a tendency to be more leery." Peterson was also not surprised that both male and female dogs often seem to put aside their fears when their drive to play kicks in. "Historically, dogs hooked up with humans some 15,000 years ago by pleasing us in exchange for food," she explained. "They are motivated to play and to please, and these drives appear to be stronger than some of their other urges now." Peterson isn't a big fan of tug-of-war games, though, since, over time, they can bring out those other doggy urges, such as competitiveness and dominance-seeking. If such games must be played, she said it isn't so much who wins that matters, but who is in charge. "All of us dog owners admittedly have knot tug toys," said Peterson, who has bred dogs for over 20 years. "Just be sure to teach the dog to release the toy when playtime is over," she advised. "You need to show it that you're the boss and the top dog." Related Links: Jennifer Viegas' blog: Born Animal |
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