I have an 7 1/2 month old male Mastiff/Bullmastiff. He is just starting to show very slight dominant behavior and we correct it every time it comes up. My question is what kind of play activities we can have with him without encouraging dominant behavior. We only got him 3 weeks ago and his previous owners played tug and wrestling with him. We don't play any of these games. (He now wieghs 75 pounds and is expected to get up to 165) He likes to fetch but hasn't mastered the drop command yet so it turns into a tug of war. I make sure I always win and then put his toy away but being a puppy he gets so bored. We are just starting obediance training and he likes that but he still gets restless. Any ideas are welcome. Also please don't recommend that we wrestle "sometimes". This is not a behavior I participate in with small dogs let alone a large dog. I know some advocate this but its just not for me.Thanks Leann

To teach the drop exchange with another toy or food, don't bother 'fighting it out' with the dog (especially one this big!). Praise wildly. Dog realizes when he drops he gets more goodies and stops viewing you as simply trying to steal the toy.

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He likes to fetch but hasn't mastered the drop command yet so it turns into a tug of war. I make sure I always win and then put his toy away

He'll never be happy to give you a toy if he learns that giving it up means the game is over. Depends on what you are training him for, but as a companion/house pet, he should work on the release command on a regular basis (IMHO). As suggested, for now, offering a trade (treats, other toys, etc.) is a great place to start. Once you're confident he understands the concept, he needs to be corrected for not releasing. It's a safety issue in my mind and not negotiable... what if he gets something dangerous/poisonous in his mouth? What if he gets a cat in his mouth? What if he takes something off your plate and runs off to eat it? By the time you get to him, he may already think that taking your food is a game (he got food AND you chased him... jackpot). Just some things to think about.

And I know lots of people don't wrestle with their dogs. To me, that's not such a big deal. But to a dog that enjoys playing tug, that can be the best motivational tool you have. I have a dog that turns into the most eagerly obedient dog when he sees his tug. All of a sudden, he will do anything to figure out how to do what I ask and learns things much quicker. Some people think it encourages aggressive behavior, but I just don't see it. I think it gives them an outlet for natural instinct/drive that all dogs have.

You can play hide and seek. It requires two people; you let the dog see you go outside, give you a minute to hide, then have your helper let the dog out to find you. If he's outside and doesn't realize you're hiding in the beginning, whistle to get his attention, and do that until he understands the game.

You can teach him to do some amateur tracking.

Dog fishing is fun. Take a fishing pole, remove the hooks, tie a toy or bone to the end, cast and reel in to make him chase. It can also help you teach him to drop it, and tires him out.

Get a book like Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs, and give him the personality tests in it. They're fun and will make the dog use his brain.

You can buy a Kong, fill it with food and freeze it. That will keep him busy trying to get to the food. Or you can get him extra large rawhides or other big bones. He'll probably chew for hours.

Take him to the beach, or a lake, let him swim or just run in and out of the water.

I agree with Ryan on the tug and rough play issue. It's all how you manage it when you end the game and when you're not playing, that makes the difference, but you're right, it's definitely not for everyone.

Use the NILIF system if you don't do that unconsciously already.

http://www.westwinddogtraining.com/Articles_Etc/Training/Crate_Training/NILIF/nilif.html

These are some great ideas. Thanks so much. I'm not opposed to tug games but I think he should learn the release command 110% for the very reasons you stated Ryan. If he releases when I tell him then the fetch game continues, if not then I take the toy away and quit. Do you think this is confusing him? My labs learned this pretty quick but he seems to be a lot more stubborn. The outside games are kind of on hold right now (due to 35 mph winds and horizonal rain) but I can't wait to try some of them. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> Thanks, Leann

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Dog fishing is fun. Take a fishing pole, remove the hooks, tie a toy or bone to the end, cast and reel in to make him chase. It can also help you teach him to drop it, and tires him out......

Dog-fishing (the name cracks me up) is very successful around here. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

So is "fetch" in the hallway or any clear path the length of a couple of rooms.

Connie, you do dog fishing?! It's fun isn't it? I've been thinking that maybe a snapper pole would be better. With the reel, the dogs are too fast to catch the 'bait' so I was thinking with a snapper pole I could just whip the 'bait' away from them quicker and keep the game flowing better <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> We play fetch in the house too. I think it's more fun inside because there are obstacles, like the furniture. Dogs leap over it and knock it down here <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> It gets wild but it's hysterical <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> That can only be played when my husband isn't home <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Leann, I just remembered another two games. One is chase the laser. You get a laser and just point it around for the dog to go after. Dogs either like it or they don't. One of mine loves it and will chase for hours. It's like a drug to him. He'll open up drawers, climb the china cabinet, and go thru other obstacles to get it when I put it away <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> He can take it out, turn it on, and point it around for himself to chase, he loves it so much. He gets annoying with it though and will whine to play it. I hid it so he couldn't climb for it, and I hid it so good I forgot where it is <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

The other game is 'doggy doggy find your bone.' It's kind of like the kids version of it. I take one of his toys and hide it while he's out of the room. When he comes into the room I instruct him to find (name of whatever toy I hid). Prep for the game is naming toys and making sure he knows what they are. In the beginning stages of the game you may have to search along with him, find the toy and show him, to teach him what you want him to do. Have fun <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I used to feel the same way you did about rough play, lol <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I read it was no good and used to get mad at my husband for encouraging it. Well, they won because I saw how much the dog liked it, and I've found it didn't create any behaviors that I'd read it did. I like to watch them play now, and could watch for hours <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Maybe you'll change your mind, but either way I doubt it matters. There are other things you could do with the dog.

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Connie, you do dog fishing?! It's fun isn't it?

Yep.....there are whole websites devoted to it, although I think it was invented by one person who is quoted in all the sites I've seen.

All I have is an old Ugli Stick, but it works!

I also do the hiding and finding certain toys.

Small caveat: I do NOT do the laser light, having met and read about too many high-energy dogs in whom OCB behavior was triggered with that. Sounds like your dogs are OK, but I wanted to put that in for other owners.

Also, we really do have to gauge the energy level and the possible "dominance factor" of games with our particular dogs and what kind of special training they may be engaged in.

But there are sites with all kinds of suggestions to consider online, Googling "Dogs, games."

in racing/coursing circles, it's called "fishpoling" and is a part of every pup's training. Many people use a lunge whip; the most effective fishpole I've seen was an old pole vaulting pole. The guy worked at a high school, and got the poles when they had a crack or were otherwise rejected- they were long and lighweight. He leaned them up against a tree when he wasn't using them, and they were tall enough that the lure was well out of reach.
vickie

Yea!!! You guys rock. I can't wait to try the dog fishing. Salmon seasons over, watch out Shaq dog. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Lastnight we played hide and seek. My 7 year old daughter hid with treats and we had him find her. We even put her in the top of the closet <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> and he found her. In the future I may let my husband rough house with him but I want to get his training a little further along. This is great. Leann