I believe you are correct and the article is set up more for 'general' pet owners BUT still has good info. There are actually 2 different topics

1)not allowing the puppy to bite your body

2)not playing tug with a toy and your pup

Have to say, I'm with the 1st recommendations of not allowing the puppy to bite MY body. Ouch ouch ouch. But since I use the 2nd option to redirect and focus the pup on something OTHER than my body part when they want to play, I definitely use #2.

Problem comes up, I believe, with new dog owners and dominant dogs. These people can get walked all over by a new puppy, so the puppy doesn't learn to 'play fair'. No one likes when the puppy is out at all (ouch ouch ouch), HEAVEN FORBID you go to a professional to help with the training. And when the dog is huge, pushy, and out of control at a year, they end up at the shelter (or that's where all the Rotties, Labs, etc. end up in my area).

I think the thing about playing tug, is if we play, it's how you play. The article talks about how the pup can think it's in control, and growl, and keep it away from you, and become to dominant. But in my house, tug is MY game with MY rules. I bring the tug out, I put it away. I don't allow 'real' growling but we play growl all the time (and many newbies can't tell the difference). If I let the tug loose, I don't run after and play keep away because mostly this means the game is over and we are going in the house.

http://www.nwk9.com/dehasse_pupdev.htm

Originally posted by Jenn Kavanaugh:
I believe you are correct and the article is set up more for 'general' pet owners BUT still has good info. There are actually 2 different topics

1)not allowing the puppy to bite your body

2)not playing tug with a toy and your pup

Have to say, I'm with the 1st recommendations of not allowing the puppy to bite MY body. Ouch ouch ouch. But since I use the 2nd option to redirect and focus the pup on something OTHER than my body part when they want to play, I definitely use #2.

Problem comes up, I believe, with new dog owners and dominant dogs. These people can get walked all over by a new puppy, so the puppy doesn't learn to 'play fair'. No one likes when the puppy is out at all (ouch ouch ouch), HEAVEN FORBID you go to a professional to help with the training. And when the dog is huge, pushy, and out of control at a year, they end up at the shelter (or that's where all the Rotties, Labs, etc. end up in my area).

I think the thing about playing tug, is if we play, it's how you play. The article talks about how the pup can think it's in control, and growl, and keep it away from you, and become to dominant. But in my house, tug is MY game with MY rules. I bring the tug out, I put it away. I don't allow 'real' growling but we play growl all the time (and many newbies can't tell the difference). If I let the tug loose, I don't run after and play keep away because mostly this means the game is over and we are going in the house.

Another good site about socialization is below, more technical an article than the other.

http://www.nwk9.com/dehasse_pupdev.htm