What EXACTLY does your dog have to do to win the toy? As I’m packing for the weekend training camp I thought about the most asked by me question at my play workshops — that even experienced handlers and dog trainers more than often don’t have a clear answer to. That usually means the win is random. The handler pulls the dog left and right, does most of the work… and eventually lets go. That’s not really winning. Think about human tug-of-war. It’s very clear which team is winning: they’re pulling the other team across the line. Now imagine that team dominates the game, pulls everyone onto their side… and then randomly drops the rope. Did the other team really win? No. They were handed the win. Do this exercise next time you play with your dog: Imagine a line between you and your dog. WHO IS PULLING WHOM ACROSS IT? If your dog is pulling YOU onto their side — brilliant. If you’re constantly pulling the dog onto YOUR side, you’re dominating the game. Your dog should actively fight for the toy through: • pulling • head shaking • dropping their weight • push-bite When you feel real effort — Give the WIN. The win should reinforce effort, not participation. That’s how you create the feeling: “I did that.” “I was strong enough.” “I won.” And how do you know the game felt good? Your dog doesn’t just actively fight for the toy. They happily BRING IT BACK FOR MORE. The retrieve is one of the best indicators that your dog enjoyed the interaction and feels confident playing with you. That’s the game I want: Fight for it. Win it. Bring it back. Do it again. Every Training starts with building motivation, engagement, relationship, impulse control and confidence. And PLAY is absolutely the best tool for it. But you have to stop playing to exercise your dog and start playing with purpose! That’s why I created Play With Purpose — a step-by-step formula that removes the guesswork from play. So how your dog is winning play?