My fiesty little dog asks me to fight on days he needs:
Connection, help to release tension, a mood booster, a boredom buster.
Wrestling can be a safe activity, its bond building. It brings us both joy but it has to be done right so the dog doesn’t get over excited, frustrated, overwhelmed and make mistakes.
We must first train them to easily and quickly let go and move away when mistakes happen, because they do, they have teeth.
This is how I wrestle with my dog, who has learnt how to play fight with toys, and how to stop when told. See my other videos how we did this.
I did the same with my bull breed, who needed wrestling as permission to interact because he was so fearful of humans. Our wrestling was much less boisterous, very slow, stopping frequently, redirecting his attention often, checking in with each other. We avoided frustration.
He became confident to push me around and lean into me, knowing his job was to focus on the toy, and that i would never restrict him into needing to fight to escape. We stayed safe because we played safe.
I dont think its ever safe for kids to wrestle with dogs, even though we all did it. Kids miss body language and are easily dysregulated themselves. As adults we can better judge when a dog needs a break.
I wrestle with my dog because I recognise his body language and my focus is on him having a fun time. Just like wrestling with children, we aren’t beating them up or making then panic, its soft play. But as dogs have teeth I give them a safe place to put them – on the toy.
This is not a guide on how to wrestle with your dog, im not encouraging it, because i dont know your dog or your ability to play safe. But as we all do play with our dogs I want to show you how I personally do it.
Please play safe, watch your face, and if your dog has any pain or behaviour issues wrestling is probably best avoided!
