Actually, many recent studies have shown that dogs who enjoy rough house play with their owners were generally considered better socialized than dogs who didn’t. These dogs also had less separation anxiety. This included games of tug-of-war. These dogs were considered more confident without being “dominant” or “aggressive.” These studies did not find any connection between playing tug-of-war and developing aggression or dominance. (Rooney and Bradshaw, 2003; Goodloe and Borchelt, 1998) J. O’Heare, in Aggressive Behavior In Dogs (2007) writes: “The relationship between tug-of-war and dominance aggression appears to be a myth.” (Ottawa: DogPsych Publishing).

There is no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy playing tug-of-war with your dog as long …

However, this isn’t always the case.

Different dogs have different temperaments, and from an early age children need to learn how to treat dogs respectfully. This will help reduce the incidence of dog attacks on children, and allow them to live peacefully together.

The term “temperament” refers to a dog’s general attitude and outlook. Dog temperament not only varies between breeds, but between individuals within a breed. For example, working breeds are known to be active and may not like to sit still, whereas terriers can be tenacious and quite strong willed.
When choosing a dog, take into account a dog’s temperament. If you have older children, you may be happier with an active dog that will rough and tumble with them. If you have younger children, you  may prefer a quieter dog. Puppies  and elderly dogs may be afraid of noisy children, and defend themselves with a nip.

Another important aspect of dog temperament is trainability. Intelligent dogs who are easy to train, and learn what’s expected of them quickly, are easier to teach to fit the family lifestyle. However, these dogs are often easily bored, and may be destructive if they don’t have enough mental stimulation.

It’s often easier to predict temperament with purebred dogs, as they tend to have a characteristic demeanor. Many breeders are now performing temperament testing to match …