Was winning or losing tug-of-war or fetch linked to dogs’ behavior test scores?

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Researchers filmed each dog and owner playing for 3 minutes, then conducted a 1-hour behavioral test. They compared play patterns with scores measuring cooperation, confident interaction, attention seeking, preferences for the owner or an unfamiliar person, and behavior during separation.

Dogs playing tug-of-war or fetch scored high for confident interaction, but winning or losing had no consistent effect on test scores. Other play patterns were associated with behavior: dogs engaging in physical, rough-and-tumble play scored higher for cooperation and lower for separation-related behavior than dogs playing other games. Dogs that started most games were less cooperative and more likely to show aggression.

These were observations, not evidence that the games caused those differences. Owners chose the games, and cooperation also varied between breeds. The researchers interpreted play as reflecting dogs’ temperament and their relationship with their owner. They found no evidence that games largely determine the relationship dimensions assessed through cooperation and confident interaction. They also suggested that substantial body contact during play might influence aspects of the relationship reflected in attention seeking, social preferences and responses to separation, but did not establish a causal effect.