Rescue Dog & His Dad Team up To Teach Foster Puppy How To Play Tug-Of-War

A living room game can look pretty confusing when a foster puppy has never been shown how to use the toy. In the video shared by @cactustherescue, Michael and Cactus set out to fix that for little Cowboy, who watches the toy being tugged around but cannot quite figure out where his part comes in. Cactus is already fully invested in the game, while Michael tries everything from showing Cowboy where to bite to teaching him a proper little “grrrr.” The rescue dog is patient through every attempt, and the foster puppy keeps coming back to him and dad for another go.

Rescue dog and dad give tug-of-war lessons to foster puppy in most adorable way

Cactus starts with the toy already in his mouth while Michael pulls at the other end and tells Cowboy, “Hey Cowboy, like this, see.” Cowboy circles underneath Cactus instead of grabbing the toy, so Michael shows him again. The lesson includes a quick growling tutorial, too. Michael asks Cowboy to go “grrrrr,” then tries to help him get his mouth around one corner of the toy while Cactus keeps hold of the other.

It does not click right away. Cowboy makes another attempt, charging toward Cactus and going after the toy. He nearly gets it, but the tackle ends with him toppling over. He gets back up and tries again anyway. You know what they say about persistence paying off, right? Michael helps Cowboy hold one end once more and tells him, “You got it, Cowboy.” This time, Cowboy hangs on. Then comes the tiny growl that dad had been expecting. “He’s got it! He’s doing it,” Michael says, before praising him again.

The foster puppy finally figured out the game, and Cactus looks very happy now that he has a new play buddy. Viewers noticed that, too. One person joked about “the way Cactus just stands there while Cowboy tugs,” while another said, “Cactus letting him win.”

The video has already picked up 26.2K likes, with people loving the little grrrr almost as much as the new skill. Cactus really does make a good teacher here. He holds still, lets Cowboy keep practicing, and never seems annoyed when the puppy needs several tries. By the end, Cowboy is no longer a tug-of-war student. Dad is proud, the foster puppy is growling, and the rescue dog has done his part.