If your dog often gets distracted by other dogs or people while out on walks, you may want to consider this easy game that immediately commands their attention
A dog trainer has revealed a simple game that can help your pooch stay focused during walks.
Jemma, a reward-based dog trainer from southeast London, shared the advice on her TikTok account @milneandmutt. She recommends a straightforward game designed “to help your dog focus on you and ignore distractions.”
“Do you have a dog that has to say hi to every single dog that they see on a walk?” Jemma asked, continuing: “Do they have to say hi to every person? Interact with every distraction?” She then suggested a method to “improve their focus on you”.
She advised making distractions and surroundings a “bit more neutral” so your dog doesn’t show excessive interest in them. Jemma said her favourite game is the “pattern game 1-2-3, which involves your dog listening to you count out loud.”
She explained that it provides them with a “very safe and predictable pattern to follow,” and after you say number three, there should be a “guaranteed treat.”
Jemma elaborated: “So, at home, without any distractions, you’re going to sit with your dog and some treats and just count. One…two…three – and then deliver your dog a treat, guaranteed every time.”
She added that this game can be taken “on the move” and “your dog is going to learn that after [saying the number] three, there’s a guaranteed treat.”
Jemma demonstrated the pattern game with her own dog, who eagerly looked up at her upon hearing ‘three’.
At the end of the video she showed how her dog was utterly unfazed by a cat lounging on the sidewalk, all thanks to the game.
The comments section saw some dog owners expressing doubts about their furry friends preferring treats over socialising with other canines, but Jemma had tips at the ready.
One person commented: “I have a lab who couldn’t be less interested in treats if he’s seen a dog. He lies down like a dead weight and will not move until he’s said hello.”
Another voiced their thoughts: “Is it possible the dog thinks other dogs are a bigger reward than treats? How do you handle that?”.
To which Jemma responded: “Be consistent! Start these games at a distance from dogs and distractions to help your dog be successful.”
