A dog trainer has revealed a simple game that can help your furry friend stay focused during walks.
Jemma, a reward-based dog trainer from southeast London, took to her TikTok account @milneandmutt to share 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 queried. “Do they have to say hi to every person? Interact with every distraction?” She suggested that this game could be the solution to enhancing their concentration on you.
She recommended making distractions less appealing to your dog by creating an environment that’s a “bit more neutral” around them.
Jemma’s go-to game is the “pattern game 1-2-3, which involves your dog listening to you count out loud.”
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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.”
The aim is to eventually take this game outside, teaching your dog that after hearing the number three, a treat is on its way.
Jemma demonstrated the game with her own dog, who eagerly awaited his treat upon hearing ‘three’.
In the concluding segment of her clip, the dog trainer displays how her pooch remains unfazed by a cat lounging on the sidewalk, all thanks to her training technique.
Jemma responded to concerns voiced in the comment section from pet owners skeptical about their dogs favouring treats over other canines, offering them guidance.
One person said: “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 queried: “Is it possible the dog thinks other dogs are a bigger reward than treats? How do you handle that?”
To which she advised: “Be consistent! Start these games at a distance from dogs and distractions to help your dog be successful.”