Up’n’down game
Goal
The goal of this game is to get your human to realize that we can control ourse… (wait, squirrel over there! Rrruff! Rrruff! …. [Good shake!]). Where was I? Yes control ourselves when faced with a “trigger” (fancy word for that pesky neigbour dog Jake that marked MY OWN HYDRANT with his foot 5 degrees upper than me!).
Why work ourselves by pulling the leash and barking, if we can take a second, reconsider and get human to shower with treats?
Alrrright.
Stage 1: Quiet room.
- Get the human to grab your favourite treats.
- Make them stand like a fool in the middle of room and wait for you. If they say anything don’t pay any attention. Pretend you are sniffing under the sofa. This is a quiet exercise.
- Hmm… that treat smells good. Maybe look at them once. (Why are my eyes getting big?)
- Human puts the treat on the floor.
- You come close and grab it. Walk away.
- Make the human exercise, nudge them to throw it at random direction.
- Pick it up with dignity.
- Stare at them again. (keep the eye contact to keep things under control)
- Keep the treats coming, human!
Make them repeat multiple times, by ignoring them every other turn - especially if they start talking. You can’t make them feel it’s easy. Resist the call of treat.
Stage 2: Backyard, enclosed space
Get them put the leash on you and hold it, to keep them focused. What if they start staring at the sky, instead of giving you treat? This needs to happen in an enclosed space so that your human does not run away and start chatting with the neighbours.
Same story. Treat in paw… err.. hands! Attention on you. Go through the motions, not forgetting to pay attention at important things like pigeons and neighbour’s cat. Take the treat only when can’t resist the call.. the smell anymore.
Stage 3: Trigger
Remember Jake? Best if you can position your human on a good distance from Jake, so your brain is not fully consumed by urge to chew off Jake’s ear and you can get more treats. If Jake is not available, use other triggers - like vicinity of the dog park for example.
Again. Human. Stare. Treats. Repeat.