How to teach your dog to disengage?
Hattie Moen
2025-06-23 06:10:11
Count answers: 12
The Engage-Disengage Game uses positive reinforcement methods to first decrease the dog’s fear, anxiety, or frustration and then teach a safe and appropriate replacement behavior of Self-Interruption.
When playing this game, play in about 5-minute increments, then take a break to walk around and let your dog relax.
In Level Two, we are rewarding our dog for DISENGAGING the trigger by looking back at us.
You should begin this level at the same distance from the trigger as Level One.
Wait for your dog to engage the trigger, then wait 3 to 5 seconds for your dog to DISENGAGE or look away from the trigger on their own.
As soon as your dog looks away from the trigger, MARK with your clicker or verbal marker.
Deliver your tasty treat.
Repeat for 3 to 5 successful repetitions.
A successful repetition is your dog comfortably disengaging from the trigger on their own.
After these 3 to 5 repetitions, you are ready to slowly move 1 to 5 steps closer to the trigger.
Daniela Waters
2025-06-23 05:57:30
Count answers: 13
You can teach your dog to disengage from the world in three ways: 1) value placement, 2) win the game, and 3) spontaneity.
Disengagement is your dog seeing value in coming away from something that excites, scares, or intrigues them.
Value Placement is spelling out to your dog that there is value in moving away from something they are engaged with.
Two Games you can play are Distraction Mark Treat and Disengagement Pattern.
In a low distraction environment, toss one piece of food ahead, when your dog turns back to you, feed, feed, feed as you walk away.
Win the Game is setting up a game where your dog wins the game by disengaging from something.
Three games you can play are Plant Pot Prison, It’s Yer Choice, and Give into Leash Pressure.
Spontaneity is noticing and reinforcing your dog when they look at something and then look away.
Does your dog notice that bird in the sky and look away, does your dog look at the kids in the playground and go back to sniffing the ground, does your dog turn away from food on the end table.
Playing the games listed above will make a huge difference in your relationship and teach your dog that stuff ‘out there’ is none of their business.
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