Engagement Games
Overview Engagement games are enjoyable and mentally stimulating activities that train dogs to focus on their owner, even amid distractions or without treats and toys. By combining short, focused exercises with cognitive challenges, these games strengthen the bond between dog and owner while keeping training fun and rewarding.
Key Points • Dogs learn to focus on their human instead of distractions. • Engagement builds trust, communication, and connection. • Games should be short (1–2 minutes) and repeated often. • Rewards can include treats, toys, or praise. • Children should be supervised during play.
Sample Engagement Games
1. Find My Face • Drop a treat at your toe. As your dog finishes, drop another as they lift their head. • Gradually move treat placement to your side and behind you. • Over time, vary reward positions so your dog must find your face. 2. Engagement with Distractions • Start in low-distraction environments. • Slowly increase movement and distractions while practicing engagement. • If your dog struggles, increase distance from distractions. 3. Engagement in the Real World • During walks, let your dog explore and sniff. • Wait for them to re-engage with you, then reward generously. • Release them to explore again and repeat.
Enrichment Goals
• Train dogs to choose their human willingly. • Strengthen the bond between dogs and humans. • Make training fun and rewarding for both. • Improve recall, loose leash walking, and focus. • Encourage dogs to engage without being forced to.
What You Need • Small food rewards (regular kibble, treats, cheese, meat, etc.) • Favorite toys • Long line for safety in open spaces • Stuff-able or lick-able treats for calm time after training
How to Achieve These Goals •
Use small, quick rewards for fast repetitions.
• Keep sessions short (a couple of minutes) and frequent. • Reward small steps toward desired behavior. • Plan and portion out training treats. • Adjust your dog’s daily diet for added treats. Applications of Engagement Games Engagement training helps with recall, loose leash walking, and working around distractions. The goal is for the dog to choose to focus on their human, not because of cues or treats, but because the human has become the most rewarding way. Source: AniEd Ireland, #100DaysOfEnrichment
Ryan Schwark
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker