Building Engagement with Your Dog

Building Engagement with Your Dog

We’ve all seen it: The dog who watches his owner intently for the next word, who checks in with his human partner when hiking off leash or even the patient pup who frequently checks in with his human partner. These are examples of engagement between the dog and the pet parent.

Engagement is having a connection with our dogs

As Dog Trainers, we strongly believe engagement is one of the most important things we can work to develop with our dogs. Strong engagement gives us a focused, involved and happily willing pet partner. It creates impulse control and teaches the dog to think and refer to you to make the right choices. We shouldn’t force engagement, but we can build it through various ways and flourish engagement together.

-Start with your dog on a leash in front of you.

-Show your dog a high value treat that you know he likes (best to do this before he has his food during the day).

-Keep a neutral stance and a pleasant expression. He will look at your hand and even jump to try to get the treat.

-Make it clear that this will not get him the treat.

Eventually, he will stop and look at you questioningly. (If he is just not responding, use his name or a sound),

-Immediately, use the marker word YES! with a happy excited expression!

-Reward right away, making sure your timing is immediate so your dog understands the relationship between the action and the reward. And, of course, reward your dog with something better than kibble. Make this a game!

It may take a few times for your dog to understand that to get the reward, he must make eye contact with you. Spend a few minutes playing this game with your dog and quit before your dog starts losing interest. You can initiate a release word here by saying “FREE” and dismiss your dog.

Usually, after learning this game, your dog will come to you at random moments to initiate engagement, ALWAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIS ENGAGEMENT WITH, AT LEAST, A “YES” AND

A SMILE, AND OCCASIONALLY, A GOOD TREAT! Then dismiss your dog with “FREE”.

One great way to build engagement with your dog is to reward him at any time that your dog engages with you. When you are out on a walk together, reward your dog every time he looks up at you. Reward right away, making sure your timing is immediate so your dog understands the relationship between the action and the reward.

You are building pathways in his brain with the understanding that checking in with you is a rewarding behavior!