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You will need your dog’s daily  food allowance. You can play these games with your dog’s leash in your hand, or clipped on to your paints, you could also use a long leash. Either way your hands could be free. I recommend doing on lead and off lead. Start in a quiet room with no distractions and then adding a distraction. You will also want to add a challenge as your dog becomes more comfortable and confident. Change the area where you play when your dog is successful 8 out 10 times. If you’re in a safe off-leash situation you don’t need a leash at all!

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Orientation to You

1. Wait for your dog to look up at you.

2. Say a Marker word – EXAMPLE “yes” or a clicker. I find using a word works well because you always have it with you so to speak.

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 3. Following the marker word – “YES” with a piece of food placed on the floor in front of your feet. Give a 3 second pause in between the word and your feeding. So, your dog understands it is the word that is the marker not your hand moving.  ( Easier to do it right now then fix in the future)

4. Your dog will look down to eat the food.

5. When your dog looks up at you again, repeat steps 2-4. Once your dog is reliably looking up at you, move on to Orientation Dash.

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 Orientation Dash Step #1

 1. Your dog looks up at you.

 2. Mark “yes

 3. Follow “yes” with a rolled or tossed piece of food a few inches to the          right.

 4. Your dog will run to eat the food.

 5. When your dog looks up at you again.

6. Mark it with a “yes”

 7. Follow the “YES” again with either a food rolled or tossed a few inches to the left.

 8. Your dog looks up at you again…  continue mixing it up between orientation and orientation Dash. You do not want you dog to know what you are going to do. Toss the food all around you so there is no predictor of where the food is going to go!

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STEP#2

Once your dog is understanding the game. Toss the food out but now run the opposite direction. When your dog catches up to you have a party and feed, feed, feed. Repeat have fun go different directions, add an easy hide!

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Proximity Vortex

Your will need two treats one high value and 2nd lower value

 1. Toss a low-value treat away from you a few inches

2. Give your dog time to chase and eat the treat

 3. Say your dog’s name, once

 4. When your dog turns his or her head back to you, mark it with a “yes”.

 5. Feed a high-value from your hand, or place treat(s) at your feet, once you dog come to you.

 6. Repeat!  Try all 3 together once your dog understands. Try different rooms in your house. Be creative come up with your own ideas. 

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Games play builds strong bonds pay into what we call the Relationship Bank Account. A win win for you and your dog!

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For more games get your free Optimism Rocks Ebook.

 

 EVERYTHING in your dog’s world could be
‘good’ or ‘bad’, friendly or scary, depending
on their level of optimism. Everything in their
environment could potentially freak them out.

Find out why Optimism is important in many dog behavior Struggles.

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Over 20 more games to play with your dog. 

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