Here’s a sample lecture for my new 3-week FDSA class (starting May 1st)! Whether you take the class or not—have fun playing a new game with your dog!
There are two ways of letting our dogs know that keeping us on their radar, even if they are focusing on something else, is a good idea:
- we treat or praise for check-ins.
- We play the “don’t lose your human” game!
In most cases, this will only be a feasible game once you let the long line drag or walk off leash: playing on leash is hard unless your dog is very skilled at the game because they might hit the end of the leash before noticing they “lost” you!
The rules
The rules are simple: when your dog doesn’t check in or seems distracted, occasionally duck behind an obstacle and wait for them to notice you are missing! Let them search for you and celebrate when they find you! For most dogs, discovering you will be rewarding in and of itself. Laugh with them and praise when they find you, or celebrate with social/personal play!
Here I’m hiding from Mick:
Note that he’s familiar with the game. It doesn’t cause him anxiety—he knows he can find me by doubling back and keeping his eyes and nose open!
Here’s an example with two dogs … my friend recorded me on a walk with Game and Chai:
If you play for the first time and your dog gets anxious, shuffle your feet or clear your throat to help them find you. They’ll soon gain confidence … and it’ll be harder and harder to sneak away as they learn to keep you on their radar: if they didn’t keep a close eye on their human, we humans would get lost. Humans seem to get stuck behind objects when their dogs let them out of their sight. We’d be completely lost if it wasn’t for our dog’s supervision!
I made this image with the help of ChatGPT because drawing, ahm, isn’t one of my many talents.