Simple Ways to BOOST Your Dog’s Engagement

My last blog post looked at why engagement is important (you can find it HERE). So this one is all about easy ways you can get your dog engaging with you.

A woman in the woods asking two black dogs to wait

1. Watch

This is the perfect exercise for practicing engagement because it is all about eye contact!

Hold a treat between your thumb and index finger. Put the treat up to your eye and say ‘watch’. When your dog looks at you, give them the treat.

Gradually build up the time your dog looks at you before you give them the treat.

2. Touch

Put your hand flat, next to your body, fingers pointing towards the ground.

Put a treat between two of your fingers.

Your dog will touch their nose to your palm to get the treat. As they do this, say ‘touch’.

Practice a few times then try without placing the treat between your fingers, and instead reward them with a treat from your other hand.

A golden retriever on a lead looking up at its walker

3. Orientation Game

Have a handful of treats in your hand.

Wait for your dog to look at you.

The moment they look at you say ‘yes’ and throw a treat to the side.

Your dog should look back at you after they find it. The moment they do, say ‘yes’ and throw a treat to the other side.

Your dog should learn that looking to you means good things happen!

4. Hide and Seek

Get your dog to wait and go and hide in your home/garden.

Call your dog and see how long it takes them to find you!

Give them plenty of praise when they do.

A collie tugging on a soft toy during a class in the park

5. Tug Game

Tug games are great for building engagement because you play it together.

Add in other cues, such as swapping the tug for treats or hiding the tug and encouraging your dog to find it and bring it back to you.

Top Tips:

Keep it fun: If you or your dog are not having fun, stop and try again later. Why didn’t you have fun? Was the activity to easy/difficult? Was your dog too distracted? Was the session too long?
Keep it interactive: If you just give your dog something and then leave them, that is not engagement! You need to be doing things together with your dog.
Keep it short (5 minutes max):This will prevent your dog becoming bored and will help keep sessions fun and interesting. Always stop with your dog wanting more.
Keep it successful: Don’t make the activity too difficult or your dog will get frustrated. Help them out if you need to- you’re doing the activity together!