Do you find that your dog gets easily distracted when you're outside?
Doesn't give you a lot of attention? Well,
the secret to changing that is to build extreme
value for looking and paying attention to us.
So I'm gonna do that right now with Scout.
Now the secret to building extreme value, and I mean squirrel value,
I don't just mean my dog's gonna pay attention when I got cheese and I'm in the
living room, that my dog when we're out and about, um,
has so much value for checking in with me instead of sniffing or pulling or
trying to get to things. So I'm gonna start right now.
I'm gonna grab some treats, handy here. Um, I'm gonna start with some kibble.
Now the way to get that extreme value is to hey
you. Is to make sure I got my treats in the right hand.
Now the way to get that extreme value is to let the dog choose to look
to us, look at us, and then reward that. But I'm not gonna wait two hours, uh,
until he happens to check in with me to reward.
That's not gonna be very effective.
So I wanna set up situations where Scout will choose to look at me.
So here we go. I'm gonna get some treats.
I'm gonna get Scout's attention you. Ooh.
And I'm gonna drop that treat on the ground. I'm just gonna place it down.
Yes. So that's working even with a little bit of kibble. I dropped the treat.
Get it? Yes. Good boy. So I've set up a situation.
He sees me put a treat down. He knows I have more. Get it?
Yes. Good boy. So he's voluntarily choosing to look at me. Yes,
it's a little set up, but he's choosing to look at me.
So that's taking a little too long. Now I was using kibble. Yes,
it was a little too long though. So you know what?
I'm gonna go to a little bit higher value treat and I am and see
if that works. Yes, good. Okay, we got some different treats.
I could even put a boring treat on the ground and have good stuff in my hand.
Well, let's try this out. Get that.
Yes, good boy. You can see I'm getting better attention than I did.
He's also much calmer from that. But have I solved my problem,
if a dog walks just past me here, is he gonna be giving me attention?
Absolutely not. It works with the food. And a lot of you saying,
oh of course you got a hand, mitt full of food. Of course he's gonna look. But,
that's how it starts. Remember,
I need to set up a scenario where he chooses to look at me and without food,
he probably isn't gonna choose to look at me cuz there's so much going on.
So I'm gonna get my food. Just drop it down. I'm not asking.
I'm yes good boy. What a good man.
I gonna play a little game again.
A situation where I want my dog to choose to give me attention.
And this time it's gonna be a little harder cuz I'm gonna have something he
really wants and he's probably gonna wanna look at. So we're gonna do a little
problem-solving game again. I'm not gonna cue him.
He's going to choose to look at me and I'm gonna ro it with a huge reward.
His food from his bowl.
Now I wanna get a few reps in there so I'm not gonna fill up the bowl.
I'm just gonna put a few scrumptious treats in there.
So I'm going to show him this bowl. Oh, Scout.
And what I'm gonna do is start to put it down. Oh, and he's going for it.
I'm just gonna pull it up again. I'm gonna put it down.
Every time he goes down I'm just gonna pick it up again.
Now he's le oh almost.
So I'm letting him problem-solve The way to get that food wait buddy is
to Is to not go for it. Oh,
I'm just gonna pull it away. Almost.
He needs to wait till I give him permission to have it.
I've now got it down. Get that? Yeah, there you go.
So you can see he went from, I'm going for it. When that didn't work he said,
oh, I need to try something a little bit different here. Um,
so he sort of froze. Um, he even gave a little glimpse at me now initially. Um,
I'm not looking for that look,
I want him to have some early wins and some dogs aren't gonna be able to look
away from that food. So just being able to not go for it.
I don't even care if they sit.
All I care as a first step is my dog chooses not to go for it.
The next step might be that sit.
The next thing I really want though is that attention.
I also wanna note that if any of these games are too hard outside with the
distraction,
you might need to start in the house to build a little bit of attention and
calmness first. So you let 'em see that bowl. Oh,
Nice try buddy. Yes.
So get, there you go. Okay. Yes.
So you can see I got the slightest little glimmer up his eyes didn't actually
meet mine. But again, small wins. He's gonna,
next time I think actually look at me.
He's figuring out how to earn that food bowl.
Yes. Oh, good work buddy. Okay, turn around so that people can see the camera.
You. Yes. Oh,
I, I know it's a hard game to win.
So there's a little bit going on.
That's where I say if there was too much going on out here, there's people,
there's dogs over there. So now he says, he says,
I'm a little too distracted so I'm gonna move him a little bit away.
Yay. There we go. And I've got a couple of options.
I can either choose till the distraction's gone or I can go inside if he's just
not ready for that. Oh, you might be though. Might be. Oh,
so I'm gonna get him back into action
almost. I'll give him another easy win if he can hold.
But you gotta hold. You can't self-release. Yes.
There you go. Okay. Get that thing Good.
So keeping it moving so he can't focus on those distractions. Oh,
good work buddy. Oh, I gotta get that bowl. Yes.
And I'm gonna stand where he's Yes, go ahead boy. I get that.
So that's what I wanna get.
So even though these games are a little bit set up and yes there's food now
in this case the food's working against my attention. Um,
it's a little bit set up and there's food involved, but he's choosing,
I would rather look at you than my bowl of food.
And that's what I want because yes, it's set up.
But the more he rehearses that with this little game,
the more the value of looking at me goes up and I'm gonna get more and more
attention.
Now those little games in a very short while are already getting one him much
calmer because they work impulse control.
But also I'm getting much more attention. What a good boy.
And as a result of getting attention, I'm getting far less pulling,
which I really like. Especially with a bigger dog. Yes. Good boy. Excellent.
Now I'm ready to take it to the next step.
I'm not ready to go for a walk in a really busy place or work in a super crazy,
um, distraction environment.
But I am ready to add some motion cuz those games were very set up.
So I might even start off with that little shoe game.
I'm gonna show 'em a treat. Drop it on the ground, tell 'em, get it.
Oh you don't even want that treat from there. You want one for me? Yes.
So if he's at that point, I could drop the treat. Tell him get it.
Get that buddy. And then as soon as he get, yes. I'm gonna move a little bit.
Yeah. So now we're getting to the beginning of a walk.
I can try again now that I've got some attention. I'm just gonna move a little
bit. Okay buddy. Yes. Good boy. And I'm rewarding for my face. Good boy.
So little bits of motion. Yes. Good boy. So he saw something over there,
but because he's been rewarded in this last little while for that attention. Um,
yes.
So he is looking around but now instead of I need to go over there or I need to
bark or I need to pull, he's saying yes.
What a good boy. And now I can even keep that food in my pocket.
I'm still gonna bring it up to my face. So big change, just working this now.
Is it if I came out again tomorrow? No, it's not gonna carry over.
It's gonna carry over a little bit. But if I do some of this every day, yes.
I love that attention of me buddy.
Now this is normally where I lecture people that you've gotta make sure your
timing on your yes is perfect. But you know what?
Here's a little secret Scout can't hear at all.
So he's totally deaf now. Yes. What a good boy. So you can see, even though he,
he couldn't even hear my Yes. Which is so powerful.
These techniques work so well to build, build that. Yes.
What a good man that attention on us and some of you are gonna find with your
dog that it does go this fast. Um,
they are quick learners and it depends how, how distracted they were now.
He was pretty darn and distracted when we came out and I'm really pleased that
I'm getting this much attention right off the bat. Yes, good boy.
But I'm also giving him attention.
I'm not gonna go for a walk and start playing on my phone because that
connection with me is also rewarding.
So I'm still helping him and notice how much I'm still rewarding him. I could
also pull out a toy and play with a toy with him. I could also,
he's doing a great job of moving with me. Yes. Look at that lovely attention.
Oh, you're a good man. I could get in there and give a little pet.
Oh I could kiss. Yeah. So I can interact so it doesn't have to rely on food.
And I like to rely on many different tools cuz I wanna wean off the food. Yeah.
Good boy. Even just moving away, letting him chase me.
He saw something over there and his,
his instinct again when he sees people is to wanna go see them so he looks
yes. What a good man. So you can chase me. Yeah, you're a good boy. Yeah. Good.
So we can do a little play now. Yes.
Some of you're saying you shouldn't let your dog jump up and Yes,
I eventually won't let him jump up when I haven't asked him to. Uh,
but right now I want that value for me. I want my yes.
What a good man, my dog to say I love interacting and I want that attention.
So if I'm always correcting him, I'm not gonna do that.
Now I am gonna make sure that I'm not quite as exciting so he doesn't rehearse
that behavior.
But I don't mind a little bit of enthusiasm cuz you are doing a great job. Yeah.
You and your dog could join Scout and his owner in the life skills program.
Scout is just about to start the life skills training. If you're interested,
check out the link in the description below. Now,
just as I got some nice focus out here,
doesn't mean I'm ready for a walk down a busy road.
And it probably means you aren't either,
but you are ready for the next step in your loose leash walking.
If you're interested, check out this video right here on that note. I'm Carol.
This is Scout. Happy training.