This is possibly the GREATEST game you can teach your dog as it has so many uses, particularly in situations where your dog gets into something you don’t want them to and they wont come back or leave what they have…

Thanks to Chirag Patel who (as far as I am aware) invented this game.

Teaching steps

  1. Drop a few treats on the floor away from the dog to distract them
  2. Step away from the dog and turn your back on them –count aloud ‘1’ and drop a treat, count ‘2’ and drop a treat…. Repeat, continuing to count aloud, until the dog arrives
  3. Stop counting when the dog arrives
  4. Whilst they are eating those treats, step away and repeat

After a few repetitions you should find that the dog is coming really quickly!

Now drop a few treats (so it takes longer for them to eat) – move 2-3 paces away and start practice again… Extend this by moving off into a different direction, or move into another room and practice.

Why is my count getting high?

All this tells you is that your dog is finding something else really distracting.  That’s it…

They will come eventually, once they are finished, and then eat the big pile of treats.  Move them away from the distraction and play the counting game 4-5 more times getting closer and closer.

Essentially the cue word ‘one’ teaches the dog that you are about to start putting treats on the floor. The continued counting is for your benefit as it tells you how hard this situation is for your dog.

Why is this different to ‘come’ or ‘leave it’

  1. In essence because it is ALWAYS positive – using recall or leave it often means that the fun stops – the dog has to come away from something/ come in from the garden, or give up something they want. This builds uncertainty in the dog and weakens the cue

You MUST pay out treats when you play – I have seen handlers who have a poor counting game and they always have built a history with their dog of not always giving them treats for arriving. This may be as they thought the dog took too long, or had simply run out of treats (so what reinforcer could be used instead?)

See this video: https://youtu.be/Ra8TKCwTDbk