Self-Control Games For Dogs That Work

Controlling your behavior in certain situations is tough, so it’s easy to sympathize with dogs. Many dogs struggle to behave calmly in exciting situations because they haven’t been taught what to do. As pet owners, it’s our responsibility to teach dogs self-control at an early age. Never punish a dog for getting excited, knocking over furniture, jumping up on people or stealing food from your hand. Train your dog what to do instead. These fun and quick self-control games teach dogs to control their impulsive behavior to earn rewards.

What You’ll Need

You’ll need lots of pea-sized high value treats (i.e. chopped up hot dogs, cheese chunks), a dog training clicker (or verbal marker “yes”) and your dog. Each dog training session should last 1-2 minutes, so set a kitchen timer. Give your dog a break in between sessions, and practice again for 1-2 minutes. Practice once or twice a day for best results.

Self-Control Games for Dogs

Each impulse control exercise teaches your dog how to control her behavior to earn a reward. Basically, you’re teaching your dog that doing this, instead of that, will make a treat appear.

1. Touch

Many dogs get excited and nip or mouth hands, especially if hands are moving away really fast. During a game of “touch,” dogs learn to calmly and lightly touch their noses toward the palm of your hand rather than touching your hand with their teeth. This self-control game is fun and addicting for dogs, which is a good thing. Additionally, this game can be played anywhere and at anytime.

https://youtu.be/d-spTywRXEo

2. Leave It

During this self-control exercise, dogs learn that ignoring a treat makes it appear. To begin, hide a super yummy treat inside of your closed fist. Now, place your fist right in front of your dog’s nose and wait.

At first, your dog will lick at your hand in attempt to reach the treat. The moment you no longer feel your dog touching your hand, say “yes” and reward with the treat in your open hand. You’re rewarding your dog to leave your treat hand alone. Soon, your dog will turn her head away, or even remain seated when presented with a treat in your hand. Now that’s self-control!

3. Place

Teaching an energetic dog to settle in one spot is challenging. With this self-control game for dogs, you’ll teach your dog to lie down on a mat. In the beginning, you’ll teach her to place two paws on the mat, then place four paws, sit and finally lie down on the mat. Check out details for teaching the “place” behavior.

4. Sit

Usually, “sit” is the first dog behavior most puppies and dogs learn, which is a good thing. When your dog jumps up, runs out the door or gets super excited, ask her to “sit.” When your dog sits, reward her immediately and generously. Soon, your dog will learn to “sit” when guests come over, when food is on the counter or before she walks out a door.

https://youtu.be/5aaa7DxKDfo

5. Wait Before Eating

When it’s dinner time, dogs get excited! Mealtimes are a perfect time to practice self-control. When lowering a food filled bowl down for your dog to eat, wait for your dog to “sit” or back away from the food bowl. If your dog rushes toward the bowl, simply pick up the bowl. Once your dog sits or stands quietly back, lower the bowl again. Once the bowl is down, say “okay,” so your dog can enjoy her meal.

https://youtu.be/2jBFJ2fGiqA