Pattern Games for Dogs: Up Down and Ping Pong

Does your dog ever get over-excited or anxious? Would you like a simple game you can play to calm them down in almost any environment?
Well then these are going to be great training exercises to practice with your dog!
Pattern games are exactly as they sound! They are repeated patterns which provide a predictable and calm framework for your dog. They are also hopefully fun and engaging for them too!
They aren't placing a lot of pressure on your dog to do something complex. Some dog training exercises can be too difficult for dogs to achieve in a very stimulating environment. They are simple, but take focus.
By carrying out these predictable patterns of movement which you've already paired with a calm environment, you can help to induce a feeling of calmness in your dog if they are starting to struggle with heightened emotions.
So you do this by practicing at home first, with no distractions around, then in different positions in the room, then in different rooms, your back garden, front garden, quiet spots on walks and then in increasingly distracting environments. Keep up practicing at home too so that the games are not always associated with being in a high distraction environment. We want them to be connected with a calm state of mind.
But you can then use them in a range of situations where you want to help your dog to feel calmer.
For example, if you're waiting your turn at the vets, waiting for a dog to pass by on the other side of the road, or someone is making a lot of noise next door. If your dog is starting to feel anxious or over-overexcited, then engaging them in a pattern game like the up and down game, or ping pong, can help to ground them back into the familiar and calm.
Pattern games have been developed by Leslie McDevitt, and there are a whole host to try. Different patterns will be useful to different dogs in different stages of their training, and in different scenarios.
Even just looking at the two featured in this video we can see that they are simple and similar to each other, but one may suit your dog more than the other.
If your dog struggles to focus and gets easily distracted, or keeping close to you helps to provide them with reassurance, then the up and down game might be a great option. However, if your dog finds it really hard to stay still when they are feeling stressed or excited then keeping them moving may better help them to move on from whatever is exciting them or making them feel anxious.
And that might even change for your dog depending on how they are feeling that day! Or it might change depending on what the trigger is. So you can try one, and if your dog is struggling, then try the other!
If your dog is struggling to be able to do either, then you probably need a little more space between your dog and their trigger.
Background music - lofi study, FASSounds
Outro music - ethereal vistas, Denys Brodovskyi