Teach Your Dog To Ignore Distractions With The 1,2,3 Game

[@SaraOndrako]

Another fun name for this game is Duck Duck Goose! You can really use any three words as long as you are consistent with the game - have fun with it!

[@pleasepickupyourpoop6174]

lol I use "duck, duck, goose" to let my dog know it's time to get up when sun bathing XD I walk around her in a circle and she gets up when I say "goose"

[@lataniafenn6073]

Love the alternative name. “Free” is my break cue I use all day everyday but it’s so dang close in sound to three. So I’ve been looking for an easy word exchange for it.

[@Iceman-1986]

Fantastic game thank you so very much

[@Shaz-gq7pv]

I have two pups a six month old border collie and a almost seven month old yorkie cross. Raising two so close in age has been a challenge I never intended to do this but the yorkie was a failed foster who was only supposed to stay a few weeks but she won me over lol. I've been training them seperately but now having two pups is starting to pay off. Now they know the basics I've began using each dog as a distraction for the other I'll have one dog lie in their place with a treat or play with them while I'm working the other. My collie isn't treat or toy motivated and working/training itself seems to be the only thing she needs as reward but my yorkie cross is easy distracted very excitable and this game has really helped with her focus

[@SaraOndrako]

Two at once is definitely a challenge and 3x the work. Hang in there! All of your work will pay off 🥰 Thank you for fostering failing and giving her a loving home 😆

[@dougcraig4873]

Very clearly demo'd and easy to replicate. Love the fact that you mentioned using breakfast kibble ISO treats.

[@traceywilliams8733]

Thank you for this video my 9-month-old poodle caught on to this game easily and I added a few more tasks and she was exhausted afterward.

[@swulaltunaatsne9457]

I appreciate watching the actual training!help's alot! Thank you!

[@jackgurteeen37]

My lad is oblivious to treats once we go walkies. He is 5 & new to me fantastic in the house however once we're outside he's a different dog.

[@jo_jo-dt9sl]

Same here 😣

[@LW62_Gaming]

Ever figure out how to get him to listen on a walk? Mine does the same thing sometimes

[@thatangrygreyfurball9593]

I do agree with you about dogs being great at home compared to when they're outside. I have 3 golden retrievers and I love them to death, but whenever we go on walks, no matter how hard I try to train, they never seem to improve. I'll try implementing a command for them to learn, and they'd learn it for about 1-2 sessions until they completely disregard it later on. I don't know if it's the way I'm training them or if it's the collar I'm using? They don't respond to treats either when they're outside. I've read somewhere online that commands can become toxic cues? (It's when they no longer see the importance of the command/cue. And the level of distractions. At home, it's probably like a 1-3 level of distractions and when they're outside, it's an automatic 10. They don't feel safe so they have no time accepting the treats? I'm not completely sure since I've just read it recently and I'm trying to learn how to make them feel safe outside. Hopefully we can all train our dogs well, and wish you the best with your lad.

[@monokay1908]

i think the goal is to build up the distractions slowly. so for me, we practice at home first, then maybe at home with more distractions like loud noises, then in the driveway, then on sidewalk in front of house, then in quiet parking lot or quiet street, then on busier street. but each new situation i think u have to go back to the beginning of the training. like even if i’m sitting down with my dog vs standing up she has a different response, or if she’s standing still vs walking. not that we’ve perfected all of the more distracting settings but working on it 😂😂

[@SaschaBuster]

Same

[@Lic.SashaRodriguez]

Loved it! I have this issue with my Golden Retriver. She barks at dogs and is super amnoying. But she has highly interest in food, so she will learn this really quick. Thank you!!!

[@SaraOndrako]

So glad you liked this and are going to try it out with your girl! Another fun trick for barkers is teaching bark and quiet on cue. Here's a great tutorial from another KZbin creator that I really like on how to do this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZqfXn2uEndSZhdk

[@isabellarae9351]

This is such a great training method! Going to try this with our Scottish terrier to help with introducing our new kitten. Thanks so much for sharing!

[@MrDynamart]

I would like to see this with non treat oriented dog, with another dog close by barking, or kids running about. I have got to this stage, which is great. It just falls apart with a really strong distraction. I have an 18 month old GSD. Thanks.

[@bryantaylor1572]

Try a really weak distraction first. Like on your porch, near the edge of the yard, in a very isolated part of the park *after* a good walk, so on. There is no direct jump between this drill and big distractions--always be gradual.

[@brooklynnmcloud1470]

I loved the video. It was informative and broke down how to teach this game. However I would have liked to see this applied and working in practice

[@carolskalky603]

Great clear, concise video. I tried to buy you a coffee but it kept telling me my card number was incorrect, and it wasn't!

[@SaraOndrako]

Oh no! Probably because I'm new at this membership thing. I'll see if I can figure it out! Thanks for the thought, though - it's appreciated, and I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Be sure to check out Leslie McDevitt - this is her game and she has a lot of great resources :)

[@incanada83]

Does anyone else hears 1, 2, "free"? LOL Sounds like a great game. Will definitely try this. Thank you! 💐

[@a7128]

Big fan of your channel. i don't have a dog but I really enjoy your presentations. You're very engaging. ♥

[@zp944]

I have a dog that followed my wife home as a stray about 2 years ago. He was probably about 18 months old. Malnourished, ribs and spine showing. Still tried to find the owner for 2 weeks, and no luck. Wasn't socialized or leash trained at all. Taught him to walk very close on a leash and not pull by tying it to my belt, so he had very little slack. I'd walk at a consistent pace til we got to the park. Any time he tried to stop, or pull, or get distracted by something, I kept walking. Once at the park path, off the road, any time he got distracted and moved in a different direction, I'd immediately turn the opposite way and walk in a wide circle 3 times then continue down the path. When he got distracted again, I'd do the same thing. Over and over. Any time he walked too far ahead, not necessarily pulling, but just walking too far ahead, I'd snap once. Give him a few seconds to correct. If he didn't, then I'd immediately start walking backwards, then turn around, take a few steps, and stop. So now we're sitting still, facing the opposite way. I'd stand still for 15-20 seconds, then walk a circle and continue. After he was comfortable with that, to reinforce "checking on me" for direction, I started doing the same circle pattern, and walking backwards, then spinning around, and walking more, then stopping, stepping back, stepping forward, and doing more circles. But I would do it randomly, whether or not he was pulling. Once I felt like he was "checking" me often enough, I stopped training for 3 months and we just walked. He still needed more work, but I figured he was at the point where he was behaving how I wanted, now I had to earn his trust and make him feel confident in me leading. So I did. I kept snapping when he walked too far ahead, and I'd tug the leash if that didn't work. If I felt like I was tugging too often, I attached it to my belt behind my back, rather than on my side, so he couldn't walk ahead without tangling his legs in mine. I don't expect total obedience though, so sometimes I'd let him pull, but only a little bit. His leash has about a foot of elastic, so there's some give to it. He's also a young dog, and I understand the world is new and it's normal to be excited. So as long as he didn't attempt to stop or change direction, I would let him test the bounds. But the second he resisted or tried to change MY direction, I'd go back to the circling and standing still. After about a month, he was walking very, very well. He was checking me, modulating his pace to match mine over rough terrain, and hardly ever pulling the leash (except when passing other dogs who went crazy on their leashes). So at this point, whenever he saw something he was interested in, I'd stop walking, say sit, and crouch down next to him, so we could both look at it. I'd pet him, tell him it's okay, say nice things. And then stand back up and keep walking. Idk if that technique actually did anything, or if it's just my imagination, but after a few days of that his pulling in different directions stopped almost entirely. After that, he would glance at the distraction, back at me, back at the distraction, back at me, but he wouldn't stop walking or pull towards it unless I did. But if it was something he was REALLY interested in, he would whimper a bit. And when he whimpered, I would stop. I was really impressed this one time, right around 3 months into training, where he whimpered at a sound in the dry leaves off to the side of the trail, so we stopped. A few seconds later an armadillo walked out of the brush and across the path not even 2 feet away from us. My dog sat there, watching it. I kept petting him slowly, holding the leash with my other hand, waiting. He let it walk all the way across the path, into the brush on the other side, and I was impressed. But then the armadillo started digging in the leaves or something, and my dog finally broke and tried to pull. But he calmed down after a few seconds. Very good for a young dog, I think. He's now about 3.5 years old. He stops walking when I stop. He stays pretty consistently close, even with a full leash. Practically touching my legs. He also learned to turn left or right using tongue clicks. I never used a single treat to train him. We just hung out a lot together.

[@lfrancesrohan2762]

Thx that's really useful info. I was taught to stop change direction and go backwards to improve attention on walks and it works very well. Your method is alpha, letting your dog know you are on top of any situation so he doesn't have to stay on high alert. Thx for giving him a good life.

[@SimplyPlanimals...]

This is amazing. Thank you

[@CrueLoaf]

Nicely done!!! :). I will introduce this to my class tomorrow. Thank you!

[@athomewithnick5207]

Should I use high-value treats when teaching this at first or just "normal" treats? Love your videos!

[@SaraOndrako]

Excellent question! Begin with high value treats. As you progress, begin adding in kibble or lower value treats and randomizing your reward system. Sometimes a high value treat comes, sometimes a kibble. That will keep it more exciting and help you not over feed your dog. Hope that helps!

[@lovinlife5912]

Great video ty. I was wondering if i coukd eirk on just 3 thru the day start off starionary then move it thru the house to really set it in the maybe add 2 and 1 over tge next couple if days? Same when i take it to the garden work on 3 for a day then add 2 and 1 over the next couple days? Would that benifit my dog ie to get it tight in his memory?

[@GV_777YT]

This is great, i wonder if there is a way to do this with out treats?

[@Okeroa12]

Another great pro tip video. Thank you! What do you use as treats?

[@SaraOndrako]

Thank you! Here are some of my favorite go-to treats: 🐾 Fig & Tyler turkey hearts, freeze-dried minnows, and freeze-dried liver: www.figandtyler.com/ (You can use SO2522 for 10% off) 🐾 Healthybud Turkey Meal Bites: us.healthybud.co/products/turkey-meal-bites? (You can use sara20 for 20% off) 🐾 Grove Cat Treats (yes - cat!): www.grove.co/referrer/179276711/, especially the cat Lobster and Cheese treats - they are only $3.99, and the dogs love them 🐾 Charlie Bears (I like the egg and cheese): amzn.to/3OEG4AA 🐾 Salmon Jerky (I chop these up into small pieces): amzn.to/3gGLiPK

[@fubuh8r]

I initially trained with my pup to catch treats in the air. I'd go " 1,2,3" then throw it. Then I changed it up, no verbal que, pendulum my arm. One day he was being stubborn with his recall. I then entertained the idea " Inside! 1,2....." never got to 3 and ran towards the door. It was wishful thinking at first. But to my amazement it worked. Still works to this day whenever he decides to be stubborn, regardless of the situation used. I guess I got lucky.

[@user-jb4xv4im9o]

My puppy loved to catch. I just say catch, get ready and she runs out a few feet and sits waiting for it. At 1st I didn't think she'd get it but now a 6 mo she's got it down well. It's one of her favorite games.

[@sarahvaughan9061]

What about 1, 2, look? Ive heard the importance of look but my dog us very poor at look. Wouldnt look be more useful than 3?

[@H0M3SKI113T]

My Husky has been real bad on leash pulling real hard to the point where she’s choking herself, freaking out by jumping and pulling and whining when she sees a small animals such as a rabbit and with any dog as well. Today I started her training journey and hopefully one day I can walk her infront of a rabbit or any dog and she’s not freaking out

[@bblue3239]

Maybe try an easy walk harness. My aussie doesn't pull anymore. It controls their shoulders so they don't choke

[@safiyyahvadala]

How did it go? I'm having the same problem with my husky. Any tips?

[@dimorgan1451]

How would 5his work with a Little 10 lb dog?

[@JennyYasi]

This game was created by Leslie McDevitt, it's from her Control Unleashed program! It's great to give credit where credit is due!

[@SaraOndrako]

Yep! Leslie does a great job at this. I gave her full credit in the description when I released the video.

[@jhersheymusic]

I notice there are many times he is still distracted until you say 3. So isn't he really just trained to know the treat is coming on 3 and doesn't really need to look away from his distraction until he actually hears the word 3?

[@xploSHON]

Thank you for the nice guide. It really helped with my puppy. A little background about him. He likes barking at random people when it is dark, also does not like little children. Dont know where that comes from. I think he is a mix of laika and smth. He got this hunter vibe. He is 1 y old. Any advice how should I train him not to get angry at people and children? Thank you!!

[@elizabethhostetter1946]

But your intonation, pitch, and timbre change when you say three. How can you be sure he's responding to 'three' and not the sound? on a different topic - this is great, but i just don't know how to do this on a walk (after introduction, of course) with two dogs that together weigh as much as i do.

[@JenniferWasylenko]

Great video & I’m looking forward to trying this with my new rescue dog 🐾😊

[@SaraOndrako]

Thanks Jennifer! Congrats on your new family member!

[@CamilleGG451]

Awesome! :) Love the idea of the distraction games in general. So cool. (I would just have to use a different word here because it sounds exactly like how I say "free"! Which means ok you can go take off and do whatever you want now! :) Gus is SUCH a cutie! He's got that total "dog" look if that makes sense? ha! 💖

[@brycelucas7733]

you can use any word you want just be consistent with it if you wanted to use the word orange you could do that it’s just what they associate the word with

[@glendaherrin5615]

Maybe count backwards? Three, Two, ONE!

[@CamilleGG451]

@@glendaherrin5615 oh well duh. OK thanks! 😆 (Sometimes I swear a small hamster is running my brain..... 🤔)

[@LiveloveDogTraining]

I use nom for food. Nom nom. Also using another language is always an option. Don’t feel confined to just your 1st language. Un deux trois, Uno dos tres, Eins zwei drei I use some German commands but I am not about to count in German lol

[@angela_tarantulas]

@@LiveloveDogTraining I use different languages too, with my dogs. Mixture of German, French, Italian, English and Spanish 😃 this is a great idea and I can recommend it. Especially as „three“ sounds like „free“ 🙈😂

[@LauraDAmbrosio]

What would you do with a dog that is not very treat motivated? Or when distracted, ignores even high-value treats?

[@sprintershepherd4359]

google how to make your dog food orientated . you can teach your dog to be into food

[@Factoryflowers]

Just stop feeding him for a few days. If that’s your jam. There. Saved you a Google search.

[@bethanyreilly2809]

If the dog won't take even high value treats, odds are the environment is too distracting and your dog is over threshold. Reduce distractions to have a manageable training environment.

[@angelica21290]

Lol this is what I go through with my Great Pyrenees pup

[@isabellevasquez7433]

@@Factoryflowers absolutely DONT do this. It won’t make your dog food motivated it’ll make it think it’s constantly in a state of famine which is unhealthy and cruel.

[@Axecapoeiracomoxvalley]

So constant treats basically 😂 I’m afraid my dog will get huge! 😂 is there a video of a situation where dogs are distracted like around other dogs playing off leash?

[@Turnoble]

Use their kibble, and do training instead of mealtime. No extra calories.

[@LiveloveDogTraining]

No reason for you dog to get huge! I play canes with my dogs all the time! I have a few videos on here of my dogs,

[@mtnride4930]

Good tip though my dog is not treat driven. He likes just praise. I am working at getting him rock solid on ignoring other dogs and trying to get other ideas to do this without treats. He could care less about treats.

[@zarminaabbas3969]

This is an awesome video and game!!! Thanks! But also a question, could you train this with their name instead?

[@JennyYasi]

I would not. We use the dog's name in so many, often too many, situations. Get Leslie McDevitt's books, "control unleashed" to answer your questions to all her games!

[@stevecowham1017]

Both my dogs have always waited until, "three" is said, until they get their food. I count down with my fingers. Sometimes they want to move on one. It works! I'll try this approach in other situations. Thanks. I have to add that I say, three, two, one. I'll try it reveresed.

[@ninepeach]

what do you do with dogs that are not treat motivated ?

[@belinda9696]

So what if the dog is not on the leash and across the yard digging in the mud or chasing a squirrel and you say 3? Will he or she drop everything and still come for the treat?

[@SaraOndrako]

That completely depends on the dog, (whether they are treat motivated or not and whether the treat is more exciting then what they are doing at a distance) and the practice put in place ahead of time before testing it. I’m the situation you are describing, I would use this method necessarily, I’d work on really good recall with the treat or reward coming when they return to you. I’d use a longline to practice at distances. Take a look at my Teach Your Dog These Top 8 Cues video and watch the portion on teaching recall. That may help! Also - if you’ve got a digger, provide a place where it is okay to dig (or make one with a sandbox) and teach your pup where it’s appropriate to dig and where it’s not. Happy training!

[@PAWSongPinoy]

I have seven dogs, hard to train them, one is bully and stubborn, he wants the treats all for him.

[@theprospectingcollector]

My kira knows "treat", so I will try to implement your count with "one, two, treat." 🙂

[@SaraOndrako]

Great idea!

[@1234kingconan]

What about when you don’t have treats? How do you get him to stop reacting to stuff without constantly feeding him?

[@SaraOndrako]

Excellent question. Just to be clear - this is only one of many distraction techniques and is not going to solve reactivity by itself. Constantly feeding will also not solve reactivity and I wouldn’t recommend that. It’s simply another tool in the toolbox to help with dogs that are easily distracted on walks. To work on the meat of the issue when it comes to reactivity, systematic desensitization is a helpful process that gradually gets the dog closer and closer to what would typically cause an outburst while decreasing the likelihood of a response. It takes accurate anticipation to help your dog before the reaction occurs to build a habit of keeping them below threshold as well as helping your dog to learn to focus on you rather than the outside distracting and sometimes scary world. It’s definitely a gradual process and it can be very helpful to teach your dog what TO DO when they feel anxious or fearful rather than being reactive. For example teaching a bump to the leg or creating space. Hope that helps! If your dog is constantly reacting, I would recommend bringing a professional on board to help 😊

[@davidhadley8106]

I think the idea is conditioning the dog to value staying in proximity. I've been doing something similar without the 1, 2, 3. I just reward for staying close or looking at me when distractions appear. If I don't have treats I still reward the behaviour with praise and my marker word. She has become steadily less reactive and we are getting closer and closer to these distractions without reactivity. Used to be She couldn't be off leash if there was a dog on the horizon; now the dog can get up to 20' away before the distraction begins to intensify.

[@JennyYasi]

This game was invented by Leslie McDevitt, as a foundation in her program Control Unleashed.

[@SaraOndrako]

Sure was! There’s a link to her site in the video description. She liked the video 😊 Hoping it helps spread teachings like hers to as many pet parents as possible.

[@peacefulpropertiesandpets2231]

That dog knew exactly what he was doing when he jumped in that pool 😂 Great video, thank you for sharing

[@debbiestevens8263]

It would be nice to show this with a dog that is untrained and highly reactive to show that it does really work...obviously this dog is already well trained..I have a gsd that has anxiety and reactive and I highly doubt it's going to be this easy

[@SaraOndrako]

Good point to discuss! This dog actually was highly reactive and had poor leash skills when I started working with him. For a dog (trained or not) that is more stimulated by the outside environment and cannot focus on the handler at all, you would need to implement some behavior modification first to get your pup more comfortable in the situations that would typically trigger him. This game is simply one of many tools in the tool box to help a dog in environment they are either simply distracted in, or concerned about (fear/anxiety) - implementing this game won't modify behaviors on it's own. You can find a great behavior consultant on the IAABC directory here to help: iaabc.org/certs/members Happy training!

[@riojimatsuoka]

Isn't this marking? I use yes and free, and he knows he gets a reward because he is conditioned to those words. This could only confuse my dog, or am I missing something?

[@beautycomfortwithmare6602]

What if the dog looses interest in the treat once they are in a distracting environment?

[@SaraOndrako]

Hi! If the dog is too distracted then the outside stimuli is greater to the dog than the treat. You can do a couple of different things. The first - go back to a level of distractions where you can still elicit successful interest in the treat and slowly add in more distractions while working on it. If the dog isn't taking the treat - it's too much, too soon. Some dogs aren't really treat motivated - they like a squeaky, a ball, a tug, etc. You can also use that in place of food. This game is just one of many practices. You can use what your dog desires in their environment as a reward system - say they have a favorite sniff spot or a friend they want to greet. Move closer to that area/object while you can still get your dog's focus and he/she's on a loose leash. Move away from the area/object to reset if your dog is about to pull forward or you cannot get any focus. Work back and forth until your dog understands that they get to go towards what they want to explore if they are able to check in with you and remain with you while walking towards the area/object.

[@alwayshangrygirl463]

What was the purpose of '1,2,3'? I ask my dog 'do you want a treat?' and I get his full attention 🤣 but he has to howl (not bark) to get it. People find our conversations cute. Sometimes I change the direction all of a sudden and train 'this way', or I stop and tell him to sit here or there: or give me five. He doesn't rush to other dogs like crazy anymore. Everything works great, but he still struggles when other dogs are too close. He just wants to play with them. His enthusiasm scares small dogs. And some small dog owners say that my husky is aggressive. He's not aggressive, he's just too eager to play. Other people say that he's very well behaved for a 5 months old and that he will calm down with age. But I'm not sure. Any recommendations?

[@alisonrhodes7312]

Be patient. You are expecting a lot from a 5 month old puppy.

[@alwayshangrygirl463]

@@alisonrhodes7312 thanks for nothing, but he's much calmer now. I did picnic training every evening in different locations. He doesn't really give a f about other dogs. And I put him in a day care once a week.

[@xanderxander08]

Follow and listen to real trainers, not people that give threats to a dog thinking they are slaves of their food. Lately I follow Ivan Balavanov and he has teach me with his podcast and his newsletter the importance of "playing" with your dog and how you can create rules for your dog while you have fun. This has been really usefull for reactive dogs and even for proteccion work. I highly recommend him insted of listening to this content that doen't help at all.

[@SaraOndrako]

Alexander - this content may not help you in your situation but this content wasn’t made just for you. It’s made for a wide audience of pet parents with a wide variety of personalities, motivators, problems, questions, different environments, and different lifestyles. There’s no one size fits all in anything regarding living creatures. If this channel isn’t for you, no worries - kindly move on and let people consume information that may be helpful to them rather than you.

[@xanderxander08]

@@SaraOndrako This content does't help at all. I have seen people struggling with they dogs to give them a treat when the dog is barking or doing something else. I am critizing this content not beacuse I follow you, this content appear in my feed and feel resposible to say that dog training isn't something that you resolve with treats and saying in the comment section that this tool is only for certain dogs when you haven't say in the video. I have work with so many dogs and I can assure you, food is a good positive reinforcment but it shouldn be the main tool to create behaviors because it will always fail when the dog has higher emotion to another stimulus in real life situation.

[@shazhamilton5160]

Can you use a toy instead of treats both my dogs are much more toy focused and not very motivated with treats

[@SaraOndrako]

Hi Shaz! You can certainly do an engage/disengage game with them that is similar. Using the treats as in this video allows for the dog to break away from the distraction, get the reward, and then go right back to what they were looking at or doing to help decrease the focus (but not necessarily awareness) of something that might distract them. With a toy, if you give it to them on "3" and then take it away right away again, you could build frustration pretty quick. Instead, I'd look at using your toy as a reward system for disengaging from the distraction. Here's a video example of Look at That training (also by Leslie McDevitt who created this 1,2,3 game) to give you an idea as to how this works: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHm7aJuoj7iprpY It's taught differently than used in practice but the concept is to start marking distractions at a tolerable enough distance that you can get your dog to disengage and then you reward your dog for disengaging (with a little tug, a bounce of the ball, etc.). Hope that helps! Happy Training :)

[@SuperGGLOL]

I noticed your dog reverted back to standing after you told him to sit. Is the treat a release in itself? Because whenever I make my dog sit, I treat her just the same as you, but I release her with a “yes”. I say “good” as a guide for the dog to show what she’s doing is making me happy. But it does not mean a release from the position.

[@SaraOndrako]

Hi there! This game doesn't have anything to do with an actual reward system for shaping any behaviors or reinforcing any behaviors as most training games do, so I am not focused on a cue or a release for this specific game. The idea of this game is to build in a solid association with the number three and food so that when the dog hears "three" he/she knows food is coming. This is a distraction technique that also allows for the dog to have something positive happening simultaneously in areas of increasing distraction, lessening the attention on the distractions and increasing the focus on listening for that counting leading up to food (not a food reward) at "three". Hope that helps!

[@_mExitus_]

@@SaraOndrako Hi! I'm curious, what is the difference of this game compared to a simple "watch" (attention seeking command)?

[@SaraOndrako]

Great question! It depends how you use your “watch” cue. I use it (or “focus”, or “look” depending on owner preference) and equate it to eye contact. Think of the 1,2,3 game as a bridge between inability to focus or engage due to the environment being way more stimulating than the pet parent, and the focus cue (“watch”) where the dog readily gives eye contact when asked under distraction. This game is intended (the way I use it - Leslie McDevitt might do it slightly differently) to just get the dog used to knowing that “3” means treat with no cue, no strings attached, so that they are more likely to break away from distraction and then you can work towards getting them more focused (including eye contact) once they are reliably responsive to this game. Hope that helps!

[@imhivyay]

Wouldn’t the dog get confused with “three” and “free”?

[@Jacob-2796]

I don't see the game. I see a dog being fed.

[@xx1northpole1xx34]

Or red light green light

[@SaraOndrako]

That's a fun one!

[@forcefreegundog]

This is a good video, but it is an exercise created by Leslie McDevitt as part of her Control Unleashed system and it would have been just good manners to credit her with it.

[@SaraOndrako]

Hi! Thanks for the info. I take pride in my manners 😉 Generally I'm happy to give credit where credit is due but did not know the actual original source of this game as I've seen it discussed on multiple platforms and the original source was never disclosed when I was shown this game some time ago. Thanks again for the input. I'll be happy to look that up and add credit in the video description. Best! ~Sara

[@SaraOndrako]

Hey @DogWorks - just an update - I got in touch with Leslie and confirmed she's the OG on this game. My description has been updated to reflect that and I even included a link to her website and book. She loved the video! Thanks for the connection. Happy training!

[@forcefreegundog]

@@SaraOndrako wow, kudos to you, I totally didn't expect that. Thanks!

[@Mr.Bathelus832]

I use different methods

[@LunaTheDoodle]

I’ll have to try this with my dog 👍

[@chanceequestrainn3379]

My dog ignores any treats/toys if there’s distractions

[@SaraOndrako]

Start by working at a tolerable distance from those distractions where you know that your dog will succeed. You can also use things in the environment as motivators rather than toys and treats (not including the 1,2,3 game - but for distraction work). For example, if your dog is distracted by squirrels and wants to investigate them, you can start at a tolerable distance from where the squirrels are, work on engaging your dog whether through easy skill drills for fun or using play such as tug, and reward your dog for that engagement and focus by slowly making your way towards the area where the squirrels are. You may not make it all the way to the squirrels the first 4,5,6 times you practice but eventually, your dog will learn that if they want to move towards the squirrels (the motivator) then being at an appropriate arousal level where engagement with Mom or Dad happens, gets them much closer to what they are wanting. Hope that helps!

[@pepedestroyer5974]

B.S.​@@SaraOndrako

[@SaraOndrako]

@@pepedestroyer5974 👌🏼

[@barbranch6664]

When my pup is distracted or fearful he won’t take a treat.

[@aslrunner]

Give your pup more distance from the distractions and bring ultra high value treats and train him when he’s hungry. Hot dogs or boiled chicken usually do the trick.

[@mangolust]

Treats don't work for my pup outside purse the house

[@xanderxander08]

- So what's your dog's name? - His name is Gus - Gus: My name is One, Two, TREE!!!

[@TheTerrinelson]

Why not just teach him to look at you when you say his name?

[@user-jb4xv4im9o]

@TheTerrinelson I taught my puppy to look at me when I say check and use it when she starts to get distracted. It seems to work well. She is a 6 mo old small short-haired border collie so she's just starting to rebel a bit like a teenager so I may try this too.

[@Novacification]

I'm not sure you could've picked a more docile dog to showcase this with

[@derekchurchard3929]

You should try it on a more demanding dog, this is a cheat!

[@shawntsfitnessandnutrition1034]

We don't believe in the treat system. They they're onky food driven. Wish this was one without out a great motivation. We have K-9 dogs so maybe we can try this with a toy or ball

[@SaraOndrako]

For my non-treat dogs, I use tug. If you are using working dogs, a ball or a tug toy will often work well but you'll need to onboard a great "out" to make it work well in practice! 😊 Happy training!

[@pepedestroyer5974]

Full B.S.​@@SaraOndrako

[@SaraOndrako]

@@pepedestroyer5974 Not just partial but full? I feel special.

[@areus2016]

If your dog is a communist, replace "three" with "free". Attention is guaranteed.

[@pbk9]

your hand is quicker than you mouth - you should not move hand before saying the cue

[@zeblackboi]

What an attractive woman!

[@veronicawalters7547]

The ads take away from the video. Normally the ads are at the beginning of the video, but this video has multiple ads throughout.

[@SaraOndrako]

Hi Veronica - thanks for the feedback! We will look into rearranging the ads so that they don't take away from the video and disrupt learning.

[@julianparrish8197]

I think you just wanted to make a video to show us how you feed your dog...smh

[@AM-ou1wt]

Gus has a big tummy so he can hold lots of treats. How do we replicate with a toy breed even when using all their meals as training? And any dog has to be either really hungry or highly motivated by food to consider their kibble a high value treat unless it's probably real meat. I find most training videos use large dogs who can eat more food, or if a smaller dog, they are feeding pure meat, including chemical laden hot dogs or bologna which cannot go on day after day with a puppy because they need other nutrients. Please address small dogs with small feeding needs.

[@danacharlton2822]

It's a helpful video but the trainer speaks way too fast and it is an effort to understand her because all of her words run together. I do hear the word three, as though I were the dog student ~ maybe that's the point.

[@Ricardo1230781]

Pointless all that 1 2 3 they only need one word 🤷‍♂️

[@Sizzle408]

Speaking of purpose, what is the purpose of the music in the background? It’s distracting…….

[@iwallhausser8870]

Always with the FOOD - ugh

[@SaraOndrako]

Correction - I use food with dogs that are food motivated. I wouldn’t use this technique with a ball-driven dog.

[@solidus1995]

Hey everyone its sarah. Food is the answer to all your dog problems. Just dont worry when they contract diabetes. Give them a treat and itll go away! BIG CHUCK ALPHA MCBRIDE

[@blahblah8765ful]

You do realize treats can be anything right? Chicken, kibble, vegetables, liver, turkey, etc. It doesn't have to be just dog treats. Nothing wrong with rewarding food motivated dogs with treats.

[@anke6042]

@solidus How cool you have a dog that doesn't eat!! I thought all organisms needed to take in nourishment to sustain life. I need to find the same dog breed you have - would make my dog food bill go down. (Aka use your dog's regular food to reward throughout the day 😊)