Pattern Games are activities that help dogs learn specific skills. Some games help your dog move from point to point, some help your dog to relax, and others teach them to notice things around them. The main goal of Pattern Games is to help your dog process their environment and give them a set of behaviors to follow. This can be very helpful for dogs who get overstimulated, anxious or have trouble focusing in difficult situations. These games can also help your dog process new or exciting things, such as other dogs, cats, delivery trucks, or kids. Pattern Games also build confidence by giving your dog a chance to succeed in areas where they may have struggled before. One of the best resource on Pattern Games is Leslie McDevitt’s Control Unleashed book series.

You can teach Pattern Games almost anywhere, but it is best to start in a quiet, distraction-free space, especially if the caregiver is also learning. Start somewhere familiar where your dog feels relaxed and comfortable. Accepting treats shows that your dog is comfortable and engaged. Eating is part of the game and a behavior of its own. For example, licking peanut butter off a lick mat can be soothing as well as reinforcing the game. When learning Pattern Games, your dog should have the freedom to “opt-in” or “opt-out.” The game should be something your dog does voluntarily. Most games do not require cues, but you can use a word or click to mark a certain behavior.

• A cue is a word that tells your dog what to do, such as “sit.”
• A marker word is a signal, like saying “yes” or using a clicker, that lets your dog know they have performed the desired behavior and that reinforcement is coming.
• A reinforcement is something your dog loves, such as a treat or toy.

Choosing the Right Pattern Games

Think about what your dog needs help with to find the right Pattern Games. Start foundation skills with games such as Take a Breath (TAB) and default behaviors like sit or mat work. These basic skills can be used in other games and are a great way to introduce this type of learning to your dog. If you need to improve engagement with your dog, try the Whiplash Turn game. This game helps strengthen your dog’s response to your name and their focus on you, even when there are distractions.

Opting-In and Opting-Out

Opting-in means that your dog is ready to play the game. If your dog is showing the behavior you want in the game, they are opting in, and you can mark and reward them. If your dog is opting-out during certain situations, it might mean they are overwhelmed and need to work in a quieter place or further away from the trigger.

Opting-out means the game is over. It is important to give your dog a way to opt-out of the game to avoid frustration. You can set up an opt-out station like a snuffle mat, lick mat, or crate (if your dog likes crates). If your dog stops playing, offers different behaviors than what you are asking for, or shows signs of stress such as scratching, shaking off, or lip licking, they can go to the opt-out station. This is a good way to reset or end the training session.

Look At That – A Game That Changed Everything

Look At That is a popular pattern game from the book Control Unleashed. This game:

• offers a new way to address reactivity in dogs;
• build engagement with your dog;
• helps your dog process their environment;
• encourages big behavior changes in reactive dogs;
• strengthens communication between you and your dog and;
• allows your dog to calmly process scary things.

In Look At That, you ask your dog a question, “Where is the [x]?” and mark when your dog looks at the object. Asking about their environment instead of giving a cue is part of the opt-in/opt-out sequence of behavior that helps an anxious dog feel more secure. It shows your dog they will not be asked to do anything that makes them feel unsafe.

Other Pattern Games

There are several pattern games that can help move your dog from one place to another. One example is the 1-2-3 Game. In this game, after you say “1-2-3”, reward your dog. This pattern helps your distracted dog focus and encourages them to walk with you. This game is useful in shelters to move dogs from their kennel to the outside play yards or in veterinary hospitals to get dogs from the parking lot to inside, or from a kennel to the exam room, or onto a scale.

Some games need little to no training before you can play, such as Give Me a Break [GMAB]. Place a treat on the ground, turn your back, and sit in a chair. When your dog comes back to you, get up and place another treat on the ground near where the first one was located. This then gives your dog choice and control while helping them get used to the environment. It also teaches your dog to follow along when you turn your back and introduces a predictable reward. Expand on the basic chair version of GMAB by moving around the room.

Pattern games build a stronger bond and address your dog’s challenges. The games build relationships, help your dog feel more comfortable in their environment, improve communication, and establish new patterns of behavior.