Ready? Get It! A Multi-Purpose Pattern Game
This multi-purpose pattern game that can help build trust with your dog, get your dog’s attention, interrupt undesired behavior, improve leash skills, modify reactivity, and more.
A pattern game is a set of multiple cues, usually verbal, that always follows the same pattern. Usually the pattern of cues will end in something good, such as a treat delivered to your dog’s mouth. The “ready? get it!” pattern game can be used with both food rewards and toys. To start, we recommend using treats. Then, as your dog becomes more familiar with the game, we can switch to pieces of your dog’s kibble, a thrown toy, or a hidden item to be retrieved by your dog.
Watch the “ready? get it!” pattern game here:
This game can be extremely helpful for dogs who show signs of reactivity or overarousal. I often use the “ready?” cue to interrupt dogs when they’re attempting to acquire a bootleg reinforcer, like lifting the lid of a full trash can or pulling on the leash toward another dog.
But how do I tell them they’ve done something bad?
Many pet parents who want their dogs to stop barking or pulling on the leash look for answers about what to do after the dog has completed the problem behavior. Often, dog handlers will recommend yanking on the leash or zapping the dog with the e-collar to stop the problem behavior in its tracks. There are many issues with this approach; see our posts on punishment callous and board and trains for more information on the issues with leash and collar corrections.
If you want to handle your dog with gentler methods, you may start to think that redirecting your dog with treats is actually teaching them to do the wrong thing. This can be true if you are only giving treats after the dog has begun the problem behavior. With the “ready? get it!” pattern game, your dog is learning to listen to you in order to access rewards. With practice, you can use the cue “ready?” to get your dog’s attention before a reaction.
How do you predict a reaction?
Chances are, your dog is displaying some sort of tension in their body language before the real, explosive reaction begins. Your dog’s reactivity may also be predicted by certain elements of their environment, called triggers. Different components of those triggers, such as how far away they are or how many have appeared in a short amount of time, can also predict the likelihood of your dog reacting. For more help with identifying triggers, or if you feel truly unable to handle your dog’s reactions, please consult a certified trainer.
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Happy training!
