Let’s Talk Calmness: Part 3-Two Essential Games

Key Topics

• Calmness is key to your dog’s well-being
• Two essential games
• How to play the games

In my two previous posts, I talked about growing calmness in your dog, what causes over-arousaland gave you a variety of games and strategies for rewarding calmness. 

In the third and final installment on building calmness in your dog, you will learn two essential games for growing calmness.

Calmness is key to your dog’s well-being

Think how tiring it would be if you were constantly in an over-aroused state and couldn’t settle down.  You would be tired, overwhelmed, irritable, and unfocused.  This is what many dogs live through day in and day out.

If your dog can’t settle, they are likely in a similar state.  If they are always ‘on alert’, it is difficult to relax and get enough sleep let alone be still enough to focus on you and learn without jumping, and mouthing. 

Growing calmness and calm behaviours are key to your dog’s well-being.  

A dog who can access calmness can:

• Empty their bucket and keep it from overflowing
• Make great choices
• Quickly recover when over-stimulating or worrying events happen in their life

Two essential foundation games

The next two calmness games are essential to helping your dog learn to relax.  If you and your dog can master these, you will have a dog who learns that:

• The world is none of their business
• They can self-regulate their arousal and exhibit self-control when exciting things happen around them

These two key games are:

1) Distraction Mark Treat (DMT)

2) Boundary Games

How to play the games

The first game is: Distraction, Mark, Treat

This game is taught in all of my foundation classes:  Confident Puppy, Becoming Adolescent, Reactive Dog Fundaments, and 90 Days to a Well-Behaved Dog and I play it with my own dog. 

This game will teach your dog that exciting things in the environment are none of their business, and when they notice ‘stuff’ going on, they should check in with you for a positive outcome.  See a squirrel, stay calm and check in with you for a treat.  See a car, another dog, people walking, cars driving by, sheep, birds, you name it, they are none of your business.

As your dog learns to disengage from all the exciting things they see ‘out there’, they will be able to calmly navigate the world.  If they can be calm when out and about, they will be able to make better decision and will be better able to respond to you.
The basics of this game are:

• See a distraction
• Use a calm marker
• Deliver a treat

Watch me teaching Magnus the basics of DMT. 

You can also learn how to play the game by watching this Facebook live "Four Levels of Transformation" by Dr. Tom Mitchell.  He discusses how a dog’s brain works when they are reacting and why and how to teach Distraction Mark Treat

The second game is: Boundary Games

This game is taught in full in 90 Days to a Well-Behaved Dog with ‘how to information’ in all other foundation classes.

Teaching your dog to choose to rest calmly on their bed or any designated area is the goal of boundary games.  There are many games where boundary games are a key component but using a boundary to teach calmness, self-control and provide you with a portable calm zone is indispensable.

A dog who can chill on a boundary in your house regardless of what is going on can chill on that same boundary in a friends house, a hotel, or your vehicle.

Check out this video where I teach Buckey: 

1) There is value on the boundary,

2) Good things happen when you get on the boundary

Conclusion

Two additional pieces of the calmness puzzle are Distraction Mark Treat, and Boundary Games.  By adding these to the repertoire of skills you teach your dog, the better able your dog will be to empty their bucket, access calmness, and make better decisions.

Reminder to watch for and celebrate those moments when your dog exhibits calmness.  Over time, those small moments will accumulate until one day you notice that your dog has grown into an overall calm dog!

Reference:

Adapted from the Calmness ebook by Absolute Dogs.

Additional Resources:

Help! My Dog podcast Ep 21: Calmness Training that Fixes Barking, Reactivity, Jumping Up, Not Settling & So Much More!

To learn more from Dr. Mitchell, check out the 'Help! My Dog podcast' at:

Apple Podcast 

Spotify

Other Resources:

Sexier Than a Squirrel Podcast Calmness is King! Here's Your Key to a Calm K9!

YouTube Absolute Dogs How to Teach Your Dog to be CALM and SETTLED!

YouTube Absolute Dogs Pro Tips On Growing Calmness In Your Dog, Try Them Today!

YouTube Absolute Dogs  My Dog is Struggling With Calmness