Three Ways to Grow Disengagement in a Distracting World

What is Disengagement and Why is It Important?

Disengagement is one of the concepts that make up your dog’s brain.  Dog’s who struggle with disengagement are unable to turn away from events happening around them and usually start to bark, lunge, or chase the thing that has caught their attention. 

• Can your dog disengage from you (a struggle for dogs with separation related behaviours)?
• How about from the environment (vehicles, squirrels, other dogs, people, etc)? 
• Would you like a dog that notices events and then turns away to engage with you or turns away to continue minding their own business?

You can never have too much disengagement!

Growing the Skill of Disengagement

Disengagement:  your dog sees value in coming away from something that excites, scares, or intrigues them. 

Disengagement is both physical (your dog turns and walks away) and mental (your dog is no longer thinking about the thing).

The more your dog can flex their disengagement muscle, the stronger the skill will become.

Grow disengagement with three approaches:  1) value placement, 2) win the game, and 3) spontaneity

Value Placement:  spell out to your dog that there is value in moving away from something they are engaged with. 

Two Games you can play:

• Distraction Mark Treat (DMT): Your dog is making choices about what to engage with and what to ignore.  By teaching them that much of what goes on in the environment is "none of their business", you are growing calmness and a calm dog is a dog who can make good choices.  To learn more check out thisFB live by Dr. Tom Mitchell.  DMT information starts at 14:00 minutes in.

• Disengagement Pattern: In a low distraction environment (your living room, kitchen, or basement), toss one piece of food ahead, when your dog turns back to you, feed, feed, feed as you walk away.  When turning to you becomes automatic, start to practice this game in the presence of low distractions (for example, outside in your backyard), and then practice in locations with more distractions.

Win the Game:  Set up a game where your dog wins the game by disengaging from something. 

Three games you can play:

• Plant Pot Prison:  Taught in the Sexier Than a Squirrel Challenge*

• It’s Yer Choice:  Ignore food in hand and food on the floor. Taught in these classes:  90 Days to a Well-Behaved Dog, Becoming Adolescent, Reactive Dog Fundamentals*

• Give into Leash Pressure: When you feel pressure on the leash, turn to your person.  Check out the video "Give into Leash Pressure".

*Upcoming Classes 

Spontaneity:  Even the most distracted dog is disengaging from events all the time.  It’s up to you to notice and reinforce your dog when then look at something and then look away. 

• Does your dog notice that bird in the sky and look away?
• Does your dog look at the kids in the playground and go back to sniffing the ground? 
• Does your dog turn away from food on the end table?

Adolescent Dogs Struggle with this Skill

During adolescents, growth, change and development is happening in your dog’s body and brain.  You will find that your previously well-behaved puppy starts to notice and engage with everything!  These young adults are often so engaged with the world and the events happening around them that they don’t listen to you, don’t respond when you call, and find more value ‘out there’ than with you.

Playing the games listed above will make a huge difference in your relationship and teach your dog that stuff ‘out there’ is none of their business.  The value is with you!

Conclusion

You can teach your dog to disengage from the environment.  Dogs who master this skill are calmer and able to move through the world minding their own business and engaging with you instead.

The sooner you start teaching your dog that there is value in disengaging from the environment the quicker you and your dog will benefit from this new found skill.

Reference:

Adapted from a variety of teachings by Dr. Tom Mitchel. 

Additional Resources:

To learn from Dr. Mitchell, check out:

Spotify

Apple Podcast

Learn to grow disengagement in three of our popular classes:  Becoming Adolescent, 90 Days to a Well-Behaved Dog, Reactive Dog Fundamentals. Check out our Upcoming Classes for dates and times.

You can register for Absolute Dog's "Sexier Than a Squirrel Challenge" through Proud of My Dog.  Send an email to heather@proudofmydog.ca and we will send you the registration information.