When Hounds Fly, Foundation Skills

Engage Disengage
Objective – Teach your dog to offer you attention, while passing distractions on walks.
With this exercise, your dog will learn to calmly and voluntarily look back at you when they see a
trigger/ distraction instead of barking, lunging, pulling etc (whether out of excitement, or perhaps
stress or anxiety). Engage Disengage is effective in helping your dog cope (feel, and behave
calmly) around many things, such as other dogs, people, skateboards, motorcycles, cats - the
list goes on! If your dog is finding it difficult to pass distractions while out on walks without
pulling, barking etc., this is the exercise for you!

BEFORE WE TRAIN, WE MUST:

1. Identify TRIGGERS - When we refer to a trigger we mean: the thing that causes your
dog to overreact (pull towards, maybe vocalize etc.) when they perceive it. What does
your dog react to? Many dogs get over excited and begin to pull etc. when seeing things
like other dogs, squirrels, or people on skateboards for example, while out on walks.

2. Determine THRESHOLD - We must minimize the intensity of the trigger for our training
to be effective. This usually means: distance. If your dog typically begins to bark, lunge
or pull etc when triggers get within 15 feet of them, then we will need to begin our
training at least 20 feet away (or perhaps more) to begin with. It is better to be a bit too
far away, than too close to begin.

* Optimal training zone - The optimal “training zone” or training distance is: the distance at
which your dog can perceive the trigger (see, or become aware of it) with interest, but does not
exhibit any over threshold responses (lunging, pulling towards, or maybe vocalizing etc.), AND
is capable of looking back to their handler for food reinforcement, after hearing the click or
verbal marker.

If your dog cannot respond to your clicker / marker word, is not interested in your high value
treats or is already pulling towards the trigger, it means you are too close and will not get any
effective training accomplished here. Move a few feet farther away, and try again.
Consider training from across the street, or walking up someone’s driveway, and train from
there.

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Level 1 Goal: “Engage”
1. While out on a walk, when you see one of your dog’s triggers (ideally before they do) you
will move to your determined distance (optimal training zone), and get ready to train.

2. From this distance:

Click, or use a verbal marker, as soon as your dog looks AT the trigger.
Feed a treat for every click or marker signal.
Repeat this several times, then move on and repeat the sequence again when you are
passing another of your dog’s triggers.

Click on this link for a video demonstration of “Engage”

Level 2 Goal: Disengage

Once your dog is easily able to turn back to you for a treat, after the click /verbal marker, you
are ready to try the Disengage portion of this training.

1. While out on a walk, when you spot one of your dog’s triggers FIRST, you will move to
your determined distance (optimal training zone), and get ready to train.

2. From this distance:

Allow your dog to notice the trigger but do not click or treat yet - instead pause for a few
seconds. Does your dog look back to you voluntarily after a few seconds? If so….
Click, then Feed a treat for this voluntary look back to you after seeing the trigger.

Click on this link for a video demonstration of “Disengage”

Level 3 Goal: Reduce Distance Over Time

1. With practice, as your dog becomes more and more able to reliably look back at you
(disengage) after seeing a trigger, you can consider moving closer to the trigger while
training. Reduce distance by only a couple of feet at a time, and stay at each level until your
dog will reliably and comfortably disengage when they notice a trigger.

Important: This behaviour will be reliable only if it is practiced consistently over many
weeks and months. Stay consistent, and move at your dog’s pace.

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 TROUBLESHOOTING and IMPORTANT TIPS:
If your dog does not notice or respond to the clicker (or verbal marker), and/or if they begin
to have an over threshold reaction (lunging, pulling, barking etc), it is an indication that you are
too close. You must move farther away (or otherwise reduce the intensity of the trigger) before
trying again.

Keep the leash loose as you train. A tight leash while training can increase tension and
anxiety, which can very much hinder our training efforts.

Make sure to always pass the trigger parallel. We never want to find ourselves head on with
a trigger that is getting closer by the second!

How to know when to employ Engage, and when to employ Disengage? Generally
speaking, when your dog first begins to work on this, you will mostly be practicing the “engage”
portion (mark and feed for each look TO the trigger). As time goes on, and as your dog gets
better at the exercise, you will be trending towards the “disengage” portion (mark and feed for
each look BACK to you, after noticing the trigger). As you work through the protocol, you will
ebb and flow between the two. If it is a challenging trigger, stick with “engage”. If your dog is
finding it easy and looks quite relaxed, experiment with “disengage”!

See below for a handy infographic!

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