Pattern Games for Dogs: How to Build Focus and Confidence

Pattern Games for Dogs: How to Build Focus and Confidence

By Dr Duncan Houston

When a dog becomes worried, frustrated or overstimulated, asking for obedience may not be enough. Pattern games provide a simple, predictable sequence that can help the dog stay engaged and move through challenging situations without force.

These exercises were developed by trainer Leslie McDevitt as part of the Control Unleashed® programme. They are particularly useful for dogs that struggle with unfamiliar places, other dogs, visitors, traffic or veterinary appointments. Clean Run provides further information about the original programme.

Quick Answer

Pattern games use repeated movements, words and rewards to make an uncertain situation more predictable. Teach one game in a quiet place, then practise it around mild distractions while your dog remains comfortable. If your dog freezes, tries to escape, stops responding or reacts intensely, increase the distance from the trigger instead of repeating the game.

What Are Pattern Games?

A pattern game is a short exercise in which the same sequence happens repeatedly. For example:

1. You count “one, two, three”.

2. Your dog receives a treat on “three”.

3. The sequence begins again.

Once the dog learns the pattern, they know what will happen next. That predictability may make it easier to remain connected with you when the environment becomes distracting or mildly stressful.

Pattern games are different from conventional obedience exercises. The goal is not to make the dog stare at you or suppress every reaction. The pattern gives the dog a familiar activity while allowing them to notice and process the environment.

They can support:

• Calm movement past mild distractions

• Voluntary check-ins with the handler

• Recovery after noticing a trigger

• Confidence in unfamiliar environments

• Loose-lead walking

• Cooperative veterinary and grooming visits

Pattern games are supportive tools, not a complete treatment for serious anxiety, aggression or phobias.

Important Training Terms

Understanding four terms makes these exercises much easier:

• Cue: A word or gesture that tells the dog an opportunity to perform a behaviour is available.

• Marker: A precise signal, such as “yes” or a click, that identifies the behaviour earning reinforcement.

• Reinforcer: Something the dog values, commonly food, play, sniffing or access to space.

• Threshold: The level at which a dog becomes too distressed or aroused to respond normally and learn effectively.

A dog who is under threshold can generally notice a trigger while still eating, moving naturally, exploring and responding to familiar patterns. A dog who is over threshold may stare, freeze, bark, lunge, scramble away or become unable to respond.

Is Your Dog Ready to Practise?

Before starting, choose a quiet environment and prepare small, easy-to-swallow treats. Use a secure lead and comfortable harness when practising outside.

Watch the whole dog rather than using food acceptance as your only test. Some worried dogs will continue eating despite significant stress.

Emotional state	What you may notice	What to do
Comfortable	Loose muscles, normal movement, able to sniff and eat	Continue
Alert but coping	Brief staring, ears forward, slightly faster eating	Increase distance or simplify the game
Struggling	Stiff posture, prolonged staring, pacing, repeated lip licking	Stop and move somewhere quieter
Overwhelmed	Barking, lunging, trembling, escape attempts or inability to eat	Leave the situation and allow recovery

A dog must always be able to move away. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior recommends reward-based training and specifically advises against intimidation, painful equipment and forced exposure. Read the AVSAB humane training position statement.

How to Teach the 1-2-3 Walking Game

This is one of the most accessible pattern games for walks and unfamiliar environments.

Step 1: Establish the pattern indoors

Say “one, two, three” at a steady, comfortable pace. Immediately after “three”, deliver a small treat beside your leg.

Repeat five to ten times. Your dog does not need to sit or make eye contact. The important part is that “three” reliably predicts food.

Step 2: Add movement

Take a few steps while counting. Deliver the treat beside your leg on “three”, then begin the sequence again.

Practise for one or two minutes at a time. Stop before your dog loses interest.

Step 3: Introduce mild distractions

Try the game in the garden, driveway or another quiet outdoor area. Progress to more distracting places only when your dog can move comfortably and take treats without rushing.

The game can help a dog pass a parked vehicle, navigate a waiting room or walk away from another dog. It should never be used to pull the dog closer to something they fear.

How to Play Look At That

Look At That, commonly shortened to LAT, teaches a dog that noticing something in the environment can lead to a predictable interaction with their handler. The exercise originated in Leslie McDevitt’s Control Unleashed® programme. CattleDog Publishing explains the LAT framework.

Step 1: Use a neutral object

Place an ordinary object at a distance. When your dog glances towards it, mark with “yes” or a click and give a treat.

Your dog will usually turn back towards you to collect the food. That creates the sequence:

Notice object, hear marker, return for reinforcement.

Step 2: Practise with a mild real-life trigger

Once the sequence is familiar, practise with something your dog notices but does not find overwhelming. This might be a person standing far away or a calm dog at a substantial distance.

Mark the first brief glance and reward. Do not wait for prolonged staring.

Step 3: Monitor recovery

After eating, your dog should be able to look away, sniff or move normally. If they immediately whip back towards the trigger, become stiff or cannot disengage, you are probably too close.

LAT is not permission to approach another dog or person. Its purpose is to help your dog process the sight of the trigger safely.

How to Play Give Me a Break

Give Me a Break encourages a dog to disengage and then choose to return to the handler.

1. Sit on a chair in a quiet room.

2. Stand and place a treat on the floor a short distance away.

3. Return to the chair while your dog eats.

4. Wait quietly.

5. When your dog returns to you, stand and place another treat.

6. Repeat for approximately ten treats.

Your dog’s return restarts the activity. This gives them some control over whether the interaction continues.

Once the pattern is well established, it can be practised in slightly more distracting places. If the dog does not return, do not call repeatedly. They may need more time, less distraction or a different environment.

Detailed instructions for this exercise are available from CattleDog Publishing.

Useful Supporting Skills

Some exercises are often discussed alongside pattern games but serve slightly different purposes.

Name response or whiplash turn

Say your dog’s name once. Mark and reward when they turn towards you.

Teach this away from distractions before relying on it outside. Avoid repeating the name when the dog is too aroused to respond, as this can weaken the cue.

Take a breath

Relaxation exercises can reinforce naturally slower breathing, softer posture or a gentle exhale. However, they should not be used to keep a frightened dog stationary near a trigger.

If breathing remains rapid, the dog is panting heavily or their body is tense, create distance and allow recovery.

Mat training

A portable mat can provide another familiar pattern. Reward the dog for approaching, stepping onto and eventually settling on the mat. Never prevent the dog from leaving it.

Using Pattern Games Around Common Triggers

Other dogs on walks

Create distance first. Once your dog can observe the other dog without reacting intensely, use LAT or 1-2-3 Walking.

Crossing the road, turning around or stepping behind a parked car is sensible management. It is not a training failure.

Veterinary visits

Practise in the car park or outside the clinic before trying the waiting room. Use a familiar pattern only while your dog can participate voluntarily.

Dogs with substantial veterinary fear may need quieter appointment times, waiting in the car, cooperative-care training or prescribed pre-visit medication.

Visitors at home

Use gates, leads or a separate room to prevent uncontrolled greetings. Practise a simple pattern at a comfortable distance after the visitor has settled.

Do not ask a fearful dog to approach or accept touching in exchange for food.

Traffic and unfamiliar noises

Begin at a distance where your dog notices the sound without becoming distressed. Reduce the volume, speed or proximity whenever possible.

Gradual exposure must remain below the level that produces fear. Continuing after the dog becomes distressed can make the response worse. VCA’s guidance on desensitisation and counterconditioning explains how distance and intensity should be adjusted.

A Practical Training Plan

Days 1 to 3

Choose one game and practise indoors for one to two minutes. Complete two or three sessions daily.

Days 4 to 7

Practise in several quiet locations, such as different rooms, the garden and the driveway.

The following weeks

Introduce one mild distraction at a time. Change only one factor, such as distance, movement, noise or duration.

After two or three comfortable sessions, make the next session slightly more challenging. If your dog struggles, return to the previous successful level.

Learning the basic pattern may take only a few sessions. Changing a strong emotional response can take weeks or months.

Common Mistakes

Starting too close to the trigger

Distance is part of treatment. If your dog cannot perform the game comfortably, move away before changing treats or repeating cues.

Using food to lure the dog forwards

A dog may follow food towards something frightening and panic once the food is gone. Reinforcement should support voluntary behaviour, not disguise forced exposure.

Introducing several games at once

Begin with one simple pattern. Too many cues and sequences can make a difficult situation less predictable.

Continuing because the dog is still eating

Eating does not guarantee relaxation. Watch posture, movement, facial tension and the dog’s ability to disengage.

Punishing a reaction

Leash corrections, shouting and painful equipment may increase fear or frustration. Pattern games should be taught entirely through safe management and reinforcement.

Expecting the game to replace distance

The first response to escalating fear should usually be to create space. The pattern is a support, not an emergency brake.

Could Pain or Illness Be Contributing?

Arrange a veterinary examination if reactivity begins suddenly, becomes noticeably worse or appears alongside:

• Reluctance to be touched

• Limping or stiffness

• Reduced activity

• Changes in sleep or appetite

• Hearing or vision changes

• Confusion or altered social behaviour

• New aggression towards familiar people

Pain, sensory deterioration, neurological disease and cognitive decline can all affect behaviour. Training cannot resolve an untreated medical cause.

When Is the Situation Urgent?

Pattern games are not appropriate during an active safety crisis. Seek immediate assistance if:

• Your dog has bitten or seriously injured a person or animal

• Your dog is attempting to escape into traffic

• Two animals are fighting and cannot be safely separated

• Your dog is collapsing, having difficulty breathing or showing neurological signs

• Fear is causing self-injury or frantic escape attempts

Move people and animals to safety without grabbing fighting dogs with your hands. Contact a veterinarian or emergency service when injury may have occurred.

When to Seek Behavioural Help

Ask your veterinarian for help if your dog cannot recover after triggers, reacts at very long distances or is becoming progressively more fearful.

A veterinarian can investigate medical contributors and discuss whether medication may be appropriate. For complex fear or aggression, look for a veterinary behaviourist or an appropriately qualified, reward-based behaviour professional.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do pattern games cure dog reactivity?

No. They can improve communication and predictability, but reactivity may also require environmental management, gradual behaviour modification, medical assessment and medication.

Should my dog look at me throughout the game?

Not necessarily. Constant eye contact is not the goal. Your dog should be allowed to observe the environment and voluntarily reconnect with you.

What if my dog refuses treats?

Move farther from the trigger or leave the area. Also consider whether the dog dislikes the food, feels unwell or is too full. Refusing a normally valued treat is often a sign that the exercise has become too difficult.

Can I use toys instead of food?

Yes, if play helps your dog remain organised rather than increasing arousal. Food is often easier to deliver precisely, but the best reinforcer depends on the individual dog.

What if my dog reacts during the game?

Stop counting or cueing and create distance. Allow the dog to decompress, then resume later in an easier location. A reaction provides information about the setup, not evidence that the dog has failed.

Final Thoughts

Pattern games can give dogs a familiar structure when the world feels uncertain. Their value comes from predictability, voluntary participation and careful attention to the dog’s emotional state.

Start in an easy environment, practise one pattern well and protect your dog’s ability to move away. Used thoughtfully, these exercises can support calmer choices and better communication without asking a frightened dog to simply endure more.

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If you are unsure whether your dog needs training, medical assessment or a more comprehensive behaviour plan, ASK A VET™ can help you decide on an appropriate next step.