The Up-Down Game for Dogs: How to Teach It and When It Helps

By Dr Duncan Houston

A dog who can look at you perfectly in the kitchen may appear to forget your existence as soon as you reach the park.

That does not always mean the dog is disobedient. The environment may simply be more interesting, exciting or worrying than anything happening at your end of the lead.

The Up-Down Game is a simple pattern game that teaches the dog to alternate between eating a treat placed on the ground and voluntarily reorienting towards the handler. The repetition creates a predictable rhythm that can help some dogs reconnect, process mild distractions and return to a familiar activity.

It is useful, but it is not magic. A dog who is barking, lunging, frozen or attempting to escape needs more distance and a safer plan, not a faster supply of treats.

Quick Answer

To play the Up-Down Game, place a treat on the ground between your dog’s front feet. After your dog eats it, wait silently. When they voluntarily look or turn towards you, mark that moment and place the next treat in the same spot.

Repeat the pattern while your dog remains comfortable and engaged. The game may help with voluntary check-ins and predictable focus, but it should not be used to lure a fearful dog towards a trigger or replace management, pain assessment or veterinary behavioural treatment. (Fenzi Dog Sports Academy)

What Is the Up-Down Game?

The Up-Down Game is a stationary pattern game created by trainer Leslie McDevitt as part of the Control Unleashed approach.

The sequence alternates between two simple actions:

Down: The dog lowers their head to eat a treat placed on the ground.
Up: The dog finishes eating and voluntarily reorients towards the handler.

The handler marks the upward reorientation and places the next treat down.

The game was designed for situations in which the handler and dog are not moving, such as waiting in a line, standing to one side of a path or pausing during a veterinary visit. McDevitt describes the pattern as something a dog can return to when confused, distracted or struggling to reconnect with the task. (Fenzi Dog Sports Academy)

The dog does not need to sit, stand in heel position or stare directly into the handler’s eyes. The behavioural criterion is deliberately small.

Does the Dog Need to Make Eye Contact?

No.

A brief orientation towards you is enough. That might look like:

Looking at your face
Turning their head towards you
Lifting their nose in your direction
Shifting their attention from the environment back to you
Looking towards your torso or hands

Intense eye contact is not the purpose of the exercise.

Requiring a prolonged stare may make the game unnecessarily difficult, particularly for a worried dog that still needs to monitor the environment. McDevitt’s original explanation specifically allows for simple orientation rather than demanding direct eye contact. (Fenzi Dog Sports Academy)

What matters is that your dog completes the food-searching part of the pattern and then voluntarily returns some attention to you.

Why Is It Called a Pattern Game?

A pattern game follows a repeated structure in which the sequence remains consistent.

In the Up-Down Game:

Food appears on the ground.
The dog eats it.
The dog reorients towards the handler.
The handler marks.
Food appears on the ground again.

The rules remain stable even when minor details in the environment change.

This predictability may help because the dog does not need to guess what the handler will do next. Veterinary behavioural guidance recognises that structured, predictable interactions can improve communication and may reduce anxiety in some dogs. Reward-based response substitution can also help replace an unwanted response with a more manageable behaviour. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

However, predictability does not make an unsafe situation safe. If the trigger is too close or intense, the dog may still become overwhelmed.

What Does the Up-Down Game Teach?

The game can help reinforce several useful behaviours.

Voluntary check-ins

Your dog learns that returning attention to you continues the pattern.

You are not repeatedly saying their name, tightening the lead or demanding “look at me”. The dog discovers the response through the predictable consequence.

Reorientation after eating

Instead of continuing to search the ground, scan the environment or move away after the treat, the dog learns to return attention to the handler.

A simple response under mild distraction

The required behaviour is intentionally easy. Your dog does not need to perform a long stay, complicated trick or sustained heel position.

Predictable interaction

The repeated sequence can provide structure when the environment is mildly uncertain or distracting.

A pause before escalation

When introduced early enough, the game may give you and your dog something familiar to do before arousal develops into barking, pulling or lunging.

What Does the Game Not Teach?

The Up-Down Game does not automatically teach:

Complete calmness
Reliable recall
Loose-leash walking
Tolerance of close contact with other dogs
Acceptance of strangers
Emotional recovery from severe fear
Safe behaviour around bite triggers
Comfort during painful veterinary procedures
A formal heel
A prolonged stay
Permission for handling

It is one small training tool.

The veterinary evidence supports broader principles such as reward-based learning, predictable interactions, environmental management, controlled exposure and counterconditioning. The named Up-Down Game itself should not be presented as a clinically proven treatment with a known success rate. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Is the Up-Down Game the Same as Asking for Attention?

Not exactly.

When you cue “look”, call your dog’s name or present visible food near your face, you are prompting attention.

During the Up-Down Game, the handler usually remains quiet and waits for the dog to reorient voluntarily. The return of attention becomes part of the pattern rather than a response to repeated prompting.

That distinction matters.

A dog who only looks when food is displayed at eye level may be following the food rather than learning the Up-Down pattern. Similarly, a dog who reorients only after their name has been repeated several times has not yet developed the voluntary rhythm.

What Do You Need?

You need:

Small pieces of food your dog values
A marker word such as “yes”, or a clicker
A quiet and safe location
A non-slip surface
Enough space for your dog to move comfortably
One dog at a time during early training

Suitable food should be:

Small
Easy to see
Quick to eat
Appropriate for your dog’s diet
Valuable enough for the environment
Large enough that your dog does not spend a long time searching

Avoid crumbly food that scatters into several pieces. The game should create a clear sequence, not a five-minute archaeological excavation of the carpet.

How to Teach the Up-Down Game Step by Step

Step 1: Begin Somewhere Easy

Start in a familiar, quiet room.

Your dog should be:

Comfortable
Able to eat normally
Free to move
Not surrounded by other animals
Not anticipating a frightening procedure
Standing or sitting on a secure surface

Do not begin beside the front door during a delivery, in a crowded park or within sight of the dog’s most difficult trigger.

Step 2: Place One Treat on the Ground

Place the treat directly in front of your dog, ideally between or just ahead of their front feet.

Do not throw it across the floor.

Throwing creates extra movement and may encourage your dog to chase, search or turn away from you. McDevitt’s original instructions emphasise placing the food rather than tossing it so that the pattern remains clear and compact. (Fenzi Dog Sports Academy)

Step 3: Let Your Dog Eat

Say and do nothing.

Allow your dog to lower their head, find the treat and eat it.

Do not immediately call their name or lift another treat towards your face.

Step 4: Wait for Voluntary Orientation

After eating, your dog will usually lift their head and look somewhere.

Wait for them to orient towards you.

The first response may be very small:

A brief glance
A head turn
An ear and eye movement towards you
A shift in body position

Mark that moment.

Step 5: Mark Once

Use your clicker or say your marker word once.

The marker should occur when the dog reorients, not several seconds later when your hand has already entered the treat pouch.

The clean sequence is:

Dog looks towards you → Marker → Treat goes down

Step 6: Place the Next Treat in the Same Spot

Place another treat between or near the front paws.

Using the same approximate location helps make the pattern predictable.

Your dog lowers their head, eats, and then has another opportunity to reorient.

Step 7: Repeat While the Pattern Remains Easy

Complete several repetitions.

There is no medically validated minimum or maximum. Five repetitions may be enough to make the rhythm recognisable during a beginner session, but the dog’s behaviour matters more than the number.

Stop while your dog is still:

Moving comfortably
Eating normally
Reorienting willingly
Showing a loose body
Interested in continuing

You do not need to continue until the dog becomes bored, frustrated or distracted simply because your training plan says ten repetitions.

Step 8: End Clearly

Use a release phrase such as:

“All done”
“Finished”
“Let’s go”

Then move away, offer access to another activity or allow the dog to rest.

A clear ending helps distinguish the training pattern from food being dropped randomly throughout the day.

Should You Hold a Treat at Eye Level First?

It is not necessary.

Some teaching variations begin with one or two lured repetitions in which food is held near the handler’s face. This may help a completely inexperienced dog notice the initial up-and-down movement.

However, the cleaner version begins with the treat on the ground and waits for voluntary orientation. That more closely matches McDevitt’s own explanation of the game. (Fenzi Dog Sports Academy)

Holding food at eye level may accidentally teach:

Staring at visible food
Following the handler’s food hand
Jumping towards the treat
Waiting for a lure before reorienting

If you use a lure to begin, remove it quickly.

Should You Say “Look” or Call Your Dog’s Name?

Usually not during each repetition.

The purpose is to reinforce your dog for choosing to reorient after eating.

Repeatedly saying:

The dog’s name
“Look”
“Watch me”
“Come on”
“Hey”

changes the exercise into prompted attention.

If your dog does not look back after eating, do not become more animated. Consider what the delay is telling you.

The environment may be:

Too distracting
Too frightening
Too close to a trigger
Too physically uncomfortable
More rewarding than the food
Too difficult for the dog’s current training level

Make the situation easier.

How Long Should You Wait for Your Dog to Look Up?

There is no fixed number of seconds.

In a quiet training room, a dog familiar with the game may reorient almost immediately. In a new environment, the dog may need more time to process what is happening.

A short delay is not necessarily a problem. Your dog may briefly investigate a sound or smell before returning to you.

Concern increases when the dog:

Remains fixed on something
Becomes progressively stiffer
Scans continuously
Stops moving normally
Cannot turn away
Begins barking or lunging
Attempts to escape
Stops eating
Snatches food frantically
Needs repeated verbal prompts

Do not stand indefinitely beside a trigger waiting for the perfect glance. Increase distance and help your dog leave.

How Do You Add Distractions?

Build difficulty gradually.

A sensible progression might be:

Stage	Environment
1	Quiet room at home
2	Same room with a family member moving calmly
3	Another room or open doorway
4	Quiet garden or hallway
5	Front garden during a quiet period
6	Quiet pavement or open park
7	Mild controlled movement at a substantial distance
8	A real-world location with an easy escape route

Change one thing at a time.

Do not simultaneously:

Move outdoors
Add another dog
Use lower-value food
Ask for longer attention
Bring the trigger closer
Extend the session

Desensitisation should expose the dog to a low enough intensity that they remain able to cope. Moving too quickly can provoke fear and cause sensitisation rather than improvement. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

How Can You Use the Game on Walks?

The Up-Down Game is most useful when you are temporarily stationary.

Possible situations include:

Standing to one side while someone passes
Waiting at a wide crossing
Pausing in a quiet open area
Allowing your dog to recover after a mild startle
Waiting outside a veterinary clinic
Taking a short break during training
Reconnecting after your dog notices a distant distraction

Choose a location with enough space.

Keep your dog away from:

Traffic
Cycling paths
Unknown dogs
Narrow entrances
Wildlife
Food rubbish
Crowded pavements

If your dog needs to move away from something, move. Do not insist on completing the game while remaining close to the trigger.

Can It Help a Reactive Dog?

It may help some reactive dogs when used early and at an appropriate distance.

A practical sequence may be:

You notice the trigger before your dog reacts.
You move to a safer distance.
Your dog remains able to eat and move normally.
You begin the familiar pattern.
Your dog notices the environment and voluntarily reorients.
You finish and move away before arousal escalates.

The pattern may eventually help the dog learn that noticing something in the environment can be followed by returning attention to the handler. McDevitt describes this as one of the intended functions of the exercise. (Fenzi Dog Sports Academy)

However, the game should not be used to prevent the dog from monitoring a genuine concern or to keep them trapped beside something frightening.

The dog is probably too close when they:

Freeze
Stare continuously
Hold their mouth tightly closed
Lean forward or backward
Raise their hackles
Bark or growl
Lunge
Tremble
Attempt to retreat
Cannot orient towards you
Stop eating normally
Take food but remain rigid

Veterinary behavioural treatment of fear and aggression prioritises avoiding overwhelming exposure, controlling trigger intensity and using counterconditioning at a manageable distance. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Can a Dog Be Overwhelmed Even If They Keep Eating?

Yes.

Food consumption is useful information, but it does not prove that the dog feels safe.

Some dogs continue eating while:

Their muscles remain tense
Their weight is shifted away from the trigger
Their pupils are dilated
Their breathing has changed
They are scanning repeatedly
Their tail is tucked
They snatch food unusually hard
They immediately return to staring at the trigger

Other dogs stop eating because they are full, hot, nauseous or uninterested in the food rather than frightened.

Look at the entire dog, not just whether the treat disappeared.

Should You Use the Game While Another Dog Approaches?

Only when substantial distance and a safe exit are available.

Do not ask a helper to keep walking closer simply because your dog is still taking food. The dog may be eating while becoming progressively more uncomfortable.

A safer plan is to:

Keep the helper at a predetermined distance
Practise only a few repetitions
Stop while your dog remains relaxed
Move away between exposures
Increase difficulty over multiple sessions
Avoid direct approaches
Use a qualified professional when aggression is possible

The goal is not to discover how close the other dog can get before yours erupts.

Can It Help With Excitement?

Yes, in some dogs.

The low behavioural requirement may help an excited dog pause, eat and reorient before:

Leaving the house
Beginning a walk
Greeting a familiar person
Entering a training area
Moving past a mild distraction
Starting another exercise

However, rapid food placement may increase arousal in some highly food-motivated dogs.

Signs include:

Jumping
Barking at the handler
Frantic food snatching
Pawing
Repeated diving towards the ground
Inability to wait for the marker

In that situation:

Slow the rhythm
Use less exciting food
Increase the space between repetitions
Practise after the dog has had a chance to toilet and move
Choose a calmer alternative activity

The pattern should regulate the interaction, not turn the dog into a furry poker machine hammering the button for another payout.

Can the Game Be Used at the Veterinary Clinic?

It can be useful for some dogs during low-pressure parts of a veterinary visit.

Possible uses include:

Waiting outside the building
Standing on a non-slip mat
Pausing before entering an examination room
Reorienting after a mild sound
Waiting while equipment is prepared
Taking a break between handling steps

The game was specifically described as useful when waiting during veterinary situations. (Fenzi Dog Sports Academy)

However, a reactive or highly anxious dog may be safer waiting:

In the car when weather and clinic policy permit
Outside the building
In a quiet examination room
At a side entrance
During the first or last appointment of the day

AAHA recommends low-stress handling, positive reinforcement and pre-visit anxiolytic medication or sedation when fear interferes with safe veterinary care. (AAHA)

Before bringing food to an appointment

Ask the clinic whether feeding is permitted, particularly when your dog may require:

Sedation
Anaesthesia
Blood testing with specific fasting requirements
Imaging
Gastrointestinal investigation

Do not use food when the veterinary team has instructed you to fast your dog.

Is This Cooperative Care?

It can be part of cooperative care, but it is not automatically a consent or start-button behaviour.

The Up-Down Game mainly reinforces reorientation. It does not necessarily mean the dog has agreed to:

Ear examination
Injection
Nail trimming
Blood collection
Restraint
Painful handling

For a longer procedure, a sustained behaviour may be more useful, such as:

Chin rest
Mat station
Standing platform
Side-lying position
Voluntary muzzle entry

If a dog is painful, panicking or unsafe to handle, medication or sedation may be kinder than trying to keep the game running. (AAHA)

Which Dogs Need the Game Adapted?

Dogs With Resource Guarding

Train away from other animals and people likely to approach the food.

Do not drop food between several dogs. Competition may create tension, rushing or fighting.

Dogs That Scavenge or Have Pica

Use a clean mat, shallow bowl or other visible target surface rather than scattering food onto the ground.

The dog should not learn that every object on a pavement is part of the game.

Dogs With Food Allergies or Dietary Restrictions

Use part of the approved diet or another veterinary-approved reward.

Do not introduce an untested protein during an elimination diet.

Dogs With Diabetes or Calorie Restrictions

Include training food in the daily diet plan and follow the treating veterinarian’s feeding instructions.

Dogs With Neck, Back or Limb Pain

Repeated head lowering or standing in one place may be uncomfortable.

Sudden reluctance to play, difficulty lowering the head or a change in posture warrants veterinary assessment.

Dogs With Nausea or Poor Appetite

Food refusal may reflect illness rather than training difficulty.

Do not keep offering increasingly rich food to a dog that is vomiting, drooling, lethargic or showing abdominal discomfort.

Brachycephalic or Respiratory-Compromised Dogs

Do not continue training through noisy breathing, excessive panting or respiratory effort.

Allow the dog to adopt the position that makes breathing easiest and seek veterinary care when breathing appears abnormal.

Puppies

Puppies can learn the game through brief sessions.

Use:

Soft, tiny food
Non-slip flooring
Minimal distraction
Very few repetitions
Plenty of rest

Do not expect a young puppy to maintain focus for long periods.

How Comfortable Is Your Dog?

Level	What it may look like	What to do
Comfortable	Loose posture, eats normally, reorients willingly and remains interested	Continue for a few repetitions
Needs adjustment	Slower reorientation, scanning, mild tension, distracted eating or repeated ground searching	Reduce distraction and simplify
Over threshold	Freezing, barking, lunging, trembling, frantic eating, escape attempts or inability to disengage	Stop and create more distance
Veterinary concern	Sudden refusal, pain, weakness, vomiting, altered gait, disorientation or major personality change	Arrange veterinary assessment
Emergency	Collapse, seizures, severe breathing difficulty, uncontrolled aggression or inability to stand	Seek immediate emergency care

The aim is not to keep the pattern going at all costs. It is to recognise when the game is helping and when the dog needs something different.

Troubleshooting the Up-Down Game

Problem	Likely explanation	What to try
Dog does not look up	Environment is distracting, dog is still searching, or the pattern is unclear	Return to a quiet room and use one easy-to-find treat
Dog stares at your food hand	Food is visible before the marker	Keep food behind your back or in a pouch
Dog keeps searching the floor	Treats are crumbly or have been scattered	Use one larger, visible piece and place it consistently
Dog paws or jumps at you	Arousal is high or the reward is visible	Slow down, conceal food and reinforce four paws on the floor
Dog looks up only after hearing their name	Attention is still prompted	Stop repeating the name and wait in an easier environment
Dog eats but immediately fixates on the trigger	Trigger may be too intense	Increase distance or end the exposure
Dog refuses food outdoors	Fear, heat, nausea, fullness or low reward value may be involved	Move somewhere easier and assess the full body language
Game works only at home	The skill has not generalised	Repeat the beginner version in gradually more difficult locations
Dog starts barking for the next treat	The pace may be increasing arousal	Pause, reduce food value and reinforce a calmer starting state
Dog suddenly stops participating	Pain, illness or a new frightening association may be present	Stop and consider veterinary assessment

What If Your Dog Walks Away?

Let them.

Walking away may mean:

The dog is finished
The environment is too difficult
The food is not valuable
The dog needs water or rest
The dog is uncomfortable
Another activity is more rewarding
The dog is becoming worried
The dog does not understand the pattern

Do not follow the dog around dropping food or repeatedly asking for attention.

End the session, reassess and try an easier setup later.

Could Failure to Play Indicate Pain or Illness?

Yes, particularly when the change is sudden.

A dog who previously played easily but now refuses to lower or raise their head may have:

Neck pain
Back pain
Dental or oral pain
Ear disease
Visual impairment
Neurological disease
Limb pain
Nausea
General illness

Pain and physical illness can lower a dog’s tolerance for fear, frustration and handling. Veterinary behavioural guidance recommends investigating medical contributors when behaviour changes or aggression develops. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Arrange veterinary care when the change occurs with:

Limping
Crying
Head tilt
Reduced appetite
Vomiting
Weakness
Poor coordination
Facial swelling
Unusual irritability
Altered awareness
Difficulty breathing

When Is This an Emergency?

The Up-Down Game itself is not emergency treatment.

Stop training and seek immediate veterinary or safety assistance if your dog develops:

Collapse
Seizures
Severe breathing difficulty
Blue, grey, white or very pale gums
Sudden inability to stand
Marked disorientation
Severe pain
Suspected poisoning
Heatstroke signs
Repeated vomiting with weakness
An attack that cannot be interrupted safely
Frantic escape behaviour causing self-injury

Use distance, doors, gates or solid barriers when aggression is occurring. Do not put your hands between fighting dogs or grab a highly aroused dog by the collar unless there is no safer option.

A pattern game cannot stabilise a medical emergency or make an actively dangerous situation safe.

What Should You Do Right Now?

Today

Choose a quiet room.
Prepare several small treats.
Place one treat between your dog’s front feet.
Wait silently after they eat.
Mark the first voluntary orientation towards you.
Place the next treat in the same spot.
Complete only a few successful repetitions.
Finish clearly.

Over the next several days

Practise in:

Another room
Near an open doorway
A quiet garden
A calm hallway
A low-distraction outdoor area

Return to an easier setting whenever reorientation becomes slow or the dog’s body becomes tense.

Over the next one to two weeks

Use the game in one practical situation, such as:

Pausing during a quiet walk
Waiting outside the clinic
Standing to one side while a distant person passes
Reconnecting after a mild distraction

Do not begin with your dog’s most difficult trigger.

Keep a short record

Note:

Location
Trigger distance
Food used
Number of repetitions
Time taken to reorient
Body language
Whether the dog recovered easily
What caused the session to end

The useful measure is not how many treats were eaten. It is whether your dog remained comfortable and could voluntarily return attention.

Common Mistakes With the Up-Down Game

Holding Food at Eye Level Throughout the Game

This may teach the dog to stare at visible food rather than develop voluntary reorientation.

Requiring Intense Eye Contact

A brief look or orientation is sufficient. The dog should not need to ignore the environment completely.

Throwing the Treat

Thrown food can create searching, chasing and additional distraction. Place it in a consistent location. (Fenzi Dog Sports Academy)

Repeating the Dog’s Name

The voluntary check-in is central to the exercise. Repeated prompting changes the pattern.

Moving the Trigger Closer Too Quickly

Taking food does not prove the dog is comfortable. Watch the entire body and preserve distance.

Continuing After the Dog Is Overwhelmed

Barking, lunging, freezing or escape attempts mean the game is no longer the priority.

Keeping the Dog Stationary When They Need to Leave

If distance would help, move away. Do not finish five repetitions merely because five were planned.

Using the Game Instead of Veterinary Care

Sudden behaviour change, pain, nausea, neurological signs or severe anxiety require assessment.

Correcting the Dog for Looking Away

Looking at the environment is not disobedience. Punishment can increase fear and make the surrounding trigger more negative. AVSAB’s current position recommends reward-based training and advises against electronic collars, prong collars, choke chains, leash corrections and other aversive methods. (AVSAB)

How Can You Keep the Game Useful?

Practise in easy environments.
Keep sessions short.
Use consistent treat placement.
Reward brief orientation rather than demanding staring.
Add only one new difficulty at a time.
Finish before the dog disengages.
Maintain plenty of distance from triggers.
Allow the dog to leave.
Use approved food for dietary or medical conditions.
Do not make every game predict a frightening event.
Continue using management and normal walking skills.
Seek help before aggression or panic escalates.

A familiar game remains valuable when it continues to feel predictable and achievable.

When Should You Seek Professional Help?

Speak to your veterinarian when:

Behaviour changes suddenly
Pain may be involved
Your dog has stopped eating normally
Mobility or awareness has changed
Reactivity is worsening
Handling has become difficult
Medication may be appropriate

A qualified reward-based trainer may help with:

Teaching the mechanics
Improving marker timing
Generalising the game
Applying it on walks
Adjusting treat placement
Recognising early stress signals

Veterinary behavioural support is particularly important when there is:

A bite history
Aggression towards family members
Severe reactivity
Panic
Self-injury
Profound fear
Several behavioural problems occurring together
Inability to recover after triggers
Failure to improve with an appropriate initial plan

Behavioural medication may be needed when anxiety is too intense for learning. Medication should support management and behaviour modification rather than replace them. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Up-Down Game calm dogs?

It may help some dogs settle into a predictable rhythm and reorient towards their handler. It does not guarantee calmness and should not be used as the sole treatment for anxiety, fear or reactivity.

Does my dog need to look into my eyes?

No. Briefly orienting towards your face or body is enough. Prolonged direct eye contact is not required. (Fenzi Dog Sports Academy)

How many repetitions should I do?

Complete a small number while your dog remains comfortable and interested. Five repetitions may establish a recognisable rhythm, but there is no validated minimum. Stop sooner if your dog disengages or becomes tense.

Can I use the Up-Down Game around other dogs?

Yes, but only at a distance where your dog can notice the other dog without freezing, barking, lunging or attempting to escape. Increase distance immediately when your dog cannot reorient comfortably.

What if my dog will not take the treat?

Move to a quieter or more distant location and assess the dog’s complete body language. Food refusal may reflect fear, but it can also occur with nausea, pain, heat, fullness or poor reward value.

Can I use it in the veterinary waiting room?

Possibly, when the waiting area is quiet and your dog remains comfortable. A reactive or highly anxious dog may be safer waiting outside, in the car when appropriate or directly inside an examination room. Pre-visit medication or sedation may still be needed. (AAHA)

The Most Important Takeaway

The Up-Down Game is simple because the dog is asked to do very little.

Place the food down, wait for voluntary orientation, mark and repeat.

Its usefulness comes from the predictable structure, not from forcing attention or keeping the dog busy with food. The dog should remain free to notice the environment, move away and stop participating.

Use the game before your dog becomes overwhelmed. Keep triggers at a manageable distance, watch the whole body and leave the situation when distance is more helpful than another repetition.

A successful session is not one in which the dog ate the most treats. It is one in which the dog remained comfortable, understood the pattern and could return attention without pressure.

If your dog becomes overwhelmed around distractions, cannot recover after triggers or suddenly stops participating in familiar training, ASK A VET™ can help you organise the pattern and decide whether the next step is training support, pain assessment or veterinary behavioural care.

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About the author

Dr Duncan Houston

Veterinarian · Founder of ASK A VET

Every ASK A VET article is written and reviewed by qualified veterinarians.

About Dr. Duncan →drduncanthevet

The Up-Down Game for Dogs: How to Teach It and When It Helps