🎯 Pattern Games for Dogs: Vet-Endorsed Behavior Tools for 2025 Confidence and Calm 🐶

By Dr Duncan Houston, BVSc

Many dogs struggle to stay calm or focused in busy or stressful environments. Pattern Games are structured, choice-based activities that help reduce reactivity, increase confidence, and provide a predictable framework for learning. These vet-endorsed games are especially helpful for anxious or overstimulated dogs in 2025. 🧠🐾

🧩 What Are Pattern Games?

Pattern Games are activities that follow a predictable rhythm, helping dogs:

• 🧘 Feel safe and calm in new or distracting situations
• 🧠 Learn alternative behaviors to barking, lunging, or freezing
• 🐶 Process environmental triggers with curiosity instead of fear

Developed and popularized through Leslie McDevitt’s Control Unleashed® series, Pattern Games are easy to learn and incredibly effective at reshaping behavior in real-world situations. 📘🎮

📍 Start in a Safe, Familiar Space

Choose a quiet area for your first session. Dogs should feel relaxed and able to engage willingly. Let your dog “opt-in” to each game—never force interaction. Accepting treats is a great sign that your dog is comfortable. 🎁

📚 Foundation Concepts

• 🔁 Patterns provide consistency and predictability
• 🗣️ Markers ("yes" or clicker) signal success
• 🍖 Reinforcement follows each success (treat, toy, praise)
• 🧘‍♂️ Opt-out areas allow dogs to pause when overwhelmed (snuffle mat, crate)

🧘 Take a Breath (TAB)

One of the simplest ways to introduce Pattern Games is TAB:

• 🧍 Stand calmly with your dog
• 👃 When they take a deep breath or sigh—mark it and reward!

This game reinforces relaxation and can be paired with mat work for calm, focused behavior. 🌬️

👀 Look At That (LAT)

This reactivity game is a game-changer for anxious dogs:

• 🧐 Ask: “Where is the [dog/truck/kid]?”
• 🎯 When your dog looks at the trigger, mark and treat

Why it works: It turns “seeing the scary thing” into a cue for reward—not a threat. LAT builds trust, engagement, and confidence. 🧠💡

🔁 The 1-2-3 Game

This game helps guide dogs through transitions or distractions:

• 👄 Say “1-2-3” in a calm tone
• 🍖 On “3,” offer a treat

Repeat as you walk or move through new spaces—useful at the vet, in shelters, or on tough walks. 🚶‍♂️🎯

🪑 Give Me a Break (GMAB)

This engagement game offers a simple choice-based structure:

Chair Version:

1. 🪑 Sit in a chair with treats ready
2. 🍗 Place a treat a few feet away and let your dog eat it
3. 🐾 When they return, mark and repeat!

Handler-Moving Version:

1. 🚶 Walk a few steps after placing the treat
2. 🐕 When your dog finds you again, place another treat

This builds engagement and confidence while letting dogs explore. GMAB is great for new environments, crate training, or practicing calm. 🧘

🧠 Whiplash Turn Game

This sharp focus-builder strengthens your dog’s response to their name. 💬

• 👂 Say your dog’s name softly
• 👀 When they turn toward you, mark and reward

Practicing this at home lays the groundwork for attention during distractions. 🎯🐕

📋 Choosing the Right Pattern Game

🧘 How to Know When to Pause

If your dog stops eating, walks away, or offers stress behaviors (scratching, lip licking, yawning), let them rest in a designated opt-out spot:

• 🧸 Crate (if your dog enjoys it)
• 🧽 Lick mat
• 🍖 Snuffle mat

Pattern Games only work when your dog feels safe and willing. Respect the opt-out as a form of communication. 🗣️🧘‍♀️

📝 Final Thoughts from Dr Duncan Houston

Pattern Games are a low-pressure, high-reward way to build trust, reduce anxiety, and reshape your dog’s emotional responses. Whether your pup barks at bikes or freezes at the vet, there’s a pattern game to help. Structure builds security—and secure dogs thrive. 🐕❤️

Need help choosing the best game for your dog’s behavior? Visit AskAVet.com or download the Ask A Vet app 📱 for personalized help from behavior-focused veterinary experts. 🎮🐾