We love dog parks - just not for the reason you might think. Let us explain. Other dogs can be a huge distraction (or even a trigger) for your dog. Maybe you have a super social dog who pulls you on the leash toward other dogs. Or maybe your dog lunges and barks out of fear when they see other dogs. Or perhaps your dog simply has a hard time giving you any attention around dogs. In order to help your dog feel more neutral or be able to offer behaviors you want around them, it is really important to find opportunities to work around dogs where you can control the distance between your dog and the other dogs. And that is where dog parks can be helpful: the fence around the park becomes your teammate. Instead of going into the dog park, you and your dog can work outside of it -- adjusting your distance to meet your dog’s individual needs (or perhaps even staying in the car). It gives you the ability to work around distractions/triggers while keeping your dog under threshold. It is easy to focus on your dog engaging with other dogs, but what might happen if you shift that focus a bit to your dog engaging with you around other dogs? While this list is certainly not exhaustive, we wanted to share six ideas of simple activities you can try outside of your local dog park.

Play the Engage/Disengage Game Outside of the Dog Park

Engage/Disengage is a simple game that you can use in training sessions and in everyday life that will help change your dog’s emotional response to seeing other dogs. It will also teach your dog how to automatically look to you when they see a dog.

What: The game has two levels. In Level One, you mark the moment your dog notices/engages with the other dog. In Level Two, you wait for your dog to look away from the other dog and then mark and reward. Check out the infographic below for details.
Why: This “game” is simple and crazy powerful! This game will help your dog learn how to self-interrupt when they notice other dogs (or whatever stimuli you do this with) and will reduce the stressful feelings that come up. Engage/disengage will help make your dog’s new default response around other dogs be to disengage and look at you.

In this infographic, Alice Tong breaks down the steps for the engage/disengage game with an illustration of a dog and a human.

How to Practice U-Turns Away from Dogs Outside of the Dog Park

Sometimes you just need to be able to walk the other direction when you see a dog -- here is your chance to practice that!

What: Walk toward the dogs (aka toward the dog park). Say whatever cue you use to ask your dog to flip around and follow you (e.g. “let’s go”) and then turn around 180 degrees (avoid yanking your dog -- you want your dog to be responding to your cue and body language). Mark and reward your dog as soon as they flip around to face you. (Note: Practice this in a low distraction setting before you try it outside a dog park.)

Why: This builds a history of reinforcement for your dog for turning away from dogs and makes it more likely that they will be able to do this in everyday life settings.

Try the Cookie Toss Game Outside of the Dog Park

TOC co-founder, Christie Catan, plays the cookie toss game with Hana, the American Staffordshire Terrier Puppy, during a session for how to use the dog park to train your dog.

This may look simple, but the cookie toss game is powerful and can helps your dog choose to engage with you instead of with other dogs (or more broadly, the environment).

What: This engagement pattern game may look easy, but it can have a lot of impact! To play, say “get it” and then toss a treat to the side for your dog to chase. After they eat it, they are likely going to look back to you wondering if there are more treats. The moment the orient to you (aka as soon as they turn back toward you), say “get it” (which is your marker in this game) and toss a treat to the other side for your dog to chase. Keep repeating this pattern. Remember: This is not a recall game, so try not to say your dog’s name or use their recall cue. You want them to choose to turn back to you. If they need some help, try making a kissy noise. (Note: Teach your dog this game in a low distraction setting first.)
Why: This game helps your dog choose you! After they eat the cookie that you toss, they have to make the choice to turn away from whatever is “out there” (in this case, that’s the dogs in the dog park) and turn back to you. You reward that choice by tossing a treat for them to chase, and most dogs find chasing quite fun! This game gives your dog a lot of practice in looking away from dogs and toward you! The simple pattern also helps your dog make the choice to engage with you because it is familiar.

Play With Your Dog Outside of the Dog Park

If you want your dog to engage with you around other dogs, it certainly doesn’t hurt for them to think you are fun!

What: Have some fun with your dog! We are big fans of personal play for its ability to give you information about your dog’s threshold, but feel free to bring food and toys into the mix.
Why: Good play is super engaged! Fun play can help your dog see that you can actually be more fun than those dogs inside of the park (or at least a decent substitute - LOL!). Play can also help you gauge where your dog’s threshold is. If your dog is too concerned about the other dogs to play with you, create more distance. You can even combine play with some engage/disengage by waiting for your dog to look away from the dogs and orient to you and rewarding that choice with play!

Recall Away from Dogs Outside of the Dog Park

Just because your dog knows the word “come” doesn’t mean they can always respond to it; here is a chance to work through a distraction (other dogs) in a controlled setting!

What: Say “get it” and toss a cookie away from you toward the dog park. After they eat the cookie and right before they turn around, say “come” (or whatever recall cue you use). Mark and reward them the moment they turn back to you and give them a treat. Repeat.
Why: This builds a history of reinforcement for turning away from dogs in response to their recall cue. Practice makes progress!

Engaged Walking Just Outside of the Dog Park

City sidewalks can be tough if you have a dog with big feelings about other dogs. Walking outside of a dog park allows you to build up that walking behavior around dogs, without feeling afraid that your dog is getting too close.

What: Take your leash walking show on the road! Try some of the leash walking exercises you have been working on at home outside of the dog park. The goal is for your dog to choose to walk near you rather than you having to bribe or nag your dog. You can use your body language and voice to keep them engaged and then reinforce the behavior you like with treats or play. If they get distracted, just wait them out and come to life when they choose to re-engage with you (unless you think they are going to react -- in which chase, create distance ASAP).
Why: The dog park gives you an opportunity to reinforce your dog for walking near you around other dogs while controlling your distance between them to keep your dog successful. Practicing here should help set your dog up for success for walks in everyday life.

Please be cognizant of your dog’s individual needs before you pull up to a crowded dog park. That may be too much for your dog. When in doubt, find dog parks where you know you can start really far away (aka not one where there is almost no surrounding area for you to work in).

Have you tried training your dog outside of the dog park? If you try this (even if it’s around other dogs in a different setting), let us know how it goes! Don’t forget to tag @tailsofconnection on Facebook or Instagram and use the hashtag #tailsofconnection.

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