This is a fantastic technique that I often use to teach a dog to notice something stressful or exciting (the “trigger”), then voluntary turn away. Some example situations in which I might use the Engage-Disengage Game are:
Barking and/or lunging toward other dogs when on leash.
Barking at activity outside the fence or window.
Wanting to chase other animals, like squirrels and cats.
Wanting to chase bicycles.
Having a hard time passing people without jumping.
Why is this useful?
This game provides the dog with a specific alternative behavior that they can perform instead of lunging, barking, and so on.
For anxious dogs, it gives them a greater sense of control over the situation and thus helps reframe it into a fun game.
It also gives the owner more insight into how their dog is feeling about the trigger (did the dog disengage promptly, or after a delay? Are the dog’s movements fluid and controlled, or fast and frantic? Is the dog even able to disengage on his own without help?).
How to train it
I often begin training with straight desensitization and counter conditioning exercises, but then progress to using the Engage-Disengage Game. There are two stages to this:
Stage 1:
Wait for your dog to notice the trigger. (Avoid pointing at it or telling the dog to look - that makes him look more at you!)
Mark (with a clicker or “yes!”) as soon as he looks at the trigger (engages).
Hand him the treat so that his head turns back toward you to eat it.
Repeat this stage until the dog is quickly looking back at you when you click/“yes”.
Stage 2:
Let the dog look at the trigger for a few seconds and wait.
Mark and reward as soon as the dog looks away (disengages) from the trigger.
If your dog does not disengage within 5 seconds, go back to stage 1.
Here is a lovely graphic from Alice Tong that explains the Engage-Disengage Game in detail.
If you prefer learning via video, here is one from Charleston Animal Society explaining how to teach this exercise, and here is another one from Bravo Dog Training & Behaviour.
Note that all of this training should be done with your dog below threshold - meaning he is able to notice the trigger without lunging, jumping, barking, whining, etc. Otherwise, he is rehearsing the behaviors we don’t want him to do, and he’s not in the right state of mind for learning calm behavior.
In action
Here is an example video of Georgia performing the Engage-Disengage Game with me while looking at another dog at PetSmart. (Yes, Georgia was very leash reactive before her training started!)