We first learned about the “Look at That” (LAT) game from Leslie McDevitt’s brilliant book “Control Unleashed.” One of the most common dog training issues is on-leash reactivity. Our gut instinct is to tell Fido to knock it off or to try to console them and make them feel safe by patting them and speaking in high pitched voices. Unfortunately for a lot of dogs our attempts at canine communication are often misinterpreted and we see an increase in snarling, lunging and barking at approaching triggers like animals, people or moving objects. If we scold our dogs for acting like a lunatic when triggers approach, we run the risk of creating an even more negative situation for our already stresed or anxious friends. When we try and reassure Fifi that everything is going to be OK, they don’t hear our words but may assume based on our high-pitched tone that we like it when they are nervous and scared and they may enjoy the extra attention it gets them.
Although it goes against our human nature, the Look at That game diffuses both of these situations and quickly results in increased confidence and focus on mom or dad instead of incoming triggers. For a detailed description of the “Look at That” game, we encourage you to check out Leslie McDevitt’s web site and buy her easy-to-understand book or videos but we wanted to give you a brief overview of the exercise because the Clicker Leash makes it so easy to do.
The key is to keep your dog below threshold (ie quiet and calm) while teaching them to look at a stimulus they do not normally like and rewarding them for looking at it. To train LAT, use your Clicker Leash to click and reward your dog the second they look at a trigger as long there is no reaction. If your dog is too intense with the triggers being used, start with a neutral target like a piece of paper or other item your dog has no association with and again click as soon as they look at it. When your dog is offering a quick glance towards the target, name it “look.” Your dog will quickly start to look at their triggers and turn back to you for a reward. If your dog does not turn quickly, it is likely because they are over threshold. You should increase the distance between you and the trigger and try again.
Begin playing LAT with a different neutral distraction for about 30 seconds, as often as you can each day. Gradually progress to more challenging distractions such as favourite toys, the mailman, squirrels and approaching people. Once your dog has mastered the game with various distractions, you can progress to using dogs they like and then strange dogs. Remember, the key here is to keep your dog calm during this game. If they begin to growl, bark or lunge, they have gone over threshold and you need to start again with more distance between you and the object.
If youhave a particularly stressed, anxious or reactive dog, you may also want to check out Dr. Karen Overall’s Relaxation Protocol. The protocol provides a clear set of exercises to do with your dog to help teach self control in exciting situations. Remember to keep your training sessions brief and fun so your dog will want more! For more training tips and free video tutorials visit www. clickerleash.com
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January 20, 2010 at 6:46 pm
Our Adventures with Leash Reactivity | LV-426
[…] good right now. Not until we can reduce a lot of her excitement. We have been doing a lot of LAT (Look At That) exercises and she is getting better, but we still do need a lot of work. It’s slow […]
May 18, 2010 at 12:45 am
trying to bite or play with a jogger?
[…] training… YouTube – Jack Russell Terrier (JRT) Aggression When Blowing in Face | AskDrYin.com Look at That! A Counterintuitive Approach to Dealing with Reactive Dogs Dog Training for Dog Lovers … hope this helps you […]
May 21, 2010 at 3:13 pm
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[…] do not use choke or prong collars on a leash-reactive dog. I'd also suggest using the game "Look at That" for the cat introduction. THis tends to keep the dogs' frustration levels down so that they […]
July 8, 2010 at 2:45 pm
fearfuldogs
Thought you might enjoy this post about rewarding reactivity.
http://fearfuldogs.wordpress.com/2010/04/29/rewarding-reactivity/
August 6, 2010 at 10:33 pm
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[…] that" game, whereby the dog learns to associate what was once stressful, with a tasty treat. Look at That! A Counterintuitive Approach to Dealing with Reactive Dogs Dog Training for Dog Lovers … __________________ Proud papa of Riku and Tuki. RIP […]
September 4, 2010 at 10:11 pm
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[…] walk by. If you correct him, he may see the corrections as coming from what he is reacting to. The LAT(look at that) exercise is great for getting dogs over this little hump in their development. […]
October 4, 2010 at 1:29 am
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[…] are also starting to be able to play “Look at That!” which — thank you Donna of VIAD for the suggestion! — does feed back into eye contact. […]
February 27, 2011 at 11:27 pm
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[…] your chi is reactive… Read these! They should help! http://www.4pawsu.com/onleashaggression.htm https://clickerleash.wordpress.com/2009/08/23/look-at-that-a-counterintuitive-approach-to-dealing-wit… And for teaching your puppy not to pull check out this sticky thread! "Loose Leash" […]
March 7, 2011 at 7:01 am
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April 6, 2011 at 5:46 pm
Dog Accessories
Nice post, I have six German Shepards myself.
April 6, 2011 at 6:30 pm
Dog Training Leicester
Cool post, I run dog training classes.
April 16, 2011 at 8:12 am
My dog gets stressed near new dogs - Pet Forums Community
[…] […]
April 20, 2011 at 1:42 pm
Looking For Advice
[…] "Look at That". It is a really great training game that works wonders for reactive dogs! https://clickerleash.wordpress.com/2009/08/23/look-at-that-a-counterintuitive-approach-to-dealing-wit… And this is a video of one of Criosphynx's dogs playing LAT! […]
April 20, 2011 at 2:02 pm
Orlando
Thanks for providing another way to get dogs calm. I was so stuck on keeping the dog still or pulling him to the other side of me whenever other dogs or people came close.
April 24, 2011 at 9:48 pm
Aggressive German Shepherd HELP PLEASE!!
[…] Here's an article that I think will be very helpful, https://clickerleash.wordpress.com/2009/08/23/look-at-that-a-counterintuitive-approach-to-dealing-wit… […]
May 29, 2011 at 10:56 pm
Please help, new behaviour - German Shepherd Dog Forums
[…] into your training/daily walks. This article explains the concept, google for more information: Look at That! A Counterintuitive Approach to Dealing with Reactive Dogs Dog Training for Dog Lovers … __________________ Jane~ Kept by: Kacie 7/21/05 Onyx 11/8/06 CGC Gideon v Wildhaus aka Karlo […]
June 26, 2011 at 9:14 pm
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[…] those things better than "watch me". This gives some info on "Look at That": Look at That! A Counterintuitive Approach to Dealing with Reactive Dogs Dog Training for Dog Lovers … __________________ Chicago Canine Bianca HIC CGC TT (GSD) 6 yrs- Ambassador Dog, Therapy Dog […]
August 10, 2011 at 9:27 pm
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[…] actually used as a friendly test dog for the CGC! I would definitely google it and try it out. Look at That! A Counterintuitive Approach to Dealing with Reactive Dogs Dog Training for Dog Lovers … __________________ Jamie Raven (GSD) – December 8, 2007 Kaiser (GSD) – November […]
August 26, 2011 at 10:48 pm
Handler errors??? - German Shepherd Dog Forums
[…] dog. Chokes are harsh and not safe for the throat regardless of proper correction. Do you practice LAT game? It is helpful when dealing with reactivity. Also the book Control Unleashed is amazing with the […]
September 2, 2011 at 5:42 pm
My Dog doesnt like people talking to me! - German Shepherd Dog Forums
[…] the LAT game? Look at that. Look at That! A Counterintuitive Approach to Dealing with Reactive Dogs Dog Training for Dog Lovers … What I am trying to do now is, as soon as A stranger is in our view, i bend down and praising him, […]
September 5, 2011 at 7:07 pm
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[…] too many threads with your question and it usually begins at the same age as Rommel. The LAT game is good to teach him how to look at what he's reacting to and see it is no big deal. I'd also watch […]
September 12, 2011 at 11:30 am
Gets aggressive on the leash?? - German Shepherd Dog Forums
[…] is the "Look at That!" game. It comes from the book "Control Unleashed". Look at That! A Counterintuitive Approach to Dealing with Reactive Dogs Dog Training for Dog Lovers … Yesterday I took my youngster to a local dog show to walk around and prepare for his obedience […]
November 21, 2011 at 12:18 am
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[…] there is anything nearby that might trigger him to be afraid. There's a great training game called Look at That which might be helpful. In LAT, you reward your dog for looking at something that previously caused […]