Toss a Treat Pattern Game

The Toss a Treat game is great for loads of reasons! This game can serve as a foundation for an enthusiastic recall, teach your dog the power of offering you their attention, and act as a safe, familiar pattern for your pup to fall into when they are feeling unsure about something.

This game is fairly simple. To play the toss a treat game, all you will need is a handful of small treats and some space. In this video, I am using Bertie’s kibble as reinforcement. When we first introduce the game, I like to keep my treat tosses at only about 3-10 ft away, depending on the size of your dog. As you and your dog get better at this game, you can try taking it into bigger spaces.

Be sure to underhand toss or “bowl” your treats. If we throw them in a way that results in lots of unpredictable bouncing, that can make the game feel clunkier, which is the opposite of what we want in a pattern game. We are looking for fluent, moderate to fast paced repetitions. The frequent chasing involved in the game is part of what makes this fun for our dogs!

Sometimes I see folks waiting for eye contact before marking in this game. While that definitely has its place, it can also make a dog feel frustrated and confused if they aren’t ready for that criteria yet. The most difficult part of a recall is disengaging from what they doing and turning towards you, which we reinforce by marking the moment our dogs reorient to us with a verbal marker like “yes” or “good” or with a clicker.

Usually I don’t play this game for longer than a minute at once. I might use this and/ or a couple of other pattern games to help a dog settle in to a new environment if they are feeling very excited or a bit nervous. I like to rotate through a few different skills with the dog and often only do three or so mini games of the Toss a Treat pattern. I end each game with a transitional activity, like a treat scatter in a snuffle mat, on the ground, or in a different puzzle toy. This helps a dog realize the game is over now and they don’t need to pester you by asking to keep playing!

• Video Transcript:

  Hello, this is Lily of Spot On Dog Training here with my puppy Bertie. In just a moment, Bertie is going to help me demonstrate what we call the toss a treat game, which is a super versatile little pattern game.

  This game has tons of applications like building value in your dog offering you their attention, it also builds a really strong foundation for an enthusiastic recall, and it can also just be a fun way to work your dog’s mind and body on a day when maybe you can’t get outside.

  We start this pattern by tossing a treat a short distance away from us. That distance is going to depend on your dog and you can feel it out as you are practicing. When we toss the treat, I like to bowl it an underhand sort of toss so that it’s easier for my dog to chase it and it moves in a really predictable way for them.

  After you send your dog out to eat the treat, they’re going to turn and look back at you. You’re going to mark the exact moment that they reorient towards you. Bertie and I are using the marker word “yes” but you might also be using a word like good, or good dog, or even a clicker. All of those are valid, just choose one and be consistent with it.

  After you mark that reorientation, your dog is going to make their way back to you. You’re going to feed them at your body and then send them out with another treat bowled in a different direction, restarting the pattern.

  We finish with a treat scatter, either in a snuffle mat or on the ground, to let your dog know the game is done.