Teach your dog a positive interruption cue that you can use to stop a game of chase before it gets out of hand:
- Gather your treats and put your dog leash. Stand in a quiet spot without a lot of distractions, and wait.
- Watch quietly for your dog to pay attention to you.
- Say “That’s enough!” or another attention-getting word or phrase. Use a moderately loud/serious tone.
- Feed treats immediately – do NOT wait for your dog to look at or come over to you. Feed three or four delicious treats in a row.
- Repeat for two or three sessions in different locations, 10-12 times per session.
- Once your dog “snaps to attention” when you say “That’s enough,” you are ready to test it a bit. Try waiting to say “That’s enough” when your dog is NOT focused on you, but not totally distracted either.
- Repeat 10 to 20 times (you may have to take a little more time, spacing these out in random intervals as your dog will start paying close attention).
- Test your dog when she’s moderately distracted, or playing with a familiar playmate. If she ignores your interruptor cue, gently direct her away from her playmate and feed (“save” your cue), and repeat Step 7 for a couple more weeks before trying again. If she passes the test (she stops playing and looks at you expectantly), feed her your treats and let her go back to playing. In the event you do not want her to continue playing, have a leash handy so you can clip it on, and feed even more treats once she’s clear of the other dog. Practice your interruptor cue often with and without other dogs, so it stays sharp.
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