In my previous blog post, we looked at a game called “Taking Back the Keys to the Cookie Jar” … and today I’ve got another cookie related game for you. Remember that a cookie could be anything your dog finds reinforcing.
The game I’m sharing with you today absolutely needs the foundation of ItsYerChoice (IYC) for you and your dog to have success. I know that many of you reading this do have that foundation so that is why I’m sharing this progression.
If you have not played IYC, head on over and join in with our free ItsYerChoice Summit, and then come back to this game.
Forget It to Get It Cookie Jar Game!
This is a game to grow ItsYerChoice in daily life. It’s especially useful if you find your dog staring at your pocket, treat bag, the toy you left out, or any “cookie” that may be in view. It will help make you aware of your responses to your dog’s responses. It’s easy to play, but as I said, you do need the foundations of IYC!
I’m making the assumption that your dog is hanging out with you when you start this game.
Have cookies in a jar on a table or bench … your cookie jar could be any sort of container, even a bait pouch. Open the cookie jar and move the cookies around, then close the jar, walk away and go back to what you were doing.
20 mins later (or however long it takes for your dog to forget you had your hand in the cookie jar) go back to the cookie jar, open it, and take one out… move to the sink or another counter or a table, and put the cookie there (or wherever you want, just so it’s in view), and then go back to the computer, watching television or whatever it is you want to do.
When your dog “forgets” about the cookie, get his attention and ask him to “sit” or for another behaviour you know he will perform successfully, then release your dog and run with him to where you left the cookie and reward him with that cookie. If you have strong foundations of my Collar Grab Game, you can play that and then run with your dog to the cookie. The “work” earns the cookie, not just because you went by the cookie jar.
Your dog needs to forget about the cookie, to get the cookie!
If you have a dog who LOVES toys, you can use your “toys in a bag” from the foundations of my ItsYerChoice game and play with a toy.
Dogs can be hilarious in this game, and they will tell you “but, but, but, there is a COOKIE!!”.
It’s a way to let our dogs know that just because we have treats or toys, it does not mean they are going to be handed treats or toys.
It’s also an excellent game for you to be aware of what you are rewarding your dog for. If you hand him cookies out of your bait pouch or pocket mindlessly, it will not be a surprise that you find your dog’s attention focused on that pouch or pocket.
Tater was experienced at stealing reinforcement when he came to live with us, now he is quite the poster child for IYC and the progressions on the game.
Remember, the “Forget It to Get It Cookie Jar Game” is for those experienced with ItsYerChoice. Give the game a try and let me know your observations!
Today I am grateful that no matter what distraction is around, my dogs will focus on me and on the games we play together. That is what I want for each of you and is why I share games like IYC and advancements like this with everyone.
This sounds like a fun game, but probably will be hard for my dog because her sense of smell is so strong. I doubt she will forget about the cookie on the counter and it may actually tempt her to jump up on the counter to get it, but I’ll definitely try it. When I put the cookie on the counter should it be in plain sight for her to see?
Hello,
What do you do when your dog takes the cookie from the table? Or do you have to constantly stay close to the cookie on the table?
Greetings, Lotte
This may be a dumb question. My pup is really good with IYC as demonstrated in the IYC summit but how do I know she’s ready for this advanced IYC game? What should I pay attention to determine if we should go back to work on the basics more before we try this advanced version again?
What a fabulous pic of T-S, he’s certainly become a Poster Boy 🤩💖🐾🌷
I would love a little help with this technique. Let me start by saying we’ve had many dogs in our family over the years, and I totally get this lesson. I have a 2 year old female pit bull who LOOOOOOOVES frisbee outside. She is my first experience with a bully breed. A few times a day, she decides that it’s frisbee time and comes and barks at my face and runs to the door and goes back and forth pacing and barking very insistently to me. I totally understand the concept of this game, but this dog (as much as I absolutely love her) is the most persistent, insistent dog I have ever owned. If I completely ignore this behavior and walk away or to another room, she will follow me there and keep barking. She will also be so ramped up that she’ll instigate “trouble” with the other dogs – wrestling and rambunctious behavior that they are not necessarily in the mood for. I have sometimes resorted to putting her in her crate to “change the channel” and let her know “no we are not doing that now”. I think that is probably not the best solution, but sometimes I just don’t know what else to do except to go out and throw the frisbee a few times to burn off the steam. She does get regular exercise – but when she gets it in her mind that she wants frisbee – even after coming straight home from a long walk – I would love to learn how to get this insistence to stop. Thanks for any comments!
Hi Dawn, she sounds like super fun! Susan’s podcast on “The Thing Before Your Dog’s Thing” is a great help for starting to turn this around to what you want her to do instead.
https://dogsthat.com/podcast/16/
I’ve not had any problems with my training and my girls all seem to understand this game. Then comes Tosch (young, male, Golden Retriever). I’m working on signals and command discrimination with him. I leave him and he stands there staring at my left hand … just in case that cookie that MIGHT be there MIGHT shoot out from my hand and into his mouth. Not gonna happen, son. I give a signal AND a command and often times he just stands there staring at my hand. So we go back to our IYC basic games and he does fine until I start to work at a distance (yes I go slowly). I will try this game and see where we go. Thanks!
An entire online class of IYC would be awesome. I’d be the first to sign up. I’ve seen the beginning and the PhD levels of IYC but would love to know how to teach all the layers in between.
Susan Garnett’s Dog Training Blog is the literally the BEST dog training community anywhere, I read it all the time, and I’m so grateful I found, it helped me not only get me dogs to listen but to remember their training. Hope it helps some others!
This is definitely something we ‘ll be trying! My older boys are pretty good but the three pups (3yr olds) are really persistent if there’s a toy around…. this will be such fun lol Thanks Susan and Say Yes x
Gotta try this, thanks!
Like this game, will play it today. Thank you,
thanks. I have a young male Golden who concentrates on the cookies more than me. We’ve played IYC and he’s very good at it. Now to carry on with this. Again. Thanks!
If we utilize the collar grab game… do we keep our hand on their collar as we run back to the cookie?
Hi Jessica, if your dog is super experienced with the Collar Grab game you could do that as a progression now and again, or “collar grab” release and run.
Hi Jessica,
When to do the collar grab game,?
Once your at the cookie jar, you play the
collar grab game to give the cookie.