Field Guide · Glossary
Engage-Disengage
Reactivity and fearA two-level game for reactive dogs in which the handler marks and rewards the dog first for noticing a trigger, and then for looking away from it on their own.
How it works
It is played at a distance where the dog can see the trigger and still take food. At the first level, the handler marks the moment the dog looks at the trigger, and the dog turns back to collect a treat. Noticing the trigger becomes the start of a routine that ends with the handler. At the second level, the handler waits a few seconds after the dog looks, and marks only when the dog turns away without help. If the dog cannot look away within that time, the handler returns to the first level or adds distance. The aim is a dog who interrupts themselves.
What it looks like
A dog sees another dog across a parking lot. The handler says "yes" as the dog looks, and the dog turns back for a piece of cheese. After several sessions the handler stays quiet when the dog looks, counts silently, and marks when the dog glances at the other dog and then turns to sniff the ground.
Commonly confused with
- LAT
- Look At That puts looking at the trigger on a cue and pays the dog each time they look and turn back. Engage-Disengage adds a second level that waits for the dog to break attention without any prompt, and pays that break.
Related terms
Gear that helps
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High-value freeze-dried training treats
The paycheck. For reactive work the reward has to beat the trigger, so we keep these tiny, soft, and genuinely exciting, not everyday biscuits.
Treat pouch (clip-on)
You can't reward fast enough digging in a pocket. A pouch you open one-handed changes your timing, and this one has a magnetic close plus a built-in clicker.
Clicker
A clear, consistent marker your dog learns to trust. One click means "yes, that, a treat is coming," which sharpens your timing on everything else.
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