Field Guide · Glossary
Flirt pole
EquipmentA lure on a rope attached to a pole, swung along the ground for a dog to chase.
How it works
It gives an outlet for the chase link of the predatory sequence, which is the part most pet dogs rarely get to use. Because the handler controls the lure, the game can be stopped and restarted deliberately, and those pauses are where most of the training value sits. A dog who can stop mid-chase, take a cue and then be released back into it is practicing self-control at an arousal level that ordinary training never reaches. It also works in a small yard, which most high-intensity outlets do not.
What it looks like
A dog chases the lure for twenty seconds, the handler stops the pole and stands still, and the dog is asked to sit. The moment they sit, the lure moves again. The sit is being paid with the chase itself, which in that moment is worth more to the dog than food.
Commonly confused with
- Predatory motor sequence
- The predatory motor sequence is the whole chain a dog is built to run, from orienting through to consuming. A flirt pole exercises the chase link of that chain and deliberately stops short of the rest.
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Flirt pole
A lure on a pole for a fast, satisfying chase that burns real energy in a small yard. We also use it to teach impulse control: chase, then "drop," then chase again.