Most useful skill in dog training: “Ready, find it” and the Ready Find It Pattern Game
“Ready, find it” is the skill I teach literally every single dog I work with. It can be applied in so many different situations across many areas of life. It can function as an outlet for stress and big feelings, be used as part of a decompression protocol, and help dogs engage or re-engage with us.
Don’t let its simplicity fool you! This skill is powerful.
At the onset of training, the ready find it game helps us build your dog’s positive marker, develop and strengthen the pattern of orienting toward you, and learn that working together is actually kinda fun! This will serve us well going forward.
Relevant concepts:Positive marker, predictability, reinforcement history, cooperative working relationship
Setup: Have low-value food in your bag and a handful ready in your hand.
A brief explanation and demonstration of the Ready Find It Pattern Game.
Instructions:
Say “ready?”
When your dog looks at you, say “find it!” and toss the treat away using an underhand toss that they can clearly see.
Wait for your dog to find and eat it.
When your dog begins to orient toward you (turn back to you), say “yes” and place the reward on the ground in front of you (do not toss it!). They will come back to you to collect it.
After they eat their reward, begin again from step 1, throwing the treat in a different direction. Repeat 3-5x alternating sides each time.
Tips:
Keep this LIGHT AND FUN! We want your dog to look forward to this pattern game. If they think it’s just another boring training exercise, they’ll have zero interest in it when we put it to use in more challenging situations. Fun is key. Keep it high energy, smile, and use lots of encouragement as if they’re the smartest, fastest dog on planet earth and you’re so impressed!
As you get the flow of this game and you don’t have to think about it as much, it’ll get faster and faster. That adds to the fun!
Remember to toss the treat AFTER you say “find it”. “Ready” gets their attention, and either “find it” or “catch” will tell them what direction their treat will be going. If you say “find it” and toss it at the same time, your dog doesn’t get the heads up.
You can use a single “ready, find it” anytime! You don’t always have to play the whole game.
