Focus & Engagement System
$147
Your dog doesn't pay attention to you outside. He's locked onto a squirrel, a rabbit, a smell, another dog, or is just looking around scanning the environment in general. You could probably disappear off the end of the leash and he wouldn't notice because he just doesn't pay attention to you at all once you leave the house.
Sound familiar?
He won't make eye contact outside
He's more interested in birds, squirrels, and anything that moves than he is in you.
He either becomes "picky" about treats outside or ignores them altogether
Someone has asked if you've "tried chicken?" (or whatever extra-high value that happened to work for their dog), but you've tried all the high values and if it helps at all, it's brief
If your dog eats the treats, they're meaningless to him and don't actually change his behavior or make him focus on you long term
You've tried everything you can think of but you haven't actually been addressing what's happening inside your dog's brain once he gets outside.
Why "just use better treats" doesn't work
A treat can't compete with a brain that's already full. If your dog has real prey drive, or gets overstimulated outside, no amount of chicken changes what's happening internally, his brain is too busy processing everything else to even register that you're holding food.
Here's what you need to understand about your dog when he is like this: he's likely not just distracted by the environment, he's completely overstimulated past the point where his brain can process a treat at all and that needs a completely different training plan than a normal distraction does. Treating both problems the same way is why nothing you've tried has worked...yet.
What's inside
My most comprehensive program yet because I know this is something you really need:
What Focus and Engagement Actually Are: why the two aren't the same thing, and why your dog is trying his best with how full his brain is
Reading and Managing Overstimulation: how to tell a still dog from a calm one (still does not equal calm or functional), the 3-second rule, and a full Regulation Toolkit for a dog overwhelmed by the whole environment or locked onto one specific thing
Becoming Someone Your Dog Wants to Watch: finding your dog's real motivation (since it isn't always food or toys) and using it in a way that can calm, regulate, and focus your dog
Teaching Engagement From Scratch: the exact games that create offered attention, so your dog checks in without you asking for it every time
Taking It Outside: choosing the right environment, warming up properly, and your dog's first real outdoor sessions
Making It Last: fading treats without losing the behavior and maintaining long term success with your focused and engaged dog
Every module explains what's actually happening and why and gives you easy to follow step-by-step exercises so you can start getting a focused dog right away.
Why this, from me
I've spent over a decade as a professional dog trainer, including as a certified Guide Dog Mobility Instructor and service dog trainer, where a dog's ability to stay engaged with their handler in public is a requirement of the work. Everything in this course comes from that same foundation, adapted for any dog you want to actually bring places with you. Perfect for any dog that needs to focus on you outside for any reason.
Each module is self-paced with step-by-step instructions so you can work through it on your own schedule and come back to it anytime.
"He was often overwhelmed and it was like his thinking brain was 'offline.' Now, he doesn't get so 'stuck' on distractions and it's so much easier for me to get his attention even when distractions are around."
- Katie, on her and Eddie's experience in Dogs Welcome
The Focus & Engagement System: $147
This is a system for a reason, because your dog needs to learn the skills then gradually apply them outside in a way that he can still think through his actions. Once your dog knows how to engage with you and can automatically check in around distractions, you'll be unstoppable together.
Due to the digital nature of this product, all sales are final