06/13/2026
Lulu is a big excitable dog who has a hard time regulating her big excitable feelings. With the help of the 1-2-3 Pattern Game (or in this case, the A-B-C Pattern Game), I'm able to redirect her attention from playing with her friend Abby, to waiting for me to buckle her up for our walk.
A pattern game like this allows dog brains to gradually reorient to their handler during overstimulating environments. For example, Lulu loves going on walks with me, but when she hears my car park outside and sees me come through the door, she gets so overwhelmed by her excitement that she tries to start playing with Abby, even if that's not what Abby wants to do.