Is your dog special?
Of course they are! Ask almost any dog owner that question and you'll get an enthusiastic YES.
But ask why their dog is special, and you might be surprised by the answers.
- "My dog can't cope around other dogs, so we have to walk at night."
- "We have to put him in another room when the grandchildren visit."
- "She chases absolutely everything that moves!"
- "He won't work for food."
- "I've tried everything, but I just can't get her to play."
- "She bites."
- "He's a rescue."
- "He completely shuts down."
Sound familiar?
When our dogs struggle with certain situations or behaviours, it's easy to start defining them by those struggles. We talk about our reactive dog, our nervous dog, our difficult dog or our dog who simply can't do certain things.
And while these descriptions might reflect genuine challenges we're experiencing, there's a danger in allowing them to become the whole story.
Because the way we talk about our dogs can have a surprisingly powerful influence on the way we train them.
The Power of the Stories We Tell About Our Dogs
As humans, we love labels. They're a convenient way to explain things quickly, especially when we're dealing with challenging situations.
Take the phrase "He's a rescue."
Those three words can communicate an enormous amount without us having to explain anything further. People may immediately understand why our dog needs extra space, struggles with unfamiliar situations or reacts to other dogs.
And sometimes, that understanding is exactly what we need.
The problem comes when we repeat these descriptions so often that they begin to feel like permanent truths. We stop seeing a behaviour as something that might change and start seeing it as an unchangeable part of who our dog is.
"He's always been like that."
"She's just not that sort of dog."
"Nothing works with him."
Before long, we can find ourselves expecting the same difficulties, avoiding new possibilities and assuming certain training approaches simply won't work for our dog.
Our expectations become shaped by the story we've been telling.
Of course, our dogs' histories matter. Their experiences, personalities and individual needs all influence how they respond to the world. A rescue dog may have had experiences that continue to affect them long after they've found their forever home. But their past doesn't have to define every chapter of their future.
And the behaviours you're seeing today don't necessarily have to be the behaviours you're seeing six months or a year from now.
It's Time to Write Your Dog a New Story
Here's something we'd love you to consider.
What if the story you've been telling about your dog could change?
What if the dog who struggles around distractions could learn to make brilliant choices?
What if the dog who finds new environments overwhelming could gradually become more confident?
What if the dog who seems impossible to motivate could discover that learning with you is actually great fun?
Imagine being able to describe your dog through all the wonderful things they CAN do, rather than focusing on everything they find difficult.
- "My dog loves learning new games!"
- "She's getting so much better at making good choices."
- "He checked in with me when another dog appeared!"
- "She's becoming more confident every day."
These are the stories we want to help you create.
Because your dog already brings so much to your life. Their personality, their quirks, their enthusiasm, their companionship and all those little moments that make you smile.
Your dog is special for so many wonderful reasons. Let's give those reasons more room in the story.
And one of the best ways to start changing that story is through games.
How Games-Based Training Can Change Your Dog's Story
At absoluteDogs, we believe that every dog has the potential to learn, develop new skills and make progress.
And we use games-based concept training to help make that happen.
Why games?
Because the way your dog responds to the world is influenced by their previous experiences and the skills they've developed along the way.
When your dog encounters something exciting, unfamiliar or worrying, their brain has to decide how to respond.
If they don't yet have the skills to cope with that situation, they may fall back on familiar responses. That might mean barking, lunging, chasing, biting, becoming overexcited or shutting down completely.
These behaviours can be incredibly challenging for both dogs and their owners. But with the right training, we can help our dogs develop new ways of responding.
Building Skills for Real Life
Games-based concept training focuses on developing the underlying skills that help dogs navigate everyday life.
Think of it like giving your dog a toolkit.
Teaching an individual behaviour gives your dog something useful they can do in a particular situation.
Developing concepts such as confidence, optimism, self-control and flexibility helps your dog build a broader range of skills they can draw on in lots of different situations.
It's a bit like the difference between having a single screwdriver and a fully equipped toolbox. That screwdriver is brilliant when you need it. But having a whole collection of tools gives you far more options when you encounter a new challenge.
Through carefully chosen games, we can help our dogs develop:
- Confidence: Feeling more comfortable exploring and trying new things.
- Optimism: Approaching unfamiliar experiences with curiosity rather than immediately expecting something worrying.
- Resilience: Learning to keep trying when something doesn't work out straight away.
- Self-control: Developing the ability to pause, think and make good choices.
- Flexibility: Becoming better equipped to adapt when situations change.
- Boundaries: Understanding helpful patterns and expectations in everyday life.
And just as importantly, games help us build a brilliant relationship with our dogs.
Every positive interaction, every shared success and every moment of connection adds to what we call your Relationship Bank Account.
The more positive experiences you share, the more opportunities you have to build trust, engagement and a willingness to work together.
Over time, those small moments can make a real difference to how your dog responds to the world.
Two Simple Games to Start Changing Your Dog's Story
Ready to get started? Here are two of our favourite games for building confidence, encouraging positive experiences and helping your dog discover just how capable they can be.
Game 1: Cardboard Chaos
Cardboard Chaos is one of our absolute favourite games for building confidence, optimism and resilience.
And the best part? All you need is a few cardboard boxes and some of your dog's food or favourite toys.
How to play:
- Gather a few empty cardboard boxes and arrange them in a loose pile on the floor.
- Scatter some of your dog's food among the boxes or hide a favourite toy where they can easily find it.
- Encourage your dog to explore at their own pace, sniffing around to discover the rewards.
- As your dog becomes more confident, you can gradually introduce a little more movement or complexity to the setup.
As your dog searches, the boxes may move, rustle or shift around them. By keeping the game at a level your dog is comfortable with, you're giving them opportunities to experience something slightly unusual and discover that good things happen.
They get to explore, problem-solve and enjoy success.
And as their confidence grows, you can gently introduce new challenges.
Top Tip: Start simple! If your dog is unsure about the boxes, spread them further apart or place food around the outside. Let your dog choose how close they want to get. There's something wonderful about watching a dog who was initially hesitant become increasingly curious, confident and enthusiastic.
Every little success is another positive experience to add to their story.
Game 2: Scatter Feeding
Sometimes the simplest games can have an enormous impact.
Scatter Feeding is a fantastic example. Instead of serving your dog's entire breakfast in a bowl, why not use some of that food to create a fun sniffing game?
How to play:
- Take a portion of your dog's usual food.
- Find a quiet, safe area of grass where your dog feels comfortable.
- Scatter a few pieces of food across the ground.
- Let your dog use their nose to search for and enjoy each piece.
That's it!
Sniffing is a natural and rewarding activity for dogs, and searching for food can help encourage calmer behaviour and engagement with their environment. It's a lovely way to give your dog something enjoyable to focus on.
You can play in your garden, in a quiet outdoor space or during a walk when the environment is suitable. And because you can adjust how widely you scatter the food, it's easy to make the game simpler or more challenging to suit your dog.
Scatter Feeding can be particularly useful for helping dogs build positive associations with different environments, practise focusing on an enjoyable activity and develop confidence through successful experiences.
Top Tip: Choose your location carefully. Start somewhere your dog already feels relaxed, and make sure the area is safe and free from anything unsuitable for them to eat.
Small Games, Big Changes
Changing your dog's story doesn't happen overnight.
A dog who has spent years finding certain situations difficult may need time, patience and lots of carefully managed positive experiences to develop new responses. And that's absolutely fine.
Every time your dog makes a good choice, tries something new or discovers that a situation is easier than they expected, you're helping them build skills for the future.
Those moments matter.
The dog who chooses to check in with you instead of rushing towards a distraction. The dog who confidently explores something they would previously have avoided. The dog who discovers that playing and learning with you is fun.
These are all moments worth celebrating.
And as those moments add up, you may find that the way you talk about your dog begins to change too.
Instead of automatically describing everything they struggle with, you start noticing their progress, their strengths and their potential. You begin to see new possibilities.
Your dog is special. They've always been special. And there's so much more to their story than the challenges they face.
So give them opportunities to learn. Celebrate the little wins. Build their confidence, grow your relationship and discover what you can achieve together. One game at a time.
Ready to Start Your Dog's Next Chapter?
If you're wondering where to begin, our Sexier Than a Squirrel Challenge is a brilliant place to start.
Across a series of fun, easy-to-follow games, you'll discover how to build your dog's focus, confidence and engagement, strengthen your relationship and start developing skills that make everyday life easier.
Your dog's next chapter could begin with one simple game.
