I Spy… Fun Group Dog Training Classes

Terry Ryan is known for her pithy wisdom, patience, and signature classes that are creative, fun, and effective. Her training games help improve the performance of both canine and human students. Among these engaging training techniques is a playful yet purposeful game that exemplifies her training philosophy.

The game, I Spy, is based on the children’s guessing game. It is a great game to play at the first meeting of any beginner group dog training class. It highlights and promotes gentle and positive interactions between dogs and people and camaraderie between the students. 

I Spy is not only fun, but it helps dogs develop positive associations with touch, helps students practice observation of the dog’s comfort with specific touch, helps students practice prompt treat delivery in the proper order (touch, then treat), and encourages dialogue and helps people learn names in a fun way. 

How to play:

• The human on Team A looks across the way, or next door, to Team B and says, “I spy Fluffy’s paw.” The human on Team B then reaches out to their own dog, Fluffy, gently touches her paw, and follows the touch with a treat. 
• Then, the roles are reversed. Team B says, “I spy Fido’s chest,” and Team A reaches out for their own dog, Fido, gently touching his chest and following up with a treat.
• This game can be played one team at a time, or the entire group can play together. 
• Some dogs may already have a negative association with certain body parts. Encourage students to advocate for their dogs and avoid those body parts in this game.

Learn how to use games like this one to teach group classes more creatively, with better results for students and their dogs, in Game-Changing Dog Training Classes for Instructors. Learn at your own pace, with legendary instructor Terry Ryan as your teacher and coach. 

Happy Training!